Prepared In Every Way

Archive for November, 2009

Last week I heard a friend of mine speaking at a church meeting about things that are keeping him awake at night. He is an investment broker with lots of contacts on Wall Street, so he’s talking to real people. He’s not getting his information from the media.

Here’s what’s bothering him:

1. The economy.

2. Hurricane season.

I think most, if not all of us, are concerned about the economy. The price of gas is climbing and that means the price of everything else is going up. When the price of gas causes the price to increase in transporting a product from the manufacturer to your neighborhood store, then someone has to pay the price. The manufacturer isn’t going to take a loss, and Wal-Mart certainly isn’t going to eat the difference. The one who pays the price is you.

What all of this means is that you must be responsible. You may not want to be, but if you want what’s best for yourself and those you care about, you’re going to have to be.

He continued to give us this counsel:

1. Don’t let your cupboards get bare. Have a supply of food and water at home that will sustain you for three months. Ideally, this would be food that your family would actually eat, but at the very least, have food that can be eaten without much preparation. You may have a hundred pounds of wheat, but what good will it do you without electricity to grind or bake it? I’ve been buying extra tuna and beans for protein, applesauce and other canned/bottled fruit, and adding to my inventory of canned veggies. I recently went online to buy MRE’s. One of my favorites is a shortbread cookie with 2400 calories. They are vacuum sealed and great for your emergency kit. One 2400 calorie bar will give you enough calories for two days. The great thing about them is that they taste good and don’t require a glass of milk to choke them down. They are “non-thirst provoking,” which means that they help produce saliva. I like the Datrex brand and generally buy them from http://www.emergencyessentials.com . Last week, they were OUT, and I had to submit my name to be notified when they were available. This should tell us something. There are smart people out there who are actually preparing. http://www.datrex.com/products/prodlist_standard.asp?ca=21

2. Save for the rain. You should have money set aside for emergencies. I don’t suggest stashing your money in your mattress, but I do think it’s a good idea to have some cash at home. You should at least have enough to get you buy for a week, or at the very least, for a few days. You’ll be glad you can get your hands on it if you need to evacuate for one reason or another. Again, if you don’t live in the Gulf, you may think this is ridiculous, but how many other disasters might require you to leave your home? Wildfires? Chemical spills? Explosions? Floods? Tornadoes?

There are even more reasons to have an emergency fund in your bank. Anyone with a job is subject to loss of employment. GM recently announced they are closing five plants. That means 30,000 people are losing their jobs. My friend, Judy, says the plant in her town is closing. Unfortunately, there’s no other business in her area to absorb all those who will be jobless. Airlines are cutting flights and raising fares, and that will cause job loss all over the world. It’s no wonder home businesses are becoming necessary to the American family. We can’t depend on anyone else anymore, and we can’t live on just one paycheck.

3. Keep your gas tank full. This is a tough one when gas is approaching $4.00 a gallon. I’ve started filling mine up before it gets to the half way mark, mostly because it doesn’t hurt quite as much to put $40 in the tank each time as it does $80. When Texans wanted to flee before Rita hit, many of them had to abandon cars because they didn’t have enough gas to reach their destination. Once the danger was over, it was difficult to find gas because the electricity was out in many areas. Just up the road from me, the very morning after the hurricane, a man was shot because he tried to cut ahead of someone else in the line to buy gas. Gas is just not worth giving your life for, but with some preparation, you can have enough to save your life.

Some might try to scare you into thinking the end of the world is near. We can’t possibly predict that day, but I do think there is enough going on in the world to make us realize that there are some things that may never be the same again. We’re probably never going to be able to buy gas again for $2.00. At the grocery store, it’s a big deal if you can find bread on sale for under $2.00. A gallon of milk has been well over $3.50 in our area for more than a year. It’s costing us more to eat at home, and even more to eat out. If everyone were to stay home and eat, then that would affect the restaurant industry, and they don’t need cooks, waiters and hostesses if they have no customers!

This would be a good time to sit down with your family and create a plan. Determine your “wants” and “needs.” Instead of spending your money on “wants”, spend what you have available to put food in your cupboard and money in your emergency fund. I really hope that neither you nor I will ever have to survive on what we’ve put aside, but if you’re ever hit with an emergency – job loss or natural disaster – you’ll be ready for it.

The key is to do something about it now. If you wait until the media announces the disaster, it’s too late.

Copyright 2008 by Joyce Moseley Pierce. Joyce is a published author whose stories have been included in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She’s the owner of Emerson Publications and her specialty is helping others be prepared. Visit http://www.emersonpublications.com or http://www.prepareandsucceed.com if you’re looking for a way to supplement or replace your current income.

