So, you've decided to go paperless. You're not going to get any argument from me. Uncluttering and de-stressing by getting rid of the piles of paper in your life is a great move and one you won't regret.
You might be surprised to learn that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to make the transition to a paperless office or home. There are a number of easy ways to go paperless on a budget, using tools that you might already have.
1. Reduce paper at the source
The first, and almost always free way to dramatically reduce the paper in your life is to reduce the amount of it that gets to you in the first place.
These days, most banks, vendors, utilities, and other businesses offer a paperless option. Sign up for it. Not only are you helping the environment, but you are making your life easier too.
Just make sure that whenever possible, you download your statements to your computer so that you don't have to worry about things only being available online for a certain amount of time.
2. Use The OCR Software And Scanner You Already Have
While I usually recommend a high speed scanner with a document feeder like the Fujitsu ScanSnap, if you are on a budget chances are you already have a scanner built into an all-in-one printer. Using a flatbed scanner will be slower, but it is do-able.
If you don't have or want a scanner, believe it or not you can even use the camera on your mobile phone. Many people do their scanning this way.
If at all possible, I recommend making your PDF documents searchable. Doing this is called Optical Character Recognition, or OCR.
Chances are if you already have a scanner, you already will have OCR software that came with it. Use that and you should be fine.
3. Use The Document Management Features Built Into Your Computer
While document management software is great, chances are you can get by with the built in features of your operating system.
Sort your documents into folders, and if you have made them searchable, Mac users can use Spotlight (the box at the top right of your screen) to search for information inside the PDF. Windows users can use Windows Search that is built in to recent versions of Windows, or you can download it for free if you have XP. Google Desktop is also a great option, and is free as well.
4. Make It A Habit
Most importantly, going paperless will not work if you don't make it a part of your regular routine. You don't need anything fancy for this. Just set up a reminder in Google Calendar, Remember The Milk, Outlook, or whatever you already use for reminders, and set it to remind you to do your scanning every few days. When you break it up like that, it makes it very easy to keep going.
These are some simple, and in most cases free, tips to help you go paperless on a budget. Good luck!
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