In case of emergency. Those are four words that we don’t like to think about. Have you considered what the results of not having a plan can be?
If you are like me, I have passwords, due dates, doctor’s appointments, financial information, plus all my hobby-related information that no one else knows all stored inside my brain. What happens to my blogs, my social media accounts, emails, bills and appointments if for some reason I experience an emergency that takes me out of the loop for a day, week or longer?
That’s why it’s important to have a plan.
Passwords: If you store all passwords in your head and your brain gets confused, you’re in trouble. We use a small free, downloadable program called Keepass to store our passwords. There is one password to open the account. Then all of our passwords are there. I have given my master password to a select person so there always will be a way to access my account. www.keepass.com
Other people keep all their passwords in a notebook stored in a safe place. If this is more your style, just make sure you don’t lose that notebook.
Finances/bills/investments/retirement: If you are the one who pays the bills in your household, make sure you have all due dates, account numbers, companies, contact information on paper or in a document. That way, if you are unable to take care of it, your family won’t have to contend with late fees or unpaid bills. This will also make sure that all retirement, insurance and investment accounts can be accessed.
Add a second name: Many companies will only communicate with the main account holder. Make sure you have authorized a spouse or second person to have access to those accounts. Many times, it only takes a document or phone call to put a second person’s name on the approved list.
Social media/Internet accounts: If you use have Facebook, Twitter, emails or blogs, you will want someone to be able to access those accounts if you are unavailable. Since I also blog, I have included all my social media and Internet information in my password files.
Family/children: Whether you live alone or have family in your household, there should be an emergency plan in place. We have discussed with our children a procedure they should follow in case one of us is home alone with them and there is an emergency that we can’t deal with. Having a plan in place gives us all security. We don’t have to worry about ‘what if’? We have a plan and everyone knows what is expected in the case of an unforeseen event.
Emergency contact numbers: There are different feelings about whether you should have an ICE number programmed into your phone. Whether you do or don’t, make sure there is a way to contact someone important in case there is an accident. Children should know how to contact 911 as well as a close proximity family member or friend. You should keep a few numbers programmed into your phone in case you need to get in contact with crucial people in an instant.
Keep a calendar: If you are the person responsible for making doctor appointments, keep an accessible calendar so others will know where they need to be. Some offices charge a fee if you miss your appointment. Although you may be able to negotiate that fee, if family members know in time to change the appointment, they could avoid the hassle.
Having a plan and being prepared not only will save our sanity, give us peace of mind and help us relax but it also will help our family members and friends know what to do and how to get the work done if we can’t do it personally.
Sharon Williams blogs about hobbies, saving money and life at www.hobbiesonabudget.com.
