Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

In organizing the mounds of paperwork you have accumulated over the years, you may need to take a break. This process is a marathon. There are numerous categories, with lots of detail, and being thorough will pay off for years to come.

When I initially worked on organizing our documents, I concentrated on each topic a little at a time. Taking breaks and working on other projects helped to distract me from the enormous task before me. By plugging away, I was able to complete the organization and have saved myself money, energy, and time. I know what I have, where it is located, and can access it quickly. Keep plugging away and take breaks when you need it.

In organizing my accordion file, the fourth file slot houses the second category of Important Personal Documents. In this category, I have our birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and passports. Paul and I have passports, but we have not obtained them for our children.

I have Paul’s passport and copies of the last page paper clipped together. I then have my passport and copies of the last page paper clipped together. Then both sets are paper clipped and housed behind the copies of our driver’s licenses.

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Paul and I obtained our passports before our cruise to Bermuda. We printed and filled out the Passport Application Form, located our birth certificates, and purchased our passport photos at Rite Aid during a sale. We placed these documents in a secure envelope with our payments and mailed them.

We received our accurate passports two days before departure. When we renew these passports, I will be sure to start a minimum of 2 months prior to the date needed. Coming down to the last few days was worrisome to me. I also did not want our passports with our birth certificates sitting in our mailbox or at the post office while we were away.

I felt so relieved when the paperwork arrived. Once I had verified that all the information was correct, we made copies of the last pages of each of our passports. We gave Paul’s parents copies in the event that we lost our passports in Bermuda. We could contact them for our passport numbers which would prove our identity and hopefully, allow us to return home. Thankfully, we did not lose our passports, but we prepared for the worst case scenario.

Our passports are due to expire next year, so I will need to review the renewal process. The process has changed since we first acquired our passports.

I will be visiting the U.S. Postal Service site. The process is explained, and the cost and payment types accepted by the Postal Service and the State Department are listed in a parallel format. If more detailed information is needed, I will search the State Department’s web site. If pictures will be needed, then I will follow these instructions for creating my own passport photographs.

When the new documents arrive, I will verify their accuracy, and then file them in this second category of Important Personal Documents in the fourth file pocket in Box 1 of 3 of my important documents. Next week, I will continue to share another item in this same file slot. In the meantime, take a break if you need it. Your documents will still be around when you return from your time away.