5 Money Resolutions for Preppers

Of all the things you can do to prepare for a disaster, preparing financially is right at the top of the list.  There are very few disasters that money can't fix or significantly improve.  Here are five financial resolutions all preppers should make this year:

1. Have a mini emergency fund of $1000 to $2000 on hand at all times.  You may want to carry some of these funds in your wallet, some hidden in your car, and some hidden in your home.  This small amount of money will be useful should all of the power go out for an extended time and you can't withdraw funds from the ATM, if you have an emergency that requires immediate cash (like you run out of gas and a strangers drops some off to you and you want to give them a $20 or something), or the grocery store credit card machine goes down and you need to pay cash for your groceries.
2. Have a major emergency fund.  This fund should cover six to nine months (preferably a year) of household expenses should you become seriously ill or injured and can't work for an extended period of time.  This fund is also useful if you suddenly get fired or laid off and it takes a while to find a new job.
3. Be debt free.  If you have no debt--no mortgage, no student loan debt, no car loan, no credit card debt--how good would you feel every day?  You would definitely feel wealthier if you are't worrying where the next car payment is coming from.  Plus if you are debt free, your major emergency fund (#2 above) would be much smaller than if you have thousands of dollars of debt to cover each month.
4. Be insured.  These days very few people can self-insure against a health disaster, a car wreck, or a house fire.  Liability claims, in particular, tend to be sky high these days.  Thus the need to be insured.  At minimum you should have health insurance, car insurance, and property insurance (either homeowner or renter's insurance).  Additionally, if you have people who depend on your income, you should consider life insurance and for a long-term debilitating illness or injury, long-term-care insurance.
5. You should have multiple sources of income.  If you have one job at one place and thus one source of income and you show up to work one day and the doors are padlocked shut, you will be screwed.  Having several sources of income helps you stay financially solvent should one source of income suddenly dry up.