A simple starting point for knowing what your household would do if everyday life was disrupted.
Having supplies is useful. Knowing what you’ll actually do with them is even better.
You don’t need a complicated emergency plan, a folder full of procedures or a different strategy for every possible disaster.
A simple household plan means knowing how you’ll communicate, where important information is, and what you’ll do if something you normally rely on suddenly isn’t available.
Keep it simple. Make it practical. Make sure everyone knows the basics.
1. Start with the most likely problems
You don’t need a plan for every imaginable scenario.
Think about ordinary disruptions that could realistically affect your household:
A power cut
No running water
Bad weather or being unable to travel
Internet or mobile disruption
Payment systems not working
Someone being ill
If you’ve already worked through the first four Quietly Prepared steps, you’re beginning to prepare for several of these anyway.
2. Know how you’ll contact each other
Make sure important phone numbers are stored in everyone’s phones — but consider keeping a few important numbers written down too.
Think about how family members would contact each other if they were away from home when something happened.
If you have children, make sure they know who they can contact if they can’t reach you.
3. Know the important bits about your home
Do you know where your:
Water stop tap is?
Fuse box is?
Gas shut-off valve is, if applicable?
You don’t need to become a DIY expert. Simply knowing where these things are — and who to call if there’s a problem — is useful.
Keep important household contact details somewhere easy to find.
4. Keep important information together
Consider keeping a simple written list containing things such as:
Emergency contacts
Insurance details
Utility providers
Relevant medical information
School or childcare numbers
Vet details if you have pets
You don’t need an enormous emergency binder. A single useful page kept somewhere sensible is a perfectly good start.
5. Have a little cash available
Card and electronic payment systems can occasionally fail.
Keeping a small amount of cash in sensible denominations, stored securely at home, gives you another payment option during a temporary outage.
It doesn’t need to be a huge emergency fund — just an amount appropriate to your household and circumstances.
Your next Quietly Prepared challenge
Have a ten-minute household check.
Ask yourself:
Where is our torch?
Where is the stop tap?
Who would we contact?
Do we have a little cash?
What would we do if the power went off tonight?
You don’t need perfect answers to everything.
Anything you discover you don’t know simply becomes your next small job.
Preparedness doesn’t have to happen all at once. Every small thing you sort out today is one less thing to worry about when something goes wrong.