I thought I had pre-filtered all of the material, but I missed it. That nickel got chewed up, then stuck up behind the plastic housing. I had to completely disassemble my nearly-new, $100+ shredder, hoping that I could: a) keep all of the parts in order; b) get to the now-pulled-apart nickel and extract it; c) put the shredder back together and have it still work; d) not go on a rampage against the direct mail company hired by that non-profit.

It took me about 90 minutes from start to finish, but I did finally get the remnants of the nickel out, and get the shredder back together in working order. It only bears a few scars.

wHATEver

BugMeNot2

The trouble with most shredders is that (lemme just pop the hood here so you can see) is that they contain vinyl gears meshed with steel gears. This makes the shredder quieter but eventually one good jam and the metal gear will eat the vinyl gear for lunch. If anyone knows someone who make a suitable-for-home-office-use shredder with all metal gearing, please post!

You don't need to shred or nuke CDs - just take a scissor blade and scrape a good chunk of silvering off the back. This'll render it unreadable.

Do your neighbors a favor and double-bag your shreddings when you put them to the curb. Otherwise one little hole in the bag and suddenly the shreddings are all over the block. (You're thinkin' the wind and/or rain will take care of them? Think again..)

RevWaldo

aikoto

Adam Rock

JRock

I have yet to try the "wet it, shred it, wad it, cover a car in it" routine.

That70sHeidi

I work in a place where there's big Iron Mountain bins and all the sensitive documents of patients get thrown into them. Only problem is any unscrupulous person walking by can put their hand in it and take a huge amount of papers off the top when it gets full and get a bunch of information.

So. I'd rather shred it myself.

I've also bought a relatively cheap shredder and it's still working fine. I don't shred entire sheets, though. Only the parts with numbers and my name.

synergy

Imaginary_Friend

Imaginary_Friend

jmjonesjr

Aanidaani

As for shredding CC applications, I make a game of it. I tear out and shred the offer codes and my address. The rest gets sent back to the CC co. And since today's CC statements don't have your full name and number anymore, I don't bother shredding them, I recycle them.

JimmyDaGeek

spookytay

dps

enine

I have bought 3 shredders so far, none lasted.

got no clutch? You ain't much.

I once found some kind of birth certificate document laying in the alley behind my house. It had mom's, dad's, and baby's SSNs, addresses, DOB, occupations, etc. Wasn't anyone I knew, but it spooked me finding that trove of info. They can be unknowingly thankful their info met my shredder.

Ragman

I also agree on not scrimping on your shredder. Find the shredder that says it can handle exactly what you need and then buy a model or two above that. Things last longer when you work them at, say, 60% of their capabilities compared to working them at the very limits. A little bit more money now, or a lot more money in a few months to replace it.

linoth

RGP

Other methods:
Give it to my cat to chew up.
Opt out of everything which I've done.
Go paperless on all your bills which I've done.

Thanks for the tips about baby oil or the pam cooking spray for keeping the shredder in good condition, it never crossed my mind I needed to oil it.

alexiso

Fitwit

RandomElginGuy

Then, I take the shredded confetti, and I put it in a blender with a mix of water and bleech. After it turns into a pulp, I drain it, and allow it to dry.

Then I take the dried pulp, and douse it in kerosene, until it becomes a gelatenous goo. I then spread the goo over the bottom of my barbecue grill, and light it up.

Once it finishes burning, I let it cool, and then take the ashes, and divide it into six containers.

I dump the first container down the toilet, and flush three times. The second container, I scatter the ashes over the azalias. The third container, I scatter on the freeway. The fourth container I dump in the ashtray outside the 7-11. The fifth container, I dump in a wastebasket at work, and the sixth container, well, I hold on to that, and keep it with the other "sixth containers" in a large bucket that I keep in the garage. I figure that if they can't get the sixth part, they can' get my identity.

I shred everything. The only thing I haven't shredded is my favorite book, "I'm Not Paranoid: They Really Are Out To Get Me"

Dooley

Personally, I like this 50 HP model:

[officeequipmentmachineshop.com]

Grrrrrrrrr

lukobe

scoopy

scoopy

suprnate

1) Fire.
2) Fire.
3) Fire.

