Emergencies happen, and there really isn’t a ton we can do to avoid them. What we can do, is be prepared for them. One of my favorite ways to be prepared for dooms day is by keeping an emergency notebook. I have a notebook that I keep here in the house with all sorts of important information for and about my family, something that will be imperative to have in the god forbid event of an emergency.

A notebook is something we can grab quickly if we are in a hurry. It’s also something that I use often in my day to day stuff. Not quite every day, but often enough. It includes things like, copies of our insurance cards, birth certificates, and social security cards. For us, I just keep copies of these documents, and the originals are kept in a safe deposit box. Also kept in our binder is a list of important phone numbers and addresses. This information is not just for poison control or the local fire department (although those are indeed included, as is 911 just as a reminder for the kids). We have local family members listed, as well as our primary doctors.

Other important things to include in your folder are property titles, car titles, your will, marriage license, a back up bank card, a copy of identification cards, a list of allergies anyone in your family has and so on. Once you have this all compiled, consider investing in a good water and fireproof box. You are after all preparing for an emergency. Online you can find several kits to help you get your notebooks started. Or you can absolutely configure one by yourself. Get it made, keep it safe, and with any luck you will never have to use it!

-Stephanie Wright