What goes in a Ready File
Nine practical areas that turn scattered household knowledge into something usable. You don't need all of them — most families start with the first three and grow from there.
1 · Emergency contacts & roles
Who to call, in what order, and what each person is responsible for — including a primary and backup contact who knows your household.
- Primary & backup decision-makers
- Family, neighbours, close friends
- Employer contacts & key service providers
2 · Document locations
Where wills, titles, policies, passports, and certificates physically live — recorded by location, so someone can find them without you.
- Originals vs. copies and where each is kept
- Safety deposit box & home safe references
- Who else holds a copy or access
3 · Insurance & benefits
Policies, providers, group benefits, and what's covered — listed plainly so they can be acted on, not interpreted by us.
- Life, health, home, auto, travel policies
- Group benefits through an employer
- Policy numbers & provider contact info
4 · Household operating manual
How the household actually runs week to week — the invisible routine work that keeps everything afloat.
- Bill cycle, autopay, and due dates
- Subscriptions, memberships, contracts
- Home systems, vehicles, vendors
5 · Children & caregiver notes
Routines, allergies, schools, and the trusted people in a child's life — so continuity isn't disrupted more than it has to be.
- Daily routine, sleep, food, and comfort
- Allergies, medications, appointments
- School, daycare, and emergency contacts
6 · Digital access planning
Which online accounts matter and where the access information is kept — without storing passwords here.
- Important accounts & their purpose
- Where passwords / recovery keys live
- Subscription & digital-asset inventory
7 · Health & care preferences
Providers, conditions worth knowing, and how you'd want things handled — your practical preferences, not a substitute for a medical directive.
- Doctors, specialists, pharmacy
- Conditions & medications worth flagging
- Care preferences & advance planning notes
8 · First 24 hours checklist
The immediate, practical steps for whoever steps in first — calls to make, people to notify, and tasks that can't wait.
9 · First 30 days checklist
The slower, easy-to-forget tasks that follow in the weeks after — notifications, accounts, and paperwork that surfaces over time.
The DIY kit turns these nine areas into worksheets.
Each area becomes a fillable module with prompts and examples, plus a Start Here guide and annual review checklist.