Article: Honey, Where's Our Homeowner's Insurance Policy? - Free Reprintable Article |
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Could you locate your homeowner's insurance policy, will, refrigerator warranty, DVD player instruction manual, etc., in a matter of minutes or would it be more like a like a search-and-rescue mission requiring hours or possibly days, and maybe even the National Guard? Even assuming you are a dedicated, organized person, if you were to suddenly become incapacitated, could someone else (such as your spouse) figure out your system and find those vital things such as insurance policies? |
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Honey, Where's Our Homeowner's Insurance Policy?by Chemain EvansScene: Husband in garage; surveying damage done by fallen tree; Wife somewhere in house: Husband (yelling so as to be heard): "Honey, where's our homeowner's insurance policy?" Wife (also yelling): "In the filing cabinet somewhere, I think." Husband: "Which filing cabinet?" Wife: "I'm not really sure. I thought filing was your department! Why the sudden interest in our policy?" Husband: "It looks like we're going to need it!" How often has a scene similar to this replayed itself in your home (not referring to the fallen tree, of course)? Could you locate your homeowner's insurance policy, will, refrigerator warranty, DVD player instruction manual, etc., in a matter of minutes or would it be more like a like a search-and-rescue mission requiring hours or possibly days, and maybe even the National Guard? Even assuming you are a dedicated, organized person, if you were to suddenly become incapacitated, could someone else (such as your spouse) figure out your system and find those vital things such as insurance policies? Getting organized doesn't equate with being organized. "Organize" has become a sort of siren call to all those of us wading through piles of papers everywhere. And, to our credit, we may get the "Organize" bug and plunge in headfirst, get things straightened up, file things away, just like the "experts" tell us to-AND THEN WE CAN'T FIND ANYTHING! Or we get it all done and then we're the ONLY people who can find anything, practically ensuring that as soon as we get involved in something we're doing, somebody's going to "need" something that's been filed away. Most of us basically trust our minds to remember where everything is. Now this might work for the big things like insurance policies or investment papers, but sooner or later our short-term memory is going to be replaced with matters more urgent than remembering where we put the newspaper clipping about pruning peach trees that won't be needed for another eight months! Being organized is a step beyond getting organized. Being organized means not only do you know where things are, but other people can find them as well, and you can get to them quickly. Being organized is a valuable time-saver. One way to really be organized and save yourself time is to devote certain areas to filing certain things. This is really handy if you have more than one filing cabinet or area that you store paperwork in. For example, file all your utility bills (and there's really no need to keep more than a year's worth for comparison purposes) in the area that you do your bills. You'll find that things don't pile up if you can file them as soon as you're finished using them. This automatically cuts down on both filing and location time. Another example: If you use the instruction manuals to your kitchen appliances frequently, dedicate a kitchen drawer to their storage. You get the idea. Keeping stuff where it's most used and accessible will considerably improve your organization (and your sanity). However, our homes are always in a state of flux. There truly is no end to filing things away. No sooner do you get the bills paid and filed away when they start rolling in again. Your filing system has to be both flexible and user-friendly. Most importantly, you must be the master of your system, not the reverse. You might consider a computer software program to help you keep track of precisely where you file things. To help you in your quest to conquer the endless paper influx, Simple Joe has developed a software program called Simple Joe's File Finder. File Finder allows you to keep track of the locations of your files. It allows you to enter keywords, subjects, file descriptions, location, etc., which can then be searched in a matter of seconds. File Finder helps you make the leap from getting organized to being organized. What's even greater is that you alone are no longer responsible for remembering where everything is filed; anyone in the family can look it up in File Finder, although you may have to relinquish the title of Harborer and Protector of All Important Information. So, as long as you're in organizational mode doing your spring (or even better - fall) cleaning, empty out those file cabinets and other organizational/storage areas. Discard the stuff you don't need and classify your files so that you can easily locate them when you need to. Here are some classifications (subdivide as needed) that may prove useful to you, whether you use a software program or not: · Paycheck Stubs · Bank Statements · Credit Card Statements · Insurance Policies · Warranties · Investments · Instruction Manuals · Gardening Tips · Newspaper Articles (which could be classified instead under the appropriate subject) · Family Letters · Receipts · Charitable Donation Receipts · Tax-Related Information · Utilities · Inspirational Thoughts · Health Insurance Providers/Services, etc. · Medical/Dental/Vision · Office Visit Receipts · Prescription Receipts · Etc. · Auto/Home Maintenance Logs · Vital Records · Copies of marriage license, birth/death certificates, Social Security cards, immunization records, wills, trusts, etc. · And anything else you need! Whatever you decide to do, make sure that your system not only works for you, but that someone else would be easily able to find things if it were necessary. Don't just get organized-be- organized! It's a lot easier and less time-consuming to stay on top of things than to try and play catch up every once-in-awhile. One final suggestion-keep copies of insurance policies, vital records, wills, trusts, investment papers, etc., in a small box or suitcase-type item that you can carry with you in the event that you need to evacuate your home. It's a precaution you won't regret. *************************************************************** © Simple Joe, Inc. Chemain Evans is a quality control specialist for Simple Joe, Inc., makers Simple Joe's File Finder PC software. File Finder helps you quickly organize your paper files, notes and important information to be instantly located and retrieved. File Finder is ideal for tracking and managing personal, business, home and club documents.. This article may be freely distributed as long as the copyright, author's information and an active link (where possible) are included.
Article Formatted for Email & Newsletters:Articles and Resources on Organizing Personal Finance DocumentsArticle: Organization - Breaking the Sticky Note AddictionArticle: Borrowing Money: Understanding How The Numbers Work Article: Financial New Year's Resolutions - by Chemain Evans Article: New Year's Resolutions to Stretch the Bottom Line Article: Personal Finance - Why Do We Always Fight About Money? Article: Personal Finance - Why Is It So Hard To Talk About Money? Product: Simple Joe's Money Tools - Personal Finance and Investing Financial Calculators Product: Easy accounting for anyone using Simple Joe's Income & Expenses Product: Budgeting And Expense Reporting Made Easy With Simple Joe's Expense Tracker Products: Web Page: Main | Products - Personal Finance Software Books: Required Reading - Books On Personal Finance Books: Best Personal Finance Books Books: Robert T. Kiyosaki Books - Rich Dad, Poor Dad Series Books: Best Books on Personal Finance by Motley Fool Books: Best Books On Time Management About the author Chemain Evans Back to the Organization articles page. Back to the Free, Reprintable Articles page. |
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| Page Title: | Article: Honey, Where's Our Homeowner's Insurance Policy? |
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| Summary: | Could you locate your homeowner's insurance policy, will, refrigerator warranty, DVD player instruction manual, etc., in a matter of minutes or would it be more like a like a search-and-rescue mission requiring hours or possibly days, and maybe even the National Guard? Even assuming you are a dedicated, organized person, if you were to suddenly become incapacitated, could someone else (such as your spouse) figure out your system and find those vital things such as insurance policies? |