Do You Have a Paper Shredder?

(M5 Mailmate from Staples)

If not, you should. Like having a door mat and nice hangers, it's a no brainer to have a shredder. Anything with your name, address, and/or account info (bank, cc, etc) should be shredded for your personal safety. Of course you should do what you can to eliminate the junk mail you get, but the little you get should be shredded.

Here's what you need to know when buying a shredder:

• get a cross-cut/confetti
• get one that shreds disks and cc if you need it
• expect to spend $50-$95 for basic household, if you're shredding a lot, spend more
• don't overload it; if it says 5 sheets at a time, do 4 sheets
• many models can only do 5-10 minutes of shredding at a time

I don't like having my shredder out so I keep it unplugged under the kitchen sink and put paper to be shredded in the basket it came with and shred things all at once when it gets a little full. If you find yourself with a ton of shredding to do, you can go to a private shredding company who can either come to you, for a fee, or you can bring to them what you need shredded. Google your city and 'shredding service' to find someone near you.