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Forum nameGeneral Discussion
Topic subjectWhen do you throw away old important papers and computer files?
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=13391109
13391109, When do you throw away old important papers and computer files?
Posted by handle, Sun Jun-28-20 01:28 PM
I'm going through spindles of old CD-Rs and boxes of old files - and I'm at the point where I think I'm just going to throw a lot of it away.

Do I need a hard drive backup of a 68K Macintosh from 1998?
Do I need a backup of my Google Play account?
Do I need discharge paperwork for a surgery I had in 2003?
Do I need my taxes from 1996?
Do I need veterinarian paperwork for my cat from 10 years ago?
Do I need copies of receipts for a bathroom remodel from 2012?

Do I take photos of it on my phone (like scanning it) and then just keep the photos?

Do I just toss it and never look back?

I'm thinking of tossing anything older than 5 year, except taxes and anything I have a warranty on.

What do you do?
13391115, Last Month I Found A Stash Of Pay Stubs From 1996 To 2005
Posted by Dj Joey Joe, Sun Jun-28-20 03:14 PM
I don't know why I saved all of them, I know I'm sort of a pack rat, but I remember people always saying don't throw away your pay/check stubs cause it usually have your personal info like social security number & etc. on it.

I should've ripped them up to shreds and threw them away but I guess I just kept on saying yeah I need to throw these away and but kept on adding on to the pile all those years; I should burn them all.


13391125, I found those too a few years ago
Posted by handle, Sun Jun-28-20 04:20 PM
A few years ago I went through my paperwork and wrote down every employer name and address , hourly wage, and yeear end pay totals.

I threw those out, but still kept a LOT fo other things.
13391129, I'm a data hoarder
Posted by Jay Doz, Sun Jun-28-20 05:09 PM
and being a Google One subscriber just makes it harder for me to kick that habit. like, I have old high school essays from 20+ years ago that I copied from old 3 1/2 floppy disks. never gonna need that ever, yet here I am
13391189, Man I would pay good money for a copies of my college essays.
Posted by Buddy_Gilapagos, Mon Jun-29-20 09:35 AM
I just want to see if I knew what I was doing then.

In fact, I wrote a short story in high school about a society that was split up and zoned based on your health that I would love to re-read now because of covid.

Some times being a pack rat pays off.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"
13391132, digitize and store forever. hard drives are cheap
Posted by Triptych, Sun Jun-28-20 06:28 PM
and getting cheaper (per gig)
13391185, I keep everything related to property ownership, other stuff...
Posted by flipnile, Mon Jun-29-20 09:05 AM
...I toss into a cardboard box and shred after a year or so if I haven't needed it. Junk mail gets tossed right into recycling. Messy system tho. Alway end up having to go through to box again anyway because I gotta double check before I shred.

Gonna try shredding "important" stuff every week (vs. every year).
13391195, I destroy anything older than 7 yrs. Isn't that how far back an audit goes?
Posted by SuiteLady, Mon Jun-29-20 10:20 AM
Isn't that how far back an IRS audit goes?
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