The starter kit / 02
Know where
the important things are.
This is a map, not a vault. Use it to note where records live, who can access them, and when they may need a review.
Keep your completed map in your own secure storage. Don’t include passwords, identification numbers, account numbers, or copies of documents.
Start with these categories
- Identity: where you keep identification and supporting records.
- Home: lease or property records, utility information, and key contacts.
- Work: employment documents and benefit information.
- Insurance: policy locations and provider contact information.
- Health: provider contacts and the location of relevant records.
- Money: a directory of institutions and where statements are stored.
- Family: shared household records and the person responsible for them.
- Travel: booking records and documents to check before a trip.
Make the map useful
For each category, write a storage location that makes sense to you, a responsible person, and a next review date if needed. A location might be “household folder in my secure drive” or “blue folder in the cabinet.”
One pass is enough to start
Choose one category today. You don’t need a complete archive before this becomes useful. Review the map when your circumstances change, and share access only with the people who need it.