While no one ever wants to experience an emergency in their life, with everything in our world being so unpredictable, it’s best to prepare for the unknown as best you can rather than trying to react to something once it’s already happened. To best do this, you’ll want to keep yourself prepared for all kinds of emergencies in your life, both personal and financial.
To help you in this preparation, here are three tips for preparing for personal and financial emergencies.
Have An Emergency Kit Ready
For personal emergencies like natural disasters, global unrest, or any kind of injuries, it’s wise to have an emergency kit ready that you can grab and go without having to spend a lot of time putting together.
According to the Red Cross, you may want to start your emergency kit by looking at what kind of natural disasters are most likely to happen in your area. Then, you can put together necessary supplies based on where you are, what you might be facing, and where you might have to go if you need to leave your house. For example, if you live in a heavily wooded area, you might want to have a hunting rifle in your emergency kit so you can protect yourself or your loved ones from wild animals. Along with items based on your region, your emergency kit should also include things like food, water, extra clothes, some cash, and a way to communicate.
Build Your Savings
Whether the emergency you’re experiencing is a personal one or a financial one, having money in savings is going to make anything you’re facing much easier to cope with.
To build your savings, Miriam Caldwell, a contributor to The Balance, recommends that you start contributing to an emergency fund. Ideally, you should try to save enough money to pay your bills and keep things going in the event that you aren’t making any additional money for a year. While not many people have this presently, working toward this is a great goal and a good way to prepare for the unknown.
Keep Your Credit Score High
Sometimes, even the money that you have in your savings account won’t be enough to cover emergency expenses. But luckily, you can have access to additional money as long as you have a credit score high enough to qualify for a loan.
According to Christy Bieber, a contributor to Fool.com, keeping your credit score as high as possible will allow you to borrow money at a decent interest rate in the event that you need access to cash that you just don’t have. So even if you’re not able to save a ton of money, doing your best to get and keep a high credit score will be beneficial if an emergency strikes.
To help you be prepared for whatever the future holds, consider using the tips mentioned above to prepare yourself for potential personal or financial emergencies.