Mega clear up and large amounts of bank statements etc. What do you do?

[EyeballsintheSky]

I appreciate I might be the only slattern who has sacks full of these things

Everything has been dumped in the spare room for ages and this morning I started clearing it out for dd. But already I have accumulated a couple of bin bags worth of paper with names and details on that I don't want to just bin. I have a shredder that shreds precisely one post it note before it jams so please, tell me what you would do with it all and how to get rid safely before I set a match to it!

[HeadFairy]

Bank statements you don't really need to keep. Your bank keeps 7 years worth I think, which you can request at any time. Either buy a better shredder or burn it.

Is it just bank statements?

[Clockface]

Keep only the last 6 months' bank statements.

Obviously keep anything like proof of no claims bonus but unless it could actually help you in any obvious way, get rid of it.

[Clockface]

We have done our banking online for ages and one benefit is no paper statements to get rid of!

[EyeballsintheSky]

It's more the practicalities tbh. I don't keep any statements as I get them all online now. This is older stuff and DH's stuff from his fledgling business but there is a lot of it. With so much detail on I don't want to put it in the recycling bin, my shredder isn't up to the job and it would take ages even if it was. I was wondering about one of these shredding services?

[Medee]

Business stuff needs to be kept for 6 years.

[FourArms]

Metal bin, squirt of petrol, box of matches, all sorted!

[EyeballsintheSky]

I'm probably not being very clear! It's not what it is so much, I used bank statements to illustrate the point. I have about three bin bags full of paper of various types that is fine to be got rid of, but is covered in our details so I don't want to chuck it in the bin. Has anyone accumulated similar amounts of paperwork and how did you get rid? Can i set fire to it without setting the house alight or is there some sort of shredding service that anyone has used? I don't want to buy a new shredder, hate them and I haven't got time to sit and shred for hours on end. Would pay dd to do it but she's a little young.

[EyeballsintheSky]

Am liking the metal bin idea most

[thumbwitch]

burn it.

If you don't have an open fire, then get the metal bin. Unfortunately you can't get braziers easily any more or you could get one for the garden.

Be careful though - it gets VERY hot. I have just finished burning a couple of sackloads of paper in the open fireplace and had to back away several times because of the heat.

You don't need an accelerant, but fold all the paper in half because it burns better that way, and stand it on its edge, not flat.

[AitchTwoOh]

if it's business stuff, you have to keep it all, i think. the revenue can ask you for it at any time. i thought it was five years butif medeee htinks it's 6 she probably knows.

[Dumbledoresgirl]

I thought financial stuff had to be kept for 7 years. That is what I do anyway in the case of bank statements.

When I get rid of stuff, I tend to just throw it out which I know is a huge NO-NO. I don't have a shredder but I do have a large woodburning stove so I am going to try and remember to restrict clearouts to the winter months.

[thumbwitch]

I was told it's 6 years for business stuff as well; I always thought for personal stuff it was 7 years for tax reasons and believe that has now gone up to 10 years (in that the tax office can go back 10 years if you get investigated).
I keep all my current bank financial statements - I was burning ones from defunct accounts and old house bills etc. Plus anything else with my name/address/anyothersortofaccount number on.

[Itsjustafleshwound]

Just put in a bin wet it and tear it up ...

[EyeballsintheSky]

OK, forget business and bank stuff! It's erm, I don't know....Amazon receipts with names and addresses on. It is all throwable, nothing that needs keeping. I've checked.

So burning is the way to go by the sounds of it. Do have an open fire but it's only little. Or I could make a big papier mache football as fleshwound suggests

[Medee]

do you have confidential shredding at work? You could take a little batch in every day!

[thumbwitch]

sounds like burning is your best option, Eyeballs! It will take a while on a little fire though - do it a bit at a time. One other thing I noticed is that the ash stayed hot for a long time, so that I could give myself a break of around 1-2 hours between batches, then go back and stuff more in and it would reignite no problem!

[EyeballsintheSky]

LOL. This'll teach me to hoard paperwork. Where are my matches....

[nouveaupauvre]

do you compost? i rip up confidential stuff like bank statements and add to compost.if any id fraudster wants to ferret around in my rancid compost bin he has frankly earned the right to the contents of my bank account
wouldn't work with sackfuls tho, those go on the fire