Place all the income and expenses they have into a shoe box or in a plastic bag and place it in a safe place. Date and time the entries. Make sure there are utility costs, water costs, cable costs and any other information INCLUDING medical expenses.
Listing the cost of medical expenses is important.
Prescriptions today and their cost.
Cost of medical insurance. Those disabled and seniors on Medicare and/or Medicaid should include the cost of Medicare Part B. What seniors pay for Medicare Part B are very often over looked as legitimate monthly medical bills. Add co-pays and deductibles paid during the previous year.
Decide what recreational dollars are available to you. Record how you have spent them and the enjoyment received from those dollars.
Keep track of how well the children and grandchildren did previous to today. Where did they go to school, where do they socialize, are they happy and what problems did they face if any. What were the school costs to the parents/family to educate the child(ren) in the household.
How much did the house cost, interest rate, maintenance costs, etc. When recording utility costs include the "per unit" charge and usage.
Record any donations to charities, if any. How are those charities doing today and providing the services they were founded to provide to the community.
How about the retirement funds? How much is in the 401k or 401b. How is job security today?
What kind of condition is the community and neighborhood in. Is there a healthy budget for the schools, town services and what are the property taxes today?
Food costs and quality. Can you find all the ingredients needed to feed the family or oneself. Are they healthy? Are there health risks connected to that food? Ask oneself if health risks are important. There have been severe changes in the concern of American health in the years since 2001, especially in the ages of 50 year old white men.
How are the children doing? Are they growing and developing as they should.
How are the working poor doing? Are they moving out of the poverty that plagues them and becoming part of the Middle Class? Are you a member of a union? What does anyone know about a union and the potential for their work place to be improved with a union? Does one fear a union and why?
Holidays, holiday pay, overtime pay, benefits including health, vacation and retirement. How are things going? DO YOU HAVE A HOLIDAY SAVINGS ACCOUNT WITH YOUR CREDIT UNION INSTEAD OF BEING STAMPEDED ON "BLACK FRIDAY?"
Basically, what has one's life been. The time capsule can be a joint effort by a couple and family or individuals can have their own time capsule. If possible include receipts and proof of the way life is today.
Digital time capsules can be tampered with.
Good luck!
