Keeping Paper Bills?

[DizzyDigger]

Wife and I were chatting tonight, and the question came up about keeping the
paper bills on-hand once they have been paid. I'm talking about the utility,
phone or power bills, etc. It used to be we were supposed to keep those filed
for a certain period of time, so that when the IRS decided to audit a person,
they had the evidence to prove what they had spent.

BUT, with all the new digital bills today, I am wondering if anyone still
hangs on to the paper ones every month. Being "old school", I've got
boxes of 'em going back five years or more, but would love to toss
them in the burn pile.

Thoughts?

 

[unclemac]

I keep only my tax returns, and them for only 7 years or so.... I toss out receipts as I walk out the door of a store. Any return these days can be looked up on the card you paid with. As for paid bills? never kept a one in the last 6 decades or so....

 

[ticndig]

I use paper bills to start my woodstove. when my mom passed years ago, I hauled away 7 big trash bags of old bills. bills that went back more than 20 years.
her house was as clean as they come and looked show room new, I had no Idea she felt the need to keep all those old bills stashed away in the closet.