Tips & Resources Archives

Do I need a Home Inventory?

by Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Planning & Goals, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Do you have a disaster plan? Wondering if you really need a home inventory? Whether you have one started or have nothing at all read on to learn why you need a home inventory and how to protect your personal property.

Almost all of us need a home inventory, whether we are renting or own your homes or businesses. If you have insurance, you need an inventory to prove replacement value. Sadly, a lot of people think that because they have insurance they don’t need to worry about a home inventory. But unfortunately, that’s not true, having insurance doesn’t’ guarantee you will get replacement value for your property. There are so many irreplaceable things and all the little stuff really adds up. Having a home inventory will save you a huge potential headache, hours of time, or worse out of pocket expenses lost down the drain. When you’re trying to dig your way out of a disaster, that added stress is the last thing you need. When I became a professional organizer, I learned all about the different home inventory systems and tools available. I also helped clients with creating inventory systems both before and after disasters, mostly flooding, some theft. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to have to inventory your stuff after it’s been damaged or try to remember what’s missing! It’s not the insurance companies responsibility to take your word for all your personal belongings, and it’s not in their interest to help you with this. If you can’t prove you owned it (meaning tracking down receipts or charges, photo’s or other documentation) you may lose altogether.

What needs to be inventoried? The quick answer is everything! You are probably thinking this will take ages and depending on how much detail you want to include, it could be a significant undertaking but really not so bad if you take it step-by-step and room-by-room.

Without an inventory, you could end up with a mess on your hands and thousands of dollars in lost assets! Don’t get stuck sorting toilet plungers from kitchen utensils, holiday decor, and more. Document what you’ve got and what would need to be replaced.

I’ve worked extensively on creating inventory for insurance claims. Here’s what you need to know. Photos are your friends! Spreadsheets are super helpful and may prevent you from having to fill out additional information in the event of an insurance claim. But there are other systems out there that are super helpful and can do more for you than just a home inventory.

As the well known Sheryl Sandberg quote goes “Done is better than perfect.” So true in the case of an inventory! Just having photo’s is better than nothing!

A home inventory Checklist can help you to understand what information will be most valuable in the case of an insurance claim. Most insurance companies would like to have the following. The more info you can provide, the more accurate your claim and reimbursement will be. Remember, the more complicated your assets and estate, the more details you will need.

It may not be necessary to have all the information below. If you’re in a disaster situation and realize you don’t have anything, the short answer is to photograph every wall of every room, even opening cabinets, closets, and taking photos of contents by shelf. Take notes on contents to help jog your memory, noting location and a general description. Photograph anything specifically valuable in each room. These photos and notes will prove invaluable if you have to evacuate quickly and end up losing property.

Remember, “Done is better than perfect!” What follows is a more detailed guide of what your insurance company might request. Not having all of this does not mean you will not get reimbursed. The more you can provide, the quicker and more smoothly things will move along.

List items by room- This will help qualify content damage when structural damage has been done
Include a basic description
Make/model
Serial or ID number
Quantity
Assign value (replacement value will be paid based on current market value-ex. electronics that may have cost you $500 might be replaceable for $200 today)
Date purchased
Receipt if available
Reference photo’s

Home Zada is one of the most comprehensive home management tools out there and does everything from home maintenance reminders to home inventory. If you’re on the serious side of protecting your valuable assets, I can’t recommend a better way to manage it all in one place! This is a cloud-based option so you won’t lose it if you lose your computer!

Another great comprehensive but inexpensive system is Liberty Street Home Manage software (also cloud-based). It’s under $40 and allows you to enter all the important documentation and photo’s for all your assets (at multiple locations).

Several insurance companies have their own systems, so ask your insurance agent what they offer! It will probably be free and give them everything needed if you ever had to make a claim.

Home Contents is a UK Based app that makes home inventory a snap with your digital camera in-phone. And finally, in the app department, My Stuff has several free and paid options with great features for adding items to folders, tagging, etc for easier sorting and organizing.

If you prefer to stick with a spreadsheet-style inventory, just do a quick search for Home Inventory Checklist to find quite a few good options available for free. Most of these are templates that you can download and use on your computer/device.

