Amongst many other things, my job is to write articles for Foremost.com and the Foremost Blog. (I know I’m being captain obvious here.) I think it’s safe to say that I have more information about emergency kits, evacuation plans, and safety weeks floating around in my head than the average person. Wonder what you should have on hand during a severe weather emergency — the list’s inside my brain. When are the deadliest days to drive on the road — I can tell you. Why you should have a family escape plan — no problem. While I talk safety with the best of them, I have a problem walking the walk.
Here’s my now not-so-secret secret, the pictures below show the current state of my record keeping.
Yeah, that pile of paperwork dates back to early 2010.
If something (fire, flood, etc.) were to happen to my house tomorrow, I wouldn’t be ready. Not that anyone is ever really completely prepared for a disaster, but there’s a reason behind all of the safety tips people like me write. It is possible to make your life more recoverable.
So while I didn’t spend September getting my ducks in a row or even preparing for a zombie apocalypse, I resolve to spend my fall getting my paperwork in place. If you can’t tell from the picture, I even moved that mess to the middle of my living room so I can’t ignore it in my second bedroom/office anymore. (My husband loves walking around it on a daily basis.)
Here’s what I need to do:
- Determine if we can go paperless in any additional ways to reduce this pile even further.
- Using this as a guide, purge old files that don’t need a hard copy. Shred them and recycle. (I chose Quick and Dirty Tips after looking through a number of options. It’s just my preference, but I find Money Girl’s articles easy to understand.)
- Refile all remaining paperwork.
- Move appropriate files to our fireproof safe (yes, we already have one).
- Back up all my electronic files.
- Create a home inventory.
That last one’s going to be a doozy. I’m not looking forward to the process, but it’s a part of life that I’ve put off far too long. And I promise I’ll keep you updated along the way. If you’re in my boat, why don’t you consider joining me? Let’s get ready together.
If you’re in the market for a new insurance policy consider talking to a Foremost Agency. They could also provide you with resources to make your life recoverable after a disaster.
