Hurricane Preparation 2006: Stash Cash

     Hopefully, many of you have taken advantage of Florida's Sales Tax Holiday for hurricane preparation items. If not, there is still time. The tax break doesn't expire until midnight this Thursday, June 1. Another consideration in your preparations is money. It is important to have a "stash of cash" in advance of an impending storm. If the power goes out and/or damage is widespread, banks may be closed and ATM's will not work — possibly for days... maybe even weeks. While some gas stations are considering using generators to pump gas, using a credit or debit card to pay for it will be out of the question. The same goes for grocery stores and restaurants. Why? Because phone lines will also be down or jammed and they will be unable to do credit checks.
     Suggestion: If you can't afford to put away a large amount of cash at once, do what I've done. Put aside a small amount each week or payday — it's not too late to start! Ours is stashed away with our important documents... ready to grab in case of evacuation or emergency.