It’s a cold and sunny day here. But I’m so ready for the weekend. Maybe you’re a little bit like me and catch up on Saturday and Sundays a wee bit. Typically I catch up on sleeping in, laundry, and those pesky tasks that I don’t have enough time to attend to during the work week.
No matter the weather or the days ahead, today’s Financial Decluttering challenge will bring peace of mind for decades to come.
Just as a reminder, each of the Financial Decluttering assignments should only take 10-15 minutes and you’ve only missed assignments to Clean Out Your Wallet, Clean Out Your Refrigerator Door, Clean Out Your Car Console, Clean Out Your Sock Drawer, Organize Your Coupons, Clean Out Kids’ Backpacks, Clean Out Your Purse or Bag, Clean Out ONE Pantry Shelf, Clean Off Your Desk. Then check out Clean Up Your Phone’s Apps, Clean Out Your Inbox, Clean Out the Junk Drawer, Declutter Your Shoes, Clean Out Your Freezer, Count Your Change, Clean Out ONE Clothes Closet, Clean Your Cleaners, and Clean Out Your Linen Closet. From there, head to Clean Out Old Bills, Clean Out Jewelry, Organize One Garage Shelf, Clean Out the Shower, and Organize Medicines.
Just a reminder, don’t forget to join the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group of close to 1500 people for ideas and encouragement. You’ll love the photos of the clean wallets, clean refrigerator doors, car consoles, coupon binders, backpacks, purses, desks, shoes, inboxes, and more!
Now, on to the challenge!
Day 24: Organize Your Safe or Lockbox
We all have important papers. Whether it’s a deed or a passport or a title, you need a safe place to keep your important stuff. Wills, life insurance, birth certificates, immunization records, marriage licenses, and social security cards also need a location to be stowed. You may also want to keep jewelry (and appraisals) or family heirlooms somewhere secure.
Why It Matters:
Friends, you need to know what you have. And if heaven forbid something tragic would happen to you, other people need to know where those important documents live, too. Getting financially organized means you need to have a clear system to keep your stuff straight.
If you don’t already own a safe or a fireproof lock box, it’s one investment I’d encourage you to make. We’ve had friends who had their entire home burn down and the only thing they had left was their lockbox. By the way, if you have one but don’t keep it locked, do me a favor and go lock that badboy up right now. Left unlocked, if there is a fire and water is used to extinguish it, that water can seep into the container ruining the documents inside (this happened to another friend).
Amazon has small, affordable safes and lockboxes. I like this one, too. You may also want to check a warehouse club like Sam’s or Costco, too. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to be fireproof and waterproof with the ability to lock it.
How to Do It:
- Gather important documents. Don’t forget the following:
- Wills
- Birth Certificates (for everyone in the family)
- Social Security cards (for everyone in the family)
- Marriage License
- Property Titles
- Deeds
- Passports
- Important Medical Records and Documents
- Passports
- Life Insurance Information
- Immunization Records
- Family heirlooms or jewelry
- Organize those documents into folder or piles clipped together by family member.
- Make sure the documents and contents fit snuggly back into box or safe.
- If you already have documents inside of a safe or lockbox, evaluate the contents.
- Discard items that have become outdated (i.e. if your child is grown and you still have bills from labor and delivery, you can let those go).
- When you’re finished, take a photo and post it to the challenge post in the Financial Decluttering Group. We’ll celebrate your victory. And/or post on Instagram with the #FinancialDecluttering Hashtag.
- You’ll get bonus points and virtual fist bumps for interesting discoveries.
How to Keep It That Way:
Once you set up a system, you won’t have to do too much to keep it in order. Change out paperwork when you receive new items. Add documents to the file as they become available. By the way, safes or lockboxes make great gifts for adult children – especially if you pass along all their essential documents at the same time.
A Few More Thoughts:
I can’t wait to see all we achieve together this month. I’ll continue sharing my own journey in the Financial Decluttering Facebook Group and via e-mails. Be sure you subscribe for both.
Post a photo of your safe/lockbox organization victories and tips in the comments! I want to see what sorts of systems you use to organize.
Our new book Your Money, Your Marriage is now available! Be sure to check out videos on managing money together on Facebook.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out The Debt Free Devotional
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal, learn about a way to save, or maybe even something for free, I may end up making a small commission. All prices are subject to change.
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