The following  10 minute preparedness challenges are taken from simplefamilypreparedness.com.  

What would happen if you couldn’t access the money in your checking account and / or use your credit cards

• for a day?
• for a week?
• for longer?

It is a good idea to have cash stored somewhere in your home (or multiple places).  Even something as simple as a 24 hour power outage could have credit card machines down making it tough to access all that “electronic” money.  Or, if someone gets your credit card number and uses it fraudulently, you will have to wait for a new one.  Having some cash available is simply smart.

Keep a few hundred dollars in your 72 hour kits as well as more cash in a few well hidden places in our home.  The security this brings is priceless and it doesn’t take more than a few minutes of your time.

And don’t worry / stress if you can’t afford to stash a large amount of cash right now.  Just commit to add to your stash bit by bit…even a dollar or two per paycheck is MUCH better than nothing!  

My favorite place to store cash is in the refrigerator / freezer since that is somewhere that would also keep it safe from house fire.  We also have cash in our 72 hour kits and in our water proof / fire proof safe where we keep our important documents.

• 15 Secret Hiding Places that will fool even the smartest burgler
• Places to hide cash pinterest board.
• 20 places to hide money at home other than under your mattress.

Now, next time you are at the bank, withdraw a little extra cash…whatever you can afford and spend 10 minutes stashing it somewhere safe! 

Is your gas tank 1/2 full?

If your child woke tonight in the middle of the night needing to go to the ER, would you have enough gas to get there?  If there was a fire or flood or hurricane etc in your area and you were asked to evacuate (along with every one of your neighbors), would you have enough gas to get to a friend or family member’s home?  If you ran out of gas while driving somewhere, what would you do for help?  What if your cell didn’t have service?  If there was a traffic accident on your way home from work and you were stuck for hours would you have enough gas?

Keep your gas tank 1/2 full!

As we approach winter it is even more important to avoid an empty tank.  Condensation can build up in a near-empty tank which can cause the fuel line to freeze which means you won’t be able to start your car.

Keep your gas tank 1/2 full!

Plus, keeping your gas tank full is smart financially as well.  You can save expensive fuel pump repairs by keeping that pump submerged in gasoline.

Keep your gas tank 1/2 full!

End of article from simplypreparedness.com

Speaking of keeping at least a 1/2 tank of gas, now is the time to think about preparing your car for winter travel.  Think about what you might need to have in your car for your family if you get stuck in a snowstorm or traffic jam during winter weather. Do you need some blankets, water, a flashlight or your 72 hour kit?  Evaluate the needs of your family and plan accordingly.

Happy Prepping!

Shanna :)