Archiving Household Bills

Goumet · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:31

I've got cupboards and cupboards of Bills for the house, car, Mobile, Housephone, Credit Cards etc, and its getting beyond a joke trying to keep it all.

My thought was to scan it, and save it to CD \ DVD or store in a database etc.

Anyone doing this? Know any good software to do it?

Also any legal implications?

Thanks

Indy500 · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:31

Scan them and then shred them. You spelt archiving wrong, by the way.

Goumet · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:34

sr4470 said:
Scan them and then shred them. You spelt archiving wrong, by the way.

Corrected, Thanks

Yeah I would like to, but into what...using what (and before anyone says It I know I scanner would be a start).

But I need a double sided scanner, or a specific DPI for it to be legel etc?

Indy500 · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:37

Goumet said:
Corrected, Thanks

Yeah I would like to, but into what...using what (and before anyone says It I know I scanner would be a start).

But I need a double sided scanner, or a specific DPI for it to be legel etc?

Just scan it like any other piece of paper..

basmic · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:40

If it were me, I'd just get a massive storage file - put any bills older than a year in that, and destroy any over ten years old.

Shove it in the loft, and every year cycle the bills - shredding any of ten years or more of age.

Cybermyk · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:42

Most businesses I have worked for use scan to PDF packages for archiving. So long as the result is legible I think that's all that's required. I would imagine just about all scanners will manage the standard laser printer output.

Goumet · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:42

basmic said:
If it were me, I'd just get a massive storage file - put any bills older than a year in that, and destroy any over ten years old.

Shove it in the loft, and every year cycle the bills - shredding any of ten years or more of age.

Yeah but thats a pain, and not a lot of good for storage problems.

And doesn't help in a fire!!

Goumet · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:45

Cybermyk said:
Most businesses I have worked for use scan to PDF packages for archiving. So long as the result is legible I think that's all that's required. I would imagine just about all scanners will manage the standard laser printer output.

Any perticular Package that you know of?

Cybermyk · 30 Dec 2006 at 15:50

Goumet said:
Any perticular Package that you know of?

Acrobat Distiller and the cheaper Scan2PDF spring to mind but if you download and use the open source OpenOffice I think that has a built in PDF converter for documents.

HangTime · 30 Dec 2006 at 16:00

We use a couple of those 'briefcase' filing thingys... dunno what they are called but basically they look like a tacky plastic briefcase have a load of plastic sleeves inside with divider headings.

Personally I'd rather keep the originals than a scanned image.

JunkBot · 30 Dec 2006 at 17:34

Document imaging system. Saved as an image file?

clv101 · 30 Dec 2006 at 17:37

Do you actually need to keep a copy of your gas bill from 2003 though?

basmic · 30 Dec 2006 at 23:41

Goumet said:
Yeah but thats a pain, and not a lot of good for storage problems.

And doesn't help in a fire!!

Not really a pain for me, because I go in the loft at least twice a year anyway - but I don't keep my bills etc, I found it to be a waste of time.

As for fires...well it's a bad job if you get a fire in your loft.