I have all my data on a spreadsheet that I will keep updated & send to my daughter/POA every few months. It doesn't have passwords, however - only websites with account numbers. The passwords are kept separately in another physical location that she is aware of. But I loved your idea about the sticky notes!

As you are - I became The Queen of Robbing Peter to Pay Paul in those early days of marriage when we all seemed to be able to live on love. :) We also lived paycheck to paycheck for decades. My husband also had no dad to day skills in finance, but was very good at investing. A gambler's heart, perhaps? :)

Thanks for this very thoughtful piece. I had an interesting conversation with an estate planning lawyer a while back. Apparently, not all states probate real estate. North Carolina does not. So my heirs may be able to not have to go through probate on my estate. My one piece of advice is that - find out what assets your state requires probate for. I was pleasantly surprised not to have to deal with a trust as far as the house went.