Just saved myself £7!

[Christine in Herts]

It really is worth having a record of which certs you've already got.

I was just putting together a GRO order. I'd checked all the dates and refs by looking at the GRO index images, and I just thought I'd check that I hadn't got any of them, already. I have a register of the certs I've already got - and one was already there! I went back to my info, just to make sure, and there it was. As I also try to keep track of how much I'm spending on this hobby - so that I can keep the expenditure at a reasonable (!) level per month - I also found I'd missed out entering that order in my "cashbook", so I've put that right.

In any case, having that list of certs-already-in-hand has saved me ordering a duplicate.

Christine

[Little Nell]

Christine

I've done that. Recently reorganised my files and found a duplicate cert! Also I've sometimes spent ages in an archive, only to go home to record the "new" information, only to find its already in the file in a scrap of paper!

[Christine in Herts]

:o I should own up to getting duplicate copies from Records Offices - usually when I dropped in unprepared, and thought I'd better get the copies because the cost of a photocopy while I was on the premises was far less than the cost of having to travel back, or ask for the RO to send me one.

Christine

[Sue from Southend]

I can go one better - I've got a duplicate WRONG certificate:o So now I keep a record of all the certificate references I send for. In my defence most of my tree has fairly common names in East London and it's hard to pin down some of the right certificates:(

[Asa]

I daren't keep a track on how much I spend

[Little Nell]

Asa I've never totted it up either, though I do recall trying to work out how much I would need to fork out to get a complete set of certs from 1837 onwards in my direct lines. I stopped when it began to be scary!

[Christine in Herts]

Yes - I've stopped short of totting up the projected cert costs!

I just find that knowing what I'm spending helps me to decide whether to send for a cert "this time" or not.

Christine

[Asa]

The OH and I have a sort of mutually agreed and ignored amount I spend monthly lol

[Christine in Herts]

The OH and I have a sort of mutually agreed and ignored amount I spend monthly lol

I rather think that my OH has more or less resigned himself to his fate in this respect, too!

Christine

[kathsgirl.48]

My OH hasn't got a clue of the cost and I have 2 leaver arch files of certificates! LOL

[Val and George]

I have 2 leaver arch files of certificates! LOL

Me too Teresa, thankfully the majority of them are for OH's family:D

I have a typed up list I keep updated (well, hopefully I do) and have it pinned near the computer. I doubled-up once and swore it wouldn't happen again. (touch wood!)

[Ozzie Gert]

I recently brought a A4 size exercise book and drew lines on one side of the pages for births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials, each page has its own surname and i put a tick in the right column for each cert i buy, if they married twice and i have both certs, i put a tick x 2, i also put a birth date against each name so i know which John or Jack i have the cert for.

This book sits in the front of my cert folder and is easy to refer to.

Sylvia

[Loopy Linda in La La Land]

I can go one better - I've got a duplicate WRONG certificate:o So now I keep a record of all the certificate references I send for. In my defence most of my tree has fairly common names in East London and it's hard to pin down some of the right certificates:(

That made me laugh Sue. Nice one lol

Linda

[Elizabeth Herts]

I have a Word file for each side of the family - one for OH, one for me.

I have columns and lines, starting from the present going back with direct ancestors. I have birth/christening, marriage, death, will, 1841 census, 1851 census ..... etc.

When I have the "full set" for one person I highlight the whole line in BOLD. Of course, I have to put - for some of the census years. It's very useful, because I can see when I have finished with my collection for one person. I also enter the dates of BMDs, and write myself notes lke "ORDERED" or "BUY CERT NEXT TIME".

[Christine in Herts]

Oooops!

:o

On the other hand...

...if you have a list of cert you're intending to get, don't forget to update it if you change your mind about any of them!

Christine