Are you ready for the unexpected? Emergencies can happen at any time, and it’s essential to be prepared. One effective way to ensure readiness is by having a comprehensive emergency binder. This DIY Emergency Binder is a collection of important documents and information that are organized and easily accessible in case of an emergency. This includes personal identification, insurance information, financial documents, and emergency contact information.
Unfortunately, many people may not be aware of where their important documents are located or may not have them easily accessible. This can quickly exacerbate an already difficult situation in an emergency. To prevent this, creating an emergency binder is crucial for your household. It is a simple step that can make a big difference in the event of an emergency.
I understand organizing all this information can seem overwhelming, but I have done the hard work for you. My DIY Emergency Binder includes pre-made templates and a comprehensive guide on how to organize and assemble your own emergency binder quickly and efficiently. With this complete guide, you can have a comprehensive emergency binder ready in no time.
Why do you need an Emergency binder?
Organization is something I’ve always enjoyed doing and I’m good at. But I always tended to venture towards organizing my spice cabinet, kitchen cupboards, playroom, and household things along those lines. The one area I always found an excuse not to tackle, was the paper mess that was in our office.
However, the unexpected loss of my mother-in-law nine months ago changed my mentality of “It can wait.” Her passing was a difficult experience that was made even harder by the task of sorting out her assets and organizing her entire life. All the while we were still trying to process her death. We struggled to find important information such as account numbers, passwords, bills, credit cards, tax information, and more.
It was one of the toughest years of our lives, and I can’t help but think how much easier it would have been if all that important information had been in one place and easily accessible. This would have allowed us the time to grieve her passing instead of constantly chasing information and working with lawyers and judges to gain access.
Creating a DIY Emergency Binder may not seem like an urgent task, but the unexpectedness of life makes it a necessary one. After a personal wake-up call, I realized that I couldn’t keep putting off organizing important information and documents. You may think “I’ll get to this someday” or “I won’t ever need this,” but consider this. Would you rather be prepared and not need it? Or hope that nothing ever happens, only to find yourself wishing you had taken the time to organize your essential life information with a DIY Emergency Binder? It’s better to be prepared for any eventuality, rather than regretting not being organized in an emergency situation.
Will you choose to be prepared for the unexpected?
Life can be unpredictable and we can’t always control what happens around us. But we can control whether we are prepared for it. Having a DIY Emergency Binder can help ease the burden in difficult situations such as dealing with the loss of a loved one, facing a fire or natural disaster, or needing access to important documents for a loan or passport.
It’s natural to avoid thinking about worst-case scenarios. However, it’s crucial to plan for them to make the transition easier in case they happen. A DIY Emergency Binder is a simple yet effective solution that can help you organize and keep all your important documents and information in one place. By creating your own emergency binder, you can have quick and easy access to everything you could ever need. This DIY Emergency Binder guide makes it easy for you to assemble and organize your own binder efficiently. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Take the initiative to prepare for the unexpected now and have peace of mind knowing that you are ready for anything.
DIY Emergency Binder Design
This DIY Emergency Binder is a comprehensive solution for staying organized and prepared for unexpected events. The kit includes two binders: one for personal information and one for important documents.
The primary binder, the Emergency Binder, contains over 100+ pages that guide you through the process of filling out vital information about yourself and your life. Divided into eight sections, each covers an important area of your life. Combined, this binder is your lifeline, containing everything you might need in case of an emergency, such as a death, fire, or natural disaster. Therefore, it’s important to keep this binder in a secure location, such as a fireproof safe, to ensure that the information is readily available when needed.
The second binder is your Important Documents binder. It serves as a single place to store all your important documents, such as passports, social security cards, copies of your driver’s license, birth certificates, car titles, deeds, and more. Then, using sheet protectors, you can easily store and access your documents.
I’ve been using this binder system for years, and it has come in handy more times than I can count. Whenever we need to apply for something, whether it’s a green card, passport, or a loan, this binder contains everything we need. It makes the process simple and stress-free. After we finish, the binder is stored in a safe alongside the Emergency Binder. I’ve created a system that is easy to set up and even easier to use. Take a look at our DIY Emergency Binder kit today and be prepared for anything.
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What you need
- A printed copy of this DIY Emergency Binder
- 4×6 mixed format heavyweight photo protector pages
- business card sheet protector pages
- heavyweight sheet protector pages
- plastic binder dividers with pockets
- two- 1-2″ binders (size needed depends on the number of pages you print/number of documents you have
How to make a DIY Emergency Binder (Binder #1)
This DIY Emergency Binder is not only an effective solution for being prepared for unexpected events, but it’s also easy to assemble. It may take some time to gather all the necessary information and documents, but the end result is well worth the effort. Imagine never having to frantically search through your file cabinet for a single document again. With this organization project, all your important information and documents will be at your fingertips, making it easy to access. This is an opportunity for you to take control of your life and be prepared for anything. Don’t wait any longer, create your own Emergency Binders today.
