Greg Langston

If you've ever lost your wallet, you know what kind of pain and problems it can cause. Not only do you have to cancel all the cards that were in the wallet, you have to get replacements for everything - including your driver's license. And of course these days you have to worry about the very real possibility of identity theft.

Here's a tip . . . use your computer scanner to make copies of everything you carry in your wallet. Scan all the items, front and back, and save the scanned images as a file on your computer. Then copy the file to a CD or USB drive, and delete the file from your computer.

This way, should you ever lose your wallet, you'll have a way to print a copy of everything to use as reference to get cards cancelled, and new ones issued. If you don't have a scanner you might want to consider making copies with a basic copier instead of a scanner. You can also go to Kinko's and do either the scanner or copier option whichever you prefer.

This may not seem important now, but believe me if you were to lose your documentation you will be thankful you did.

When traveling overseas you might want to consider making a copy of your passport and keeping it with you. That way if you lose your official documents it will be easier when you meet with authorities both local and American (at the embassy).