Administrative
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Carry a small notebook and write down three things you did each day.
You will not remember these details six months from now.
one person who lived it
Use paint or engraving to mark tool handles instead of White-Out.
White-Out wears off after a few days.
one person who lived it
Buy slightly higher-end pens to improve your mindset while completing tasks.
Using a tool that is slightly better than average makes tasks seem more tolerable and easy.
one person who lived it
Download PDFs of manuals and receipts after purchases and store them in folders on your desktop, a thumb drive, and the cloud.
It makes tracking down parts easier.
one person who lived it
Chew on your pens to create identifiable patterns that deter others from taking them.
People don't want to touch chewed pens.
2 people, independently
Keep a binder of home documents including receipts, paint colors, work orders, blueprints, and garden plans.
One person found it amazing to have this when buying a house.
one person who lived it
Use 'bible safe' gel highlighters.
To prevent ink from bleeding through thin textbook pages and causing pages to stick together.
- Some brands like Zebra may still cause sticking, while others like Mr. Pen do not.
one person who lived it
Include paint color codes in your home maintenance records.
This allows the paint to be matched later on.
one person who lived it
Write down serial numbers for big purchases like TVs, HDDs, and game consoles.
It is useful for insurance reasons and for support.
one person who lived it
7 more on this
Assign a dedicated email address to your house for receiving invoices and photos of physical bills.
You can offer this record-keeping system as an incentive when selling the house.
one person who lived it
Maintain tax records and filings as a primary source for verifying past addresses and employers.
They include this information and help remember employers.
one person who lived it
Staple receipts to appliance documentation to retain proof of purchase for lifetime warranties.
Warranty providers often rely on customers lacking proof of purchase.
one person who lived it
Record the company's physical address.
In case the company goes out of business.
one person who lived it
Create a comprehensive 'master CV' containing detailed life history that can be edited down for specific applications.
Some employers, such as US government agencies, require super-detailed CVs with start/stop dates and salaries for each job.
one person who lived it
Keep manuals for tools, equipment, and major appliances organized in binders.
This keeps guides readily available and maintains tidiness.
one person who lived it
Keep a detailed log of employment history, including exact dates, titles, pay, promotions, job descriptions, addresses, and supervisor contact info.
This legacy log can be handy when specific details are needed later, even if your resume is updated.
one person who lived it