Preparing an Emergency Kit for Your Car

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. Throughout the month, I am going to post a series of articles about saving money while preparing for emergencies.

Most people have a road assistance kit containing things like jumper cables and flashlights, but what about if you're stranded and it was going to take a few hours for help to arrive? Or your phone has no service to call for help?

I'm not sure I ever thought about this before, but you might want to have a small emergency kit in your trunk. Most of these items can be purchased cheaply or you can just "recycle" items that you don't use everyday anymore. Items to include:

• sneakers with socks - If you need to walk for help, you might be stranded in painful heals or sandals
• bottled water - Keep a bottle or two so you have water if you're stranded for a few hours
• energy bar - Something to eat so you don't get light-headed or pass out
• blanket - If you're stranded in the cold and your car won't start, you might not have heat