Guest Blog Post: Organizing Manuals & Warranties

In a recent email, my aunt Eileen demystified the world of organizing manuals and warranties! I guess organizing runs in the family! I felt her email would help everyone and so I've turned it into a blog post for all of us to learn from. I made a few comments in italics. Thanks aunt Eileen!

On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 11:11 AM, Eileen wrote:

Hi – maybe you already do this, but I just did it.

     I don't do this, but I should!

We needed a new light portion for a ceiling fan and before I could order it, I needed the model number, which was on top of the fan and nearly impossible to get. But Wayne stood on a stool and pulled off the sticker.

     Nothing like some acrobatics to inspire a new organizing system!

As a result I spent a couple of days and gathered all of my appliance booklets for several places in the house. Then I made a sheet that lists the item, make, model number, serial number, when purchased, where purchased, length of warranty and whether or not the receipt is available. I probably should have also listed whether or not I registered it, the date, and whether it was on line or not.

    I think the fact that you're doing this at all earns you some major organizing points!

Then I put the sheet with all of the documentation for that item in a transparent sheet protector and put everything in 2 binders. One has the major appliances and the other has the small appliances and garage stuff, like snow blowers and lawn mowers. And then I made a Table of Contents for each binder (after searching for one for the thermostat) and a label on the outside.

Now, nothing goes in the binder unless it has a receipt attached, etc.

And I feel tons better knowing that the task is done. Most of my friends say it is on their To-Do list but they never get around to it.

  Now that you've walked us through it, I think it will be 100 times easier! THANKS!