Desktop scanners/digital filing systems

[zoebartlett]

I hate filing our important paperwork and I'd love to get something like this: http://store.neatco.com/index/page/product/product_id/106/product_name/NeatDesk?utm_nooverride=1&gclid=CLmJ_7SkrKkCFUN-5QodBg6MLA

Does anyone have one of these or something similar?

I do have a few questions:

How reliable are they? Any pros and cons to be aware of?
How safe are they? I guess I'm nervous about throwing out certain documents even after scanning them.

 

[mary poppins]

We use a regular scanner and then put our scanned documents into Dropbox - share files and access from anywhere. Very convenient.

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks for replying, Mary Poppins!

I've never heard of Dropbox before so I browsed the site. I really like it but I wondered about the security factor. I'd wonder about putting confidential info. on the site. I like the convenience aspect, but that was one concern I had. What do you think?

Also, do you mind me asking if you use the 2G, 50G, or the 100G service? I'm not sure how much we'd need, and I'm not sure I want to pay a monthly fee to store my files if we went with anything other than the 2G (although I understand why there's a charge).

 

[mary poppins]

DH says Dropbox is as safe as email or anything else you do online that requires a password and 2G is a lot of space. Not sure how much you are planning to store, but our family uses it a lot.

 

[pennquaker09]

Zoe, I've thought of using our normal scanner and using it to organize documents, but I've yet to actually embark on the process. I do like the idea of having everything scanned into PDF form.

 

[zoebartlett]

Mary Poppins -- we have a 2 drawer filing cabinet and then I have a bunch of school files that I might want to scan and store digitally. I definitely want to get rid of the filing cabinet's contents if possible. There are some important documents (like our house paperwork, etc.) that I'd keep but I assume that most things will sifted through and stored digitally.

Penn -- sounds like a good idea. I hate clutter but it's hard to get rid of some of it.

 

[packrat]

I love the idea..don't have one but I would like to. Would be nice to get some things cleared out and use the extra space, not have papers lying around.

 

[Allison D.]

Zoe, I have a desktop scanner and it's HEAVEN. I asked the hub for it a few years ago as a birthday present because I'm HORRENDOUS at keeping up with 'paper' filing. I HATE doing it, and I hate the space it takes.

A huge advantage for me is that once scanned, the files can be backed up to an external hard drive as well, so there isn't just "one" set of documents. I back up once a month to a portable drive as well that I usually keep in the trunk of my car. If God forbid my house were to burn down, I'd still have all the paperwork. Scanning has been a godsend.

The only downside, so to speak, is the time it takes to scan all your existing files and put them into named files onto your directory. Once the system is set up, it's super easy to manage. I've stopped most of my paper bills/statements from coming to the house, which also cuts down on the exposure for identity theft as well.

I'm happy to help you get started with it; we're LONG overdue to connect together anyway. Hub and I are on vacation the first 2 weeks of July and not going away, so let me know if you're free then and we'll connect.

 

[zoebartlett]

Zoe, I have a desktop scanner and it's HEAVEN. I asked the hub for it a few years ago as a birthday present because I'm HORRENDOUS at keeping up with 'paper' filing. I HATE doing it, and I hate the space it takes.

A huge advantage for me is that once scanned, the files can be backed up to an external hard drive as well, so there isn't just "one" set of documents. I back up once a month to a portable drive as well that I usually keep in the trunk of my car. If God forbid my house were to burn down, I'd still have all the paperwork. Scanning has been a godsend.

The only downside, so to speak, is the time it takes to scan all your existing files and put them into named files onto your directory. Once the system is set up, it's super easy to manage. I've stopped most of my paper bills/statements from coming to the house, which also cuts down on the exposure for identity theft as well.

I'm happy to help you get started with it; we're LONG overdue to connect together anyway. Hub and I are on vacation the first 2 weeks of July and not going away, so let me know if you're free then and we'll connect.

Hey Allison! Sounds great! We'll be away the first week of July (Denver to see family) but other than that, I have nothing going on this summer. I need to talk to D. about it and see what he thinks. I'm sure he'd be all for getting a scanner but I'll check. It's probably more work to scan files than just file them away in folders/cabinets, but I LOVE the idea of getting rid of the clutter. You should see the pile of papers we need to file right now. It's insane.