England’s Lionesses may be lifting trophies this week - and rightly so - but closer to home, I learned an expensive life admin lesson that cost me £90. Spoiler alert: no silverware came out of it.
Last month was my daughter Chloe’s birthday. She’d chosen a pair of trainers from a brand we both love. When they arrived, they were… not right. Worn, dusty, visibly marked. No problem, we returned them. Quick and straightforward.
Except I forgot something.
A few weeks later I realised the refund hadn’t shown up. I chased it. The company confirmed they hadn’t received the return. Could I show proof of postage?
Cue the sinking feeling.
I rummaged through drawers, checked emails, tried everything. But the receipt was gone. No tracking info. Nothing to show the return had ever happened.
And just like that, £90 vanished.
What this story highlights is that quiet, constant, overwhelming background noise of life admin.
The accumulation of details that exist only in our heads or even worse exist nowhere at all. It’s about missed refunds. Lapsed warranties. Lost policies. The airport parking confirmation buried somewhere in an inbox. That energy bill you forgot to pay because it landed in your spam folder.
This story isn’t just about a pair of trainers.
It’s about missed details that cost real money.
In the shadow of summer holidays filled with day trips, delayed bedtimes, ever-shifting plans, and thinking ahead to back-to-college, it's no wonder things slip. But those small slips can add up fast.
Would saving that refund have taken two hours of set-up and system-building? No. It would’ve taken 20 seconds to upload the return receipt into doqit.
That’s it.
That small action could’ve saved me:
✅ The stress
✅ The time
✅ The £90
That’s why I’m more committed than ever to helping others get a grip on their life admin - especially at this time of year.
You’re not alone. And you don’t need to face it alone, either.
I’m offering free 20-minute sessions to help you get on top of the things that are currently only living in your head. We'll work together to:
🎯 Book a 20-minute session with me – zero pressure, all support.
Because life is complicated. Getting organised shouldn’t be one more thing to stress about.
P.S. A £90 refund now sits in someone else’s system… because I didn’t take one photo. It takes seconds, saves frustration. Don’t make my mistake!
#LifeAdmin #MentalLoad #ParentingInSummer #DigitalOrganisation #FounderStories #SummerOverwhelm #doqit #Parenting #Summer
About doqit:
doqit is a life admin platform born from real experience. Founded by Catherine Ann Reid, who understood firsthand the challenges of managing crucial documentation, doqit helps users store, organise, and access important documents securely. From medical records to education plans, insurance documents to household bills, doqit curates your chaos into organised simplicity. The app gives users peace of mind knowing everything they need is securely stored and instantly accessible.
Published: 31st July 2025