I'm Going Paperless, Kinda...

[Huntn]

When I look around my office I see stacks of paper. I realize when doing bills, where I usually bog down is at the end and filing bills into individual folders. I don't ever seem to catch up. I'm trying a new approach by purchasing a Fujitsu Scansnap document scanner. It's a little more expensive, but I really like that it scans both sides and does multiple pages in a batch.

I'm making sure I have everything on my computer's main hard drive is backed up with Time Machine. I'm scanning everything and keeping the last two years just cause I'm chicken to shred it all. However, I'm outright shredding more than I used to. The difference is that before where a document was being filed, now it's being stuffed into an expanding document file folder thingy, kind of like a neat version of one of those paper stacks that used to sit on my desk. These documents are only to be pulled out as a last resort, otherwise I'm looking at .pdfs.

I realized how hard it was for me to give up the paper, especially the paper bills that more or less reminded me something needs to be payed. I've got electronic reminders set up in my online banking. Hopefully this will go well.

Any suggestions?

[rdowns]

What's a paper bill?

[vdubbeet]

Originally Posted by Huntn

When I look around my office I see stacks of paper. I realize when doing bills, where I usually bog down is at the end and filing bills into individual folders. I don't ever seem to catch up. I'm trying a new approach by purchasing a Fujitsu Scansnap document scanner. It's a little more expensive, but I really like that it scans both sides and does multiple pages in a batch.

I'm making sure I have everything on my computer's main hard drive is backed up with Time Machine. I'm scanning everything and keeping the last two years just cause I'm chicken to shred it all. However, I'm outright shredding more than I used to. The difference is that before where a document was being filed, now it's being stuffed into an expanding document file folder thingy, kind of like a neat version of one of those paper stacks that used to sit on my desk. These documents are only to be pulled out as a last resort, otherwise I'm looking at .pdfs.

I realized how hard it was for me to give up the paper, especially the paper bills that more or less reminded me something needs to be payed. I've got electronic reminders set up in my online banking. Hopefully this will go well.

Any suggestions?

Sounds like you're right on track. In hindsight, I wish I would have gone the Fujitsu instead of the Neat route but I've been doing it for nearly 2 years, very slowly, I might add and still have piles of paper. Good luck!

[velocityg4]

I wonder how much time you will save.

Since you will need to
- Scan the document
- Wait for the computer to process it
- Verify the computer got everything (especially multiple page documents)
- Name the file
- Locate the correct directory and save the file
- After saving open in a PDF viewer to verify the save file
- Shred the original

Instead of
- two hole punch (if you bother)
- locate the file folder and file it away (this can be very quick if you have a chart of accounts with account number and an alphabetized master list sticking to or by your file cabinet.

[gsugolfer]

I'm an auditor working in a public accounting firm that does all of our audits paperless. I love it, and I don't know how anyone does it any other way. Everything's so much more convenient having everything stored on our network instead of hawking down binders pull of paper documents.

Each accountant in charge of their own jobs has the scanner like you're referring to. I don't know if there are different models or what, but ours are awesome.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by rdowns

What's a paper bill?

Piece of paper demanding payment, yes on a piece of paper of all things.

Originally Posted by velocityg4

I wonder how much time you will save.

Since you will need to
- Scan the document
- Wait for the computer to process it
- Verify the computer got everything (especially multiple page documents)
- Name the file
- Locate the correct directory and save the file
- After saving open in a PDF viewer to verify the save file
- Shred the original

Instead of
- two hole punch (if you bother)
- locate the file folder and file it away (this can be very quick if you have a chart of accounts with account number and an alphabetized master list sticking to or by your file cabinet.

For whatever reason, it's filing the paper that is bugging me. In contrast, scanning it takes about 5 sec per sheet (double sided) and it batch copies. Naming it is a few seconds more. The big savings is that since I'm not relying on individual folders to file stuff, (which has really become a chore to me), I can just stuff them in my document binder in the order that I do them. Pay-scan-stuff, instead of pay and dig my way to the back of the drawer looking for the right binder to put it in.

When I got way behind and had about 6 months of bills stacked up, I had to allow the time to arrange them by vendor, which was time consuming taking up the majority of my office floor, and then I had to go file each mini-stack. The other nice thing is the ease of looking up a document electronically instead of thumbing through a stack of paper looking for the right one. I can't guarantee it will work out, maybe it's just a tech gimmick, but I'm hoping I'll be more motivated to keep the office clutterless.

Originally Posted by gsugolfer

I'm an auditor working in a public accounting firm that does all of our audits paperless. I love it, and I don't know how anyone does it any other way. Everything's so much more convenient having everything stored on our network instead of hawking down binders pull of paper documents.

Each accountant in charge of their own jobs has the scanner like you're referring to. I don't know if there are different models or what, but ours are awesome.

Great to hear!

[yg17]

Why do you still need a paper bill in the first place? Couldn't you just sign up for paperless billing and save a few trees? Most places should let you download PDFs too if you really want to save them.

I don't get a paper bill for anything anymore. Haven't missed them one bit.

[Demonface]

I have no suggestions . But good luck and I hope everyone does this to help save the environment .

[iStudentUK]

Originally Posted by yg17

Why do you still need a paper bill in the first place? Couldn't you just sign up for paperless billing and save a few trees? Most places should let you download PDFs too if you really want to save them.