Spreadsheet systems (I’ve used comprehensively with insurance agents to recover contents lost) can be clunky and it’s difficult to quickly see photos of items with their description. Another drawback is that unless you backup your computer or device, you run the risk of losing your inventory (photo’s and checklist) along with your contents in case of a disaster!

If a home inventory is something you want help setting up, let me know and I’d be glad to assist!

No matter what system you choose, I hope you will make a plan, schedule it on your calendar and start your home inventory today!

Essential College Organizing (for in-person & online learning)

by Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

This year, in particular, transitioning to or back to college might feel particularly overwhelming for both in-person and online classes. There is a lot that has changed over the past year but keeping organized is a strategy that will help improve study skills, lifestyle habits, and time management. These skills become more important the more we have at stake and college is a time where we are asked to juggle building new relationships, living independently or with new extended families, and building knowledge. Any of these on their own is a considerable undertaking, so approaching this transition should be undertaken with a good dose of strategy, support from people who care about you and want to see you succeed and a large heaping of self-care. If you’re feeling overwhelmed already, break it down into smaller manageable tasks and be mindful of your emotions! It’s a big change in the midst of an already crazy world, so don’t dismiss how you feel!

The intention of this post is to share some helpful strategies for getting and staying organized for both new and returning students. Some of you may have eagerly planned, shopped and packed over the summer and are settling in or getting ready to. There are still lots of folks preparing for the new school year, either in dorms or online. No matter where you are taking classes (in person, online), these Essential Organizing tips will help you get a handle on planning for and transitioning into this experience!

Productivity, Routines, and Schedules

By now you should probably have the school year calendar and have a target date for the start of classes and moving to campus. The following categories as they relate to routines and schedules can help make this a more mindful transition for life schedules and productivity.

Transportation-Will a car be available or will is it going to be transportation by bus or college shuttle? Is there a metro or other public transportation in their new city? Be sure to understand the best method of transportation and if cars are allowed on campus (not the case for many freshmen). Work out travel transportation arrangements ahead of time for upcoming school drop off, pick up and holidays (through the end of the year). This might include airfare so book ahead and know the rules and download any useful local apps for mass transit.
Planner or Calendar-Decide how to keep track of calendars so that everything needed is in one place, based on what works. Use either a digital or paper planner (there is a big trend to return to paper!) to keep track of important dates, orientation, move in, class schedule (and locations on campus), appointments, projects, finals, and holidays. Consider something like a whiteboard (in the dorm/room) to track schedules while adjusting to this new way of life. If possible, do this ahead of time before heading off to school where the tendency will be to get caught up in the excitement of new campus life! Planners are only helpful if they are with you so keep it where it’s needed (in a backpack or purse etc).
Activities, sports, and clubs (most will be transitioned to online or postponed this fall)-If your college planning to get involved in sports, clubs etc…get these activities booked on your master calendar along with the school schedule and decide on any necessary transportation. Cross-reference these activities with the school schedule and keep it all in one place. It’s great to get involved, but be sure there’s a sense of balance between schoolwork, activities, and “play” or free time to be with friends, socialize, relax, etc.
Productivity, routines, and study time– Think and Talk about to-do lists and schedule planning (daily, weekly, or monthly) to stay on top of important tasks, projects, classes, and dates. Consider what routines and systems have worked in the past and set up systems for successful and focused study time. This will be different from situation to situation but consistency is key, especially simple things like waking up at the same time daily, making your bed, weekly shopping & laundry, etc. When it comes to studying if you are easily distracted by other people being around, have a plan to seek out a quiet place on campus or at home (dorm or with family) that will enable successful focus. Create a few simple rules and rituals, like picking up daily (5 mins/day), keeping your desk clean, empty/repack your bag daily so you have what you need ready the next day. Have a plan for note-taking, setting up binders and folders by class (color code, etc), or other systems that have been successful. Find a routine for self-discipline, this means getting 6-8hrs of sleep a night, eating regularly, taking necessary medications, self-regulating screen time (games, apps, etc), and generally acting like an adult! All the freedom is fun but when things spiral out of control have a plan to get back on track. Most of us thrive with routines and it’s even more important in transitions to implement them for our own success:)

Supplies and Shopping

This is always a big part of school preparation. If you need to order equipment, uniforms, supplies, books, etc you may already be in the process of doing so. If your state (or the one the college is in) has a Tax Free Weekend (usually in August), plan accordingly so you can make major purchases over that weekend.

