Paperwork Storage – Using Your Computer as a Filing Cabinet

Computers Were Designed to be More than Typewriters!

Most people don’t use their computers to their fullest.  The storage capacity in a basic household computer is much higher than most of us will ever use.  Coupled with a scanner your computer can ba a filing machine – in addition to being a game-playing, facebooking typewriter.  I prefer the 3-in-1 printer/fax/scanners for a home office as they are very inexpensive.  I scan and save all of my receipts, statements and bills onto my computer.  Computerized filing is easy and can be started with your most current records and moving on back in time.  Start by using a catchy and simple file naming system.  I’m able to retrieve any file I’m looking for by it’s name or “key words” entered when scanning the document.  An example the file name for a  utility document would be:  c://mydocuments/records2009/utilities/waterJune ( June’s water bill for 2009).

  Once I’ve paid the bill, and it has been reconciled in my bank account, I no longer need this statement in paper form.  I keep a backup of my files in an off-site online storage system, like Carbonite, and I’m confident my records are safe.    Periodically, I purge records that are no longer needed and have passed their  Expiration Date in relation to income tax records or if I don’t own that item anymore.  What’s nice about having it computerized is it’s deleted in a flick of a switch, not with hours of sorting through paper files.   Remember to ALWAYS keep records that are in effect and don’t change, like wills and property ownership papers. In addition to scanning,  I always keep this type of permanent information in paper form until it’s no longer used, useful or legally relevent.

I think of filing and paperwork this way, if you have a mild flood or other type of damage to your home that involves your paper records, your records are safe on your computer (or on its backup system) as long as there is a back-up copy “offsite” from where you are.   If you don’t want to trust an online company, bring a new copy of your data every 1-3 months to a safe deposit box.  Either way, there will be an annual fee, but well worth it when it comes to preserving your records.