filedup journal
Notes on paperwork,
privacy & organisation.
Practical guides to managing the documents that matter — from the team building filedup, the private document organiser for iPhone.
How long should you keep your financial documents?
Tax returns, bank statements, payslips, receipts — everything has a shelf life. A practical retention guide so you know what to keep, what to shred, and what to keep forever.
Read the guide
All posts
15 articles
Travel
8 May 2026
Before your next trip: the 15-minute document backup that prevents a ruined holiday
Losing a bag abroad is expensive. Losing a bag abroad with no backup copies of anything is catastrophic.
Financial
1 May 2026
What documents does your accountant actually need?
Tax season is easier when you know what's coming. Here's the standard document list your accountant will ask for.
Emergency
24 Apr 2026
What to put in a family emergency binder (and why most people never finish theirs)
A family emergency binder isn't a filing cabinet. It's the thing the right person can open in a hurry and find what they need.
Emergency
17 Apr 2026
How to create an emergency information sheet (and what to put on it)
One page that speaks for you when you can't. Here's exactly what to include, how to format it, and where to keep it.
Emergency
10 Apr 2026
What to do with your parents' documents (before and after they pass)
The paperwork side of ageing parents and estate administration — what to help them organise now, and what you'll need to find later.
Essentials
3 Apr 2026
The 12 documents every adult should have scanned and backed up
Not 30. Not 50. Twelve. The ones that, if missing at 11pm on a Tuesday, will ruin your week.
Housing
27 Mar 2026
The paperwork of buying your first home, explained
Between offer and keys, you'll sign or receive dozens of documents. Here's what each one is, what to keep, and what to scan.
Emergency
20 Mar 2026
Documents to gather before a natural disaster or emergency
If you had 30 minutes to leave your house, which documents would you grab? Here's how to make that question irrelevant.
Emergency
13 Mar 2026
How to store your important documents so they survive a fire, flood, or theft
Digital backups get the attention, but your physical originals need protection too.
Housing
6 Mar 2026
What documents do you need to rent a flat?
Landlords and letting agents ask for a consistent set of documents. Here's what to have ready before you start viewing.
Financial
27 Feb 2026
The best monthly bill tracker printable (and how to actually use one)
A bill tracker only works if you fill it in at the start of every month. Here's a simple system that actually sticks.
Housing
20 Feb 2026
Home inventory checklist for insurance: what to document and how
Most people are underinsured because they've never inventoried what they own. Here's how to fix that in an afternoon.
Housing
13 Feb 2026
The complete moving house document checklist (the one for address changes, not boxes)
Most moving checklists tell you to pack early and label your boxes. This one covers what actually costs you money.
Emergency
6 Feb 2026
What to put in a wallet emergency card (and why most people don't have one)
A wallet emergency card tells a stranger what to do if you're incapacitated. Ten minutes to make one. No excuse not to.