September is National Preparedness Month, so now is a great time to get prepared! In this article you'll find some of the easiest steps to prepare for those little emergencies in life that can be annoying or devastating. Read on!
This is the 6th year that National Preparedness Month (NPM) is a nationwide effort sponsored by the Ready Campaign, with the support of Coalition Members across the US. Are you prepared? Here are two simple steps a couple of helpful tips that will make you more prepared in the case of two different types of emergencies. These 2 simple steps don't take long to do and can save you a ton of time, money and frustration! These steps are especially important to take if you travel.
Emergency #1 - Someone stole my wallet! Make photocopies (or scan and print copies) of everything (I mean everything) in your wallet. Its in your wallet, right? Then its important! Mark a manila envelope with today's date and place all of those copies inside. Drop that envelope in your personal home safe or your safe deposit box. Looking ahead 3 and 6 months, mark your calendar with the note "Update Wallet Contents" and do so in your Wallet Envelope. So now, if your wallet is lost or stolen, you already know what's missing and have a copy of it for reimbursement or to process its replacement. Now that's smart.
Emergency #2 - Wild Fire, Break In or Flood Truly, the best way to prepare for one of these emergencies is to have a fireproof safe in your home. A safe deposit box is a great idea, but is inconvenient and inaccessible most of the time. Although, it is very safe, so don't rule it out. Just last year in Southeast Minnesota there were flood victims that had to work very hard to prove the loss they suffered to their property. Mortgage title, deeds and all of their housing documents were lost in the flood. Keeping these important and hard to replace documents, along with a detailed inventory (including photos, see below) of all items in your house, make the recovery process easier for you and all other agencies involved.
Take a Household Inventory Break out that digital camera and walk around your home and property taking inventory photos of your personal belongings. Put all the photos on a CD or DVD. Now make at least three copies and distribute those copies with one going in your safe, one to your insurance agent and the last to the executor of your Will. Be sure to include any appraisals or special receipts for high dollar items.
Family Photos Protected A simple solution to the worry about the old family photos destroyed in a fire is to have the family photos scanned to a photo CD, very much like your household inventory. Distribute about three copies to other family members for safe keeping.
Another Hot Tip: Put your cell phone on ICE! Add a contact to your cell phone and name it: In Case of Emergency. Then list whom you would want to be contacted in the case you ended up in the hospital. Hospitals are now checking cell phones for emergency contacts.
By using these simple home organization and emergency planning tips you will save you and your family time and frustration; not to mention energy and money. Check out the Ready Campaign's government website at
http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html.
More Information:
Heidi DeCoux is the publisher of the Life Made Simple E-zine and a
professional organizer in Minneapolis specializing in
home organization. Heidi energizes her readers' by simplifying their homes & schedules. For more info, free tips, and to receive her FREE Report: The Fast & Easy Way to Get Organized and Stay Organized Forever, visit ClearSimpleLiving.com.
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