Storm

Expect the best, prepare for the worst they say. No one is immune to emergencies, medical or financial, but there are precautions you can take to avoid some of these most common emergencies. This article is full of great tips to avoid each one, including to save enough money to cushion yourself in a time of need. 4 in 10 Americans would feel financial distress if they were to lose their job today. Don’t be one of the 4 in this statistic and lose the things you’ve worked so hard for, your health, your home, and your happiness. In no specific order, here are six of the most common emergencies to prepare yourself for.

Injuries/Car Accidents

Work related injuries and car accidents are among the most common injuries that happen to people and put them in the hospital for at least a 24 hour stay. These hospitals stays (or worse, ambulance rides!) are expensive. Each American is expected to have a car accident once every 18 years, at least 3 times in their lifetime, and you shouldn’t expect one later rather than sooner. Involved lawsuits, physical therapy, chiropractic visits, braces and/or medications are all costs that could come right out of your bank account immediately and should be prepared for with a 1,000.00 cushion in savings. Even if you have insurance, or will be reimbursed for any services or products needed from an injury or accident, this money owed will likely be your responsibility first.

Frostbite

If you live in a state that’s subject to harsh whether, one break down of your car or other disaster could leave you in a deadly situation. One cannot withstand the elements naturally in the case of snow and below zero temperatures. A few things you need to be aware of in a frostbite situation are that you should not attempt to warm the skin if there is a chance it will refreeze because it will cause twice the damage to the cells and you shouldn’t warm it by means of friction because that, too, damages cells.

Flat Or Blown Out Tires

One of the accidents most responsible for collisions on the road is when a car gets a flat or worse, blows a tire unexpectedly. An alarming study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration prior to tire pressure monitoring systems becoming standard in 2007 said blown tires and flats were the cause for 414 fatalities, more than 10,000 non-fatal injuries, and almost 80,000 collisions annually!

Protect yourself by checking your air pressure regularly and rotating tires at every oil change. Also keep an eye on the tread of your tires and be sure to replace them long before they are worn out and you will likely never experience this problem. Hopefully others will take the same responsibility for their car maintenance and avoid crashing into you for this reason.

Storms And Other Natural Disasters

Again, depending on where you live, mother nature can take a toll on your home and neighborhood. In the event you will have to evacuate your home, you will want to be prepared with supplies that will last you up to 72 hours or 3 days. There are lots of resources available online to provide you a sample list of what you might need including food, water, blankets, battery or solar operated items, and other tools. Making sure these tools are easy to remove from the home and put into a vehicle or better yet, carried on your back is an advantage.

Loss Of Job

As previously stated, 4 in 10 Americans would suffer greatly if they lost their job tomorrow. Most American savings accounts aren’t adequate enough to support their families or pay one month of their rent or mortgage, let alone one car repair. Striving to save one month’s worth of living expenses is a great goal to have, three months is even better!

House Fire

Cooking is the leading cause of house fires. Smoking cigarettes and faulty heating equipment are close seconds. No one is immune to accidents, especially if you live with people outside your control. Fire safety is a great thing to learn with your family and roommates. Planning 2 escape routes from each room in the house is something that should be reviewed once in awhile. Otherwise, prevention is key. Every 2 in 5 house fires begins in the kitchen so the three best things you can do is remove anything flammable from the kitchen that’s within 3 feet of your oven and stovetop burners, test your smoke alarms, and check and replace your fire extinguishers regularly.