No, not of the Guinness World type. But how thorough do you consider your documentation of your finances and other noteworthy transactions/events, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being “early African civilization” to 5 being “Banker/lawyer/CPA”? Any notable experiences where you really wished you had kept some records but didn’t? Have your habits changed over time? Tell me about them.
I’m at least a 4, and possibly a 5.
All of my financial statements, transactions, records, receipts etc are neatly filed away in my filing cabinet. I keep all electronic banking receipts and check them off against my statements. I find tax time a breeze.
My habits have not changed over time. I’ve always been like this.
I’m very poor at keeping records. It sucks.
I’m about a 4.5. I have documents listing all my accounts, account numbers, contact information and balances.
My boyfriend and I also keep spreadsheets with earnings, bills, and investment information that updates on a monthly basis.
I do all my banking online so I can easily export my records every month, and I also received printed statements and keep them filed.
1.5
I tend to follow the multiple piles of stuff filing system. I wish it were otherwise and I’ve tried to become more organised but I must be lacking the appropriate gene.
Maybe a 4.0 - I’ve got a tax folder that keeps the last 6 years worth of taxes. I’ve got a folder for yearly expenses. And a file for accounts and balances. I say a 4.0 because I only inventory this stuff like once or twice a year. I should be checking things out atleast 4 times a year.
When I started having medical issues I started keeping a journal of all my visits. That soon became part of my main-stream life. I keep pretty good records.
I am about a 2 but oddly, I find that I have better access to my info than most people. Bank of America’s online banking system is really good. Tonight, for the first time in a long time, I needed to find out about a check. I just scrolled through my transactions for the approximate amount and had an online image of the actual check in less than 2 minutes. I don’t understand the point of balancing a checkbook either. I can look at all my transactions and know if something is wrong instantly. I really don’t care if someone doesn’t cash a check that I give them. It is the ones that make it through that I care about.
I am also like the opposite of a pack-rat. I throw stuff away at the first hint that something isn’t needed. I don’t keep old copies of any bills. In this computer age. Paper copies of statements from most companies aren’t needed. They can look up things and regenerate paperwork in the rare event that something goes wrong later.
Other than that, I have my social security card, my birth certificate, passport, car registration, mortgage and house title info, and some misc. stuff. I have never found the need to have much more so I just chuck it.
At least a 4, if not a 5. I keep a log of all cash transactions (including coins picked up off the ground), checking account activity, mealtime food choices, and daily exercise. Preferring to work with paper rather than on the computer, I print out these worksheets and archive the completed records in binders on my bookshelf. I’ve been keeping records like this since September 2004.
I do it for my office at a 4.5.
I’m single and have enough money to live on, so I’ll be damned if I’ll do it at home. I do keep detailed diaries of every day of my life and they do have financial info in them, so I’d say about a 1.5.