Master Your Life: Organize Key Documents
For some – organization is the bane of their existence. I have always been an organized person. To me – chaos is the worst. I make lists for everything – from grocery items to packing for a trip to vacation itineraries. It’s already been said amongst my friends that we will never travel together. My husband tolerates my vacation itineraries – but I can’t see my friends abiding by my hour-by-hour activities! I just don’t want to forget anything before a big trip or miss out visiting a five star restaurant in Barcelona!
Important Documents
I could be wrong – but I’m pretty sure my parents bought my husband and I a fireproof lock box as a gift. Hopefully it wasn’t an anniversary gift – but knowing my parents, it could have been! What is so great about a fireproof box? That is where your irreplaceable documents should go. Anything from birth certificates to passports to wills / insurance papers should be stored in a safe location – whether it be a home safe or a safety deposit box at your bank.
There are pros and cons of storing it at the bank. First and foremost – convenience. Because access is restricted to banking hours, you’re at the mercy of when the bank is open to retrieve the documents. The other would be the cost. A bank will have an annual fee for the box – whereas a fireproof lock box is a one-time purchase.
Filing Cabinet
Where do you currently keep all the bills / insurance / titles / tax papers? Please don’t tell me you just shove it in a drawer! A good paper organizing system is crucial for everyone.
You can buy a simple filing cabinet or those organizers from Staples / Container Store. Get folders / labels and organize the different paperwork you have.
I have folders for everything. I have numerous folders for the house – divided by each room. I store kitchen appliance manuals / receipts in a “Kitchen” folder. I store our new furnace warranty in our “HVAC” folder. I have our new mattress info in a “Master Bedroom” folder. It makes it easier to find when I need to know model / serial numbers of our washing machine because the repairman is asking about it.
Other folder ideas are for our insurance policies or our dog’s medical bills or even a career folder storing resume copies or past job reviews. Colored folders prove quite advantageous to finding info in a pinch.
Resource Tip: For 10 principles for organizing your work, home, health, fitness, hobbies, finances, and more – check out: How to Organize Your Life
For basic how (or a beginner’s guide) to organizing your documents, check out: Organizing Important Documents
Emergency Contacts
Have you ever been in an accident where time is of the essence for a paramedic / doctor to find out key information about you?
Within your purse / wallet / phone – always keep contacts labelled as “Mom” or “Dad” or “Child”. My mom has my contact in her phone as “Jen (Daughter)”. I sure hope it’s because she was proactively thinking of a emergency personnel seeing it and not just forgetting who I was! My mom also always keeps a copy of our medical history spreadsheet in her purse – in case of emergency. Something for you to consider doing, too.
Access
Do your parents / children / close relatives know where you keep the important documents? Do they know how to access your accounts in case of an accident / emergency? Do they have your passwords? Do they have contact information for your lawyer / financial planner?
The world has become so password focused. Each website has different rules for what a password needs to be. Capital letters, symbols, numbers, catch phrases, etc. In the past – we used to write them down, and I’m sure many of you still have your password on a post it note by you computer. Not exactly safe, right? But how can we possibly keep them all straight? That is where a Password Manager comes into play. I’ve used one for years. I no longer must remember my passwords to each site – I just need to remember one single master password.
I’m not saying your parents / children should be able to easily access all your accounts – but they should know “how” to access them – in case of an emergency.
Resource Tip: For more information on why you need a Password Manager (or how to set one up) – check out: Still on the Fence About Getting a Password Manager?
These are just a few of the things you need to do to “Get Organized.” The more organized you are, the easier it is for you and your loved ones to stay on top of things and prepare for any future problems.
