We have used the service at Office Depot. They allow you to wait and see them load your materials or you can just drop off.
Our financial guy offers shreading days where you can bring your stuff in and they shread it for free.
Our local credit union has a free shredding service drop off ballot box-like secure bin. Old stuff that had our really old cc numbers etc. went in there. The most sensitive info gets shredded at home.
Mostly, weāve given up shredding and just add to gross household garbage and toss just before trash collection. So far, so good. We did buy a shredder but stopped using after a few bankers boxes worth of shredding.
Back yard campfire is my shredder.
@HImom: I really recommend shredding things that have your SSN, DIB and CC numbers. It might be only one page from an entire 401(k) statement, but in this day and age I think itās important. IMO, better safe than sorry.
Thank you all for your thoughts.
The work-related documents are from places Iām no longer affiliated. Some are as old as my dissertation research.
Never thought of having these items go up in smoke. In some circumstances that might be very satisfying.
After posting, yesterday I heard of someone soaking paper that would have been shredded, waiting for the paper to dry, then recycling. Wonder if wet paper could be composted, seems simpler.
Yea, depends on the mood. We try, but sometimes, itās just SO much!
I hope that I am done with clothes. I decided to stop clothes shopping, does not make sense to me anymore. So, it will be only books for tax purposes.
Saw this today and thought of this thread - I have two chipped bowls sitting on my kitchen counter right now that I have for some reason not thrown away because they are still āgoodā - they are going in the trash TONIGHT!!!
10 Things You Could Get Rid of Today and Never Miss:
- The stack of paper bags on top of your refrigerator. The groceries are long gone; their day is done.
- Sheet sets for sizes of mattress that you don't even own anymore. Is your linen closet keeping up with your furniture?
- Any bottle in your bathroom that contains a product that didn't work for you. Why are you still storing that frizz-inducing shampoo?
- Those couple of bowls or cups in your kitchen with tiny chips in the rim ā It's not "still good" if you have to carefully decide where to place your mouth in order to prevent lip bleeding.
- Shoes you bought on sale that pinch your toes.
- The attachments for a vacuum you got rid of years ago.
- The glass vase that your latest flower arrangement was delivered in. How many of those have you racked up by now?
- That book you couldn't finish and that other book that you loved and devoured (pass it on to a friend and then discuss!).
- Your second-string black cardigan. You always wear your favorite one anyway.
- The tent and camping stove you used once, three years ago.
For me: 3,4,9!!!
3 big bags went out today for the pick up truck. Now we plan to do the kitchen and not everything that came out is going back in. It worked for the living room so maybe weāll make some more progressā¦
For me the above list is 1 - but plastic, 3 - lotions, 7, 8 and 9. DH has #10. We have some more work to do 
For me - a variation of 1 is a big one! Somehow, I accumulated a pile of those fabric zippable garment bags that Nordstrom etc. likes to ship with every dress purchase.
Now up to 2 roller bins a week from FILās house. One for trash, one for recycling. At this rate, should be done by 2018.
Stacks of magazines and shelves of clean but empty glass jars. Girl scout cookies from 2008. 20 different almost empty containers of cleaners and detergents. Trying to leave behind everything that might possibly sell at an estate sale, but have to clear more of the other stuff to get to that.
The shelving in my main storage closet just collapsed. Donāt ask! (my fault since I never properly anchored it.But itās been 15 years) IARRGGHH !!
I will say the sound effects were terrific. Only lost one item Iām sad about.
But on the bright side (assuming there is one but with poor timing) is that the closet is now my next āget rid ofā spot.
I tried soaking paper shreds after reading about how easy it was. uh no. just No.
Get a micro shredder if you care. After three weeks my soaking paper was just wet paperānothing dissolved. and I did add bleach etc. So now my shreds just go out in judicious batches.
2, 3 and 9! I did 4, 5 and 6 last summer. I canāt part with the tent or the books I love.
Apologies if this was covered earlier. Since this is a college board ā¦
I was cleaning out file cabinets and came across all the standardized testing, report cards, ACT reports, etc for my kids (who are now 23). Keep or toss? If I ever REALLY needed these things, I could obtain them from the institutions. I also found my college transcript and report cards. Can I safely toss? Do you all keep this stuff?
Mine are 32 and 25 and I still have all of it.
It is surprising how many times the 32 year old has needed a thing or two over the yearsāeven as cues as to
how to get to the institutions.
My plan is to purge some and give the rest of the files to them eventually.
All these copies are unofficial copies because they were issued to the test takers/graduates, so they can be tossed. Check your college transcript for SSN before putting it in a regular recycling bin! My old copy had my SSN prominently displayed on it, which was a common thing in those good old days.
@Pizzagirl - I have one or two open copies and multiple sealed copies of all of my college/university transcripts. I have attended so many places over the years, now work in education myself and recognize that whenever I apply for a job in my career field for the rest of my natural life there is a better than 50% chance that I will have to produce official sealed copies of the blasted things. Itās easier for me to keep them in a box at home than to request official copies from seven different institutions on short notice.
Iāve also got some of my old test scores and my HS permanent record in a file box as well. Someday the grandkids will see that and get a good laugh.