Grandma taped paper on the bottom of stuff

My grandmother was a very focused, no-nonsense person. She always 'took care of business' as they say. One thing she did to keep family from fighting over her stuff when she died was to put little pieces of paper with a name on them and tape them to the bottom of items she owned.

There's an easier, more secure way to see that this happens. Have a conversation. For the benefit of your family, talk to your siblings, your parents and your children about who gets what from your estate. By "estate" I am not talking about a multi-million-dollar mansion. While looking through my house, I would have guessed that there are only about a dozen items that our sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren would want - let alone fight over. But I couldn't make that call if I didn't know.

And you'd be surprised at what is "important". Our customers have been surprised. Something totally insignificant, like a bowl, vase, grandpa's coffee mug or bed linen can create the mother of all arguments! Our inventory service includes documenting estates and we've see it happen over and over.

A large family was spread across the country and the list we created for the executor of the estate was sent electronically so the brothers and sisters could choose what they wanted. Not surprisingly, more than one chose many of the same objects. Another customer/executor faced similar issues with a piece of furniture. To see they turmoil and frustration is sad - especially when the grief is still a major emotion everyone is dealing with. Of course, these issues must be settled by the executor, which creates one more burden, emotion and issue to deal with.

So this doesn't happen to your loved ones, I encourage you to create an inventory. This list will provide the perfect vehicle for this dreaded discussion to happen before your death. A column to list the names of the friends and family members next to the specific item is an easy task once the inventory is completed. Then, if you can't talk about it, you can just hand each person the list and ask them to put their name next to the item(s) they'd like.

This process sure beats a piece of paper taped to the bottom of the rocking chair!