The 13 Most Important Items To Keep in a Fireproof Safe

The 13 Most Important Items Everyone Should Keep in a Fireproof Safe

By Len Penzo

For some people, it’s tough letting go. Of anything.

Take my wife, for instance; she saves everything.

The other day the Honeybee showed me her baseball ticket from our very first date way back on September 24, 1995.

And if I ever feel oddly compelled to scrutinize the birthday card I received from my mother-in-law in 1998, I can rest easy knowing that the Honeybee has it dutifully stored upstairs in our bedroom closet.

What’s that? You say you’re looking for the operating instructions to a vintage Easy Bake oven, circa 1986? If I’m not mistaken, they’re in our closet too, not far from the rest of those 643 old birthday, Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day cards she’s been saving that nobody will ever look at again.

Protecting the Important Stuff

I’m a bit more judicious than the Honeybee when it comes to saving things — and I use a fireproof safe for the most important stuff.

Of course, no strongbox can hold everything — and so that demands a bit of discretion when deciding what to put in them. Here are some of the more important things you should consider protecting:

Birth certificates. Your birth certificate is proof that you are a citizen of the country you live in. Lose it, and you’ll have a difficult time getting a passport, or landing a job that requires proof of citizenship.

Property titles. Yes, home deeds and car titles are replaceable, but why go through the hassle if you don’t have to?

Insurance policies. Home, life and auto insurance policies are a key part of any financial back-up plan. If your house burns down or has been burgled, the first thing you’ll want to get your hands on is a copy of your home insurance policy and your agent’s phone number.

House photos. Speaking of insurance, photos of the interior and exterior of your home are invaluable for reporting losses due to fire or theft to your insurance company. If possible, keep them on electronic storage media like a thumb drive or CD.

Safe deposit box keys. Not having access to your safety deposit box during an emergency is not only inconvenient, it can be costly, as the boxes will have to be forced open and replaced at your expense.

Social security cards. Your social security number is required to get a job, collect social security benefits and receive certain other government services. That’s why the US Social Security Administration strongly advises people to not carry the cards on their person.

Passports. Getting a new passport on short notice, while not impossible, is still a tough order. Even expedited passports can take as long three weeks to process.

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