Hello

I have been married 50 years to the boy I fell in love with in 7th grade! I have 3 very special daughters and 7 grandkids. A number of years ago, we lost a business we owned due to an inappropriate email an employee sent to the contact in our largest account and then mistakes we made trying to keep the business going. We eventually lost our home and all our savings. I handled the majority of the financial dealings through this time and then developed a plan to get our family back on solid ground financially. 

 

It was a very difficult time.  At one point, I wondered if I would ever really smile on the inside again. It took some time, but my heart was lighter and my smile eventually reached deep inside. I also learned how valuable it was to understand what information was needed and be able to keep track of it. As I was developing a system, my husband did not realize how challenging it could be and at times was frustrated if I had a hard time finding the info when it was needed. 

 

Through this journey, my husband and I worked very hard to organize our finances and follow our plans for becoming financially stable. We are both Christians and the Lord did some amazing things that were crazy gracious to us. It was encouraging to see that this problem was not the “end of the world” for us. We are not wealthy, but now we are in a good place. Still, I am always looking for how I can improve the way I organize and catalog our personal and financial information to keep track of it.   

 

Recently, I took care of three of my grandchildren for a week. Seeing how much my daughter had written down for me, I realized a pre-formatted catalog of details that could just be filled in, would be very helpful. It would save time, remind a mom of some things she might not think of and make the planning much smoother. Much of the information could be used for any sitter, or for a daycare worker also. 

 

Since then, we lost a very dear friend and one of my husband’s younger brothers. As I listened to all of the legal and financial information their wives had to deal with, it got me thinking. Did I have that information organized in a way that would make it easier for my family, during an already emotionally challenging time? I knew where the info was, but even my husband did not really know, since I always got it when we needed it. 

 

To solve this, I began to develop a format to catalog information like banking, insurance, logins, passwords, info for a sitter, medical details and many other areas, for myself and my family. It is easy to follow, quick to fill in, and easy to access on your phone or in a printed copy. When I showed these catalogs to our three daughters and other friends, they all said it was really a great idea that they and other women could benefit from. 

 

Now, after using these catalogs, I am confident that our personal and financial details are easy for anyone in our family to find and use. Since encouraging women has always been a passion of mine, I want to show other women how to use these resources. It is a fun way others can benefit from lessons I learned from difficult times.  

 

If you handle the family information and are the one expected to easily find it when it is needed, these catalogs may be just right for you. I am looking forward to seeing hundreds of women thriving and comfortable after using these catalogs, knowing they too can easily locate and provide personal and financial information with confidence.