What do you do with old bills?

[mamamunchkin]

How long do you keep them, and then what? We found a TON while cleaning this week.... Now what?

[thebeckery]

After one month, when I can see that the payment from the previous month has cleared, I shred them.

I figure that I can get most all of them online if I needed them....especially my credit card statement.

[Ericanaysha]

Yep what she said. :)

[janice]

The infamous "they" say to keep utility bills for one month and credit card statements for 6-11 months. I keep all bills for a year, but that's just me. I go through the filing cabinet once a year and throw away the unneeded paperwork from the previous year.

[MommaK]

I get one of those boxes from Office depot and I have one per year. I just put all my bills in that and after 1 year, I get rid of the bills and reuse the box. That way, i can just stuff the box full with all thse things for the year, and if I need it I at least know what box it is in.

[Mom2JTSJ]

I ususally toss / shred them after I see that the pmt has been recieved.

[mamamunchkin]

When you shred them, do you just toss the stuff in the garbage?

[Ericanaysha]

Yes I do. Mine shreds into little pieces, so good luck to anyone who wants to piece it back together.

[cshoremom]

Well, i have heard that tax documents and important things keep for 7 years......... insurance papers, deeds, etc. forever..
but monthly bills, I think a few months to a year.....then shred.....
I am giving this advice based on what I have heard. Personally, (don't laugh) I have every bill I have ever paid in a big box in my attic for the last 19 years!!!!! Can we say FIRE HAZARD???
I don't recommend the Lauren Method!!!

[DDofEve]

LOL Lauren! throw them AWAY! HA-HA!!!

If they make it into the filing cabinet, they are the lucky ones. I rip them up and recycle them.

[Ericanaysha]

well yes things that have to do with taxes or insurance I keep around. Filed away

[sjandmnsma]

I shred them as soon as I pay them! I hate having all that paper laying around - even doing that I still have too much paper from when dh was doing the bills and saved everything!

I do save tax stuff but that's about it.

[KD75]

I don't recommend the Lauren Method!!!

GIRL!!!

You need to get busy shredding!!!!

[Bridget in AZ]

an IRS agent that you only need to keep tax records now for 3 years. It used to be 7 but now it is 3. don't know why the change but I shredded ours! I keeps bills for a year but I shouldn't and I don't know why I do. Maybe I'll start shredding more often :) When I do go through them I have lots of bags of little scraps of paper!

[BCatherine]

I tear up bills and throw them out as soon as I pay them.

I know that there is a random chance of something coming up and my needing that bill again.....but, in years of doing this....I've never had that happen.

So, I'd just rather not have a bunch of stuff lying around on the off chance that I might need one of those 5,000 things one day ya know?

If you get rid of them either burn them (we do that in the winter in the fireplace) or tear them up or use a shredder if you have one.

[cshoremom]

I know..... I REALLY need a shredder!!!
This pack-rat stuff is killin' me! And I am a neat freak, so imagine the stress I put on myself organizing all this STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KD75]

I know..... I REALLY need a shredder!!!
This pack-rat stuff is killin' me! And I am a neat freak, so imagine the stress I put on myself organizing all this STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When my grandparents were still alive, they started going through their boxes of old papers...just about 40+ yrs of stuff...they found the original hospital bill from when my mom was born. :eek: That was interesting.

Anyway, get that stuff out of your attic, Woman!!! :p

[Binny]

Well we just bought one of those metal things you can make a fire in outside while you grill and stuff for fun and we find they come in handy to start the fire. :D

[carlislehomemom]

utilty bills: shred right after they have been paid

credit card statements: keep for 3-5 years or until the card is paid and closed, then keep the final statement and any letter with a confirmation of it closing..keep those forever

loan payments (cars/house): keep as long as you own that car/house. they keep any final statement or the deed/title

[grits]

Once a year (usually in January) I purge 'em except the propane b/c we've been doing a pre-pay acct for the winter months and I need to look back at what we used the year before.

[Mar]

shred them