I created an automator action to copy the contents of my thumb drive to a folder on my hard drive. This way if I lose it, break it, or it gets stolen, I know exactly what was on it the time I last time I had it in the computer. This way when I replace it I don't have to hunt and peck for all the files I like to keep handy.
Also, I have an automator action that batch reduces the size of images, then zips them up, and attaches them to an email. Very handy for sending pictures to Mom and Dad.
Automator comes in very handy for things like this.