It is always good to be prepared for any kind of emergencies. What I would like to suggest is for us to prepare an emergency box that contains important documents and things we need in case of an emergency. Here are some tips on how you can build up your emergency box that will serve you well should things go wrong (touch wood!).
Find a hardy tin box that is big enough to store things the size of an A4 size paper. You don’t need an extremely big box, as it would make carrying it difficult. Ideally, it should be easy enough to be carried in one hand. Pictured here is an example of a tin box you could use, but if you can find one that is larger, it would be better.
In this emergency box, place all your important documents into it (alongside your other family members’ personal documents too). These are the suggested things for your emergency box:
- Passports
- Birth certificates (if applicable)
- Photocopy of identity cards (you should be carrying your original copy with you at all times)
- Marriage certificate
- Insurance policies
- Medical records
- Financial documents (bank savings book, investment statements, etc)
- Money (put in sufficient cash to last you and your family for 10 days or so)
- Phone book (jot down phone numbers of important contacts in a book as a backup to your mobile phonebook)
- Small torch light (preferably one that runs on kinetic power instead of batteries)
Additional tip: You may want to laminate vital documents like the birth and marriage cartificates so that they are not easily destroyed or torn up. If you do not want to laminate them, you can also keep them save in protective files or plastic covers or envelopes. Also, make copies of all your documents and store them separately from the original ones kept in the emergency box.
You can put in anything else that you feel is important into the emergency box. Store this box at an easy to reach place and never move it around. In case of any emergency, you won’t have the time and luxury to recall where you have put this box. If you need to vacate your home during an emergency, just grab this box and keep it with you at all times. You may also want to let others know the purpose of this emergency box so that they too will know what to do and where to find the important documents.
Do share with the rest of us if you have more ideas about what can go into this emergency box. Leave your comments to share.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Isnt that box was too pretty for an emergency box? later the small kids till play with it, should use Jacob box like “money not enough 2″
Haha, that pic was an example to show the kind of box I meant. But yeah I think those Jacobs biscuit tins are excellent choices!