Save thousands with a frugal emergency plan

Hey guys — you’ll never guess what gave me the idea for this week’s column. For all of you with friends and family in the path of recent hurricanes, please send them my best.

Watching the latest footage out of Texas and Florida, one lesson I keep coming back to is that those who had an emergency plan were far better off than those who didn’t. We’re front and center in the midst of another hurricane season, and winter is right around the corner – imagine a potential crummy weather situation (or two) to contend with. Are you ready? Luckily, with a relatively inexpensive checklist of items, you can make your next power outage a lot easier to endure.

(1) Emergency Kit: During any upcoming outages, keep your comfort level high, your irritation levels low and your expenses to a minimum with a brilliantly frugal Power Outage Kit. The basics to include: as much cash as you can manage — you never know if ATM’s will be working — and two flashlights per person in your household, with enough new batteries to replace the flashlights at least twice. Add a small battery-powered radio and/or television set to keep up with news and weather announcements, as well as your Deluxe Scrabble and a full set of playing cards (Uno, anyone?) for some perfect power-outage entertainment.

(2) Phone Charger: Make sure you have at least two car-chargers for your phone (heaven forbid one breaks) and if you currently have cordless phones in your home (unusable in power outages), give some thought to installing a hard-wired phone for emergencies.

(3) Power Generator: This seems like a huge expense (often thousands of dollars when bought brand new at retail), however, thirty seconds with a calculator will show that it often pays for itself within two power outages, depending on how many nights you found yourself paying for a hotel room, how much meat and produce you throw out, etc. The big trick for keeping the price down – never pay retail. Many people choose to regularly upgrade to this year’s latest top-notch generator, bought at retail, which leaves them selling their “old” one for a fraction of the price on Craigslist. Get online, figure out the generator that fits your home’s needs, and offer Mr. & Mrs. Craigslist cash and immediate pickup. Everyone’s a winner.

(4) Flood Insurance: For those evacuated out of recent hurricane paths, the one thing worse than wondering if their home was still standing was worrying if the damage was covered by insurance. Many homeowners are shocked to learn that a standard insurance policy often doesn’t cover flood damage. When it comes to renters, many are still under the impression that their landlord’s property policy is responsible for replacing a renter’s ruined television — absolutely not true. If you rent, you need renter’s insurance to cover your possessions in case of weather disasters. If you don’t have it, go out and get it pronto before the next severe weather hits – you could save thousands of dollars in the long run.

Here’s to a storm-free fall and winter — frugal on!

Kristen Hagopian is a Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host & Columnist. She co-hosts WCHE 1520’s Morning Show, as well as “The Kristen Hagopian Show” Thursdays at 5 p.m., and “Dad and Daughter Talk Real Estate” with local Keller Williams Realtor John Herreid Wednesdays at 5 p.m. (www.johnherreid. com). She was raised in Delaware County, and now resides in Chester County with her husband and kids. You can find her online at www. BrilliantFrugalLiving.com