How can I destroy old copies of bills, etc.?

Question

I have a ton of old paid bill stubs that contain account numbers and personal information, etc. that need to be destroyed. I've been working two jobs for almost 5 years now and let this get away from me. Other than shredding or burning them, can anyone give me any other good suggestions on how I can dispose of them? With identity theft so common now, I want to make sure no one gets my credit card account numbers, etc. Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

Burn them, Shred them, Put them in water and mash, tear them into tiny pieces. Water is the best idea.

Answer 2

With the amount of documents you have to work with utilizing a small personal shredder is going to be extremely time consuming. There are several companies that specialize in document management and disposal. Depending on where you live, this would be the most effective route for instant disposal. Most companies offer on-site pickup, so you don't have to lug them around, but it is usually less expensive to take them to their site.

Do a local search for "Document Shredding Services for Individuals" or something along that same thread, then make a few phone calls, make sure you get references for which ever company you choose...

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

Use a cross-cut shredder so documents can't be reconstructed. They're pretty cheap, and you can get ones that will take up to five pieces of paper at a time.

If the amount of paper you have would make the shredding an onerous task, look in the yellow pages under document disposal (or something similar). There are companies who will pick up your stuff to shred; or you can take it to them.

Answer 4

Yes, like everyone else, I go with shredding. HOWEVER - be careful what you shred. Some things (like bank statements) the recommendation is that you keep them seven years, not five, just in case of an audit or something. So, if the time has elapsed, shred away, but if not, keep them, but safely. A locked small filebox is a good idea.

Answer 5

Usually I shred, but I was in your position once with documents piled up that I needed to dispose of. I had one of those cheap plastic tubs around my house which I filled with a little bit of bleach and some water. I let everything soak in there for a little over a day. Most of the writing on the documents disappeared, and once I removed everything from the water, it was just a big mush ball.

Answer 6

Shred them. Why do you need an alternative to that? Shredders are fairly cheap. Otherwise, rip them up as much as possible, and put them in your messy kitchen garbage. Nobody's going to go to the trouble to pick through rotten vegetables and spaghetti sauce to try to reconstruct your information; they'll move on to an easier target.

Answer 7

For 5 years, take it to work.

For monthly stuff, buy a shredder and put the shreds in a big plastic garbage bag with cat litter and fridge junk.

Answer 8

burn or shred. once you have done either, shred on a weekly basis, then you won't have loads to do. however don't shred loan agreements etc as you may need to refer to them until they are fully paid up. i cannot think of any other way other than burning (perhaps best as you have so much) or shredding

Answer 9

Many shredding services do not like to come to homes (or charge a mint to do so). Try a courier service like shipnshred.com to save some money.

Answer 10

That's a lot of documents to shred. Unless you have a high-capacity shredder, it will take you forever. If you live in the country, I suggest a burn barrel.