Technology may have advanced in leaps and bounds , but when it comes to our most precious papers , it turns out many of us remain creatures of habit . A third of adults shun the storage possibilities of the internet and still keep their most important papers in a shoebox , a poll has found . Ten per cent are even more relaxed about treasured photos , letters and mementos – leaving them lying around in piles of paperwork . A third of adults shun the storage possibilities of the internet and still keep their most important papers in a shoebox , the poll by online file-sharing service Lifetile found . From a marriage certificate to deeds to a house , only six per cent keep a back-up copy of vital paperwork online , while just 13 per cent bother to scan it to a computer , the poll by online file-sharing service Lifetile found . The survey of more than 2,000 Britons found almost half ( 45 per cent ) rely on a safe or filing cabinet to store documents , from personal to official ones . While 32 per cent keep their possessions in a shoebox , the box itself is then filed away to a loft , cupboard or garage . The contents can include love letters and old photos before the age of digital cameras to a will or deeds to property , for instance , the children 's old school reports and mementos . The survey also found 10 per cent of Brits ignore all the other available options and simply keep physical documents stacked in piles at various places around the home . An ultra cautious 4 per cent have safety deposit boxes , said the survey . Lifetile is a service offering an online site to keep private documents , photos and other memories to build up a family history to share with children and others online . It allows users to import digital photos , social media updates and entries and uploaded paperwork . Men are almost twice as likely women to keep such documents either online or on a computer , and younger adults more likely than older ones to do so , the research showed . Just 13 per cent bother to scan it to a computer , while almost half ( 45 per cent ) rely on a safe or filing cabinet to store documents . Founder Richard Grant said : 'The old shoebox represents a comforting place for people to keep their important documents and treasured memories . 'They can return time and again to look at photos of their children growing up , love letters , marriage certificates and much more . 'It 's the story of your life in its simplest form . But the internet has opened up the possibility of immortalising our life story , by making it digital . ' It is harder to lose documents and memories kept online , easier to share them with others and easier to find them in a hurry than if they were stored out of the way at home . Grant added : 'We spend so much of our life online , using the web to learn , shop and socialise and yet when it comes to the big life events and our important documents , all of which define us , we often choose to keep them tucked away for a rainy day . '
Ten per cent leave their documents , letters and mementos around in piles . Survey of 2,000 Britons found that only six per cent back up papers online . Just under half asked said they used filing cabinets or safes for documents .