Does EVERYONE on here have a shredder? What do you do if you don't?

[mrsbabookaloo]

Hi,

Ttying to clear out paperwork drawers and did a search on here for advice re how long to keep stuff. I know you shouldn't put stuff from bank/inland revenue etc in the recycling because of identity fraud, but everybody talks nonchalantly about shredding as if a shredder is a household item that everyone has.

What do I do with this stuff? Shred it with scissors? Keep it in the garage? Just rip it up a bit and chuck in recycling? (it would have to be a lucky opportunist to look thru my recycling the same week I'm doing a clear out..?)

I know it's a boring question but....

I saw some shredder scissors for sale in a petrol station of all places the other day, I just rip it up small and chuck it in the bin

I tear it up and put it in the wheelie bin - under some noxious nappies.

I don't have a a shredder - I am hoping that the nappies will discourage anyone from rummaging through my bin

Ask if one of your friends will shred it for you? save up for one?

Thanks all for these replies! I've seen those shredding scissors before and had forgotten them, and I've just had an idea. DD is 2.8 and her absolute favourite thing to do at the moment is......cutting!!

Cross cut shredders are not to expensive. I shred every single piece of paper that comes into my house.

Got some shredding scissors from Betterware. They are great because you can snip/shred out the name/address/numbers and recycle the rest.we had a great session with a pile of old bank statements.

DS is transfixed by them, though. "they are only for grown-ups dear. Look here are your little scissors". "I WANT LIDDLE SHREDDING SCISSORS. I'M FOUR! WAIL!"

All of ours goes in the wood burning stove.

That's not helpful is it?

We burn it all - but if you don't have an open fire that could be tricky... you could rip it up smallish, and then only put it in the bin on bin day?

So do other people shred every piece of junk mail / envelope with address on as well as the more obviously personal info type stuff such as bank statements etc?

If it's got my address on, then yes it goes in the fire.

Strangely, I have every bank statement from 1985!

That's a good idea to use shredding scissors on the addresses etc - I do rip them off and then tear up most of the time but that's a bit of a pain

other idea is to drown in water - goes undreadable.

Shredder are inexpensive tbh

I give them to DS3...............

no chance of anyone making any sense of anything after he's finished with them

Rip then screw them up under a running tap.

Message withdrawn

I rip it up and compost it.

You can get shredders reasonably cheaply but I am not sure if they are any good. I have almost bought one a couple of times but have just realised that I could throw stuff on the fire in our new house [doh emoticon]

i put it in compost. only things like credit card statements though.

I know my retired parents have a shredder next to the desk and I was surprised as to why. We're in Germany and I hadn't heard of all this identity fraud at all.

Burn all our confidential stuff.
You can get very cheap shredders from tesco value range, I think.
Sometimes shred ours and then put it in compost.

We have a shredder but I rarely use it. For everyday post I tear of the name and address bit and shred it with scissors.