Going Paperless

According to a 2007 study performed by Javelin Strategy & Research, we could save 16.5 million trees each year if every household in the U.S. switched to paperless bills.

It is time to go paperless. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Download bank statements to reconcile accounts.
2. Request billing notices via email
3. Pay bills online. Check out your bank’s option of e-pay.
4. Eliminate junk mail and catalogs, the two biggest sources of annoying and unwanted paper. Check out www.CatalogChoice.org.
5. Check out Optoutprescreen.com where you can request to be removed from credit and insurance offer mailing list.
6. At DMAchoice you can register to opt out of direct marketing mail you don’t want as well.
7. The Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Alert also includes information on how to stop receiving unsolicited mail and telemarketer calls.
8. Instead of printing documents onto paper and filing them away, “print” them to PDF files or Microsoft Document Writer. (If you don’t know how, just send me an email – click here – and I will help you through the process.)
9. Instead of jotting grocery shopping items or making other lists on scraps of paper, use the reminder app on your smart phone.
10. Take time to learn about all the features on your smartphone and eliminate the old habit of paper use.

Digital technology has come a long way. Now there are tools and apps that can sync your information across various devices – desktop computer, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Going paperless reduces clutter, protects data, saves money, saves trees…