As our world slowly but surely becomes paperless, we are finding that we no longer have a need for many of the old papers and receipts we've been holding on to for years - especially when the increased risk of identity theft is becoming a certainty. A way that you can easily rid yourself of the excess documents in your home without the worry of someone stealing your identity is to invest in one of the many inexpensive and efficient personal paper shredders on the market. That way, you can clean up your home and feel free to throw items out without worry.

Types of Paper Shredders

Believe it or not, there are several types of personal paper shredders that were created to give you whatever results you desire during your shredding process. Let's look at a few of them.

Large Throat - If you are in need of a shredder that is large enough to accommodate big pieces of paper, then you will want to consider one that has a larger-than-normal throat (or opening) so that you can shred paper with no problem. Most desk shredders that you will find in an office (near the receptionist or secretary) have this type of opening to shred official documents without having to worry about constant folding.

Strip-Cut - Also customary to the office setting is the strip-cut shredder. It typically slices the paper into straight-cut or spaghetti-cut long and thin strips. This is a top choice for those looking to handle a higher volume of paper with lower maintenance requirements. However, because the strips don't compress well, you will find that you need a larger basket for the strips to fall into or you will have to empty it rather frequently.

Cross-cut - This is one that actually provides more security than the strip-cut because it cuts your documents vertically and horizontally creating pieces that resemble confetti - this makes it virtually impossible for someone to come behind you and reconstruct the documents, especially if you swirl your hand in the basket for an added touch. It also compresses better because the slices are smaller, which allows you to shred more documents before needing to empty your basket. However, the added security and convenience it provides comes at a cost; generally you have to pay more for this style and it will require more maintenance in the long run.

In addition to these styles, you may have the option of a few more features, including automatic start/stop that governs itself by detecting when paper is near the blades, a light that alerts you of a paper jam or full basket, and a reverse feed that lets you pull paper out of the blades without having to tug at it.

Paper shredders are great economical additions to anyone's home and can provide that added incentive to "spring clean" throughout the year; so after determining which features will work best for you, get out there and search for some great prices. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised by wonderful values out there on reliable and efficient paper shredders.