Grab-n-Go Binder

A Prepping Essential: The Grab-n-Go Binder
http://thesurvivalmom.com/2009/06/07/a-prepping-essential-the-grab-n-go-binder/

In panic situations, which happen around my house quite often, actually, people lose their wits. The extra adrenaline produced by the human body during times of intense stress, causes confusion and can even cause some of the same symptoms as a heart attack.

Can you imagine the level of adrenaline in your body if you suddenly got news of a dangerous chemical spill in your area or that a wildfire had taken an abrupt turn toward your neighborhood?  Officials tell you to evacuate now.  Besides the kids, what do you pack up first?

A Grab-and-Go Binder is a vital part of any family preparedness plan, and is one of the first things you should put together. ---CONTINUED at  LINK---

Rather than a grab-and-go-binder, we have an important papers bag. Actually, we have three bags. 2 bags are soft sided briefcases. One contains all the important papers - copies of IDs, WHO cards, deeds, titles, insurance, and a few sentimental paper items, etc. The other contains all the tax documents. The last bag is a sectioned backpack, it has all the warranties for all the appliances, and electronic items. These bags are positioned in the hallway closet by the door, so we can grab and go. Warranties have receipts/dates bought so if items need replaced, we know their age.

Documents to Keep On Hand During An Emergency
https://www.thereadystore.com/emergency-supplies/17382/documents-to-keep-on-hand-during-an-emergency/

  Part of being prepared for emergency situations is having everything ready to put your life back together, should something happen. You have insurance, food, water, and financial savings. However, to rebuild your life once the emergency is over, you need to have other measures in place.

A collection of important documents is one of the most important parts of your emergency preparedness plan. These documents need to be compiled together in a binder or portable file system and kept in a safe place, preferably locked in a safe that is inaccessible to the outside world. You and 1-2 trusted individuals should be the only people who can access them. (If you don't have somebody you trust, put the information in your will or trust, held by your attorney.) These documents should also be in at least 2 places- your personal safe and inside a bank vault or other trusted institution. Wherever you store these, make sure you can access them in an emergency.   ---CONTINUED at LINK ... with list---

When my kids started leaving home to build their own lives, I gave them a binder with all their own important documentation.

Birth certificate - 2 certified copies
Social Security card copies (they had the original)
World Health Organization vaccination cards
Doctor and dentist contacts (records could be transferred as they moved away)
Passport & copy
Car title & copy
Car insurance & copy
Credit card info (we had a joint card, paid it off, took our name off, and made the kid the single owner)
Bank information (joint accounts to single owner)
List of their possessions for insurance purposes
Manuals and warranties for all their electronics
Professionally framed copies of their college diplomas & important certifications
List of updated family addresses and birthdays

I also kept one certified copy of their birth certificates, all their old passports and a copy of their driver's licenses. This came in handy on more than one occasion when they "lost" their info as they learned to deal with their own paperwork.

Cinnamon wrote:When my kids started leaving home to build their own lives, I gave them a binder with all their own important documentation.

That's my plan too! I started a binder (at our daughter's request) for her already. She's getting married in May, so I set up all the dividers/categories, gave her the file for the main page that will list everything and she has already started to add pages as they buy their 1st house, get insurance, etc.

Another thing I did which is still somewhat controversial depending upon whom you speak with...

I automated as many payments as I could - via credit card. Utilities such as landline phone, cell phone, electricity, and internet are paid by credit card. Husband's Express Scripts medications are also paid automatically via credit card. I then pay it off each month. I also went "paperless" on all of these items. I get an email reminder each month from all of them, and I print what I need off for tax purposes as I have a part-time work-at-home job and I get a tax break for the utilities part.

The reason I automated to credit card is because sometimes money could be taken from the primary bank account too early or too late (weekends and holidays affect pay). This could result in a shortfall. So rather than deal with overdraft and penalty fees, I used the credit card.

Also, in a bank account dispute, it may take up to 3 days to get the finances worked out/money returned to the account.

