savage money / By Jennifer Savage

Budget Disaster Prep

Your home and car should contain first aid kits — again, if you can’t drop the money for the comprehensive version all at once, print out a list of what that kit would ideally contain, then purchase a bit at a time. So often we make the mistake of not buying anything because we can’t afford everything. Save yourself that regret.

Another component of preparedness involves medicines and health care supplies. Non-prescription needs like ibuprofen, tampons and ginger tea are no-brainers, but what about insulin, anti-depressants or inhalers? This one I don’t have an answer for. Insurance companies and Medi-Cal parse their coverage of supplies, and paying cash for exorbitantly priced medications isn’t an option for most people. At least ensure you have as much as possible. If supplies are low, order new ones as soon as you’re able.

The “Living on Shaky Ground” magazine provides an amazingly thorough guide to planning for local disaster. So thorough that you might feel trying to prepare for an earthquake, tsunami or power outage will be impossible, especially if surviving week-to-week already takes all your time, energy and resourcefulness. Stay calm. Work your way through it a bit at a time. Lay the non-money-related groundwork: Talk to your neighbors, host a potluck to discuss how you all will help each other next time, sit down with your family and make sure everyone understands what course of action to take at home, at school, at work. I’d recently thought how my husband and I need to ensure the kids know what to do in case of emergency when, lo and behold we found ourselves at the bottom of the stairs as the house was rocking. He yelled at the kids to come downstairs, wanting them to be in the most structurally safe part of the house. I yelled at them to stay upstairs, afraid they’d slip on the shaking steps. Clearly, some advance discussion would have been a good thing. Other people I know ran outside during the earthquake, which is counter to all advice I’ve ever read. We can’t totally predict nature’s actions, but we should have an idea of our own.

Make time to volunteer for the Red Cross’s Community Emergency Response Team program or, if you qualify, your local fire department.

When your income already doesn’t cover the basics, life can feel like an ongoing disaster. Having to anticipate a natural one only adds to the burden. Not having what you need on hand when you need it incites stress regardless of whether an earthquake has just shook your house or not. But when that next earthquake hits, all the small steps toward preparation will pay off. Don’t let a lack of money translate into a lack of imagination. Take a deep breath and count your blessings. Maybe your favorite coffee mug crashed to the ground during our recent quake. Maybe your house or apartment suffered more serious damage — but you have a house or apartment. Unlike Haiti, our community’s damage has been measured in dollars, not death. Do what you can, ask for what you need, keep your people close and try to look out for others.

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