Emergency Fund

I have mentioned previously the importance of having an emergency fund. In the past week that has been reinforced. In the last week our area has survived two blizzards and a record flood. We are still fighting the flood and are still in the 2nd blizzard. Having an emergency fund in a case like this allows you to pay for unexpected expenses without having to go into extra credit card debt. Also, in our case many of the banks have been closed for several days. Some people I know got paid during this time but couldn't deposit paychecks right away. Then they were stuck. Also, to try to have some cash on hand for instances like this also.

With the weather we have been going through many businesses have not been open much for the last week, including the shopping malls. Some companies are paying employees for the time the businesses were closed but many are not. It is hitting retail employees especially hard. And if they were living paycheck to paycheck before, they will be struggling even more now. I saw on the news this morning if you struggling with this, to contact Job Service. There are funds available that you can apply to for assistance.

Also, if you have expenses you incurred to protect your home from the flood, keep documentation of your expenses and their will be programs from FEMA for reimbursement.

I know the most important thing in cases like this is saving lives but its also important to try to save money too so you don't have to go into further debt.