Ask:
Hi all:
I use a file cabinet too store all of our bills and important papers. I'm sure many of you do too. My question is what do you really need to keep? For instance, do we need to keep all of the cable/phone/electricity/water/credit card bills from the past year?? What about paycheck stubs? I guess I just don't know what to keep, so I keep everything! I know that I don't need to and would like to pare down, but am afraid I'll toss out something important!!! Please help me!!!!
Answer:
Pay stubs, I don't keep because if I needed to get that information, I think I could get it from my employer. Utility bills get thrown, but I do keep a monthly bill paying notebook and I write everything down in it, so I still have records, but again I could get them from each individual place if it were necessary. Credit card bills I used to keep to have proof of transactions. Those I don't trust others to have all info available. I always keep receipts of taxes paid and medical bills paid.