One Small Step

My act was simple today. I went to paperless statements. I have, for a long time, done almost all of my banking online. Mainly because I’m sometimes absentminded and don’t have time for snail mail, I’m running low on checks and don’t want to buy new ones and it’s the quickest thing since a garlic press. But I’d held onto those paper statements. Maybe it was the paranoid nitwit in me or the tactile fulfillment of having some permanent record to file away, but I didn’t want to let go. Today, however, I let it all go. Most institutions now have long-term histories they can provide with a quick download or by mail if unavailable online. So that put my worrying mind at ease.

And the amount of paper I’ll be saving! Wow! According to EcoGeek, “Over 800,000 tons of waste and 2.1 million tons of greenhouse gases are created because of hard copy bills.” Not only do you save trees, energy, water, etc. but with more comprehensive history searches, it’s frankly easier. This weekend I plan to purge my file cabinet of old records that I can access online instead. Don’t worry, I’ll recycle.