Are You Prepared?

I was in my kitchen yesterday and smelled smoke, but I wasn’t cooking. From the window I could see black clouds billowing down our street. I rushed outside to find the house several doors down engulfed in flames!

Fortunately, the family was out at the time so no one was injured. But it started me thinking…we take all sorts of precautions to prevent these kinds of disasters, but we aren’t in control.

The last thing we want to think about is a losing all that we own, but it happens. Are you prepared?

Here are some tips for securing your most vital information against disaster:

Decide where you’d like to keep your information; on your computer or online file storage site, in a card file or binder, in a fire-proof safe, etc. For an extra measure of protection, I recommend storing this info in two different locations.

This is the information I have in a folder on my computer at home and at work:

   • Credit card numbers and the numbers to call if they are stolen
   • Emergency contacts
   • Bank account numbers
   • Insurance policy numbers and claim phone numbers
   • License plates and VIN’s for all cars
   • Current photos of all family members labeled with heights and weights
   • Photocopies of all documents listed below (my actual documents are in a small fire-proof safe in my home):

   • Birth Certificates
   • Marriage Certificates
   • Death Certificates
   • Adoption Papers
   • Auto Titles
   • Stock Certificates
   • Wills
   • Contracts
   • Passports
   • Citizenship papers
   • Insurance documents
   • Deeds

Hopefully you will never need this, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

What other tips do you have for securing your important info? Any information I forgot to mention? Leave a comment!

Posted June 7, 2011, filed in Emergency Preparedness, Clutter Control Products