This story originally appeared on SpareFoot, but I’m re-sharing and paring down the list to 3 key products that will help you mind the important stuff (documents, accounts, and assets) better. Visit this link to read the complete list.
Getting organized can be a bore and a chore, but various innovations are helping take some of the drudgery out of getting the important things organized.
1. MemoryBanc
MemoryBanc, a system that comes in written or electronic formats, lets someone collect and manage usernames; passcodes; and financial, medical, household and personal documents.
“Adults are creating written roadmaps to their documents, accounts and assets. Many are concerned about sharing key personal information in the cloud or a cloud-based solution and are using traditional pen and paper instead,” said Kay Bransford, president and chief curator of MemoryBanc.
2. Doorstep Digital
As the name implies, Doorstep Digital brings digital archiving to your door. In nine U.S. cities, digital archivists will come to your home to preserve photos, slides, negatives, documents and artwork. Company executives say this does away with the risk of priceless items being damaged or lost when they’re archived outside your home.
So far, the service is available in Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, TX; Baton Rouge and New Orleans, LA; Chicago, IL; Denver, CO; and Seattle, WA.
After my father passed away, I used a photo scanning service to digitize selected photographs of his life that we used at his memorial service and that I could share with my siblings. I now have a digital archive of our most treasured family photographs.
3. Fujitsu Scansnap
Fujitsu Scansnap scanners reduce paper clutter by allowing you to scan and store an array of documents. Turner said such scanners are becoming more affordable.
“I’m not sure I would say that 2015 will be a breakthrough year, but I definitely see desktop scanners being fairly typical by 2020,” she said.
I have been managing my parent’s financial, personal and medical lives for over 3 years. This is the one tool that has helped me stay organized while not being overloaded with paper. Be careful – it’s addictive!