Do you have a Go Book?

If you follow many blogs or are on Pintrest, I’m sure you’ve heard of the “Home Management Notebook”.  This is a great idea and is very useful, I have made one myself and one of my goals this year is to use my notebook regularly (right now it’s just a reference book, not something I use daily).   The categories usually go something like this:

·         Calendar

·         Schedules

·         Cleaning

·         Menu Plan

·         Finances

·         To Do

·         Medical

Here is an awesome link to the site I used to create mine:  A Bowl Full of Lemons

While this is a great organization tool to use in your home, I want to suggest another type of Notebook that all military (and even non-military) families should have…I call it my “Go Book”.  In it I have all my essential paperwork, you know, the things that would devastate your life if the movers lost during a PCS.  It holds all the documents that should be hand carried with each move, all the stuff I need to register my kids for school, emergency info, the info I would need if something terrible happened while Hubs is deployed.

Right now my Go Book is nothing fancy, just a 3-ring binder and some document protector pages divided into categories for each member of my family. 

Here’s what mine looks like right now:

·         Hub’s Tab:  deployment orders, PCS orders, POA’s, DEERs enrollment info, Vaccine records, Will, SGLI info, Record of Emergency data, ERB, Tricare enrollment info, his Birth Certificate

·         My Tab:  Marriage certificate, SS card, my DD214, my mother’s will

·         Brat #1’s Tab:  Birth certificate, SS card, Shot records, divorce paperwork (Hubs and wife #1), custody orders, school enrollment info

·        Brat #2's Tab:  Birth Certificate, SS card, shot records, sports physical, student health record, school enrollment info

·         Other Tab:  Housing Info

I also have a page in the front of my notebook that has each family member’s vital info for quick access:  SSN, DOB, Blood Type, Allergies, Surgeries, Contact info.  As well as a page that has a list of all our account numbers (bank, credit cards, etc.) and their contact info. 

Right now I have a separate folder for our pets, but I want to add them to my go book as well.  I also want to organize it better so that in an emergency (you know what I’m talking about ladies…a military emergency that will leave you paralyzed with fear and someone else…your best friend, your mom, the CAO soldier who comes to your house to help you sort it all out) can find the things needed.  I will try to get that done this weekend and take some pictures for you…I might even pretty my book up a little!!

Do you have a “Go Book”??  If so, what’s in yours?  How do you use it?  Post a comment below and share!