The Mail You Have to Keep / myLot

United States

January 20, 2024 7:31pm CST

What do you do with it? All of my life I was told that we must keep all important papers, mail, etc., for seven years. I used to do that, but in the past decade or so, I have stopped. Why? Because there is just not enough space to keep it all. These latest years I don't have all that much, but there is still more than I want. It is always in the way! My home is a small, one bedroom apartment. My space is very limited. Yet every week, there is at least one more piece of mail, or something, that needs to be kept. The junk mail is mostly thrown away. Some is saved for art purposes. But that isn't the problem. So, what do you do with all the paperwork you are keeping for your records? Where do you put it? Do you keep it for the required seven years?

5 people like this

5 responses

Judy Story

@jstory07 (139782)

• Roseburg, Oregon

21 Jan

After seven years I threw the stuff away. I keep every year in a folder which helps a lot.

2 people like this

wittynet

@wittynet (4421)

• Philippines

21 Jan

Is seven years like a protocol, you know? Like, you must keep all your documents for seven days, and then you can throw them away after?

1 person likes this

CAPirani Photography & Art

@capirani (2840)

• United States

22 Jan

@wittynet In the US it is preferred and the smart thing to do to keep all important documents for 7 years. This includes businesses, and home. It can become necessary in case of any legal issues. It is also for debts. Any other types of records as well. But it is very problematic if you live in a very small space and have little room for that kind of thing.

1 person likes this

wittynet

@wittynet (4421)

• Philippines

22 Jan

@capirani Oh! It makes sense!

2 people like this

wittynet

@wittynet (4421)

• Philippines

21 Jan

Over many years, I gather a lot of papers and stuff from way back in 1995. This year, I start throwing away most of them. Every time I touch these things, I ask myself, "Do I need this in the next 10 years?" This includes some tools like for crocheting, some cellphone cords and adapters, bottles, perfume, clothes, shoes, slippers, and many other things. If I say NO, I don't need that in the next 10 years, I put it in the trash bin lol. I do this to have a more comfy and big place to live because I'm in a small studio. Do I have plans to bring these to our house in the province? No. This will just add to the things in our old house, which also not used for many years.

2 people like this

Anna

@LadyDuck (471969)

• Switzerland

21 Jan

We only have to keep important papers. I only save the emails that have a juridical value and delete all those not important. Same for the documents. We must keep during 10 years the important paper here.

1 person likes this

Jim Bauer

@porwest (92403)

• United States

21 Jan

I think that's old school. Anything can practically be either digitized or can be obtained digitally if you ask for it for a record. I don't keep much past a year anymore and if it is something I think might be particularly important to keep longer, I simply scan it and toss away the paper document.

1 person likes this

Berend E

@TraveOnWorld (854)

• Georgia

21 Jan

I used to be a paper hoarder and never needed any of it, I literally had filing cabinets full of receipts etc. We cleaned it all out, I had a fear for a while that I might need something. Never did. So now all we have are apostilled copies of our passports, driver's licences, qualifications and we also keep a copy of our will and a one page document with all our account numbers, investment contacts and customs receipts for our electronic equipment. We've each got a set of copies in one envelope in our suitcases and it goes where we go. I've not needed anything else in the last 5 years.

1 person likes this