Our friend’s family recently had an extreme emergency. Her husband was in a serious car accident and will be out of work for quite some time – possibly even a year. Fortunately, he had disability insurance that will cover him for an entire year so they avoided a major setback, including possible foreclosure on their home.
Many of us are not prepared for such emergencies. Ask yourself these questions and then have conversations about them in your home.
How much do you have in savings?
How much can you start setting aside to add to or build up your savings
What is your debt situation like?
What is your income to debt ratio?
How can you pay off your debt quicker and remain debt free?
What happens if one of you can’t work?
Do you have disability insurance, life insurance, medical insurance?
Where are your important papers located?
Do you have a safety deposit box?
Do you have an attorney? Do you need one?
Is your will written? Who’s is getting what?
What preparations have you made or discussed for funeral arrangements?
If you have children, who will care for your children in the instance that the parents are not available?
Does everyone know what the plans are?
Because my friend visits her husband at the hospital everyday, she doesn’t even have the time to keep her house clean. That’s been a challenge. She could use someone like theotherwoman.net
But, that’s something also to take into consideration. Who’s going to clean your house? Maintain your garden, plow the driveway, take care of the pets, etc. Your money, your time, your wishes, your plans. It’s a good idea to get those things together now before an emergency makes the plans for you.