Ta-Da Tuesday! September 16, 2025

Michael Jacobs- thank you for your important contribution to my blog post. There are so many ways to use our time wisely. But when there is a reason why you need to know what you own, it becomes very important to have information readily on hand to lessen the stress. "Peace of mind," is worth the effort. 

Roy Kelley - yes! It is important to photograph everything you have, going room to room. But what happens when the photos disappear and you're under the gun, trying to remember without them? It's kind of like becoming so attached to your navigation that when the navigation quits, you may not even know how to get back home. 

I hope you try it!  Take the challenge. No cheating. It is so easy to take our home and all the possession we own for granted. We think we know the layout down to small details, but when challenged and you step outside your comfort zone (your home), will you get it all right from memory?

Nina Hollander, Broker - Trying to retrieve information we take for granted every day can become stressful when under pressure to remember. That is why I recommend taking the challenge. 

Wayne Martin - Judging by the 80/20 rule, I think most people would fail miserably. 

Thank you for your kindness and the feature in BananaTudes. I now wear a smile on my face!

Gwen Fowler SC Lakes & Mountains 864-710-4518 - I also suffered from a house fire in 1994. People need to read their policies, especially when there are amendments to the policy. 

Pictures help. However, how many could write what they own from memory?

They can't remember, but the Sears catalog had everything, so the book would jog your memory.

Lew Corcoran - People would be surprised at how many items they forgot to list. This is a good exercise of the mind. Knowing from memory can be quite a challenge. We move things around often and things are easy to forget. Being organized and staying organized is a daily challenge. Your comments are appreciated and important. 

George Souto - You are 100% correct. There are many things we take for granted. When put to the test, we can be surprised at how much we failed to remember. 

Thanks, George. Love your honesty!

Kathy Streib - I greatly appreciate your comment. The inspiration for this post came from talking to.my sister. We were talking about her new refrigerator. Then, she asked me what brand I have? I replied, LG, wait maybe Samsung, or maybe something else. Kathy, I couldn't remember! I walked into the kitchen and saw all my appliances were Samsung. As you said, I also use my major kitchen appliances all the time, and I clean them, and walk past them every day. In that moment of conversation, when asked, I couldn't remember!

I'm glad to read your reply. We really have to start using our brains more and stop relying on photographs. I had a similar experience a few days ago. I caught up with a colleague of mine, who retired from the RE businessiness. We had lunch. Then she got into my car and I agreed to drive us both to another place in Flower Mound. For some reason, my navigation system in my car stopped working! I really struggled to remember how to get there without the navigation system. Eventually, I found it, but how embarrassing! Thankfully, she has a good sense of humor and laughed.

Hi Carol Williams - taking photos of everything, we own is very important. Keeping our memory sharp using our brain is very critical, especially as we get older. 

I started emptying drawers about a year ago. It's amazing how much stuff ends up in the junk drawer! I discovered, cabinet drawers and the stuff put underneath sinks need to be decluttered very frequently. Out of sight out of mind but junk is junk, and many products expire before we even use them. 

I appreciate your comment - thank you!

Kat Palmiotti - Knowing brands, models, and serial numbers do matter, especially when you're filing an insurance claim. I learned my lesson when my house caught fire. They gave me an inventory list. The insurance company said, for example: you owned a piano - you have replacement coverage for a piano, provided it isn't considered an antique or too old. What year did you buy your piano? Now, if you have a spinet and not a baby or a grand piano, you get replacement coverage for a spinet, depending on the type and age of the piano. And if you don't have proof, that you kept your piano tuned, there is no replacement coverage. 

Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400 - A binder is great idea. Keeping it up to date is the challenge. Making a list of everything you own in your home is really a challenge. This is a good way to test our memory too! You might be surprised how many important things you forgot to write down from memory. We really do rely on our eyesight, but what if we are older and our eyesight began to fail?

I think this would be a great topic to discuss for a future radio show. It would be a fascinating subject with all different kinds of experiences and ideas! 

Debra Leisek - Awe, thank you! My mind churns like butter. I have always been that way.

I enjoy our long-distance visits through ActiveRain. You always make me smile.

Brenda J. Andrew - When a storm is brewing, we have a lot to think about, especially where you live. We are creatures of habit and most of us are constantly moving things around or forgetting where we put things. This is a great exercise to test our brain skills. 

You're right - I have lived through many different scenarios. In the aftermath, it was always frustrating to me, to realize something I needed that was very important. Unfortunately, I didn't remember to list it for insurance purposes. And of course, there are those day-to-day items we use occasionally that we forgot - like a can opener or potato peeler. All those things and material goods we own adds up when trying to replace them.

It's always great to hear from you, my friend. 

Thank you Dorie Dillard Austin TX!

Have a great weekend! 

John Juarez - There is a lot we don't know about our own house. And even if there is an insurance claim, we don't always remember what we have. For example, several years after my house fire, I would remember things I omitted to list. Such as simple things that add up: Can opener, potato peeler, and other things you don't use on a daily basis. 

It's good that you went to your bank to empty your safe deposit box. I did that when I changed banks and was also completely surprised at what I had inside the box! 

Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ - It's amazing how many things we have that we don't think of immediately. But years later, we remember! By then, it's too late. And I wondered myself; how much do I have that I don't really need anyway? I also remember how horrible it was for me to do ordinary things I took for granted that was on my computer - BUT when the power went out during the TX Ice Storm in February 2021, I had no access to my computer and no electricity for 7 days. I felt lost! Cold! And what I could remember, I couldn't access. Then when I had access to my computer - which took an additional week, I realized how dependent I am on my computer and electronics.