The Just-in-Case Family Records Binder
Where the household's practical information is written down, so somebody else could find it without you.
US$12.99 · Made by Indigo & Paper
Get The Just-in-Case Family Records Binder — US$12.99
For the times ordinary routines are disrupted and a trusted person has to find things without you. It is a structured household reference, not an archive: contacts, documents, accounts and practical wishes laid out so they can be found quickly. The goal is not to fill every page; print only the pages you need.
What is in it
Household at a glance; Emergency contacts; People and dependants, including a pet care plan; Health and care index; Important documents; Home and property; Financial index; Insurance and protection; Work and business, including small business continuity; Digital life index and devices; People to notify; Preferences and practical wishes; Review and maintenance; Notes.
Why this rather than a free emergency binder
Some free ones are preparedness kits: evacuation plans, grab-bag lists, supply checklists. This is not that. But not all of them are, and it would be wrong to say so: there are free binders built for the same job as this one, a relative taking over the house and the paperwork, and some of them come as editable files. If one of those covers what you need, take it.
The difference here is one decision rather than a longer list. It does not ask for your passwords. Free templates commonly put usernames and passwords on the financial and utility sheets, which is what turns a completed binder into a document you have to lock away from the people who need it. Page 3 asks for locations and references instead: which bank, where the statements are kept, who to ring.
That is a trade, not a security guarantee. A binder holding account numbers, addresses and dependants' details is still sensitive, and page 2 says so and says where to keep it.
What the length is spent on: a digital account index and devices on pages 40 to 42, people to notify on 44 and 45, preferences and practical wishes on 47 to 49, small business continuity on 38, and an annual review log on 51 and 52.
Start with the free guide
What to put in a family records binder walks through a fictional household example and what to leave out. The article is free to read without signing up. If you want to try two of the binder's working sheets, the three-page Household Handover Starter includes them with an instruction page, free by email. You do not need to buy the binder to use the starter.
Format
63-page A4 PDF. Print the pages you need, or write on the file in a compatible annotation app. Working pages repeat so you can reprint them.
What it is not
It is an organisational reference, not legal, financial or medical advice. Wills, powers of attorney, advance directives and estate arrangements belong with the appropriate qualified professionals, which the note on page 2 states plainly.
At a glance
A 63-page A4 PDF to print, or to write on in a PDF annotation app; it is not a fillable form. Sections: household at a glance, emergency contacts, people and dependants with a pet care plan, a health and care index, important documents, home and property, a financial index, insurance and protection, work and business with small business continuity, a digital life index and devices, people to notify, preferences and practical wishes, and review and maintenance. It records where things are and who to contact, and does not ask for passwords. Print only the pages you need; working pages repeat for reprinting. Digital download; nothing is shipped. Licensed to the purchaser for personal and household use; no resale or redistribution. An organisational reference, not legal, financial or medical advice.
Inside the download
