While there are many ways for someone to beat or cheat the system with coupons, I would never recommend doing so. The savings we can achieve legitimately without resorting to fraud are impressive.
While there are many ways for someone to beat or cheat the system with coupons, I would never recommend doing so. The savings we can achieve legitimately without resorting to fraud are impressive.
As someone who has long embraced a preparedness mindset, I’ve always thought that stocking up on groceries to save money goes hand-in-hand with having additional items on hand for natural disasters or power outages. We can also build a stockpile of items useful to have on hand when the unexpected strikes.
It’s always good, and more cost-effective, to prepare for a scenario before you’re faced with it. Too often, when a storm is imminent, many people race to the store and clear them out of items like bottled water and batteries. If you wait to prepare, you’ll likely pay far more for these items than you would have if you’d done some prep work beforehand.
My daughter moved to Florida, and a hurricane headed her way shortly after her arrival. By the time she went out to purchase bottled water, all of the grocery stores in her area were completely cleaned out. She called and said not to get mad at her for purchasing water online and paying $25 for a 24-pack. (Ouch!)
She made it through her first hurricane just fine though and learned that it’s better to have those emergency supplies on hand long before they’re needed — which is good advice for anyone.
What kinds of items should one have on hand for emergencies? At the bare minimum, experts recommend three days’ worth of nonperishable food and bottled water. Beyond that, though there are other items that are extremely helpful to have. I highly recommend keeping these items together in a box or plastic tote that’s easily accessible.
I’ve divided the list of what’s inside into what I consider to be “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves.” If you’ve never built an emergency kit before, do start with the must-have items, and then decide if any of the others would benefit you as well.
Emergency kit must-haves: Candles, matches, lighter, flashlights, battery lantern, batteries, “brick” chargers and cords for cellphones, portable radio, manual can opener, baby wipes, first-aid kit.
Why are these must-haves?
In a power outage, light is a must. I like to keep both battery-operated and flame lighting options on hand, as both have advantages. (And, as a couponer, I’ll confess that most of the candles in my emergency kit are the scented, air-freshening kinds one often finds coupons for — making them an even better bargain!)
Maintaining communication in an emergency can be essential, so keep multiple brick chargers on hand. If cell service or internet are down, a small portable radio will allow you to hear the news.
If you’ve got a gas range, you’ll be able to light the burners and cook — but make sure you also have a can opener that doesn’t require electricity. If water service is interrupted, baby wipes allow you to wash hands without wasting any drinking water to do so.
Emergency kit nice-to-haves: Weather radio, Hand-crank or solar radio, cordless automotive trouble light, portable television, solar USB charger.
Why are these nice-to-haves?
Weather radios solely tune into the public radio weather band for updates, and radios that do not require batteries are more reliable for lengthy outages. Automotive trouble lights are very high-lumen and typically have a hook or magnet to attach them to surfaces.
While pocket-sized portable televisions are around $100, I do have one in my emergency kit, both for news and entertainment. A solar USB charger will allow you to charge your phone indefinitely and power other small devices.
As you build your emergency kit, there are likely to be other items your family may wish to include. I have a string of small LED lights in mine which can be powered by the solar charger — ensuring that if we had a lengthy power outage and ran out of batteries for our other lights, we’d still have an indefinite lighting source for one room.
My sons also put a deck of playing cards in our kit — and, while funny, it’s a great idea to beat boredom that requires no power either! Customize your kit to your own family’s needs, then make sure everyone knows where it is in case of emergency.
Jill Cataldo, a coupon workshop instructor, writer and mother of three, never passes up a good deal. Learn more about Super-Couponing at her website, www.jillcataldo.com. Email your own couponing victories and questions to jill@ctwfeatures.com.
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