Though the holidays are supposed to be a wonderful, celebration-filled time of year, there are often an increase reported incidents related to personal and financial security.
You need to protect yourself, your family and your belongings even more during the holiday season it seems. By taking a few necessary steps you can ensure you have an incident-free holiday!
Take Care of Yourself!
Now is not the time to skimp on a healthy lifestyle. You need to be in top shape for the holiday insanity rush! Not only for that perfect New Years Eve outfit you may have, but a good diet and exercise will be the stamina you need to make it through the six plus weeks of celebrations. It is to be expected that there will be some indulgences with the season, living well the rest of the day(s) will ensure you don’t see the side effects of your enjoyments! Get out there and move.
It also goes without saying, that if you’re at a holiday event and there is alcohol involved do not drink and drive. Nothing is more precious than a life. Ensure those around you practice the same safety precautions as well.
Protect Your Belongings
Crime is at an all-time high in December. More cars and homes are broken into and there is an increase in credit card theft. Be aware of this and keep yourself and your family safe from these tragedies. Make sure you home is locked (and armed if you have a security system) when no one is home. Keep your car locked especially when there are gifts present. If you’re shopping, store your purchases in the trunk. Thieves are more likely to attempt a break-in if they can see something they want. They won’t necessarily waste their time if they’re unsure. Having a safe at home for valuables is always a good idea, regardless of the time of year.
When making purchases, paying with credit card for bigger ticket items may give you insurance should the item be lost or stolen as well. Make sure you keep all receipts in case something happens to anything you buy as well. It may only be a $20 toy but if it doesn’t work or you need to return or exchange it for any reason without a receipt, it is a waste of money. The holidays are not a time of year one wants to be wasting money unnecessarily.
When shopping online, make sure the checkout it secure. All legit websites should be secure and there won’t be anything to worry about but if you’re uncomfortable with a checkout process, do your homework, especially with smaller websites. Same goes for charities, never donate to an unregistered charity. All legit charities will have documentation and issue a receipt for your donation.
For additional financial security, make sure you keep track of any and all warranties for gifts received and purchased should you ever need to make a claim.
After the gifts have been open, dispose of your garbage carefully. If a thief sees that giant 72” TV box at your curbside you better believe you’ll be a prime target. Cut all obvious boxes up and don’t ”display” obvious packaging.
The holidays are a good reminder to be overall more aware of our surroundings. If we take proper steps we can all have a safe and fun season!
What other ways do you protect yourself during the holidays?
Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.