I don't get a paper bill for anything anymore. Haven't missed them one bit.

Same here - I think all my bills are paperless, and have been for a few years. As well as bank statements, credit card statements. I though that was the norm?

[roadbloc]

Sounds like more trouble than its worth if you ask me, but I agree that paper invoices can take up a surprisingly large amount of room when you've got a good collection of them going.

[eric/]

It's hard to know what to suggest since I'm not there. But definitely moving to paperless invoices is a good start. They could just email you a PDF invoice for their services. In fact, depending on the clout of your organization, if they don't have that type of service, I would basically demand it or tell them you'll have to factor this type of thing in when renewing supplier contracts.

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by yg17

Why do you still need a paper bill in the first place? Couldn't you just sign up for paperless billing and save a few trees? Most places should let you download PDFs too if you really want to save them.

I don't get a paper bill for anything anymore. Haven't missed them one bit.

I'm slowly heading in that direction... Right now taking care of the backlog.

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by yg17

Why do you still need a paper bill in the first place? Couldn't you just sign up for paperless billing and save a few trees? Most places should let you download PDFs too if you really want to save them.

I don't get a paper bill for anything anymore. Haven't missed them one bit.

Agreed. I'm going to start doing this as well.

[Zombie Acorn]

Originally Posted by velocityg4

I wonder how much time you will save.

Since you will need to
- Scan the document
- Wait for the computer to process it
- Verify the computer got everything (especially multiple page documents)
- Name the file
- Locate the correct directory and save the file
- After saving open in a PDF viewer to verify the save file
- Shred the original

Instead of
- two hole punch (if you bother)
- locate the file folder and file it away (this can be very quick if you have a chart of accounts with account number and an alphabetized master list sticking to or by your file cabinet.

Till your filing cabinet is full, in comparison you could have a thumb drive with the equivolent.

[Happybunny]

Originally Posted by yg17

Why do you still need a paper bill in the first place? Couldn't you just sign up for paperless billing and save a few trees? Most places should let you download PDFs too if you really want to save them.

I don't get a paper bill for anything anymore. Haven't missed them one bit.

I went paperless 2011.
I did find a fun fact the last Government department here to go paperless was the VROM.

http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ienm

Yes you've guessed it the the Ministry of Milieu, the reason they were so busy supervising everybody else that they forgot them selves.

[hallux]

Originally Posted by yg17

Why do you still need a paper bill in the first place? Couldn't you just sign up for paperless billing and save a few trees? Most places should let you download PDFs too if you really want to save them.

I don't get a paper bill for anything anymore. Haven't missed them one bit.

I agree.

I get 2 paper bills anymore, my rent and one credit card that won't let me sign up for paperless (but I can pay electronically and get a PDF of my statement). The only other mail I get is EOB's for health insurance when they pay out for something (I think this can be changed to paperless also) and junk mail. I suppose for this reason I could stop visiting my mailbox every day.

[Grey Beard]

If you want to seriously go paperless, you could invest in a bidet.

KGB

[Huntn]

Originally Posted by Grey Beard

If you want to seriously go paperless, you could invest in a bidet.

KGB

Do they include warm water?

[gsugolfer]

Originally Posted by Huntn

Do they include warm water?

Yes, we have one in my house. You still need something to dry off

[Xiroteus]

I have gone paperless with as much as I can, some bills still come in the mail (they have no way to pay other then check or money order, yeah, they need to enter this decade) I rather not have a bunch of bills and statements, most can be looked up online.

[Mousse]

Originally Posted by yg17

Why do you still need a paper bill in the first place? Couldn't you just sign up for paperless billing and save a few trees?

A few years ago a tree fell and killed my dog. [Capt Kirk voice] I've never trusted trees and I never will. I can never forgive them for the death of my dog.[/Capt Kirk voice]

In all seriousness. I don't even bother with paperless billing as well. I have automatic payment for my utilities and credit cards. And a lot of the places I go e-mail my receipts. I keep track of everything in a spreadsheet. Come tax time, it only takes me 30 minutes to complete my taxes. Noice.

[mscriv]

Originally Posted by vdubbeet

Sounds like you're right on track. In hindsight, I wish I would have gone the Fujitsu instead of the Neat route but I've been doing it for nearly 2 years, very slowly, I might add and still have piles of paper. Good luck!

Can you or anyone else who has experience expound on this? What advantages does the Fujitsu have over the Neat. I've been thinking lately about getting a good scanner for multiple uses including what Huntn is doing.

[tradis]

I used to be really bad about remembering to pay my bills on time. It wasn't a matter of not being able to pay them, it was remembering to pay them that was the problem. Now I have all my bills set up on auto-pay through my bank. So I can't even tell you when my bills are due, they just get taken right out of my account and I haven't had to pay a "late fee" in a long time.

[SkyBell]

Originally Posted by tradis

I used to be really bad about remembering to pay my bills on time. It wasn't a matter of not being able to pay them, it was remembering to pay them that was the problem. Now I have all my bills set up on auto-pay through my bank. So I can't even tell you when my bills are due, they just get taken right out of my account and I haven't had to pay a "late fee" in a long time.

Some of us don't always have enough in our accounts every month for every bill. (half-joking.)

[PinoyAko]

How about in your toilet? Are you also going to be paperless?