Backing up personal finance information in the cloud is definitely a very important thing to consider. Personal finance is about much more than just saving and investing money. It is also about keeping records and tracking your progress or regress. It is very important to maintain an effective budget and a net worth spreadsheet. This budget and spreadsheet are really only valuable to you if you can find it when you need it. The cloud is a great thing to consider when it comes to backing up your data.
The key is to have your data stored in more than one place.
Offline Storage
If you don’t have a lot of information to store, then you might want to consider storing it on a flash drive. You can just copy and paste the files onto the drive. If you have a large amount of information to store, then you might want to consider using an external hard drive. This type of backup can sometimes be time-consuming, so rsync commands can prove to be useful.
Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is basically a method of saving your files through a third party online location. There are a lot of different storage options out there, and many cloud-based companies for you to choose from. Some companies will even give you the option to store up to 2GB for free. If you have more than this, then you will want to consider a paid plan. Dropbox is a great program to use. If you are worried that you will have privacy issues with your data, then you might want to consider reading their privacy policy to learn more.
How Does it Work?
If you choose to use the Dropbox program, then you will have a Dropbox folder on your computer. Any files that you put into this folder will automatically be saved on the Dropbox servers. You can access these files from your computer, and you can also access them from any other web-enabled device. To sign up for an account, you will be asked to choose the size storage that you need. 2GB of space is free. 50GB of space will run you around $10 per month. 100GB of space will run you around $20 per month. You can even take a tour to learn more about how the program works.
Other Great Features Offered By Dropbox
Dropbox can be installed on several computers, and the files will be accessible from each computer. If you are not where you are able to access Dropbox from your own computer, you can go to their website and view your information as well. You can also access files for up to 30 days after they are deleted.
