Winter is coming and it's been a while since I bought up the topic of disaster preparedness, so I figured it was time to readdress the issue. If you haven't ever thought about what you would do in a disaster or what to assemble in your disaster kits there is no time like the present to get started. If you already have a disaster kit, follow me below to see some tips and pointers on what to check to make sure it is all still in good working order.
Next week, AnnieJo will be guest hosting on the topic of Frugal Holidays. Be sure to look for it.
Since the focus of this series is frugality, I strongly recommend that you not spend a fortune on disaster supplies that you will stick on a shelf and never use. Try to assemble your supplies from things you already have, and keep them in a location that is both handy to use and easy to get at in case of an emergency. As you deplete your supplies, you need to remember to restock them. That's what this diary is to help remind you to do.
If you haven't done any disaster planning previously, may I suggest that you first look at Frugal Fridays: Disaster Preparedness. I list some other resources in the beginning of that diary that are of further use as well.
So what if you did as I did last year and actually assembled a kit? Well, now may be a good time to look through it and see what needs to be restocked or replaced:
- Reassess your needs: Since the last time you assembled your supplies, have your circumstances changed? Have you added or lost any members of your household, including pets? Have you moved or maybe become aware of new hazards in your area? For example, are you now more susceptible to floods or fires than you were previously? Make sure your supplies will be of use in the disaster you are most likely to face.
- Food, Water, Medications: Check expiration dates and make sure that anything too old is tossed and replaced. Don't forget your pet food when you are checking the food stores. Water does actually expire after a few years because chemicals from the packaging leech into the water.
- Batteries and chargers: Replace all the batteries in your devices. If you have a crank charged flashlight or radio, make sure that those still hold a charge when cranked.
- Electronic data: Make new copies of your computer data (files, photos, whatever you don't want to lose). You can burn this data to a CD or DVD or just copy it to a spare thumb drive.
- Phone lists and other paper data: Make sure that all the phone numbers on your list are still accurate and remind your out of state contact person that you are still expecting to call them in case of emergency. There are all sorts of other paper documents that you probably have copies of in your kit as well. Make sure these are all up to date.
- Check remote stashes: Whether you keep extra copies of documents with friends or you have survival supplies buried on your remote property, now is the time to check those supplies as well and make sure everything is still up to date and in good shape.
- Cold weather car kit: If you live in a cold climate, or if you may drive into one, be sure and add some cold weather supplies to your standard car kit: candles or sterno cans, coffee can or other metal container (to melt snow in), survival food, warm gloves, snow boots, warm socks, collapsible shovel, traction mats or old carpet, ice scraper, snow brush, tire chains, salt, and cat box litter or sand.
- Add new supplies as you can afford them: Building up a full set of survivalist gear can be very expensive. Rather than doing a complete job all at once, I've been slowly adding to my collection over time. Right now, we are still working on assembling camping gear. So when I see things go on sale that I have been thinking about adding to the kit, I snag them up at a bargain.
- Update [2008-11-7 16:22:45 by sarahnity]: Refresh your skills: Check with the American Red Cross for first aid and disaster training and with your local community for CERT training. If you have already taken classes in the past, look for refresher training. (Thanks to the user who sent this idea in email.)
Frugal Tip of the Week: November is the month to stock up on sneakers (as retailers get rid of the left over back-to-school merchandise to make room for boots) and, strangely enough, wedding dresses (it's the lull in seasons before the February rush begins for June brides - try haggling and see what deal you can strike). Blankets and quilts are often also on sale in November.