Home Security Frugal or Not, You Decide

PowerLinx Announces Groundbreaking New Audio and Video Products for 2007

Let’s start with the coolest home security system I’ve seen in a while! Secure View is security made easy. If you can screw in a light bulb you can install this security system. Because all you need is the “screw in” light bulb camera & the decoder. It seems to operate using the wires in your house! They have indoor & outdoor models available. I think they are a steal at $129.99 which includes 1 light bulb & 1 decoder.

Coming soon in 2007 is their IP net Cam, which uses your homes wiring to allow you to monitor the streaming video from up to 8 different cameras. All you do is plug the companion Ethernet bridge into any electrical outlet, and connect to your network or cable modem. It sounds like the plug & play ability of the software would even allow me to be able to install it. For the price of $249.99 I’m not sure how frugal it is, but it is certainly less than my homeowners deductible. This product is coming in July. They will also be offering new audio & video equipment, including a device that will let you transmit MP3/ipod or PC music to any room using your existing wiring.

I’m not sure you can put a price tag on good quality home security & not everyone can afford to pay for around the clock monitoring. I know even in our small township we have had several break-ins during the day & while the homeowners were home. I have been locking my doors more because of it, but I’d feel that much safer if I could monitor the outside while I’m in! I think it would be great to monitor the kids outside as well. We have several blind spots & not that I’d ever let them go outside un-attended for long, it would be nice to be able to get the dishes done while they played safely in the sandbox once in a while!

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis. View the LoudLaunch campaign release this post was based on.

Emergency Prep - One of my 2007 goals

In my neck of the woods my biggest emergency concerns are fire & blizzard so I am setting up my emergency kits appropriately.

Flying Lessons - Preparedness for Emergency Evacuation from FlyLady.net is a good place to start setting priorities.

I am going to set up emergency kits for everyone in the family. I am unsure of where to store & what to store them in, I am thinking our covered side porch in a very large tote. I'd like to have bags for each of us inside filled with stuff that we'd need to grab in case of fire or other emergency. I try to keep a well stocked pantry of canned goods & other non perishable goods. In case of a blizzard or long term power outage we will need to have food on hand. (since there won't be any at the stores & couldn't get to them if there were!!!) We have a BBQ grill, outdoor fireplace & at the present time we have an extra stove converted to propane, so all I need to cook for the family is a good supply of propane! We converted to all electric major appliances (including the hot water heater) so if the power goes out we need alternatives!

It is good to know that most gas stoves can be converted to use propane, just follow directions in your manual. So if you are like me & all electric don't pass up that super cheap (free) gas stove... Obviously the electric pilot won't work, but you can light it carefully with matches or a lighter. If you aren't up to it, lots of us have BBQ grills that are propane, you can cook anything on them!!!

Emergency kits:
Individual
4 Bottles of Water
$20
matches/lighter
Change of Clothes - rotate for season & size changes, don't forget socks & undies
Photocopies of ID & medical cards
couple Snack Bars (granola, fruit, cereal, etc.)
Extra shoes (great place for your worn out sneakers)
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Deodorant
Soap
Contact Case/Glasses Case/Cleaners etc
Prescriptions (If you have to have them)

Family Kit
Household Inventory List
Photo CDs
fire extinguisher
Emergency Numbers (Insurance Agent, Dr., Vet, pharmacy)
4 Gallons Water (I did 1 per person)
1 blanket per person
Box of granola bars/snack bars
stuffed animal for the kiddos 1 each


First Aid Kit Inventory - I keep a tool box in my bathroom area & one in my car

1 Box of medium size medical gloves (or whatever size you need)-for cleaning up messes (i.e. puke, poop, blood)

1 Thermometer - whatever kind you already have, unless it doesn't work. -this one is obvious, but a working temp taker is crucial

1 bottle of Alcohol Gel -for hand washing especially if you use this for travel, but even at home it's good

1 bottle of Normal Saline (please get NS, not contact solution) a 500 ml size is best.-for washing out eyes and wounds

1 bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide -for disinfecting wounds (and if you're like me, then ears too)

1 bottle of Rubbing Alcohol (optional)-for sterilizing tweezers to get out splinter

1 tube of Neosporin or generic equivalent-for applying to wounds to help healing

3-6 boxes of Band-Aids depending on size of family and accident prone members
1-3 regular size - for fingers & such 2-4 inches long and 1 or so inches wide.
1-2 large size - for larger areas elbows, knees 3-4" long 2-3" wide
1 X-Large -for really large areas 3-4" square or bigger

