Did you grow up with a filing cabinet? Do you now have your own?

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PoinkPoinkPoink@reddit

The filing system in my house growing up was shove everything in a drawer then once a year transfer the important stuff to a nice biscuit tin which was stored under the tv unit. When I moved out I was determined to have a better system, so I bought a mini box file, and created sections for each important area of my life, and carefully filed everything I had there. Then proceeded to bang all new incoming mail into a drawer, sort it out maybe once a year and ram anything important into the first available compartment I can feel when I open my box file. But, it’s still progress.

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LittleSadRufus@reddit

My mum gave me a concertina file when I bought my first house. It went under the bed along with all paperwork. Just stuffed under. When I moved house I just put it all in bin bags and dumped it. Didn't seem to matter at all (25 years later and it hasn't been problematic). However when I married my husband, a filling cabinet was rapidly acquired and now everything is meticulously stored. He has kept pay slips from the previous century.

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Lonely-Job484@reddit

Yes, where would you file stuff otherwise? It's far from full though.

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Top-Cat-a@reddit

* **How old are you? ** >60 * **Did your childhood home have a filing cabinet?** No, we did have box files * **Do you have one now?** No * **Where are you keeping all your paperwork?** Most of my paperwork is electronic

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Over-Language2599@reddit

Yes exactly, all electronic these days. I have some files but there's very little in them and I probably can throw most of it out, there will be electronic duplicates somewhere. That sounds like a job for a rainy day... like today. Thanks! >60 also

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cgknight1@reddit

No I did not, anything that is not digital is scanned and if I need to keep the original, it goes into the fireproof bag. Otherwise I shredded.

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Polz34@reddit

Yes, my parents had one of the classic grey metal one's for years. Eventually when I was maybe 17/18 they upgraded to a wooden one that matched the other furniture. I don't have one because my flat isn't big enough, I have a box (plastic) that has 2x folders (the A4 one's with plastic inserts) one is all my 'life stuff; (like passport, birth certificate) and the other one is my 'property' one so lease info, mortgage info, utilities, council tax etc.

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terahurts@reddit

50s, yes - but it was in the garage full of tools. Yes - a small under-desk one with a single file drawer. In the drawer for older stuff and things like birth certificates, annual stuff like proof of benefits and council tax etc, on my desk for the small amount of bills that are still paper based and in my email or cloud storage for everything else.

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bimbosissyshagger@reddit

I have had a yellow file since I was 16 that is now multiple files and sits in an ikea folder holder under my TV, I will eventually find a better system

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Utilitarian_Proxy@reddit

Not a filing cabinet. My father had a rather nice walnut-veneer bureau, which had three drawers and a fold-down top which served as a writing desk when opened. He had it before I was born, and it survived multiple house moves. I have a solid oak desk, with hanging files in one of the drawers. But I also have several lever-arch binders and ring binders in a couple of other locations.

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reddog_72@reddit

My dad had a metallic filing box for all the most important and personal documents, as a kid I was not allowed to go near it without my dad present. I'm in my fifties now and both parents have passed, the same box now resides in the bottom of my wardrobe containing all of the most important documents that my wife and I have.

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Other_Exercise@reddit

Yes, it was a sort of field grey. It seemed to be extremely heavy, possibly so it didn't tip when you opened the top filing drawer. Oddly enough, however, they still live on digitally. Work with a boss of a certain age and they may insist on company computer files being stored consistently in certain folders, while rejecting the importance of naming the individual files. I believe that's because, at least from memory, filing cabinets focused far more on folder placement than individual file names.

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Amonette2012@reddit

I prefer binders, I think the pages stay neater. Every filing cabinet I've had 3nds up being half junk drawer.

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CherylTuntIRL@reddit

No we did not. My mother preferred concertina files. I used to have a filing cabinet as an adult, but I went fully digital and scan what I need, then shred.

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

I grew up wanting my own, had one of those multidrawer ones for a while but then electronic documents began replacing their need. For "live" stuff, like bills, I use a cheap WHSmith concertina affair to house this month's bills/correspondance until I've scanned it in, then chuck it when next month's arrives.

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Extension_Dark9311@reddit

I try to get rid of it as none of it ever gets looked at again anyway. 90% of it is pointless or you can get it again if you need it/print it. I have a binding folder and it’s kept in the loft with odd documents or things I don’t want to throw away

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Intrepid_Bearz@reddit

Yes and no. I’m almost 50. Mum still has one, but I’ve never needed one, I put things in folders if they need keeping and incinerate them if they don’t need keeping.

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zephyrmox@reddit

I'm 34 and own a house and don't really have very much paperwork at all, to be honest.

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ButtercupBento@reddit

Didn’t have one when growing up but we have a file that contains things like marriage certificates, passports, car stuff and other things that may or may not be needed or useful now

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BroodLord1962@reddit

Never had one. Paperwork was keep in desk drawers in folders

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BrowsingOnMaBreak@reddit

We didn’t have a filing cabinet but we did have ring binders in a bookcase

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Nonbinary_Cryptid@reddit

No, and no.

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Youtalkingtomyboobs@reddit

44F, yes and yes. Have managed to reduce to a smaller 1 drawer side table, rather than a 4 drawer as more documents go online.

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NaomiT29@reddit

37, not an actual cabinet, and no. I try to keep it all in one place and vaguely categorised, but would absolutely get a cabinet if I ever had space for one!

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172116@reddit

36, yes, and yes. I bought my filing cabinet at IKEA within a week of buying my flat!

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Scarred_fish@reddit

Yes and obviously yes! In my 20s my entire furniture inventory consisted of a filing cabinet and a mattress. The only two things that matter.

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Did you grow up with a filing cabinet? Do you now have your own?

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27 Comments

PoinkPoinkPoink@reddit

LittleSadRufus@reddit

Lonely-Job484@reddit

Top-Cat-a@reddit

Over-Language2599@reddit

cgknight1@reddit

Polz34@reddit

terahurts@reddit

bimbosissyshagger@reddit

Utilitarian_Proxy@reddit

reddog_72@reddit

Other_Exercise@reddit

Amonette2012@reddit

CherylTuntIRL@reddit

ARobertNotABob@reddit

Extension_Dark9311@reddit

Intrepid_Bearz@reddit

zephyrmox@reddit

ButtercupBento@reddit

BroodLord1962@reddit

BrowsingOnMaBreak@reddit

Nonbinary_Cryptid@reddit

Youtalkingtomyboobs@reddit

NaomiT29@reddit

172116@reddit

Scarred_fish@reddit

AutoModerator@reddit