Preparedness Tips On A String Budget

One of the most common excuses I hear from folks when it comes to emergency preparedness is that it's too expensive to get prepared. Well, if you have a giant underground bunker on your preparedness shopping list, then I'd have to agree! ;) For the rest of us, you don't have to spend a lot to be ready for an emergency situation. In fact, there are plenty of things you can do to get ready that cost you absolutely nothing, or very little!

One of the easiest - and free! - things you can do to be ready for an emergency situation is to know what you do have and where it is. You'd be surprised at the preps many people have lying around, from extra blankets to refillable water bottles to old backpacks. Take a weekend afternoon and walk through your home with a pen and paper, and write down things you see that could be used as a prep. Do you have candles on the fireplace mantel There's a prep right there. Sleeping bags stored in the garage? There's another prep. Can opener in the drawer? Prep. Can of Spagetti O's at the back of the food shelves? Prep.

Once you've got your list of preparedness you already own, you need to know where those preps are! If things aren't stored out in the open, consider trying to keep them stored together in the same closet, together in the garage, or in a box under the bed. Make sure wherever you store these items, that they are easy to get to if you have to evacuate, or are hit with something at the last minute like an earthquake or tornado.

Another easy, and rather cheap (if not nearly free) thing to do is to keep up on chores. Keeping up with everything from laundry to dishwashing means if a pipe is frozen or cut off from the water main, you don't have to worry about what clothing you will be wearing to work or school. It also means when the bad weather (or disaster) is over, you won't be looking at the giant pile of cleaning. (Well, hopefully!) Keeping up with putting things like toys or books away, having the laundry folded and in drawers or closets, and keeping clutter out of the way in hallways and near doors, can help you have a clear, safe path to evacuate during a fire or earthquake.

Probably the cheapest thing you can to do be prepared is to keep yourself in shape. As long as your neighborhood is safe, get out as a family and go for walks. It will allow you to not only perhaps notice escape areas to get out of your neighborhood that you might not have noticed, you might also notice problem areas, such as foreclosed homes not being kept up that could become possible fire hazards. While it's not usually cheap, if you have insurance, use it - don't miss out on those checkups, dentist appointments, etc. Many schools tend to offer free vaccination's - and sometimes, parents are included too!, so if you believe in vaccinations, take advantage.

Stay up to date on crimes in your area and where the sex offenders live using free online apps. You don't need to feel like Ms. Snopey looking out the window with a police scanner going full time - just pay attention via your local newspaper online, and set up an alert via a service like the National Sex Offender Registry from Family Watchdog to be notified whenever a sex offender moves close to you. (They'll even tell you about recalls, if you're interested!)

Don't forget to look for free samples online via websites like Freebies 4 Mom and Money Saving Mom. Sometimes your local stores will have sample sizes available of products that can get tossed into your emergency kits, from things to spice up your water bottles to vitamins.

Make sure all emergency contacts are up to date in your wallet or purse, phone, etc. If you are an organ donor, or want a Do Not Resuscitate form filled out, make sure you take care of those now! If you have children in school, make sure the information is current there too. The same goes for pets - if they are microchipped, is the information up to date? Does your vet have your emergency information too, alongside a current photo of your pet for identification purposes?

Double check your insurance paperwork from health to home to vehicle and make sure you are aware what is covered. Some plans will cover food loss if the power is out. Some might cover a tornado, but not a flood. Make sure you have a photo of any valuables for verification, and try to update photos of the house with your digital camera once or twice a year. (Keep this uploaded to a secure site so you can access it from any computer or tablet if yours doesn't make it through the disaster with you!)

Finally, create your emergency plans and use them. Practice fire drills on a regular basis, even if it's just getting to the escape path out of the house. (Keep in mind that an escape route in Summer might not be as easy in Winter and vice sa versa!) You can even receive free automatic reminders via sites like this, with ideas and plans already made up for you - just adjust as you need to for your family's individual needs.

Doing these things won't break the bank, and it will help you be that much more prepared no matter what the situation - and the less stress, the better, right?