Money Mart: 3 Things to Consider During a Family Emergency

A family emergency can take many forms. It could be a sudden and serious medical issue, an accident, a death in the family, or a safety issue such as a break-in or house fire.

There’s a lot to think about during a family emergency, but distractions and stress may prevent people from keeping track of what needs doing.

Here are three crucial things to consider during a family emergency.

1. Funds

Urgent travel, sudden home or car repairs, and pet health crises may leave a family scrambling for funds. Not everyone has savings to rely on, and it can be tough navigating an emergency without adequate funds. It’s trickier still when the situation calls for cash, and credit cards are out of the question.

Payday loans are a good choice for those seeking same-day funds. Applicants in Canada can obtain up to $1,500 in cash through a simple online or in-store application with no credit check required. Funds are disbursed the same day in cash or an instant direct payment (for in-store applicants) and direct deposit (for online applicants). If the situation is not urgent or calls for more than $1,500, consider a personal or secured loan.

2. Childcare

Families with children may need to arrange childcare while the adults are busy. It’s best to contact the regular babysitter during an emergency instead of trying to find someone new. Families that don’t usually need to pay for childcare may want to reach out to a trusted neighbour or family member to look after the kids.

If the kids are at school, it will be up to the family to decide if they need to be pulled from class. Parents needing to travel urgently should ensure their kids are picked up from school. Leave a message on the child’s phone or send them a voice note to let them know what’s going on so they’re in the loop.

3. Cooking and home maintenance

Taking care of basic household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping can be difficult during emergencies. It’s easy to have food delivered if the situation lasts only a day or two.

But if a family is facing a serious illness or a death in the family, it may be necessary to get help with home maintenance tasks temporarily. These days, it’s easy to find someone to handle household chores or yardwork on gig work websites. Getting a reference from friends and family may also make sense – resources found this way may be reliable.

Use emergency plans

Depending on the emergency, there may be different approaches to handling it.

When it comes to disasters such as earthquakes or fires, it’s a good idea to create a systematic emergency plan and ensure everyone in the household (and the larger community) knows how to work through the problem.

The Canadian government provides sample plans and guidelines that can be found online. Individuals should consider downloading one that makes sense for them.