11 Feb How To: Protecting Important Documents
Photo by: Lucas
How To: Protecting Important Documents
Have you ever been packing for your trip and just couldn’t find your passport? Have you been filling out an application and for the life of you just can’t find the one document you need? Have you ever lost important documents due to circumstances beyond your control? If so, you don’t need to worry! Organizing your papers and vital documents is simple, and can give you great peace of mind. Here are a few tips to stop worrying:
- Divide all your papers into categories. Separate your documents into piles to discard, and to keep, with the papers to keep divided into categories such as health, home, financial, and vital. Vital documents would be passports, social security cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc. After getting rid of the documents you don’t need, gather all papers you need to keep in one place.
- Divise a filing system – and stick to it! Once your documents are organized, keep them that way! The simpler the system the better. As soon as you get a document that needs to be kept, file it in the correct place. Don’t let papers gather in different spots around the house.
- Storage materials. Different people prefer different storage methods. Examples include a binder with tabs, file folders, a filing cabinet, or plastic bins. Bonus points for a storage system that is waterproof and/or fireproof!
- Storage space. One you have your system in place, store your documents in an area away from potential hazards. Keep them away from children and pets, as well as away from potential damage from the elements. However, keep it in a place that is easily accessible, to be grabbed quickly in the event of an emergency.
Once your important documents are all organized and filed in the same space, you can rest easy. Never again will you have to search through various places in your home when you need something vital. This organizational system will also make it extremely easy to grab what you need in the event of an emergency, and protect your documents in the event of an accident, such as a flood or fire.
