Let’s talk about your stuff today! Yes, stuff! Your things, possessions, personal property – everything you accumulate over time. How important are things to you?
The past few months have been a wake-up call for many of us. Watching cities and communities in the Carolinas, Florida, Tennessee, and California wiped out is overwhelming. A place to call home with everything inside destroyed got me thinking about the stuff and how our possessions are an extension of us.
Image by Homegrounds from Pixabay
Stuff is More than Stuff
Research shows that we have strong emotional and psychological attachments to material things. Objects offer reliability, control, comfort, and emotional substitutes for memories. As infants and children, we may use objects as substitutes for our mothers’ presence, like a security blanket, pacifier, or, a favorite toy. Our belongings are our personal time machines.
A paper published by the Association of Consumer Research indicates that material items can help us construct and preserve our sense of the past. Certain things mark life experiences and can serve as a bridge to the past or stepping stones into the future.
Keeping Track
How do you keep track of everything you possess? When was the last time you completed a home inventory? Or better yet, have you ever conducted a home inventory?
How does one document possessions owned? Some prefer written inventories, while others prefer to video. Whatever method comes easier for you is the best method for you. The key is to go room by room reviewing what is in plain sight, along with what is in a closed drawer, cupboard, pantry, file, or closet. Categorize what you have if you prefer documenting in writing.
Every year, I take my phone, turn on video, and start recording room by room while narrating what I see. It’s important to describe what’s what. I open drawers, closets, and cabinets and make sure to include what’s on the walls.
There are various ways to store your recording safely and share it with your trusted helpers. If you have original receipts for your items, even better! If you opt to declutter, update your video, and make sure to either photograph or video what you’ve decluttered – it may be possible to donate and claim a tax deduction!
Check your possessions for anything you have covered by insurance, It’s easy to overlook what’s in your garage, in outside storage areas, RVs, ATMs, boats, and other recreational vehicles. Take a video and narrate when these items were purchased or rented.
Documenting details is often required by insurance. Establish a time frame for this project to be completed and remind yourself why you are doing this in the 1st place to help you get started.
Speaking of Insurance …
Watching natural disasters is a reminder of the role insurance plays when you need to rebuild/start over. The Office of Financial Readiness has created a Fact Sheet: Understanding Home and Rental Insurance. To access it, here is the LINK to the PDF.
It’s important to know what your policy includes and what it excludes. Read your policy (home, condo, rental) every year. Check to see if your policy includes Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Replacement Cash Value (RCV). It’s enlightening that ACV is the depreciated value (loss of value based on age) and RCV is the amount to fix or replace your home/items.
Adulting Lasts a Lifetime
Some days this “adulting stuff” can all seem like too much. The details, changes, and understanding of life details of what’s needed, and what’s not is a lot to take in.
Count me in, should you want to discuss your situation. Send me an Email or Message if you have any questions. For additional information about my work check out @ The Living Planner or @ The Living Planner.
If you’re up for planning your life’s administrative side, my book is a resource.. The Living Planner What to Prepare Now While You Are Living © Check it out HERE.
Quote for the week, “The best way out is always through.” — Robert Frost
We’re in this together❣️ Lynn
#PlanfortheUnplanned #Can’tPredictCanPrepare