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Establish an Emergency Fund
by: Joyce Moseley Pierce

I recently read Paul Martinelli’s loving story about trying to get to his grandmother, Bella, before she died. He wanted so badly to hold her hand one more time and to tell her he loved her. He tried making travel arrangements to leave immediately, but couldn’t afford the $600 ticket. He had to wait three days to get a supersaver ticket, and when he finally got there, his dear Bella had already passed away. He was too late because he didn’t have the money to get to her in time.

He decided at that point that he would never allow himself to sink so low again. He would never be in the position that he couldn’t afford to be close to his family if he needed or wanted to be.

How helpless would you feel if you needed to be there for someone you love, and money was the only thing holding you back?

What if this was the only chance you were given?

What can you do to make sure you’re never caught in this predicament?

Establish an emergency fund! At the very least, have a credit card that isn’t maxed out so you can use it if you have to. In Dave Ramsey’s, “Total Money Makeover,” he teaches the reasons why you should not only get rid of your credit cards, but get rid of the balances. Once you do that, he teaches the importance of the emergency fund. If you have a baby emergency fund of about $1,000, then you won’t ever have to use the credit cards again.

Here’s why an emergency fund is so important. There are just some things you can’t plan for, and the older you get, the more surprises come your way. Believe me. These are just a few that I’ve experienced.

Last week we got a family email telling us that my husband’s cousin had gallbladder cancer. A few days later I got an update saying that the doctors were giving him three to six months to live, but agreed there was nothing they could do for him. They sent him home to die and the family started to gather from all over the country. Today’s update told me that David had passed away this morning. With today’s gas prices, it could be a real hardship for some to even drive to the funeral. It would take some serious calculating to see if it would be less expensive to fly or drive, and if you have to rent a car when you get there, that just adds to the cost.

Sometimes you have some advance warning, and sometimes you don’t. Last year when we were told my mother wouldn’t live another week or two, there were grandkids in other states who wanted to see her one last time.

My niece called the airline to make a reservation. The usual fare of a couple of hundred dollars more than doubled on such short notice. When she told them that she needed to make this trip because her grandmother was dying, they told her about the bereavement fare. They said if she brought back the documentation proving that her grandmother was actually dying, they would refund part of her fare. She bought the ticket, and after going through the hassle of getting what she needed for this “discount”, I think she only got about fifty dollars back. The bereavement fare is a joke. Don’t ever believe that these companies really feel sorry for you. The agent might, but she has to follow company policy, and with so many airlines filing bankruptcy, they’re out to get all they can.

When our friend, Mark, was killed recently on his motorcycle, all the members of his family were en route for a family reunion that weekend. Unfortunately, he was killed before they got there, but his widow found great comfort in being surrounded by their family. But as soon as they all gathered in Houston, they had to start making arrangements to either drive or fly to Kansas. Mark was born in Kansas, grew up there, and that’s where he wanted to be buried. While many of them had probably used credit cards to get to Houston, now they had additional charges to get to Kansas.

Interesting how the place you call “home” as a child is where most people want to be laid to rest when they go back “home.”

My mother had prepaid for her funeral arrangements in Tennessee ten years before her death. She was born in Tennessee, spent a great deal of her life there, and wanted to be buried on the piece of land her family had donated as a cemetery. While my sister had flown to Houston in Mom’s last days to be with her, she now had to go back home, gather her family, and then make the drive to Tennessee. At the same time, we were making our drive from Houston. My sister’s family and mine all met at an off-season lodge with a friendly, family atmosphere. We were all totally surprised when they did give us a discount at our departure. Of course this was in a town of only a few hundred people where everyone knew everyone. They truly were sorry for our loss.

People just don’t grow up and stay in their own hometown anymore, but for some reason we want or need to go back there when this life is over. There’s something comforting about going home, wherever that home is. It’s important to respect their wishes, but it can sure wreak havoc on your time, your bank account, and your emotions if you’re trying to get from Point A to Point B in a short amount of time.

You will still have to deal with emotions when you’re dealing with the loss of someone you love, but if you get that emergency fund started, at least you have the option of being where you need to be.

Copyright 2008 Joyce Moseley Pierce.

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We’re only ten days from Thanksgiving. My sister and her husband are coming to visit for the long weekend and I’ve already started doing some sprucing up around the house. Having company is always a good time to reassess the damage at home. Working from home, it seems that I put blinders on to what’s going on around me. My sister could care less what my house looks like when she gets here, so she gets invited more often than others!

