Everyone owns a range of official documents that must be kept safe – some of these you will need to keep for your entire life. However, as life happens, it can be easy to pile up paper after and not think about it until you need them. When the time comes that you need a certain document, you may struggle to find it, which can be extremely frustrating and cause you anxiety, particularly if obtaining a new copy is a long process or expensive.
This article will advise you on what you can do to ensure you never lose your important documents again.
Shred Unnecessary Paperwork
It can be easy to have piles of paperwork that accumulate with time. This can make it difficult to keep track of what you have and what the actual important documents are. Try to remember that not every piece of paper will need to be stored – the more papers you have the more likely you are to lose documents that you need. If you already have piles of documents, go through them and shred any unnecessary items that you do not need. Any stuff that you kept over the years ‘just in case’ is probably not needed so you can get rid of it.
Have a Neat System
Being organized is the best way to not lose your important documents. If you have all paperwork piled together you will struggle to go through them every time you need something. There are ways you can put a neat system in place to facilitate this and it does not have to be difficult to implement. For example, you can have one file with different folders and each one is labeled accordingly. You should separate categories such as ‘house documents’, ‘car insurance, ‘bills’, ‘kid’s school’, ‘work’, and ‘identity documents. Decide the categories according to what suits you and create a system that is unique to you; something that you will feel comfortable with and that you can easily navigate.
Keep Your Documents Safe
Some documents are so important that it can be difficult to obtain a new copy. For this reason, you may be worried as to where you will store them so that they are safely put away. Whether you live in a house with others or have kids around who may like to play with all the wrong things, storing your documents in a safe may be your best option. This way you know the documents are safe, you know exactly where they are and they are protected by a code, so no one apart from you can access them. There is no better way to ensure you do not lose your crucial paperwork.
Only Carry What You Need
You are certainly more likely to lose your documents when you are out than when you misplace them at home. Losing them on the street can be extremely overwhelming as there is a chance that they will be returned by strangers. Some people – men in particular – keep their documents in their pockets when they are out; this can easily have the paperwork slide out of your pocket without you even realizing it. A solution for this is to have a long wallet, where you can keep everything neatly in one place. This way you can rest assured your documents are safe and you are less likely to lose them.
Digitalize your Documents
In this day and age, it does not make a lot of sense for individuals to have piles of paperwork physically stored away when they can digitalize most things. Some things, such as passports and birth certificates, are obviously needed to have a physical copy. However, there are others that you can get away with having a digital copy instead. You can make copies of some of the documents that you think you may need at some point. If you are particularly worried about shredding paperwork, as discussed above, digitalizing them is a great solution. You will still have copies of everything but these will be stored and organized in a technological device. Just make sure to always back up your documents in case your device is damaged.
Have Passwords in Place
Whether you store your important documents in a safe or on a device, you must have appropriate passwords in place. The last thing you want is to lose your documents because someone else has gained possession of them. When you make up a password, do not use something that anyone that knows you can easily guess. Make sure that it is a strong password, combined with numbers and words to ensure that your documents are fully protected.
Even if you are not a highly organized person, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that you do not lose your documents and that you always know where they are. Make sure to follow the tips discussed on this page to help you with this.
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