Supplies-Create a master list based upon all the supplies needed. “Shop” your house first, gathering anything on the list into one container (box or bag).
Budget-set a limit (realistic) on what you can and will spend so you don’t get sucked into extras.
Categorize-Break the shopping items into categories (see below). E.X. categories might include books, school/desk supplies, clothing, dorm room, meals, electronics, etc.
Shopping-Do a little preliminary research online and either make the purchases online or decide where you will go for what.

A-Z Dorm Essentials for Cleaning and Organizing

These are great resources to have on hand and will be helpful for a variety of uses in the dorm. I’ve created an Amazon Shopping list with suggested items here.

Backpack or bag
Bedside Caddy
Bed Risers (optional)
Hooks (a variety of sizes & types including command & over the door)
Hangers (check to see if you need to bring them but probably!)
Labels (a label maker or write on labels)
Laundry supplies (basket/bag, detergent)
Over the door or under bed shoe organizer
Overnight bag
Permanent markers
Poster Putty for hanging decorative things on the walls
Power Strip-surge protector
Small rolling Cart (with shelves or drawers)
Shelf &/or drawer dividers/organizers (assorted sizes)
Toiletry or shower caddy
Trash & recycling bins/bags (so many people don’t have them!)
Under-bed storage bins (will fit with bed risers-wait if you don’t know)
Zip bags in assorted sizes
Zip ties (assorted sizes for cables, hanging items, etc)

ABC’s of Dorm Packing Essentials

There are a ton of great resources and lists over on Pinterest, so I won’t recreate them but here are general packing categories. It’s best to wait on things like a mini-fridge, microwave, dishes (other than a cup/mug, plate and one set of silverware), Iron/Board (unless fashion is your thing!), vacuum (maybe a dustbuster and mini broom), TV and Printer. These are all things that others or the school will have. Besides, you might not need it at all or you can get them later.

Bathroom-Toiletries
Cleaning Supplies (lots of extra or a plan to get more as needed)
Clothing
Cooking & Dining Supplies
Desk Supplies
Dorm Room
Food
First Aid Kit
Electronics
Furniture & Decorations
Medications (Supplements, cold & Rx)
Personal Items
School Supplies
Sports Equipment

This is a lot of info in one place! I hope these Off to College Essential Organizing Tips will help prepare for schedule and lifestyle changes, supplies, and shopping, and finally packing before this next adventure begins!

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Don’t PANIC-PREPARE for natural disasters

by Filed Under: Emergency Preparedness, Organize, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

No matter where you live, it’s practically impossible to ignore and vital to prepare for natural disasters! With the change in our climate, especially for those of us who live along the coastlines, it pays to get organized, ‘Just in Case’ there’s a natural disaster!

On cue for Hurricane season, it’s time to Prepare for natural disasters.

Do you have a plan in place, know your evacuation route, have supplies ready?

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Apps with a focus on Personal and Business Productivity

by Filed Under: Digital Organizing, Organize, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

People often ask me what productivity Apps I use and recommend. It’s been a while since I’ve included a roundup on the blog so as requested, here are some useful Apps with a focus on Personal and Business Productivity.

Apps with a Focus on Personal and Business Productivity

Asana
Created by Facebook co-founder, Dustin Moskovits, and fellow Facebook associate Justin Rosenstein, Asana allows teams to track their work through project and task assignments that have the ability to feature notes, comments, attachments, and tags without having to use personal email to communicate. Instead, when changes are made to projects by team members, a message is sent to the project manager’s inbox through Asana’s internal messaging system.

Basecamp
Since its inception in 2004, Basecamp has seen two new product launches in 2012 and 2015 of Basecamp 2 and Basecamp 3, respectively. This platform stores and organizes your work in one place through the use of team message boards and comment threads, real-time chat, automatic check-ins, to-do lists, document and file storage, a centralized schedule, reports, and a very handy search feature for digging up old docs.

*Evernote
This multiplatform app comes in free or upgraded paid version. Evernote is best for note-taking, organizing, and archiving. Users create “notes” which can come in the form of formatted text, a webpage or excerpt, photograph, voice memo, or even a handwritten “ink” note. Notes can also includes attachments; be annotated, tagged, edited, commented on, or searched; and are exported as a page in a notebook.

