If you’re smart, at the beginning of the year, you set up a tray, drawer or a section in your files dedicated to this year’s — and only this year’s — tax-related stuff. Most of the year, there won’t be much to toss into it. Maybe some donations records or a reminder to include a particular expense or miscellaneous income or an article about a new tax law. When, in January, the tax documents start coming, you can just toss them in the tray until you’re ready to actually do your taxes.

If you really want to be ahead of the game, now is also the time to start chucking all those records and documents you no longer need. Given our growing concern with identity theft, the best and easiest way to dispose of them is shredding.

Piles too big? Don’t own a shredder? Hold it! Don’t bag it all up and stash it in the basement with all the piles from previous years. Instead, let the professionals do it for you. More and more, banks and office supply stores are offering shredding services, some free, some at a price that is well worth the peace of mind you’ll have knowing your important papers are sliced up beyond recognition and sent securely off to the recycling plant.

In your local area, look for announcements by local banks for shredding events, such as a free, on-site community shred day. Also, check out which office supply stores have in-store shredders. In my area, Whalens Office Supply in Northampton has a wonderful strip cutter that takes twenty sheets at a time, a separate credit card
shredder and low DIY rates. Or they’ll do it for you, including unfolding bulky statements and removing all the paper clips — well worth the cost, not to mention the savings in time.

Other ways to find shredding events – www.filestoreshred.com lists shredding events all over the country by region and, in Massachussetts, www.massrecycle.org puts up an on-line events calendar, usually in the fall.

Here’s an extra for those of you who like to see how things work – some recycling facilities give tours. I plan to go on one in the spring at the Springfield, MA,Materials Recycling Facility. Did you know that much of the work of separating the recyclables is done by hand? What a job!!!!!