After experiencing a few computer glitches today I realized just how valuable it is to have extra copies…just in case!

Take time this weekend to gather files off and on your computer. If you’re doing your taxes, this could be a 2-for-1 task! So don’t put it off any longer, just get it done!

A list of files to “back up”:

Computer

• Email contact list (especially if you use Outlook)
• Important documents and files for work
• Photos
• Music
• Stored documents like your home inventory (you should keep a copy “offsite” like a friend’s home or a safe deposit box)
• Passwords

Other Files

• Financial documents (bank statements, tax records, deeds, credit card statements)
• Personal documents (birth, marriage, death certificates)
• Insurance papers and policies

Bloggers Marc and Angel have a list of the top ten phone numbers you should have in your cell phone just in case. You just never know when you might need them!

• 10 Handy Numbers to Save in Your Mobile Phone [Marc and Angel via Lifehacker]

Also, this brings to mind another blog post from a while back:

• Four Professionals Everyone Should Keep on Speed Dial

Still in need of additional contact lists to have just in case? Print out these handy emergency contact lists to keep a hard copy of your contact numbers - store them near your landlines at home or at work.

By Jacqueline Lloyd, our guest fire blogger and the author of The Thief Of Sacred

You wouldn’t take a cruise without a life boat, right? Insurance is the same idea. It protects you in the event of an emergency. Just remember, when selecting your policy, coverage, and agency, know what you’re buying and understand its limitations.

If a person buys a policy via the internet or just takes the cheapest bid, the old adage holds true: you get what you pay for. Here are a few helpful tips to be sure you’re adequately covered.

1. Do your research. Take the time to do research and develop a relationship with your agent and agency.

2. Read everything through.

• Go through your policy very carefully and make sure you’re adequately covered in terms of replacement costs.
• Be sure to factor inflation into your calculations, as well as the current cost of construction and materials.
• Granted, this is just about as exciting as a visit to the dentist, but you’ll be kicking yourself eternally if the worst does happen and your coverage isn’t what you thought it was!

3. Get extra coverage for the things that matter.

• Pay special attention to items you really treasure. Many people mourn special items they didn’t bother to insure because they never thought the worst would happen. Even if it’s irreplaceable, if it’s properly insured you can at least buy yourself a condolence prize.

As a fire victim, I learned the hard way. You don’t have to!

Ever wish you could have a friend to remind you about all those things you gotta do, like update and check your emergency kit, file taxes, or even to let you know when it’s time to rotate your car’s tires?

Well, today’s neat site doesn’t help you with all of those tasks but it does tackle a pretty big one: car maintenance. ServiceBeacon.com is a free and easy-to-use program that helps you keep track of your car’s regular maintenance needs like when to check your timing belts, when to get your tires rotated or how long it’s been since your last oil change.

It also sends you notifications about any major recalls regarding your car and you can also sync up your service needs with your local auto dealer.

Just gives you one less thing to worry about. Now if they only had this for everything else in life!!

• About ServiceBeacon.com

Picture this scenario: You wake up early to get a head start on your Monday morning, have your morning cup of coffee, the sun’s shining and all’s right with the world. You head out the door, jump in your car anxiously awaiting the morning radio show and you turn the ignition key and…nothing. No blinking lights, no friendly chime to remind you to fasten your seat belt, simply no sign of life.

We’ve all been there, and especially when it’s below zero outside! You never know when your car’s not going to cooperate with you, so it’s best to think ahead. If the temperature plummets, think of the worst-case scenarios that might happen: icy windows, dead battery, low air in your tires, no heat, frozen brake and gas lines, etc.

Now that we’ve listed some common problems you can prepare for them! Check your car’s manual for extra winter-weather tips for your specific car. Be sure to add extra winter items to your car and your car’s emergency kit:

• Air-activated handwarmers
• Anti-freeze (gallon)
• Bag of sand in trunk - help tires with traction
• Extra blankets and sleeping bags
• Extra winter clothing (hats, jackets, mittens, and boots)
• Jumper cables
• Matches and ’survival’ candles in a 3 pound coffee can (to warm hands,
  heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
• Phone number for roadside assistance
• Portable electric car-starter kit (usually costs about $25 or so)
• Windshield washer fluid rated -40º proof

Have a cold weather car maintenance tip? Add it in the Comments section below!

We’ve found we’ve found several blogs where people have said that their own home took only 5-10 minutes to burn.

If you have an extra 5-10 minutes this weekend, tackling a few of these quick tasks could save you from a financial heartache down the road:

If You Have 5 Minutes

1. Test your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors (follow the manufacturer’s instructions).
   • This should be done at least once a month.
   • Change the battery while you’re at it (if you haven’t in over six months or so).
2. Do a fire extinguisher check.
   • Make sure the fire extinguishers are in their correct locations and fully charged. The dial should be at 100 percent or “full.”
   • If it is below those levels, you’ll need the extinguisher recharged by a professional (usually listed in the Yellow Pages or ask your fire department).
3. Program “ICE” in to your cell phone.
   • ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. Simply enter ICE in front of any emergency contacts in your phone’s address book - like ICE Erik.

