Digital Documents provide multiple benefits over their hard-copy counterparts, not the least of which is the reduction in paper use. Go paperless in your home and/or office to reduce your carbon footprint, help conserve source materials (trees) and allow for quick and simple archiving & cataloging. Digital documents can also be cheaper to produce and distribute. (Witness the e-publishing boom.) Remember the mantra to backup, backup, backup for your digital documents!
Yes, sometimes a physical copy is still necessary for certain tasks, but use a digital equivalent whenever and wherever it's permissible.
Tips & Tools To Help You Go Paperless
Sign-up for e-billing services for all your bills that allow it. Most major utilities and the like will send you an e-Bill, instead of mailing one. (Often you need to request this service, but some businesses have moved to automatic e-billing.) As this saves companies money, signing up for e-billing may garner you a discount or reward. Check with your provider/s.
Many banks provide free electronic Billing & Payment services to their customers. Even if your bill isn't electronic, you can (often) remit the bill using an e-payment service for free. Check with your bank or other financial institution.
Digitize your mementos, old books, family bibles, etc. Create your own digital archive for posterity. Be your own household librarian. If you
don't know how to or don't want to scan & create your own digital documents, there are many services which will digitize everything from photos to family cookbooks. One to check:
1DollarScan, you can send in a physical book (or coursereader, photos, etc.) and in return receive a (distributable) PDF for only a few bucks. Remember to read the service Terms & Conditions.
Get a free cloud. Most email services and digital locker services offer a free storage plan. Use these cloud storage services to your advantage. Start with the free tier and upgrade to paid, if you need more space (or simply spread your items across multiple free services for the sake of redundancy/backup). Investigate which service/s offer the tools you need. Look at things like backup/restore points, allowable document types/size, and amount free space offered.
*This post will be updated as new information becomes available.
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