- Identifying documents
- State ID card
- Social Security cards for you and the kids
- Passport
- Info from Social Security
- Birth certificates for you and the kids
- Money
- Bank cards
- Bank account numbers
- Credit cards
- Cash, whatever you have
- De-link bank accounts the day you leave so that money can’t be transferred out of your account
- Medical
- Your prescriptions and OTC, with as many refills as your doctor will give you
- You’ll transfer prescriptions to a pharmacy at your new location
- Anything you and the kids medically need
- Heating pads and cold packs
- Braces
- Cushions
- Assistive technology
- Epi pens and other injectables
- TENS units, CPAP, and other equipment
- Everything else
- Contact info for your doctors, including fax numbers and mailing addresses
- Any medical documentation that you have hard copies for
- Papers with diagnoses
- Papers with treatment plans
- Test results such as MRIs, blood work, biopsies, etc.
- Pharmacy contact info, including fax number and mailing address
- So you can transfer your prescriptions to new location
- List of all your medications
- Prescription name and strength, prescribing doctor info
- Your prescriptions and OTC, with as many refills as your doctor will give you
- Important documents, other
- Papers from your divorce that detail separation agreement and child visitation and child support.
- Tax forms from the past ten years/however far back you can go
- Receipts or anything else that will prove ownership of any important items you own — even if you’re not taking those items now
- Be sure to establish sole ownership of your digital content (websites) at your domain registrar and domain host. You can have print-outs or digital proof of ownership, but both are recommended.
- Anything related to work that you might need
- Tax info
- Lists of expenses
- Contracts
- Business cards
- Personal items
- Photos, mementos, anything else that’s emotionally important to you
- Perhaps things you’ve inherited, things that remind you of your loved ones
- Photos of kids over the years (hard copies if you don’t have digital)
- Stuff for kids
- Their favorite things
- Their needed things
- Medications
- Car seats
- Clothing
- Anything else you prefer to not have to re-purchase
- Technology
- Your personal technology, whatever is specifically yours
- Computers
- Phones
- Pads
- External hard drives
- Monitors
- Cameras
- Microphones
- Printers
- Scanners
- It’s a good idea to start copying all your data onto two drives now (main and backup, plus cloud if you can) so it’s fast and easy to take with you when you go and you can bring your data even if you can’t bring your computer(s)
- Sort out accounts you might share now
- Accounts such as
- Data
- Media (Spotify, Dropbox, Hulu)
- Password management
- Social media management
- Amazon Prime
- Digital content (websites)
- Anything else you use
- Start making sure you have the accounts only in your name and your billing info (not on shared bank/credit account)
- Accounts such as
- Your personal technology, whatever is specifically yours
- Hygiene items for you and the kids
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, hair brushes, etc.
- Good to have these on hand so you don’t have to buy new ones the day you arrive at your new location.
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, body wash, hair brushes, etc.
- Clothing for you and the kids
- Favorite items
- Expensive seasonal items for you (coats, boots)
- Don’t bother if you’ll definitely be able to come back for these
- 7-10 days of in-season clothing for you and the kids
- If you can’t come back for additional clothing and you won’t be able to buy tons of new clothing, 7-10 days is a good start for a wardrobe
- Extra socks and underwear (more than 7-10 days)
- Makeup collection if applicable
- Photos, mementos, anything else that’s emotionally important to you
- Make plans for the pets
- Re-home as necessary
- Gather veterinarian info for new home
- Contact info
- Vaccine records
- Rabies tags
- County registration info
- Preferred diet/routines (written down)