What documents do I need to keep?

[hopefulfirefly]

I am a very organized person and generally keep all receipts, invoices, bills, etc. However, I also try to be friendly to our environment. Lately, many of the bills I pay (that come to me via snail mail), have offered me the opportunity to receive the bills online via email. I'd like to do this, to save a tree or two, but dont' I have to keep the copies of those bills? I'd be tempted to print the invoices anyway which wouldn't save a tree and would end up costing me more money. So, which documents do I actually have to keep?

[disneysteve]

One option with e-bills and e-statements is to just archive them electronically rather than on paper. Burn them to a CD/DVD, keep them on a flash drive, etc.

[momof1in150]

I have been receiving most of our bills and statements electronically since 2002. I save them to my hard drive by year and month. I back them up monthly to an external hard drive and then to a CD once a year.

I have NEVER had to refer back to them. Now that I am selling real estate I am also saving a duplicate copy to my ongoing tax file. Those I may or may not need when it comes to tax time.

My insurance cards for our cars show up electronically every year so it is nice to have them saved as if it is replaced you can easily print a new one.

[disneysteve]

There can also be financial incentives to switching to e-bills/statements. I know our phone bill gives us a $1/month credit for doing so and I know Vanguard waives certain account fees if you get e-statements.

[PrincessPerky]

I love ebills, I don't have to deal with them when the come in the mail and again when online, I just go line up payment while already online!

as to saving, electronic archival is great. And I have never had to look at one..in my whole life.