Old Calendars: Keep or Toss?

Thanks to R.C. for the following query. I print my response here to help others with the same question.

Q: I took your seminars at the Camarillo Health Care District not too long ago. I have been organizing, throwing away and trying to get rid of my clutter. What do you do with old daytimers and the calendar pages from inside the daytimers? I have from 1998 to present but I never refer to them. Should I trash them? I find when I look at them I start remembering old events and that's kinda fun but I think its more sentimental to keep than throw out.

A: I agree, it can be fun to save the calendar pages as a diary to occasionally revisit. If you have the space on a high shelf, go ahead and keep them for that purpose. If they are in binders with the year on the spine, just line them up chronologically.

Some people keep them as part of their tax archives, since they may contain data on clients and mileage that could be useful if audited. If kept for that reason, seven years is sufficient.

If space is a premium, and there is no tax reason to keep, then weigh how much sentimental value they give you vs. the relief you would feel from the extra space you would have if you tossed them. That should help you make your decision.