With a credit card, after notification, the CC company works out the monetary issues, without penalty.

** Just be sure to pay off the CC each month. ***

I also went paperless on a lot of other notifications such as insurance updates, Medicare information, medical insurance information, clinic visits, and so on. If I need the info, I can go to specific websites and print it off.

This means we only get mail about 3 days a week, mostly the "junk" mail - free advertisements and the local penny saver paper.

This makes the paper tiger so much easier to manage as far as I am concerned. That said, there are many people who prefer to pay bills and do their banking in person. Nothing wrong with that, either.

I, like Cin, gave all the kids their paper work to them when they flew the coop and settled down on their own. I did keep 2 copies of all their paperwork and one is in my gun safe and the other copy is in our safety deposit box.

As far as our paperwork, birth certificates, marriage licence, 7 years of tax returns, deeds, vehicle titles, etc., they are in a safety deposit box at the bank and copies of them are in another gun safe.

We also have powers of attorney, living wills, copies of these were given to all the kids. We gave the doctors that we do see a copy of our living will and a copy of the the power of attorney to the banks that we deal with, we also keep a copy of our living wills in the glove box of each vehicle.

Oh, that's a good idea to keep the living will in the glove box! I'll have to set that one up.

I do need to make copies of everything and put it in the safe deposit box. I have originals and copies at the house, but none are in the box at the bank. Need to see to that.

Emergency Notebooks
(new link) http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/emergency-notebooks/

I'm putting together a couple of notebooks (might turn into more). The first is a Grab and Go Emergency notebook with copies of important documents in it. I'm thinking to make a second copy and leave it at my mom's house or something so if my house burns to the ground while I'm away, I still have access to my information. Here's a long ol' list I got from a preparedness fair of what to put in it (most of these I don't even have, so they aren't going in mine, but I guess as you get older you get more of this stuff):

Includes:

Proof of Identification
Property Records
Insurance Policies
Medical Information
Estate Planning
Financial Records
Other

Disaster Preparedness Binder
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/preps/disaster-preparedness-binder/

  Evacuate- Are you ready?

The knock comes at your front door. A fireman tells you that you have 20 minutes to evacuate. The wild fire has been burning for several hours now and is headed your way. Panic sets in. What should you take with you? What should you do next?

A disaster preparedness binder will help! ---CONTINUED---

Build your Grab and Go Binder
https://apartmentprepper.com/build-your-grab-and-go-binder/

  What would you grab first if there were an evacuation? Your important and hard to replace documents would likely be on the list. If you haven’t done is already, now is a good time to build your “grab and go binder.” ---CONTINUED---

5 Important Documents Every Prepper Should Have
https://urbansurvivalsite.com/important-documents-every-prepper-should-have/

  (SNIP) ... While the exact documents each prepping family may need may vary, there are multiple common types of information and papers that truly need to be preserved. During or after an SHTF, you may need to prove your identity or prove that your children actually belong to you.

Any type of document, address book, map, mortgage, insurance, and banking information you may need during and after a disaster should  be copied and kept in a manner that protects it from fire and the elements.    ---CONTINUED---

Lots of good info - I'm in the process of updating some things in my 3 briefcases/backpacks. Husband's medical issues are chronic now, so need to have info on hand.

(This site includes pages to download & print for your binder)

What Should Be In A Family Emergency Binder?
https://momwithaprep.com/make-a-family-emergency-binders-free-download/


  Creating a Family Emergency Binder or a Grab and Go binder will help ensure that your entire family is ready for emergencies. So, just like that, with a little advanced planning, you won’t ever have to worry about being without the important information you and your family might need in an emergency.

(SNIP) ... With this guide, it will be easier to prepare. ---CONTINUED---

Had to renew my passport. I took my own picture against a white background for it. Just make sure if you do this you follow the guidelines (they're online). They also offer, for a small fee, a passport card that fits in your wallet. Apparently, at some country entry points you hold the card up to a scanner and it scans you through.

Old passport goes into the home files, new passport goes into the safe deposit box until needed.