I’m not completely paperless but I’m working at it. Here are some my personal reasons for being paperless:
- I have been using paper myself too much for too long, mainly with school. I needed to learn to conserve paper so I don’t cause problems.
- I kept too much of the paper I received. I was being a hoarder with papers I either received or printed or written on myself. I would keep papers from school many years after graduating. keep receipts from the day before up to 10 years old. To keep the important information I realized that I needed a scanning system for that and bought the NeatReceipts portable scanner that came with NeatWorks for my Macintosh computer.
- I don’t have enough room at my apartment or office for keeping papers. I pay very low rent, partly because I had a small office and have small apartment.
- I have trouble reading papers and books because I sometimes have had trouble bending my neck and my eyes have got worse. So it is easier for me to read on a computer screen, and when it is a long article I sometimes have the computer read it with text to speech. Also, it is easier for me to read street signs and look at artwork on a wall.
- Doesn’t happen too often but every once in a while I have got paper cuts. I also hurt myself once with a paper cutter that I immediatly got rid of after it happened.
- It is too expensive if I’m not conserving paper. I even quit all print (on paper) advertising. For me, Not only did print advertising not pay for itself, it brought too many telephone solicitations.
So I may have a few more personal reasons than others to attempt to be paperless. Or at least to conserve as much paper as possible. I still keep bath tissue handy.
2015 Update: temporarily going without an office. Update on Neat scanner