Always Save Your Receipts

Almost exactly three years ago, my car wouldn't start and it turned out to be an issue with the battery. I'm very lucky I saved my receipt in the glove compartment because today when I left work I found my car stalled in the parking lot. As I waited for AAA, I thought back to when this happened. Then I thought about the fact that I remember the guy trying to upsell me on the battery but I took the cheaper one thinking that I would probably be buying a new car before the six years were up.

I pulled out the receipt and saw June 2010 so I called Pepboys and asked. The battery had a 24/72 warranty on it. This means that if it goes within 24 months it would be replaced for free but if it had 72 months it would be discounted for a replacement. After AAA jumped the battery, I drove to Pepboys and am now sitting in their waiting room while they replace my battery at a fraction of the cost.

The point of this post is to always save receipts until after the warranty expires. I purchased the battery in a different state so it wouldn't be in this store's computer. Thanks to the receipt I was able to prove the date I purchased the last battery.

I would also like to give a shout out to Kenny from AAA in Philadelphia because I was so upset sitting in a car that wouldn't start but he not only showed up quickly, he was funny and friendly as he jumped the battery and tested a few other things that might have caused the problem. If you don't already have an AAA membership it's one of my favorite money saving tips. Even if you don't drive, the AAA membership will save you money when traveling and shopping. If you do drive, they will help you 24/7 if you get stranded on the road (or parking lot).

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

How to Keep Perishable Food Safe

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.

What happens if your power goes out and there's no electricity going to your refrigerator? Do you know how to check if the food is still safe? Here are a few basic rules of thumb for keeping your perishable food safe during a power outage.

1. Make sure you keep the doors closed. The refrigerator and freezer are designed to insulate and keep the food cold using minimum energy. When you open the door, you'll allow the cold air to escape.

2. If you know a storm is coming, fill containers with water and fill in as many empty spots of your freezer. A packed freezer is more energy efficient and the ice will keep the food cold longer, just like a cooler.

3. Check the temperature when the power returns. If the fridge stayed under 40 degrees you're alright but after two hours above 40 degrees, you'll want to throw the food out.

Last year, Giant Food Stores came out with a great PDF for keeping or trashing perishable food safety. It lists common foods with how long they stay safe in different temperatures.

Preparing an Emergency Kit/Supplies

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.

I've decided to take this opportunity to update the information I posted last year regarding preparing an emergency kit that wouldn't cost a fortune.

Emergencies can range from natural disasters to terrorist actions or even just plan old accidents. Yes, accidents can really cause citywide emergencies. Whether you live in an area that gets lots of storms or somewhere that you never expected to have a problem, I recommend having an emergency kit that will last at least three days in an emergency but four or five days would be better. Why three days you ask? FEMA has stated that in the event of a catastrophe, it can take three days for emergency crews to arrive. While they might arrive in three days, it could take longer for them to set up and start helping.

Once you've prepared your emergency kit it's important to check it once in a while. If you're lucky and don't have an emergency, food might expire and batteries might die. Therefore, just like changing the batteries in your smoke detectors, I recommend checking your kit every six months. If anything is close to expiration then replace it.

Below I have created a list of must haves and suggestions for your kit. You don't need to buy a special container but if you are going to purchase one, I recommended something plastic so it's waterproof if the disaster is a flood. A plastic container with a lid will also keep bugs out if you are storing your kit in a basement or garage. I personally keep the food on a shelf in my pantry and I have flashlights in most rooms of my apartment. Perhaps I shouldn't call it kit, as much as a plan.

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The items I am recommending can all be purchase for $1 or less on sale. A full emergency kit shouldn't cost more than $20. Less if you live alone, more if you have multiple mouths to feed.

Flashlights - Make sure to store the flashlights without the batteries because you don't want the batteries to crust and damage the flashlights. This type of problem is even more common with dollar store flashlights and batteries.

Radio - Battery operated radios are great for keeping up on what's going on. Play around with the dials and you'll find a station somewhere, probably on the AM channels, where the emergency messages are playing. Dollar stores will have really small radios with earbuds. You don't need something fancy, just something with a tuning dial.

Batteries - You should have any batteries that you will need for items like flashlights, radios, and other necessary electronics. Most flashlights take C or D batteries while portable radios might use AA if small and D is larger.

Non-perishable food - Whether you have a few cans of tuna fish or something else, remember that if there's no power you won't be able to refrigerate or heat food. Most canned foods are good for a few years, but they do still expire which is why I suggest checking your kit every six months and replace food that is close to the end.

Pet food - You're preparing for yourself, what about your pets? If you use dry food you should already have it around but if you use wet food, keep a few extra cans around, the smaller size if possible. Since you won't have a refrigerator, you can't store leftovers for the next meal and will need a fresh can.

Hand can opener - Having cans of food is great. Not being able to open them because you have an electronic can opener isn't. You can get a cheap can opener at the dollar store, so keep it around for an emergency.

First Aid Kit - Basic first aid items like assorted bandaids, alcohol wipes, instant ice packs and heating pads, and OTC pain killers.

Entertainment - No computers, no video games? Make sure you have something to keep you mind occupied like playing cards, books, or puzzles.

Water - Emergencies might contaminate water supplies or freeze the pipes, so keep bottled water around. The most common recommendation is one gallon per person per day. So for a three day emergency kit, keep three gallons per person.

If you have any additional suggestions, please leave a comment. Remember this is just a bare minimum emergency kit. Depending on where you live, other items might be necessary for an emergency kit. Check out ready.gov for all of FEMA's recommendations.

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month

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.

As these posts go live, I will be linking to them from this original post so that you can easily find them. I will also take them with the label "Emergency Preparedness Month" so that you can easily find them in the future.

• Preparing an Emergency Kit
• How to Keep Perishable Food Safe
• Keeping Your Pets Safe

For more information on National Emergency Preparedness Month, please check out Ready.gov which is set up to answer questions you might have.

Preparing for Hurricane Irene

Hurricane Irene is going to hit the east coast this weekend and if you're like me, you're preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. Back in May, I told you all how to make a cheap emergency kit. Today, I'm going to pass along a few more tips so you are prepared if the storm hits your area.

Giant Food Stores has created a great list of information regarding your perishable food safety in the event of a poweroutage.

• Keep your refrigerator door shut, so it will hold its temperature better.
• If the power is out longer than 2-4 hours, pack perishable foods such as milk, meats, fish, poultry and eggs items in a cooler surrounded by ice.
• In extended outages, transfer freezer foods to a cooler with ice also. A half -full freezer should keep foods below 40 degrees for as long as 24 hours and a well-packed freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours.

Remember, the more you open the door, the more cold will escape. Don't put your emergency supply of water in the fridge because warm water is better than bad food.

Besides those basic tips, Giant also created a PDF with safety information regarding specific food item safety.

I recommend filling some plastic containers with water and filling in the empty space in your freezer. This way you will have ice to keep the food cold longer, and it'll take up the empty space. The more filled your freezer is, the longer things will stay frozen.

Before you risk a power outage, check online which radio station is most likely to have emergency announcements. Weather.com will continue to maintain up-to-date information regarding evacuations and safety procedures.