*Goodreads
For the bookworm in all of us. Goodreads is an Amazon company through which “social cataloging” allows users to search and save books and reading lists. The platform is heavily driven by the use of its members who can create group book suggestions, blogs, polls, and discussion threads; generate library catalogs, and search through the Goodreads ever-growing database of books and reviews.

*Google Drive
Whether you are using it for business or personal purposes, Google Drive is a great option for accessible, user-friendly cloud storage. Google Drive features Google Sheets, Docs, Powerpoints, and a variety of templates that can be stored and edited by those they are shared with. Alternatively, users can upload their own files and images to the drive. One of selling points of Google Drive is that it is relatively low-maintenance and can be customized to meet the unique needs of each user through a variety of add-ons that can be downloaded from the Google App store.

*Our Groceries
Few things are more frustrating than arriving at the grocery store only to realize you have forgotten the grocery list on the kitchen counter. Our Groceries is a free mobile app that will save you this grief by saving your grocery list to your smart phone or web browser. Features include a drag-and-drop component to allow you to move items on your list based on the layout of your grocery store, a tap function to delete list items, and optional categories to organize your list into aisles or food types.

LastPass
Internet security is a growing concern these days especially when every platform we use requires a login and password access. LastPass is a secure platform that uses a master password that only the user, not even LastPass, has access to in order to safely store their passwords. Additional features include cross-browser synchronization, secure password generation, password encryption, form filling, importing/exporting of passwords, portable access, fingerprint identification, and credit monitoring.

*Ovuview.
This app is great for all women whether you have a pesky period or are trying to conceive or simply want to track your menstrual cycle. Ovuview uses features like cycle statistics, tracking and reporting of temperature and symptoms, calendars, fertility awareness methods, and more to help women maximize chances of pregnancy, avoid pregnancy, track weight gain, headaches, and other PMS-related symptoms, and conveniently chart their cycle on their phones.

Prezi
Prezi is a cloud-based service that allows users to create professional level presentations with great ease. Unlike Powerpoint, Prezi utilizes a single canvas that can be zoomed in and out on to a single group of text or images making for a very dynamic presentation. The freeform design also allows Prezi to be used effectively as a collaborative whiteboard, great for teamwork in the office or with clients.

RescueTimeBecause we have all fallen into the great abyss that is Facebook or Wikipedia or Buzzfeed. RescueTime monitors and tracks how you use your time on the internet. Reports are then generated that allow you to see just how productive, or not, you are being. For a slightly pricey premium upgrade, RescueTime will also track phone calls, breaks, meetings and even send you notification reminding users to get back on track.

Slack
The name is more than just ironic. Slack is actually an acronym that stands for Searchable Log of All Converstaion and Knowledge. The cloud-based software allows for highly effective team collaboration through features like topic-centered conversation, private and direct messaging, task and project management, file storage and sharing, and a search feature. Additionally Slack also conveniently integrates with other platforms including Dropbox, Google Drive, Trello, and and GitHub to name a few.

Stayfocusd
Whether it’s flashy ads or Facebook notifications, the internet often feels like it built as one huge distraction. Stayfocusd was designed to help users do just that – stay focused. The app has highly customizable features that block time-wasting websites, impose time limits on certain sites, and set times of day or days of the week to allow for a a quick web surfing indulgence or two.

*SwiftKey (Android)
For Android users, SwiftKey swaps out your traditional keyboard for a smarter, more user-friendly keyboard. This multilingual app allows your fingers to glide over the board and tracks your conversational habits to better predict what you are going to type. If you choose to, upon installation you can give SwiftKey access to your social media accounts to even better understand your typing behavior.

To-Do’ist
To-Do’ist is much more than an app to stores lists. The app is functional across multiple platforms, devices, inboxes, and browsers and includes a number of features that allow users to share lists, collaborate on lists, set notifications and reminders, make comments, form sub-tasks and sub-projects, give priority to certain tasks and lists, and organize with labels and filters. On top of it all, To-Do’ist also tracks your activity and produces visual reports to help you gage how most effectively manage your tasks.

