My Resolutions:

1. At the end of this year, I plan on giving up using my credit card for food purchases. I don't have an ATM card, so it will have to be checks or cash. Checks most likely, as my paycheck is direct-deposited and going to the bank can be problematic. Credit card will solely be used for medical expenses and gas.

2. I will get my office at home organized--redo my filing system, keep what I need, discard what I don't, and keep my desk clear of clutter. Will take measures to keep it from getting messy again.

3. I will start budgeting. After paying off my car, we've started to fall behind due to an injury (medical expenses) and Christmas. Enough of that. If nothing else, I'll put up a chart on the wall listing income and expenses every month, writing them in as I go along until I can start planning better.

Any New Year's Resolutions you find yourself making?


As for the paperwork question:

How far back should my records go? I know for a lot of stuff, like bank records, etc., they should go as far back as I can go. But how far back should I keep my credit card statements/receipts? Monthly statements from my old (now paid-off) car loan? The same from my student loan? Old pay stubs? It would really help organizing my office knowing what I should keep and what I can shred.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/mtg/20000518h.asp

This doesn't cover everything. Not sure about the car loan documentation (I don't think there are any tax advantages) but you can get rid of it for sure when you sell the car and all records of your ownership are cleared with your DMV.

If nothing else you can put everything for one year in a clasp envelope and forget about it if you're paranoid about throwing something important away.

One time I shredded my receipts and then realized that I still had quite a bit of allotment left on my health flexible spending account. I had just shredded my records of all my OTC medicines, which could be bought with the allotment. So I'm a tad shred-shy now.

I have about two years of bank/retirement stuff and the important receipts from credit cards (furniture, expensive stuff), but you can always call the bank and have them send you a statement if you have to prove that you paid/bought/took out money for something. I know this is my plan if I ever need my statements.

I have tax paperwork going back to 2001. I'm not sure how long I'm supposed to save my tax paperwork, but they are separated in envelopes for each year.

I don't really have any resolutions this year except to try to max out my Roth a little sooner and get a jump start on '09. I'm happy with where I am financially.