[Pookeko]

Hello everybody, I've already posted a few times but not introduced myself (very like me just to rush into things :D ) - so hello, I'm Caroline, a NZer currently living in the UK (since 2001), but returning to NZ in November, for a few years - although no plane tickets have been purchased as yet due to leaving date uncertainty :( but that is another story!!

I'm getting a lot of great motivation from the posts, particularly in this forum. :)

My question, and apologies as I feel it is a silly one, is "what do I do with all my paperwork?". By paperwork I mean all our power bills, council tax statements, credit card statements, bank statements etc etc. I am really trying to reduce what we bring back, but we are paperwork hoarders by nature :uhoh and there is just loads and loads of it...

We are letting our UK house while we are back in NZ, so I know I will need to keep anything to do with the house (I mean statements that show rental income etc), but I'm just wondering about all the stuff we've already amassed. I file them - eventually - but I don't look at them ever again... So I'm thinking that I probably don't need them, but isn't there a 'rule' about keeping stuff for 7 years or something??

At the moment I am in the "sorting stuff" stage: keep / throw away / etc and I am really really dreading tackling the paperwork mountains, particularly since I don't know what to do with any of it!

When we came to UK I think we kept all that stuff and it is still in boxes in our parents' houses, but we just don't have that luxury here!

[BkyMonster]

If you do decide that it is good to keep it I'd suggest investing in a document scanner and scanning all the old stuff which can then be neatly kept on a computer or disk should you ever need it again.

Also check to see if things like utilities and bank statements are archived online by the companies. Credit card companies at least tend to do this. Banks do often as well. That way YOU don't need to keep it, just keep track of how to get to it should you need it. :)

I know how you feel though. When going through our papers recently we came across a years worth of satellite television bills from over 5 years (and 2 houses!) ago. :p

[Belmont Babes]

I know "they" say 7 years but personally I keep all things to do with the house, pensions, life assurance etc and 12 months worth of bank statements and bills.

[Familyofmonkeys]

My question, and apologies as I feel it is a silly one, is "what do I do with all my paperwork?". By paperwork I mean all our power bills, council tax statements, credit card statements, bank statements etc etc. I am really trying to reduce what we bring back, but we are paperwork hoarders by nature :uhoh and there is just loads and loads of it...


We kept one year of all utility bills, and also took everything off direct debit nearer to moving, so when we took our final meter readings we got one 'final' bill to deal with, rather than having to check direct debits stopped at a later date. Once final bills were paid, we chucked all other bills and just kept the one that said 'final' on it...thats all you really need for utility companies...proof that the account was settled at the end.

As for work/tax paperwork, we have kept everything...payslips, P45, P60, letters of pay rises etc from work. This paperwork was nothing compared to the pile of old utility we got rid of though.

[Familyofmonkeys]

Hello everybody, I've already posted a few times but not introduced myself (very like me just to rush into things :D ) - so hello, I'm Caroline, a NZer currently living in the UK (since 2001), but returning to NZ in November, for a few years - although no plane tickets have been purchased as yet due to leaving date uncertainty :( but that is another story!!

I'm getting a lot of great motivation from the posts, particularly in this forum. :)


Just noticed you're in Warwickshire....where abouts are you? I grew up not far from Leamington.

[Pookeko]

Stratford and I will really miss it here, it's lovely!! :wah

Thank you all for your brilliant advice. Hadn't thought of any of these, I'm really grateful. I can prune the paper mountain with impunity now ha ha! *chop shred crumple* :raebanana

[AlexUK]

Only certain businesses have strict rules to keep records of bills etc to prove accounts incase of an audit, as far as i am aware the general public has no such rules, its just upto personal preference.