Trello
Trello is a web-based project management tool that can be used on both a professional and personal capacity. Boards represent projects which contain task lists. Within each list are cards that, using the drag-and-drop method, can be passed from list to list or reassigned to different users. This system is meant to mirror the flow of projects from idea to implementation.

*Unroll.Me
Whether you signed up for them on purpose or not, subscription emails and newsletters have a tendency to muck up our inboxes and distract us from the more meaningful messages that should take priority. Unroll.Me solves this issue by consolidating your subscription services into a manageable summary. This way instead of receiving 20+ newsletters a day users of Unroll.Me get one much more digestible email.

Microsoft To-Do, (formerly Wunderlist see alternatives here)
Similar to To-Do’ist, take task management and personal productivity to a new level. Features include sorting lists into folders, list-sharing and collaborating, synchronization across multiple devices and with Microsoft Office, notes and comments, reminder and due date notifications, mail and print functions, and an add-to feature that can turn things you run across on the web into actionable items.

*Items I personally use-please note which apps are available for (Android, iOS).

Do you use any of these Apps? If so I’d love to hear what you think and if there are others I’ve missed, please include them in the comments below. Happy Apping!

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Successful paper sorting

by Filed Under: Organize, Paper management, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

A couple weeks ago, we identified three steps to get paper piles under control, this week we will create a simple paper sorting system! If you missed that post, please go back and spend about 30 min’s preparing for these next steps. To recap, we start by identifying what overwhelms us about paper piles and how or why things are so out of control. This is a mental step but feel free to journal about it if that helps! Next, we list the categories of files and papers we need to keep. Finally we create a working space or staging area where we can spread out with our supplies gathered.

Many people suggest the first step to paper sorting is to gather all your papers in one place. I don’t start with this because I believe before we dive into paper sorting, we need to identify how we got here and where we want to be! I’ve written about setting intentions in several past posts. This step can be easy to overlook and seem like it’s unimportant, but it can make all the difference in creating lasting change.

[bctt tweet=”Setting our intention is a valuable part of creating successful and lasting change. ” username=”hkpowerstudio”]

Now, we are ready to gather all our papers to our working area. If you have a lot of papers in an existing office, it might make sense to start in that area. Gather everything to a table or desk where you can go through your stacks (or files or bags) and begin paper sorting into categories. In a prior post, I go through several kinds of filing systems, including the Tickler, binders and color coding. Before you commit to one filing system, take a look at some alternatives. This paper sorting process will work for any type of filing system!

*A quick note about shredding and sensitive papers. If you have a lot of papers to process at once, hold off on shredding and put papers to be shredded into a LABELED bag or box. If a piece of paper only has your name and address, you might want one of these great ID Blocker stamps so you can mark out your info and recycle.

With all your supplies and your staging area set up, let’s begin paper sorting!

Gathering papers is like a treasure hunt, you probably have papers hanging around over the place. Don’t forget to look in the kitchen, bedroom (nightstand drawers or surfaces), dining room, office or den and your car!
With your list of categories nearby, put each of your categories on a sticky note. If you come across a category you don’t have, just add another sticky note! We will review later. Don’t forget an “Action or To-Do” category and a “Delegate or refer to someone else” category. Common filing mistakes I see are overly complicated or very vague systems. See this post to review your categories.
Pick up your first stack and begin to sort into recycle, shred or one of your categories. If you have a lot of categories it can help to set up hanging folders in an empty box or file drawer. I prefer to start with a blank slate and work through old systems and stacks, sorting into the newly created system.

Continue the paper sorting process for a set amount of time, taking breaks every 30-60 min’s. If you’re unsure about items, set them into an “undecided” area to look back through later. Though I can’t advise on what specific papers you will need to keep, a helpful retention guide is available on the IRS website. For anything related to taxes and finances, you may also want to check with your accountant.

Going digital might be a consideration for information you can access online. If you’re not comfortable but want to try it out, pick one category like “Utilities” and begin to convert each account to paperless and see how that goes! If you like it, consider other categories such as banking, investments and insurance.

Once your through the paper piles, that’s it! The only thing left to do is label your final categories and make sure your files are in the drawers, binders or the file box you want to keep them in. There are some downright gorgeous file cabinets in a variety of styles, check out my previous round up here. Now that you have an awesome system in place, maintain it daily or weekly so you don’t end up with a backload of piles ever again!