I am a member of a large family who comes together over old recipes, weekend trips to the shore, and large holiday gatherings of multiple generations.

​

Like many families, our story began long before us. My ancestors crossed the Atlantic with very little, believing that everything they dreamed of would be possible on the other side of Ellis Island. My grandparents were raised in a generation shaped by scarcity, uncertainty, and resilience; a generation that believed nothing should be wasted and everything might matter someday.

​

Over their lifetimes, they accumulated far more than “stuff.” Their home held handmade furniture from before mass production, china sets discovered at garage sales, toys passed down through generations, and boxes of photographs filled with faces and stories we barely recognized. To an outsider, it might have looked like clutter. To them, it was a living archive of their lives.

 

One day, while helping clean out their attic, I started asking a simple question: why?

 

Why keep this?

Why save that?

Why does this matter?

 

The answers changed everything. I realized their home wasn’t full of things—it was full of memories. When they were bored or feeling nostalgic, they would walk through the house, pick up an item, and relive a moment from their past. Every object had a story. The mess finally made sense.

​

When Memories Become a Burden​

A year later, my grandmother passed away.

 

What followed is a situation many families know all too well. In the midst of grief, my cousins, aunts, and uncles gathered—not just to mourn, but to figure out what to do with everything she left behind. There was no plan. No documentation. No explanation of what mattered most or who she wanted things to go to.

 

People tried to claim a few meaningful items, but many of us wanted the same things. Without guidance, emotions ran high. Small misunderstandings turned into tension. Important heirlooms were overlooked. Eventually, overwhelmed and exhausted, the family brought in a junk company to take away what remained.

 

Treasures were lost.

Stories disappeared.

Decisions were driven by pain instead of memory.

 

It didn’t have to be that way.

 

A Better Way Forward

After living through both experiences—the beauty of a life remembered through possessions and the pain of sorting them out without context—I saw a clear connection. Families don’t struggle because they care too much. They struggle because there’s no simple way to document, organize, and communicate what matters before it’s too late.

 

That’s when my dad and I came up with an idea—sketched out on a window with an Expo marker—that would eventually become SaveOr.

​

What SaveOr Does

SaveOr is a simple, secure software platform designed to help people document their belongings, preserve their stories, and make clear plans for the future.

 

With SaveOr, you can:

• Photograph and catalog everything in your home

• Organize items by room, category, or purpose

• Add stories, memories, and personal context to each item

• Assign recipients or ask family members if they want specific items

• Collaborate with children, relatives, or advisors—no matter where they live

• Create clear records for estate planning, downsizing, moving, storage, or insurance

 

Who SaveOr Is For

SaveOr isn’t just for estate planning after someone passes. It’s for life before that moment.

 

It’s for:

• Families who want to avoid conflict and confusion later

• Parents and grandparents who want to be remembered for more than their assets

• People downsizing or moving who want clarity on what to keep, give, donate, or sell

• Families spread across cities or generations who need a shared system

• Anyone creating insurance inventories or documentation for peace of mind

• People who care about their legacy—not just financially, but emotionally

​

Legal estate planning focuses on money. SaveOr focuses on meaning.

​

Preserving What Matters

Estate planning is hard. Talking about “stuff” can feel overwhelming. But memories don’t have to be lost, and families don’t have to suffer through painful decisions made in moments of grief.

 

SaveOr exists so that your things—and the stories behind them—don’t disappear.

So decisions can be made with intention, not stress.

So memories are shared, not forgotten.

 

If you want to preserve your legacy, reduce the burden on your loved ones, and ensure that what mattered to you continues to matter to them, SaveOr was built for you.