Comments on: When previous decluttering can come back to haunt you

By: EmmBee

EmmBee — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:11:03 +0000

I don’t have my former addresses, but I keep an extensive Word file of my past employment. The information is formatted from most recent to oldest as follows:

Job Title
Dates Worked
Company Name
My Supervisor’s Name
Company Address
Company Phone Number
Resume style description of job duties
Salary, including raises
Reason for Leaving
Misc Notes, e.g. awards won, or that the company is now closed.

I found this encompassed pretty much every question asked on applications, so having this information prepared made filling them out a breeze. I also use it to design my resume. When a job falls off my resume because it’s too old or irrelevant, I still have the information in this document in case I need it later, like for a career change where the old experience suddenly becomes relevant.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:09:19 +0000

Amanda’s tip is great – I’ve never lived anywhere and not had an Amazon package delivered! Mine also go back to 1999 or so.

By: Ladders INC

Ladders INC — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:59:12 +0000

This is a great read.thanks..which reminds me i have to remember all my old addresses coz I always throw away things that are unimportant and dated a year ago for my de-cluterring.

By: JT in the Army

JT in the Army — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:27:11 +0000

When I was in college I had 7 addresses in 5 years, then after college I moved a few times. When I had to update my addresses for a security check last week I found out I had 12 addresses since I turned 18years old.
I lucked out that I kept a hard copy of previous background check paperwork so I only had to add 3 addresses to the list- all of which were from this year.
You better believe I made a few copies of the updated list- for my military records and for my personal records.

By: amanda

amanda — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:28:21 +0000

I discovered that a great place to find almost all of my old addresses is on Amazon.com. It keeps all the addresses that you have sent to — if you have a login. I’ve had a login there since, like, 1999? Is that possible? Anyway, it seems to go back that far.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:48:28 +0000

ha ha, too funny! I sympathise with your problem – I wised up a few years ago and have kept a single page from one bank statement that has my previous addresses on them.

By: jocelyn

jocelyn — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:14:04 +0000

I have only gotten rid of 2 things and regretted it: a book of fairy tales (I had two collections and got rid of the wrong one by mistake) and a pair of 9″ cake pans which I afterwards needed and had to drive 50 miles to buy (Target, Michaels, NO ONE anywhere near me had 9″ cake pans).

By: Michele

Michele — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:50:49 +0000

I think I’m bad luck, because three of my previous employers no longer exist! I could list the addresses of the buildings they used to lease, does that count?

When applying for a bunch of jobs with tedious paper applications (like summer work during school) I finally got smart and scanned a completed application for my records. No more wracking my brain for a dozen different three-month jobs.

By: Battra92

Battra92 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:26:45 +0000

I’m sure you were sick and tired of those MF snakes in that … well you get the idea.

Honestly, I have to admit I’m from a completely different life experience given that my parents never moved since they were married so I never moved around much. Heck, I really don’t think I’ll move more than 3 times in my life.

By: spf1000000

spf1000000 — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:25:48 +0000

zabasearch.com can be helpful (albeit a bit frightening). I couldn’t remember an old apartment # but found it– and my old phone number!– by searching for my name there.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:06:00 +0000

I used to always keep a list of my old addresses and phone numbers just because I thought it was interesting. I had no idea I might actually need them all someday! I haven’t updated it in awhile though – I’d better get on that. So do they want all the addresses you’ve ever lived at (like when you were a kid living with your parents?) or just the one’s since you moved out as an adult (or college student) house?

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:18:52 +0000

@wobagi — No need to apologize!!

The “punishment” for having incomplete or incorrect information can be not being approved for whatever reason a person is seeking the background check — especially if the government believes that you’re purposefully trying to mislead them.

By: E. Goldstein

E. Goldstein — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:45:24 +0000

Sad to see a discussion on how we need to keep to make sure and records so that we can facilitate government background checks on us.

I understand this has always been “normal” for CIA analysts and military types. But jeesh, now it seems every ordinary joe is subject to background checks. The surveillance state creeps up on you …

By: HistoricStitcher

HistoricStitcher — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:45:08 +0000

Ever since my first background check in 1995 I have kept a list of residences, a list of jobs (including salaries, boss, address, phone, and dates of employment), and a list of contacts for each address. That background check needed ALL the places I had EVER worked and the contact, etc. info for each, as well as every address I’d lived at (EVER) and a contact who knew me at that address. The lists are electronic, and I have updated them over the years as software changes and jobs and residences change.

Recently I had easy access to them for a new background check and had no difficulties in filling out the information! (Yeah, I work in an industry where background checks are thorough and don’t transfer with you. Blah.)

By: Wobagi

Wobagi — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:23:30 +0000

@Erin, ok, I’m sorry, my post might seem too offensive. I’m more a minimalist than unclutterer, so I prefer not to collect anything. I’ve never needed my old addresses, so I’m really curious. What if you loose your records or forget some of the addresses? Will they punish you for not telling the truth? How would they know you’re not telling the truth, and if they (whoever it is) can verify your data, why can’t they keep the records for you?

By: Karolina

Karolina — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:57:14 +0000

Also keep a record of start date and end date for each job, especially if you’re on a work visa. I needed all of these to apply for my green card and it was really hard to track them down.

By: LWM

LWM — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:35:59 +0000

Once (years and years ago) I was going to visit my parents for Christmas. As soon as they picked me up they asked if I’d have time to fix the computer. It seems my Dad decided to “unclutter” the system folder (on a Mac). I think I ended up just repairing installation (I don’t think they lost any important info). My mom’s a pack rat, so my dad’s uncluttering tendencies have gotten stronger and stronger over the years, but I’m still not sure what possessed him to start messing with the system folder.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:55:22 +0000

FBI and Homeland Security background checks are needed in the US to a slew of reasons. For example, if you or your company does any work for the government or consults with the government. Also, the same background checks are required to adopt a child or become a foster parent.

@wobagi I also think you’re missing the point of the article a bit. Keeping a file on your computer of your former addresses and employer information hardly constitues clutter.

By: Wobagi

Wobagi — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:46:39 +0000

Keep all the shells of peanuts you have eaten in your life. You never know when you might need them… For me, keeping anything I don’t need but maybe would need ’someday’ is CLUTTER.
Sorry, no offence. I don’t live in US, can you please tell me why someone would need such detailed info about you? All the addresses? What if, despite good records, you really forget or loose some info?
I only needed my last address, when I moved to a new location.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:23:30 +0000

I keep a spreadsheet of prior addresses too. I’m an American living in the UK and in the process of getting UK visas, I’ve also kept had to provide former address and keep track of my comings and goings in/out of the country.

So far it’s been very helpful in applying for my husband’s US visa and will surely come in handy again in the future. I can imagine this information will be interesting to descendants one day — without the hassle of a lot of scanning and filing.

(And no, you can’t always rely on a passport stamp to show the date. Either they don’t bother stamping, it isn’t legible, they stamp a random page, or my very favorite, over another stamp)