Get Ready, Now – On a Budget!

Thrifty Thursday Article by Amy Hannold (FamilyTimeandMoney.com)

Emergencies can happen at any time. September, appropriately chosen for a change from fair to fall weather, is “National Preparedness Month”.

Preparing your family for the unexpected can be easily done in steps, and affordably.

The most affordable and most important aspect of Emergency Preparedness is communication. Before disaster strikes, have a plan! Distribute this plan to family members, trusted neighbors, and friends. (Distribution encourages them to be prepared as well!).

“Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.” is FEMA’s motto, emphasizing that communication is key to being ready for an emergency. At Ready.gov, you are given the tools to make your plan, communicate it through email/blogs/websites, and you can video-blog your experiences to be of help to others.

Free resources at Ready.gov include an Interactive Family Emergency Plan(it asks the vital questions, and you create an easy to read form for you to give to important contacts); an email application to help you communicate your plan to those around you and links to emergency preparedness offices near you. Tip: Did you know that in an emergency, those living near to you may be the most difficult to reach by phone? Designate an out-of-state contact and be sure everyone has both the contact’s number and a way to reach them (phone card, collect call procedure, etc.).

Making an emergency kit, on a budget:

You can purchase ready-make emergency kits from your local Red Cross or other related non-profit organization. These kits store well and for long periods of time. Purchasing these prepared kits often support the organizations which serve our neighbors during disasters.

Creating your own emergency preparedness kit can be done, a few pieces at a time. On their website, the Red Cross illustrates how an emergency kit can be created over the course of 20 weeks. One benefit of this list is that in addition to weekly shopping lists, there is an important aspect of preparedness to complete.

http://www2.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/apendixb.html

Sesame Workshop has put together several kid-friendly resources, designed for preparing your kids for emergencies. Free online videos, downloadable forms, and more are available at:

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/emotion/ready