Step 1: Print out PDF Files of the Emergency Binder
To access and print your DIY Emergency Binder kit, please click on the provided link. The digital download includes over 100+ pages of comprehensive information and templates to help you organize and assemble your own emergency binder. The binder includes important and pertinent information that you may need in case of an emergency. Be sure to have a printer ready to print out all the pages and assemble the binder or take it to a location such as Staples to print. In the end, you’ll have a complete and thorough binder that will help you stay prepared for any eventuality.
This PDF will contain 8 different color-coded sections:
- Family Information
- Medical Information
- Financial Information
- Household Information
- Online Information
- Assets Information
- Final Preparations
- Important Documents
Step 2: Print out additional pages
After downloading and printing the PDF file, you will have one set of pages for each section. In case you need additional pages, such as adding more profiles for adults or children in your family, you can easily go back to the download link and print out the necessary number of pages. This will ensure that the binder is tailored to the specific needs and size of your family.
Step 3: Purchase sheet protectors
The PDF document is designed with spacing to be hole-punched for use in a binder if you prefer. However, I highly recommend using sheet protectors instead. They not only protect the pages from ripping or damage, but they also make it easy to make adjustments to your binder. Then you can easily print out additional pages or rearrange the order without any issues. Finally, they allow you to have a front and back view instead of one side, which makes it much easier to find what you need.
Sheet protectors can be purchased either locally or online. I have included the links to the exact sheet protectors I used in creating the binder, so you can achieve the same look and quality.
Step 4: Fill out the pages
Now that you have all the necessary pages printed out, it’s time to start filling out the blank information on each page. It is important to be as detailed and thorough as possible. In addition, make sure to write legibly. Keep in mind that there are quite a few pages to fill out, so you can work at a pace that works best for you. You can do it little by little or all at once, but make sure not to leave the project unfinished.
By taking the time to complete the binder, you’ll be able to have peace of mind knowing that your important information and documents are well-organized and easily accessible in case of an emergency.
Step 5: Discard excess pages
After you have filled out all the relevant pages in the binder, it’s important to go through and remove any unnecessary or inapplicable pages. Keep in mind if you have children, these pages can serve as fun coloring pages to keep them busy while you take the time to organize your important documents and information. It’s a win-win situation!
Step 6: Place sheet protectors in the binder
The Emergency Binder should be stored in a red binder. First, begin by inserting the heavyweight sheet protectors into the binder. The number of sheet protectors you will need may vary depending on the number of extra pages you added or removed. However, as a starting point, I suggest using at least 125 sheet protectors for the Emergency Binder.
Step 7: Place pages in sheet protectors
To organize your binder, it’s important to keep all of the pages in order and carefully insert them into the sheet protectors. Start with the front of the binder and work your way to the back, paying close attention to how you want the pages to read. You will want to pay close attention and insert the pages into the sheet protectors in a specific way to ensure that the pages read smoothly when you flip through the binder.
For example, certain pages you will want to appear side by side in order to make the most sense. In order to achieve this, that may mean every so often a back side of a sheet protector is blank.
Step 8: Gather all your important documents
Now it’s time to gather all your important documents. This can include any supporting documents such as vaccination records, current medication lists, etc. that you want to include with the binder.
Once you have these documents, begin by putting them in the corresponding section’s divider pocket. This will make it easy to find the document that goes with the information you recorded for that section.
Then, set aside any remaining important original documents, such as passports, social security cards, titles etc. for use in the second binder.
Step 8: Insert Plastic Dividers
Once you’ve gathered and organized your important business documents, the next step is to insert plastic dividers into your binder.
Using plastic dividers with pockets can be especially useful, as the pockets provide a convenient place to store any important supporting documents that pertain to the information in the binder. This can help you to keep everything organized and easily accessible when you need it.
Next, notice that the binder uses a ROY-G-BIV color-coded system to help you easily associate sections of the binder with a specific color. This will make it easier to quickly find the section or page you are looking for therefore saving you time and frustration.
Step 9: Move on to Binder #2
Now that you have your DIY Emergency Binder complete, it is time to move on to the second part of this two-binder system; the Important Document Binder.
