Tag Archives: paperwork

Paperwork

We’ve been foster parents since the first darling baby passed through our front door on November 2, 2007. We had been subjected to the rules, regulations, and classes for months prior so we should have been prepared for the mountains of paperwork that accompanied the bouncing baby girl. The Placement Authorization shows that a particular child has officially been given into our care. The Designation of Medical Consenter of Non-DFPS Employee allows us to make medical decisions on behalf of the foster child. We can’t take the child to the doctor or dentist without either of these forms. Just when … Continue reading →

Graduation—Part Two—the Paperwork!

I wrote yesterday about the challenges of organizing and negotiating around family dynamics during graduation time. While this is definitely a consideration, for many of us, we first have to wade through the miles of paperwork, forms, and write those checks in order to get our child graduated an on to the next adventure. I confessed yesterday that I have two of my three children who are graduating and moving on this spring. I cannot count the times I have wondered how much easier it would be to manage one graduation, one college application, one financial aid process, etc. instead … Continue reading →

Tax Time Cleanup

There is almost no better time to clean up your financial files than at tax time. You are already pulling tons of information together for yourself or your accountant. Before you file it all back… take a few minutes to look at what you got. Saving is better than throwing away when it comes to bills, receipts and statements. Until you have accumulated so many that, you no longer can find what you need. Then it is time to stop and re-evaluate. Your tax forms are the most critical documents to keep track of. The IRS recommends you keep the … Continue reading →

Organizing your Files

Part of good money management is staying organized. Do you have a good filing cabinet? If not, head to your local store or yard sale, buy yourself a sturdy filing cabinet and some good files – and let’s get organized! Keeping track of old bills, receipts, warranties, product information, etc. will help save you money, time, and your sanity in the process. For some of us, this is simple… but for many of us, we have no idea how to get started. The following is a list of folders you should definitely have in your filing system. 1. Budgets and … Continue reading →

Save Your Paperwork

Paperwork is critical. It is an ideal way to keep track and also hold record of all your transactions. When money is involved, be sure to keep all the paperwork. Start by investing in a filing cabinet. This small expense will save you both time and money. Create a filing system that works for you – ideally with folders and easily identifiable categories. A sampling of the kind of items you should save: *Receipts *Warranties *Invoices *Bank statements *Tax forms *Credit card bills *Insurance policies *Copies of your will *Medical information Now, you may wonder really how important this really … Continue reading →

Fast Start: Hurrying Up While Waiting

You’ve probably heard international adoption called a “hurry-up and wait” game. Meaning, that you are often in a mad hurry to fulfill every request for a document or signature, lest you miss the monthly meeting of the Romanian adoption committee by one day, or your social worker doesn’t get a chance to fax her counterpart before her vacation, or whatever, and you miss another precious month of your child’s infancy. Then, you don’t hear back from anyone for weeks. Sometimes slow and steady is okay. You focus on your work, or your other kids, or whatever, sending out questionnaires to … Continue reading →