i'm usually pretty good about doing regular data backups, but after recently getting a new laptop i realized that i had lost track of all the programs i had installed on the old computer, particularly all the utilities that do regular tasks for me so that i don't have to think about them.

i now have a list called "installed_programs" that holds all of the programs and utilities i have installed on both my home and work computers. that way, in case of disaster or new computer i know what i need to re-install.