The days of filing cabinets and manila folders have passed. You can cut down on clutter by eliminating paper as much as possible, taking measures to keep track of your important information digitally rather than physically.

Lifehack.org offers these suggestions for going paperless:

* Switch to paperless billing. Most banks, utilities and other billing entities are eager to take you off their physical mailing lists and get you on automatic payment programs. Log on to your account at each biller’s site to set up paperless billing, or see if your bank offers the service.

* Cut out faxing and printing. Services such as Adobe EchoSign allow you to sign documents electronically. When you’d normally fax a paper somewhere, opt instead for emailing a PDF as an attachment.

* Take notes digitally. This is much easier if you have a smartphone, which lets you download note-taking apps. Others can take notes via text message.

How I Started My Paperless New Year [Lifehack.org]

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