Hello again, from your guest blogger Mommy Money. We are in the middle of summer in South Florida and if you are like me, you are thinking…is it HOTTER this year! Hotter summer triggers even more concern; the hot ocean water means bigger hurricanes. It’s inevitable that we will have storms that cause a ruckus. The question on my mind is “Am I prepared?”
I am a native Floridian and used to storms. Some stick in my head more than others. As a kid, big storms always came along with Labor Day Jerry Lewis telethons (yes, I am dating myself) and taping or cracking open windows that now we know we are NOT supposed to do. I lived through Hurricane Andrew and remembered hunkering down in a small bathroom with my baby, mother, sister, and dog while the wind shook the house. I actually enjoyed being without power for a week after Hurricane Wilma; the October weather was beyond beautiful. Through the years though, you come to realize preparing for hurricane season makes a huge difference!
Time to Prepare
New this year, instead of one or two sales tax holidays, selected disaster-related and safety items are now tax-free year-round. The Miami Herald has a list of the year-round exemption items. Regardless, don't wait to purchase your necessities like:
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Preparation is more than just pre-storm purchases. You need to think through your during-the-storm emergency plan, and post-storm too. If you have pets, family members that have special needs, or elders to consider, your plan needs to encompass what it will take to care for them during a hurricane. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has a comprehensive Disaster Supply Kit Checklist that you can download and use as a guide.
Money Tips
Planning your cash flow ahead of a hurricane watch or warning will save you time and money. Consider:
- Savings Account – Plan for hurricane season by opening a secondary (also known as club) savings account for emergencies. You can set up monthly automatic transfers from your checking account to build your emergency fund, so you have money when the time comes.
- Cash – Depending on when a storm hits and its severity, financial institutions, grocery stores and even gas stations may be out of power. You want to have enough cash on hand to make one week’s worth of necessary post storm purchases.
- Credit Card – If the storm arrives before you can build your emergency fund, consider opening a credit card to use for emergency situations. If there is power, you can access cash by making a cash advance at an ATM. Make sure you have created a PIN number for your credit card.
- Personal Loan or Line of Credit – Bigger issues can arise like a leaky roof, a fallen tree, or evacuating away from the storm. There are many loan options, from a Certificate of Deposit (CD) secured loan to a Storm Relief loan, that can help you pick up the pieces and get life back to normal.
- E-Statements – Give yourself the peace of mind knowing your account information doesn’t get blown into the wind. Whether it’s your checking account statement, credit cards, other bills, or important personal correspondence, the more you can keep out of the mailbox the safer your personal information will be.
A Floridian’s Advice
If you are new to the state or to hurricanes in general, I am happy to share some of the things I do in the months leading up to and during hurricane season.
- BOGOs: When possible, I will watch for buy-one-get-one deals like the ones you can find at Publix. You want to look for canned or boxed foods (non-perishables), then take the free one and place it in your hurricane food supply box. If there is a BOGO on bread, I will freeze one of the loaves and defrost it when needed (this works with bagels and English muffins too). Oh, and don’t forget disposable and paper goods (paper plates, plastic cups, paper towels, Ziplock baggies, etc.).
- Water: You will need approximately one gallon of water per person per day (don’t forget your pets). I do a handful of things here:
On every trip to the store, I grab a case or gallon to stock up a little at a time.
I freeze water in different shapes and sizes. Water gallon jugs are great for making drinks once they are defrosted. Rinsed out 2-liter bottles are perfect for big coolers and individual bottles are good for smaller coolers.
- Gas: I never let my car go below ½ tank of gas. I dislike those long gas lines more than I dislike running out of toilet paper (COVID flashbacks). Keep enough gas in your tank should you need to evacuate. If you have space, safely store a few gas cans in your garage for your generator and car.
- Propane gas: I usually have two tanks of propane gas. One is for normal everyday use and the other is for emergencies. Both will be filled if possible, but most definitely one is filled and safely stored.
- Insurance: As a storm approaches, I put copies of homeowner’s insurance policy in a Ziploc and place it high up in my closet. After the house is secured, I then take a video of the outside of my house and video every room inside my house. I know that if God forbid the house is hit, I won’t remember everything I own or would need to replace. That video living in the cloud will be my peace of mind should the worst occur.
Folks, it boils down to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised should the hurricane pass you by. Know if your area is prone to flooding, talk your family about your emergency plan, and prepare in advance. When the wind kicks up you will thank yourself later for having a sound plan!