Things Grown-Ups Do: Be Prepared

Sandy has made her brief but destructive East Coast appearance and has now gone on her way.  When disasters strike, there's always a bit of panic involved in getting things together in case the worse happens.  I'm here to remind you to get things together now, so the panic isn't necessary!

First off, assemble an emergency kit.  It will take you less than an hour, and then you never have to think about it again.

Include:

• Flashlights (that work!) - good idea to have at least one for every person living in your house
• Battery powered radio
• Batteries for both the above items (check what kinds they use!)
• Candles and lighters
• Extra blankets
• Good stock of non-perishable food items + bottles of water
• Emergency contact information, important phone numbers, insurance policies

Seems like an easy list, but somehow whenever bad weather is on the way, there always has to be a trip to the store for batteries, and we discover that our flashlights have disappeared.  Get a clear storage box, label it "emergency supplies," toss everything you may need in there, and then put it in a place that is easily accessible (because if the lights go out, you need to be able to reach it!).

Secondly:  insurance. 

We tend to get lazy with insurance because it's a hassle and it seems like something we will never need.  If we're lucky, that will most certainly be the case, but that's not something we can predict!  So, if you own a home, make it a point to get homeowner's insurance AND flood insurance (floods aren't covered in homeowner's insurance!).  If you rent, as silly and pointless as it seems, get renter's insurance.  There are tons of policies that are only $10-15 a month, and guess what?  They cover allllll of your belongings.  If anything you own is stolen (even if your laptop gets stolen from your car, for example), renter's insurance will cover that.  It's too important and too cheap to overlook!

Now that I've given you my public service announcement for today...I'm going to follow my own advice and make an emergency kit and get some insurance!  Do it, do it, do it!