Make Credit Card Points and Airlines Miles Part of Your Emergency Plan

If a disaster strikes and your household needs to leave, you might not have much time to craft one.
If you require to get away from storms or fires, you could cash in some points for a momentary place to stay. Investigate your favored airlines benefits program to see how you can make the most of the use of your points balance.

On top of your routine emergency situation fund, you might select to keep an additional stash of travel benefits. The Points Guy says extra rewards points, frequent flier miles and totally free hotel night certifications might conserve you cash when you least expect it.

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Investigate your preferred airline companys benefits program to see how you can optimize the usage of your points balance. Another factor to do your research early? Some airline companies– like Southwest, for instance– are more flexible with changes or cancelations than others.

You could cash in some points for a short-lived place to remain if you need to leave from storms or fires. By getting to know your rewards programs and your regional hotels, you may discover you have the opportunity to extend your benefits balance even further. Your property owners or tenants insurance policy may also cover a few of the expense of an obligatory evacuation– so you should review your policy information in advance of one.
You could also reserve points for round-trip flights for your family. If theres an emergency situation affecting your out-of-state family members– like a death in the family– these extra points might save you a lot of money and may help avoid an unexpected blow to your monthly spending plan.

Its been a rough few weeks for natural catastrophes in the United States. Even as the pandemic rages on, the country has likewise dealt with wildfires throughout the west, a derecho in the plains and cyclones along the Gulf coast. If you have actually been fortunate enough to avoid these catastrophes, it might be an excellent time to reassess your own emergency preparedness strategy. You may not have much time to craft one if a disaster strikes and your household needs to leave.
Thats why it might come in handy to develop a monetary to-go bag, including all your familys important records. You may also make a plan for how to pay for last-minute evacuations, which could be more costly than you expect– depending on where you go and for how long you require to stay.

Image: NDAB Imagination (Shutterstock).