1 box of 4"x 4" gauze pads -for cleaning or bandaging

1 36'x36' square of muslin or cotton or bandanna-for slinging arms or emergency use as a tourniquet or cleaning rag
or whatever

1 roll of 1" or 2" medical tape -for taping down gauze or whatever you use

1 travel size box of cotton swabs -for applying ointments

1 tube of Activated Charcoal (To be used in lieu of IPECAC) -for ingestion of substances like pills, cleaners, etc.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Act. Charcoal is better for accidental ingestion since it neutralizes whatever was swallowed. IPECAC will make the substance come back up and if the stuff was caustic like bleach or most household cleaners it can burn the lining of the throat very badly. You can find Act. charcoal at pharmacies and home health stores.

1 pair of bandage or All-purpose scissors-for cutting off clothes or bandages

1 pair of tweezers-for splinter removal, removal of ingrown hairs

1 can or bottle of Burn spray or gel-for 1st degree burns (sunburns, burning hand on stove)

1 bottle of Caladryl or whatever poison ivy/oak/sumac remedy you like -for relief of poison ivy/oak/sumac

Several travel packs of Over-The-Counter medicine like Tylenol, Alka-Seltzer, Immodium, etc

1 bag, briefcase, tote or container to put all these things in. I have a red tool box for the house & a purchased kit in the car.

Ziploc bags for some of the items and some empty to save specimens for doctor

A list of contents so you can replace used items and keep track of usage

I think this is a good place to start, I'll update it if I add anything else!!!

Ahh the dreaded emergency repair...

http://www.moneysmartlife.com/2006/12/10/patching-the-crack-in-our-monthly-budget/
I think this is why the first step in most programs for debt reduction say to start an emergency savings fund. I know, but have I done it? NO! Not yet at least. But then I am not in 100% control of things right now. In fact it is becoming an increasingly more difficult struggle over finances here...

So, how would we handle such a crisis. {We have glass coverage on the van, so as long as it wasn't one of the kids fault we'd only have a deductible to pay, but other emergencies happen} Like last year, when on Dec 21st we woke up to a 51 degree house. Hmmmm that's odd, the furnace should be running.... oh my furnace died, the wiring actually fried, we were lucky it didn't start a more serious fire.

So we bought the coal furnace (http://thefrugalmomma.blogspot.com/2006/12/snowy-day-in-wny.html ). We thankfully had been saving to replace the furnace & had some money set aside (enough to cover the install, fuel & a first payment on the furnace). Of course I found out in June that we hadn't made a payment in months...but that's another post about sharing responsibility & decisions & earning trust...

I have read that a good emergency account is 3 months pay. OK, that amount of money will take years to build up. Unless you are single, renting & would like to live out of your car for 4 months (you still have to pay for the car right???). I know that the way to become wealthy is to pay yourself first, but emergencies happen all the time. The furnace wiped us out completely. All of the money we saved was gone, now we find ourselves starting over again. So how much do you sock aside, when you don't make enough to pay the bills to begin with.

I know that we are putting our biggest expenses to work for us. Our house is a 3 unit, do I like living with tenants HECK NO, but the extra $ every month helps us keep our payment to a minimum. So we got 2x the house for the same money.

Our next biggest expense was the ice cream business, long story but I am pretty sure that ship is sailing away! So, that one didn't work out this summer for us at all, at least last year we did a little better than break even. This year, I know it is still costing us... Why am I not the one in charge??? Grrrrr. All of the things I said wouldn't work, guess what THEY DIDN'T!!! Ah such is life.

Our 3rd biggest expense (not really monetarily our biggest, just the first one I would cut if I could) is our DSL, thankfully I convinced him to drop the cable modem...We get our DSL for $45, the cable was $75. So we saved $30 a month there, but of course DH needs it to work, dial up just isn't fast enough for his up links. At least it's mostly deductible. So we need to make the Internet work for us. I know he is looking at other things to do (selling high demand items, google adwords, etc).

I wish I could say the candle consultant business is going to save us, yeah right!!! I am really only doing it thinking I'll get out of the house & be around adults once in a while... Plus it isn't really something I want to go out & do 5 nights a week, I'd be happy with 1. Of course at 1 night a week, it just about keeps you busy enough to not be profitable, so we'll see. Postage alone is crazy!!! (Deductible at least, but then you need income to deduct from right!)

So I am adding to my list of 2007 Goals to save $100 a month (in an account) for emergencies!