I’ve scanned all my domestic documents to pdf files, and keep them in a folder hierarchy like Bills/Electricity/2012 etc., but I still have trouble finding things sometimes when they are not so easy to categorise. Wondering what solutions might exist in terms of databases, or search engines, or whatever.

Or maybe I should just get a life 🙁

you did what in the who now …..put down the scanner , step away from the computer.

man go ride bike.

If you are actually database skilled (and you might have to buy a licence) you could investigate
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=sql+server+2012+filetable&meta=

but i very much doubt its worth it unless u already work in SQL/ C# and fancy a fun project!

Oh and +1 Trailrat (sorry)

When you scanned them did you make them a searchable PDF?

That would help then if you searched for key words like “Southern Electric” you would return all those bills.

I agree with TR though. Just stick them in the bottom draw like everyone else does!

Fire them into Evernote http://www.evernote.com

When I started my PhD I wrote my own paper database. Then someone showed me endnote…

You could just make an excel spreadsheet and link to the document and add things like “bill amount”, “utility type” etc to columns.

Or doesnt the current Office have a database program?

oh and trailrat +2….

Thanks for the Evernote tip.

The problem with the bottom drawer solution is that once you get past being 18, you accumulate a lot of documents that would require a prohibitively large drawer, and poses a difficulty when you have to move them beyond your parents’ house.

i burn mine after reading.

Once the draw is full you empty it into a box and put it in the attic. Repeat until the attic is full. Then let you children sort it all our when you die.

Life is too short for filing!

I just put mine through the shredder.

I think the solution here is probably to contact the utilities and say “please stop sending me stupid bits of paper and give me online access to my account, thanks.”

Realistically, how often do actually need to refer back to them? I can’t remember the last time I suddenly thought, “oh no, quick, I need my March 2008 gas bill!”

I’ve got bank statements and wage slips going back to the late Jurassic “just in case” but in 40 years I can count the number of times I’ve needed them on the fingers of one foot.

Also,

WTF IS A “DRAW”? IT’S BLOODY WELL CALLED A DRAWER!!

And, breathe.

Dooohhhh … the gas bill was just an example 🙂

Life is indeed too short for filing, but the tax man does not take the same attitude to receiving the information he demands.

Tax/income/money type stuff is kept for, basically, ever.

Bills are glanced at and binned. It’s all paid by DD anyway.

i have a filing cabinet where i keep all i need.

Utilitys – 1 year

Tax/payslips/mortgage – till the house burns down

Car docs current valid

insurance docs current valid

Professional body memberships current valid

how much else can you have – are you self employed / contracting and need to keep 6 years ?

@TR – I have more than that because … well, just because 🙁 But anyway – I move house quite a lot for work and I really don’t want to keep paper records. I don’t want to be carrying a filing cabinet round the world when I could just carry a CD.