You know it’s important. You know it needs to be done. You know it’s been on your to-do list for months or years. However, it doesn’t have a due date or a time limit. No one’s bugging you about it, so there’s no sense of urgency. And so those super-important, seriously life-impacting things often just don’t get done. The facts are that tragedies happen, emergencies occur, the unexpected catches us off guard. Planning ahead and being prepared for those things will greatly lessen the stress and hardship for all parties involved. Let’s take a look at five of those things:
Every family needs an escape route and meeting place for an emergency!
Nothing is more important in an emergency than saving the lives of our family members! Yet many of us have not planned and practiced an emergency escape route or established a meeting place. This is crucial! It seems like emergencies only happen to other people, but one of these days it might be me or you, right?
Talk with your family about what to do in case of an emergency. Make sure everyone knows and practices the safest way to exit the house. The Red Cross suggests choosing two places to meet: one right outside home in case of a sudden emergency, such as a fire, and another outside your neighborhood, in case you cannot return home or are asked to evacuate.
Every family needs proper supplies for an emergency situation!
Do you know where your fire extinguisher is? Are your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors working? Do you have ample water and food on hand? Are there jumper cables and blankets in your car? Do you have a battery-powered radio in case power is out for an extended period of time? The time to prepare is before the emergency happens! For information, visit RedCross.org or Ready.gov.
Every family needs a sufficient amount of life insurance!
Please, please, please get life insurance today if you do not already have it. If your family income were suddenly reduced or eliminated entirely by someone’s passing, how would your family survive, purchase essentials and pay bills? Financial expert Dave Ramsey recommends 10 times your income in term life insurance. If you are a reasonably healthy person, it is not expensive. Buying life insurance is one of the most loving things you can do for your family. For tips on this, check out the following article: DaveRamsey.com/blog/5-term-life-insurance-mistakes.
Every family needs an up-to-date will!
Geoff Williams of U.S. News and World Report says, “The hardest part about writing a will is finding the will to do it.” The one question to consider is this: Do you want the government to decide what happens with your children and your assets, or do YOU want to decide? Rocket Lawyer (RocketLawyer.com) suggests the following reasons to get a will done ASAP!
1. To appoint a guardian for your children
2. To protect your business
3. To decide who receives your assets
4. To provide for a favorite charity
5. To make a difficult time less difficult
According to CaregiversLibrary.org, more than half of Americans who own property die without a will. This is definitely an important issue to research and take care of this year! For more information, see this article: Money.USNews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2014/09/19/10-steps-to-writing-a-will.
Every family needs a thorough list of major accounts and account information!
One beneficial thing you can do to prepare for the unexpected is to compile a list of all your account information. If I had to find some of that information right now, I would be looking through many piles and files! If your spouse or someone else suddenly has to take over your finances, he or she needs to know what companies you are with, your account numbers, user name and passwords and contact information. If your home is destroyed for some reason or your computer crashes or who knows what, this account compilation document would be crucial. It needs to be created and saved in a safe place. You also need to let another friend or relative know how to locate that document. Taking the time to make this document can save an immense amount of hassle and hardship in the future. This is a fairly simple thing to take care. Don’t forget to review and update it occasionally.
So, that is my list of important things to do in 2016. What is on your list? Let’s realize those important things really are urgent and make a plan to get them done in 2016!
Blogging at Mom-in-Progress.com, Tori Walker wants to know what other things you would add to the “important but not urgent enough” list. E-mail her your suggestions at TorisTunes@gmail.com. She also confesses to only having one of the above things completed!