How to make an Important Document Binder- Binder #2
Step 1: Gather all your important documents
To create your Important Information Binder, you’ll want to gather any important documents that you want to include. The contents of this binder will be largely determined by your life and what documents are most important.
These documents include but are not limited to:
- Passports (both current and expired)
- Current passport photo ( I retake these every year and leave them stored in this binder ready for when I need them)
- Original Social Security Cards
- Original Green Cards
- Drivers Liscense copy
- School ID copy
- Business cards of important contacts (accountants, lawyers, etc)
- Original Birth Certificates
- Original Marriage Certificates
- Divorce Papers
- Adoption papers
- Death Certificates
- Deeds
- Vehicle Titles
- RV Titles
- Boat Titles
- Will
- Power of Attorney
- Military Records
Step 2: Make photocopies of important documents
The majority of your Important Information Binder should contain original documents. However, it can be helpful to also include photocopies of certain documents that you may need to submit with applications, such as loans or passport applications. As a result, you can easily pull a photocopy out and attach it to an application whenever needed.
By keeping extra photocopies of these documents on hand, you can save time and energy by making multiple copies at a time, rather than having to make a new photocopy every time you need one. In addition, it can also be helpful to periodically check your binder to make sure you have enough copies of each document. Finally, make more copies as needed and store them in your binder.
Step 3:Place sheet protectors in Binder
Now that you have all your important documents together, you’re ready to place the sheet protectors in your binder.
You should have three different kinds of sheet protectors for this binder; business card sheet protectors, mixed photo page sheet protectors, and heavyweight sheet protectors.
The order of placement will be this (front to back):
- Business card sheet protector
- 4×6 mixed photo sheet protector
- Heavyweight sheet protectors
Step 4: Place documents in sheet protectors
With your sheet protectors placed in the blue binder, you’re ready to start placing your important documents in the sheet protectors.
Here is how I organize these different sheet protectors:
Business card sheet protector:
Pg.1. Social Security Cards and Green Cards
- Place the original cards for each member of your family
Pg. 2. Driver’s Licenses
- Include a photocopy of the driver’s license for each member of your family who drives
Pg. 3. Credit and Debit Cards
- Include photocopies of all your credit and debit cards
Pg. 4. Business Cards
- Include photocopies of any business cards of people that help you with important aspects of your life, such as accountants, lawyers, etc.
Mixed Photo Sheet Protector:
Pg. 5. -X. Gather all your passports and additional social security card information. For each person in your family, use a sheet protector to store a set of recent passport photos, along with their passport and any social security paper containing the full name. This makes it easy to identify which page belongs to whom.”
Heavyweight sheet protector:
Pg. X-X
The rest of the important documents binder will consist of documents stored in heavyweight sheet protectors. The best practice is to store one document per sleeve. To keep the documents organized, it’s recommended to store the original on the front, and the photocopies facing outward on the back. This way, you can easily identify the original documents and make sure you have a backup copy. The sheet protectors also provide a layer of protection for the documents, keeping them safe from any damage.
Organize these in order of importance front to back.
- Original Birth Certificates
- Original Marriage Certificates
- Divorce Papers
- Adoption papers
- Death Certificates
- Deeds
- Vehicle Titles
- RV Titles
- Boat Titles
- Will
- Power of Attorney
- Military Records
Step 5: Insert Plastic Dividers
Finally, you are ready to insert the color-coded plastic dividers. Use these dividers to separate each major change in document type such as:
- After the business card sheet protector section
- After the mixed photo sheet protector section
- Throughout the heavyweight sheet protector section based on changes in the document type
This will make it easy to find and access any important document quickly!
The final results
Creating a Business Emergency Binder and an Important Information Binder can take some time and effort. However, the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing the project can be well worth it. These binders can provide peace of mind by ensuring that you are prepared for any emergency situation. In addition, they can also make it easier to access and organize important documents when you need them.
While it’s my hope that you’ll never need to use your DIY Emergency Binder, it’s good to know that it’s there just in case. The Important Information Binder, on the other hand, can be an invaluable tool for streamlining any application process by keeping all of your important documents organized and in one place.
If you’re looking for a way to organize your small business and important business documents as well, you might want to check out my Ultimate DIY BusinessEmergency Binder. Whether you’re organizing your business or your personal life, the benefits of having everything in one place and being well-organized can be invaluable.
Looking for more inspiration? Make sure to check out more organizational projects below!
Organize your important Business Documents with this DIY Business Emergency Binder
How to quickly organize your tea boxes with just one thing!
5 simple steps to keep your skoolie organized
How to organize the playroom toys
XO,
Morgan
