I was replacing some worn-out file folders when I started to wonder why I still had folders with checking account statements dating back to 1987, from a bank that no longer exists because it got acquired in the recession five years ago. All the information on the statements has been saved in Quicken since my husband bought an early version of that software program in 1990 for our first computer, which means the paper has been entirely useless for the past quarter-century!
All these years, I kept folder after folder of monthly statements that I never looked at again after reconciling them, for no better reason than because that was how I got in the habit of keeping financial information before we had computers. Sometimes it seems like the more clutter I get rid of, the more I realize is still around here lurking! Oh, well, at least I have a good robust shredder. It got such a workout that my husband made sure to oil it promptly after we shredded all those old bank statements!
About Clutter Comedy: Every Sunday (which I envision as a day of rest after a productive week of de-cluttering) I post a Clutter Comedy article describing my most memorable clutter discovery of the week. Other bloggers who wish to join in are welcome—just post a link in the comments! There’s no need to publish any “before” photos of your clutter, if they are too embarrassing. The idea is simply to get motivated to clean it up, while having a bit of fun too!
I’ll bet every one of us can relate to this morning’s post, Meg. It seems odd that since the dawn of the computer age we are drowning in more paper than ever. Happy shredding!
Paper does have its uses — looking through a folder of paper statements is much quicker and easier than opening and reading numerous PDFs. But it’s all too easy to let things pile up that are never looked at again!
my goodness! This post was written just for me! I just finished de-cluttering two cabinets in our home office and it felt great! Almost like a major cleaning of my teeth, really! I had been feeling so much dread about files, folders, old documents that I have been postponing it for months and months. So, as 2015 rang in, I resolved to de-clutter! Believe me when I tell you I filled more than a recycle basket. I even found old transparencies which I used for presentations when there was no PowerPoint yet. Yep! That old. And I threw them all in our recycle bins. So, thank you for you post and your nudge. I have resolved to tackle 1-2 cabinets every weekend until I finish the home office. After that, it’s on to the linen closet.
Good for you! I have to confess, I also have some old linens that have been sitting around for years because I thought they might be useful for rags or something. Occasionally they are, but not nearly as many as I’ve got piled up!