Each year, I like giving or making gifts that simplify life and bring joy. As a Certified Professional Organizer®, I’m always looking for practical tools that calm daily chaos. This year, my go-to gift for friends, family, and clients is one simple thing: a password book or online password keeper.

Why a password manager?

Managing passwords has become one of the biggest sources of frustration, emotion, and stress in modern life.  Everything requires an online account and authentication. Between banking, shopping, streaming, and every new app or service, everyone is managing hundreds of passwords. No one knows how to keep these easily accessible. Too often, that leads to sticky notes on the desk, scribbles on paper folders, forgotten login screens, or endless password reset emails. A password keeper can change that. It’s a small system that saves time, frustration, and brain space.

Here’s why I love giving this gift!

It brings instant clarity, agency, accessibility, and calm. There’s nothing quite like flipping to the alphabetical section of your book or opening a secure dashboard and finding exactly what you need. The biggest threats to our security are online now. It’s a simple way to create order in the scary digital world. Easy access to better security habits ensures you follow through with your intentions. When passwords are stored easily and safely, you make them stronger and unique for each account. No more using the same password everywhere or defaulting to “1234.” Life is full enough of daily friction and frustration.

A bonus for both paper and digital access is that you can share these passwords as needed with loved ones. Having help to access financial information through password keepers makes life less stressful for your family, too. From college students managing their first bank accounts to older adults navigating online medical portals, everyone can benefit from an easier way to keep track of passwords.

Do I choose paper or digital?

Whether you prefer a cute little notebook or a digital option like 1Password, Dashlane, or Bitwarden, the idea is the same. Having a simple tool that helps you stay organized and stress-free in an increasingly digital life will be life-changing!

This year, I’m giving the gift of simplicity and security. You know that the most meaningful gifts aren’t about more stuff. Especially at times like these, the best gifts are about less worry and less clutter.