RetireAge50
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2013
- Messages
- 1,660
What is paper? What is a PDF? I can see and review all balances and transactions whenever I want with my pocket computer (phone?).
Nearly paperless. I do print out the latest quarterly statement from Vanguard since 95% of our money is there. I started doing that after Clark Howard suggested keeping at least one recent statement of bank accounts just to prove that you have money in an account - I guess in case of a giant computer hack or something. Other than that, pretty much all paperless.
I would love to go paperless, but resist in some cases. I know you have online access to all the detail of billing statements, but I am more comfortable holding a piece of paper and analyzing it. For one, I don't trust cable companies and have found in the past that they might throw in some movie or extra charge. When I challenged the cable bill and got some satisfaction, I make notes on that paper bill and stick it in my file. Old fashioned? Yes, but then I'm an "old fashioned" kind of guy.
Recently moved into a new community of about 3000 residents. We have our own post office, gangs of mail boxes by street name and house number. Inside there is a table to sort through your mail and there are large bins to discard junk mail. I go in about every other day and these recycle bins are always loaded. Just junk mail. I guess the cost of mailing all this helps support the USPS but sometimes I wonder. What a waste.
I believe the USPS can be likened to the army maintaining divisions of cavalry on horseback. It's long outlived its purpose I would support mail service of 1-2 times per week at centralized points similar to above (where on stop delivers mail for hundreds of residences). In our area, the post office has already separated most package delivery into a dedicated service. Over 90% of our mail never makes it into the house - straight to recycle bin. The waste of resources and the additional pollution is a damn disgrace.
I'm all paperless. Print everything to pdf and scan anything that comes in on paper. Scanned all old documents and had a bonfire with the paper.
I was thinking about it until earlier this year when our ISP went down for five days. When we have a utility that is maintained as a utility should be, I'll reconsider.
Since that condition is unlikely to be met within my lifetime the answer is a firm and unequivocal "NO!"
I'm quoting you as an example of the people who posted here about being paperless (which we are not). How do you have your finances set up so your spouse or someone else could easily take over bill paying?
I'm quoting you as an example of the people who posted here about being paperless (which we are not). How do you have your finances set up so your spouse or someone else could easily take over bill paying?
I'm thinking maybe I should set up a separate email account for only bill paying so DH wouldn't have to wade through all my emails to find the bills and confirmations of payment (and as a paper person, he would just print them all out anyway )?
PS: companies should offer a $ incentive for paperless, and they would be amazed at how many people would switch.
Yes we finally got insurance to move to electronic this year after badgering them for five years. First CNS and then O'Rourke. Still get hard copy but by the time it arrives, it has been paid.Having multiple homes makes it almost mandatory to go paperless. Almost nothing of importance received by mail. About the only thing is insurance premium requests, insurance companies are way behind banks on this.