Going Paperless

I am starting early on my next year's New Year's resolution. I have given up on this years and feel like a good start to the next year is just as good as any. At least that's how I am keeping score in my head.

I have decided to try to be more green. To try and think more about being green and what changes I can make. We have already made quite a few changes already in the house and in our daily routines, but where to go from here?

Growing up I was taught to keep bills like my parents. Write the date you paid how much and check number, then keep bill. Of course, I was never instructed on when to get rid of the bills. Only recently did I figure out that I can get rid of those bills from 2004. Oie... As if I need a record of paying my gas bill in Virginia!

Shortly after starting out on my own I discovered this free feature on my banks website; online bill pay. It took some convincing that this was the way to go. The way I had been taught made sense to me and putting faith in electronics was never my strong suit. I started off with one bill and then as I discovered how fabulous this was, I switched all of them over. But I was still getting the bill in the mail to tell me how much to pay. At least I was saving on stamps.

Going paperless used to mean having a log on to each site with your user name and password and trying to keep up with each one. And that's mostly what prevented me from switching. I don't have enough room in my head for 5-10 additional passwords and to remember to check once a month.

As I was paying bills yesterday I discovered another brilliant feature with my new bank (Schwab Online - love them). I can sign up to have bills sent to them and review them on their website. Awesome! I switched the ones I could and will be figuring out how to deal with the rest. More than half have been converted.

So I have made another small step into the world of green. I hope as the year goes along I can find other ways to implement green ideas. Slow and steady I make progress forward to hug a tree and save the planet.