I recently had a “speed limit birthday” as one friend called it: a birthday ending in a 5 or a 0. Yes I turned 60 and at this age I guess it is natural to start pondering my own mortality. Add to that the fact that I’ve lost over 12 friends and acquaintances - most unexpectedly - over the past two years. In each case I’ve thought about how the family dealt with not just the grieving process, but also how they handled all the minutiae of one’s life from contact information, disbursement of possessions, and to settling the estate. What if your expiration date arrived suddenly? How would friends or family members locate important information such as how to contact others? What you wanted done with possessions - INCLUDING YOUR GENEALOGY RESEARCH? What type of memorial service or funeral including burial instructions? Would someone have to scour all your papers, check a safety deposit box, or just “ask around”? Wouldn’t it be easier if you had already prepared what was needed to make the transition easier? So I purchased the In Case I Go Missing Binder by Savor at Cheesemolecule and I have to say that this book made the process so much easier and really put my mind at ease. I know, I know … the frugal part of me said “Thomas, just get a binder and some sheet protectors and start putting stuff together”. However, the In Case I Go Missing system gave me structure and ideas as to what I wanted to include. Labels, Pockets, and More While unboxing the binder, I could immediately see a product that anticipated a variety of needs depending upon the person compiling their “stuff.” And while there weren’t instructions per se, this card indicates what can be accomplished by customizing the If I Go Missing binder:The binder I selected has 10 different envelopes of different sizes and a list of labels I can affix to each envelope. Once I decided what I wanted to preserve and put the labels on the envelopes, then I filled out the Table of Contents at the front of the binder by hand. So How Did I Customize My “In Case I Go Missing” Binder? Here’s what I decided to include, keeping in mind that I selected items that would most help my family members handle my estate:Legal: All legal files including lawsuits and bankruptcies to which I’ve been a party. Also includes domestic partnership and marriage license/certificates. Estate Plans: Estate planning documents including health care directive, funeral plans, etc.Medical: A list of current medications, current health insurance, past surgeries and medical procedures, doctor contact information, etc.Passwords: I maintain a password protected spreadsheet listing website names, URLs, login, password, and notes. I also include the access code for my iPhone and for the spreadsheet file itself. I print this out and place it in the envelope. I also print out an updated list each quarter. Birth Certificate: My certified birth certificate as well as photo copies. Taxes: A copy of my recent tax returns, both federal and state. Passports: My current passport as well as expired passports. Appraisals: Written appraisals for jewelry and other heirlooms of value. In addition, I opted to leave envelopes #7 and #8 blank for now and I can decide at a later date the contents of those envelopes. The Like ListI can’t tell you how much I LOVE the In Case I Go Missing binder. It is well constructed, it has a discreet profile, and it is functional. I love that I can customize the binder for my own needs and the extensive list of labels provided proves that Cheesemolecule put a lot of thought into what their customers might want. This is a STURDY BINDER and it is actually quite heavy. And by “discreet” I mean that when it is sitting on a shelf, no one would know what it contains … It looks like a book! Tip: I opted to use an erasable pen when filling in the table of contents rather than a pencil. I first did a test in a discreet area to make sure I could erase the writing and this, again, gives me more flexibility in customizing the binder. The Dislike ListIf I could change one thing about the In Case I Go Missing Binder it would be this: allow me to remove sections and move them around or remove them all together. I realize this might involve adding a three-ring construction, but there are times when I might want more flexibility. Conclusion: The In Case I Go Missing Binder is the “kick” I needed to finally get my affairs in order! There are certain projects that are so important that we tend to “kick the can down the road” and put them off until it is too late. I know that if I tried to go the DIY route and create my own binder, it would have taken much longer to finish putting my affairs in order and I probably would have left it unfinished. The In Case I Go Missing Binder by Savor was really what I needed to finally get this proj

After plunging into the process of "doing something" with 10+ years of files and paperwork that had been accumulating in various storage boxes and folders; I decided to try a different organizing system - one not relying solely upon the traditional hanging file folder and filing drawer system. I spent two weeks shredding, recycling, sorting, and categorizing by file types before finally capturing all of my important health, financial and tax, paperwork into these folios. They are sturdy, smart, convenient, and look impressive on a shelf. Having everything gathered into an adaptable and easily portable system (that also doesn't create a cluttered look with plastic expanding file folders), has been a game changer! These are *pricey* compared to conventional methods, but I've felt that they are worth the cost for longevity, aesthetics, space-saving, and usefulness. I now have about 4 folios (Health and Medical, Financial/Tax, Career, and one for Dad), along with 2 Vaults for College and home, and another coming for Family Tree and photos. Have a plan in mind for what documents are most important and then figure out how many of these you need!

I was really looking forward to using the product to keep things organized. I started to put things in it. A couple of gift cards in the first pocket, a couple of cards in the next, instructions on the 3rd pocket. It's in exactly the condition I expected.

I LOVE it and it keeps all my important documents in one place. I 100% would recommend for both product quality and customer service. Great team!