If you have 10 minutes…

One of my favorite bloggers, Trent of The Simple Dollar, has a great list of 100 little steps you can take to save money. I listed my favorite six tips here - visit his site for the rest!

Car Maintenance

24. Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Plus, cleaning your air filter is easy to do in just a few minutes - just follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go.

61. Air up your tires. For every two PSI that all of your tires are below the recommended level, you lose 1% on your gas mileage. Most car tires are five to ten PSI below the normal level, so that means by just airing up your tires, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 5%. It’s easy, too. Just read your car’s manual to see what the recommended tire pressure is, then head to the gas station. Ask the attendant inside if they have a tire air gauge you can borrow (most of them do, both in urban and rural settings), then stop over by the air pump. Check your tires, then use the pump to fill them up to where they should be. It’s basically free gas!

Identity Theft

35. Remove your credit card numbers from your online accounts. It’s easy to spend online when you have your card information stored in an account - just click and buy. The best way to break this habit is to simply delete your card from the account. That way, when you’re tempted to spend, you’ll be forced to spend the time to dig out your card - and really think about why you’re spending this money. (And it could prevent identity theft!)

Child Care

36. Give a gift of a service instead of an item. For new parents, give an evening of babysitting as a gift. If you know pet owners, offer to take care of their pets when they travel. Offer up some lawn care as a gift to a new homeowner. These are always spectacular gifts for anyone - I know that, as a parent of a toddler and an infant, I love receiving a babysitting gift, probably more than any “stuff” I might receive.

50. Swap babysitting with neighbors.…Try to find another set of parents or two that you trust, and swap nights of babysitting with them. That way, you’ll get occasional evenings free without the cost of a babysitter, saving you some scratch.

Home Inventory

39. Reevaluate the stuff in the rooms in your house. Go into a room and go through every single item in it. Do you really need that item? Are you happy that it’s there, or would you be just fine if it were not? If you can find stuff to get rid of, get rid of it - it just creates clutter and it might have some value to others. You also improve the perceived value of your house - and you’re likely to get a lot of cleaning done in the process. It’s a frugal win-win-win. (While you’re at it, do a home inventory of the stuff you’re keeping!!)

Source: The Simple Dollar

Chances are someone you know has (unfortunately) had the following events happen in their lives - try and match a name to each category:

• Had their car stolen
• Got in an accident
• Been affected by a natural disaster or fire
• Had their identity stolen
• Had surgery or a visit to the ER
• Lost a loved one
• Had their home broken into

Unfortunately, the odds are against most of us. So what can you do to prevent this from happening? Not a whole lot. But you can plan ahead - just in case it does.

Get started today! Pick a topic below to learn how to prepare for any major worst-case scenario:

Lived through one of life’s unexpected events? Share your story in the Comments section below! 

By Lauren W., our College blogger

It is the time of year when the common cold and the flu run rampant. Students flock back to school after the holiday festivities. Students catch up on every crazy little even that happened over break, but they also catch up on each other’s germs. Campus is infested with the sounds of coughing, sniffling, and sometimes even vomiting.

Without the comfort of home and parents to take care of students, there is only one place to turn, which is the on-campus health facility. On-campus health facilities are known by students to have a tendency of being uncomfortable and unhelpful, but there are ways to make the experience beneficial.

Be Honest

On campus health facilities have a reputation for being unhelpful and asking all sorts of obnoxious questions, so beat them in their own game and tell them exactly how you are feeling before they can start asking questions that can sometimes get too personal.

However, if personal questions do make it into the visit, answer them. Do not be worried about being judged, the employees are prepared to hear anything that may be confessed to them.

Be Careful

I was recently told a horror story of a male student going to the on campus health facility after feeling flu like symptoms. The health center claimed he was fine, and only had a cold. Two days later this boy was rushed to the ER and diagnosed with mono.

If you get an answer that does not satisfy you, it is completely okay to check in with an actual doctor. It is better to be safe than sorry!

Take Care of Yourself

With on campus health care facilities having such a negative reputation, avoiding them as much as possibly by taking care of your self. Get enough sleep, try to eat healthy, and exercise whenever possible.

If people are sick on your floor or in your class, no matter how great of friends you are with them, stay away! Getting sick will not only mean an possibly unpleasant trip to the health center, but it will also lead to missing class.

Thanks to Lauren for these great tips! Living in a dorm? Share your stories below!!

It’s tax time! This is the time of year when W-2s and all those fun forms start pouring into your mailbox.

If you’re expecting information-sensitive documents or are carrying important forms around, be careful! You certainly don’t want that information falling into the wrong hands.

In our latest podcast, Beth Givens, the director of the Prviacy Rights Clearinghouse offers tips on how to keep safe watch over your older and currents personal and financila documents:

• New and Old Tax Documents: Keep ‘Em Safe (mp3 Quicktime file)

Have any questions or comments? Post them in the Comments section below!

Want to link directly to the podcast page? Click here and copy the URL.