Digital Filing Made Easy

If you have a scanner, computer and smartphone, converting your paper copies to digital files is a cinch. By digitizing your files, you’ll be better organized and be able to access them with ease.  Here are some ways to help you digitize your files with just one click of the mouse:

Scrap the small stuff. Start managing your paper receipts online. This will help save time and be more convenient. There are many free apps out there that allow you to snap a photo of your receipt, label it and categorize it. Some apps also allow you to manage business cards.

Manage bills. Receiving and paying bills online are essential steps to going paperless. Many banks offer online bill-paying services, but watch out for hidden fees. There are also Web tools to help you track your bills and get alerts for approaching due dates.

Scan and save. You may feel uneasy converting all your paper copies to digital files, especially for tax purposes. But rest assured because the IRS accepts digital copies.  Creating PDFs allows you to store them on your computer and easily find and open them.

Make online to-do lists. Smartphones are perfect for this. Instead of writing things down on scraps of paper, download an app that lets you create a list online. Many apps are formatted by day of the week, making it very simple to use.

Read it later. Bookmark your favorite web pages so you can go back and explore them later. There are several tools out there that allow you copy and paste links you want to save into a queue, so even if the content goes offline, you still have a copy of it.

Get organized. You can organize all your digital documents with Evernote. The free app lets you import e-mails, photos and PDFs. You can then tag your files to make searching easy.

Back up and store. It’s always smart to back up your documents to an external hard drive or flash drive. This way you can gain access to your files anywhere you have Internet connection.

For more information on ways to go paperless, visit Kiplinger.