DogHead

I also like to mark out the information I don't want anyone reading first (both sides of the paper).

Rectilinear Propagation

darkclawsofchaos

enine

frndlybnny

aaron8301

MotherFury

Sounds pretty paranoid but that is the way we have to live these days...

Trick

aaron8301

swalve

(Not saying that ID theft isn't a real problem, just that it is highly overstated by the culture of fear)

PotKettleBlack

46and2

littlejohnny

jarchie219

Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->

brennie

SacraBos

discounteggroll

SacraBos

Landru

MercuryPDX

Mav

matto

gr8chief

i second the advice to get a beefy one. you want something that can handle staples, unopened full envelopes, credit cards, etc.

BoorRichard

@matto:

There are lots of shredders on the market that can handle credit cards (and CDs). It means shelling out more than $10 though.

stonestix

Do what I do; get a few sheets of newspaper and cut/fold/tape until you have an envelope, fill 50-75% with shredded paper, then seal up the open end. Viola! (Nearly) instant packing pad things!

BoC

I do this too when it's inconvenient to shred everything, and I always hoped it would thwart all but the most determined thieves. Stopping these statements and having companies never send them unrequested would be ideal.

Karyn

I pay *nothing* by snail mail.

Some credit cards allow you to receive bills via email, but Wamu, for instance, says BY LAW they HAVE to send me paper statements. Yeah, um, okay.

So, I have done the DMA thing to cut back on junk mail, etc. but does anyone know any other means I might be missing for cutting out paper statements (with one's credit card account numbers emblazoned in several locations on the statement--or, gawd forbid--convenience checks attached!)?

Thanks

Karyn

matto

I would say to anyone who does not have a shredder, don't buy a cheap 29.00 one. I have burned up 3 shredders before I finally sucked it up and bought a decent one. Had it for a couple of years and it shreds not only paper but cds and credit cards too.

For credit card offers and convenience checks, I usually tear them in half, and shred each half separately, and throw away one half at home and the other half I throw away at some other location. Like work.

ohiomensch

spanky

[www.wellsfargoadvantagefunds.com]

Melt

I always thought the whole 'someone might steal your identify out of your garbage' thing was totally overrated. I mean, what are the odds, right?

At one point, while cleaning out my car, I came across my long expired passport. It was at least 3 years out of date and had a big 'void' stamped into it. I don't remember why I decided I wanted it back in the first place (the government had offered to dispose of it for me) but since it had spent several years in my trunk, I figured keeping it was a low priority, so I tossed it in with all my other trunk garbage.

About a month later, my expired, thrown away passport showed up in my mailbox. Not returned by mail or anything. Someone put it in my mailbox.

I have no idea who that might have been, where they found it, why they decided to return it, or anything else. All I know, is my passport came back to me.

I bought a shredder the next day.

Jacquilynne

timsgm1418

Thank you for reminding me that my present job is better in some ways.

RocktheDebit

So aside from helping to save yourself from identity theft, you might entertain your pets too.

Also, if you buy a crosscut shredder, buy the oil. It seems silly, but it really will extend the life of the shredder. My weird cats try to lick the oil, too, so I have to be very careful to wipe up spills and put the oil away when I'm done oiling the shredder.

Juliekins

moore850

When I don't have time for a fire, I empty my cat's litterbox into the bag of shreddings. Have fun with toxoplasmosis, identity thieves! When I had a bunny it was her cage lining.

Poop!

Typhoid

Eyebrows McGee

I'd sooner paper dust and paper shredding than those packing peanuts.

mopar_man

I dont produce/recieve a lot of sensitive papers. I get most of that stuff in electronic form over the net.

forgottenpassword

Hm... yeah, I should probably just get a shredder. Problem is, it's so much fun to shred, I'd probably shred things I shouldn't. Like papers I might need.

AlexDitto

homerjay

kittenfoo

wallspray

homerjay