On Friday I got into organizational mode and cleared out the spare room so she wouldn’t get hurt on any extra kid-friendly stuff that might be lying around. Yesterday, I pulled a can of paint out from under the sink so I could touch things up in the kitchen. We installed a new dishwasher about a year ago and I hadn’t noticed until I did my survey that this dishwasher doesn’t stick out as far as the old one did. That means there’s a patch of white paint glaring at me every time I open the dishwasher door. I noticed that I have a large picture leaning up against the wall from two years ago when we painted. That makes me think of my friend, Laurie, who removed the backs of her chairs to fix them. A couple of years went by without replacing the backs, and by then it was just a matter of principle. People would come to her home, notice the backless chairs, and ask when she was going to finish them. Once it got to be such a conversation starter, I think she made the conscious decision to never replace them. Doing so would have meant caving in to what the conventional person would do. Laurie passed away a few years ago, and I’ll bet anything, those chairs are just the way she left them.

On second thought, maybe we should go visit my sister instead! If not, maybe I should stop looking for things to fix before she gets here. I don’t want to do a complete renovation and wear myself out so that I don’t enjoy the visit!

With all of the house-fixing aside, I have actually started working on my Thanksgiving menu.

I’ve already bought the turkey. Found one for 26 cents a pound at Kroger, so a 22 pound bird only cost me about $6.00. Now I just need to schedule a reminder so that I remember to put it in the refrigerator on Sunday so it’ll be thawed out and ready to cook next Thursday.

I brought a box of apples home from the orchard last week and decided today that I’m going to peel and core them to make apple pies for Thanksgiving. No Thanksgiving meal is complete without pumpkin pie, but since I need to find something to do with these apples, pie sounds like a good idea to me. I wonder who I can recruit to help me peel them all.

With turkey and dessert, what else do you need? At our house, I’m the only one who likes fresh cranberries, and I’ll prepare them just for myself. My daughter thinks you always have to have stuffing – Stove Top – not homemade – so we’ll have stuffing. My son always brings green bean casserole. It’s his specialty. My sister likes sweet potatoes, or yams, with all the marshmallow goo melted on the top. Maybe, since she’s making the effort to fly here to be with me, I’ll attempt to make that for her. I think everyone agrees that mashed potatoes with homemade turkey gravy is the best. At least we have one thing we can all agree on.

Whatever you’re doing for Thanksgiving, it’s a big enough day that it requires some planning. If you’re sharing a meal with others – whether you’re having them over to your place, or going to theirs – you might want to sit down and do some thinking about it. If you prepare ahead of time, you’re more likely to avoid last-minute disasters and short tempers. Prepare for the day now so you can relax and enjoy the time with those you care about.

This year, in memory of Laurie, I might just let that picture stay right where it is.

Now where can I put that note to remind me to thaw out the bird?

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15 Tips for Successful Packing
by: Joyce Moseley Pierce

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, frequently or only occasionally, it seems that we basically pack the same things every time. Here are a few tips to help simplify the process so you don’t have to stress about it every time. Remember that most of these items can be purchased when you get there, but you don’t want to spend your vacation money on things you already have at home, and if you’re traveling on business, you may not have time to run to the store for something you need at an 8 am meeting.

After reading through these ideas, you might want to make an itemized list of things you consider important to take. Keep it in your suitcase so it will be available next time you pack and use it as a checklist to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. If other things come to mind while you’re traveling, update your list for next time, but be sure to return it to your suitcase.

Rule #1 for me is to keep it light. I traveled to Brazil for 10 days with only a carry-on rolling bag and backpack. My husband packed a rolling bag that was big enough to stuff a body into and it was difficult to manage when we stayed in hotels that didn’t have elevators. I don’t pack more than I can carry by myself and I try to leave a little room for those vacation purchases. I have a nylon carry-on bag that zips up into a small square that comes in handy for carrying things home if I get too carried away.

1. Pajamas or gown. I have a pair of pjs I keep in my suitcase just so I don’t forget them. The reason I take pajamas instead of a gown is that hotels are usually cold and if I’m staying with friends or family, I want to be able to get up and use the bathroom without having to have a robe.

2. Underwear. Pack a pair for every day and then include extras. If you’re going to be doing activities that require showering and changing clothes during the day, be sure to include enough for that. Don’t forget bras and sports bras.

3. Make up and toiletries. Instead of having to remember what to take every time, go through your beauty routine at home and set out the things you use every day. Refill sample jars from trial offers, or buy travel-size containers to pack your cleansers so you don’t have to pack an 8 oz. tub of cold cream. I use empty contact lens holders for lotions. I can pack a daytime moisturizer on one side and nighttime on the other. I mark the top with a permanent marker with “D” or “N” so I can tell the difference. Don’t forget deodorant and shaving supplies. I keep a razor in my bag all the time and just change the blade when I’m leaving again. Keep your toiletry bag stocked and leave it in your suitcase for the next trip, but be sure to check and make sure you don’t need to refill any of the containers.

4. Tooth care. Instead of buying a travel size tube of toothpaste, when I get toward the bottom of my big tube, I stop using it and throw it into my toiletry bag. I also pack the floss and toothbrush the dentist gives me.

5. Feminine products. Don’t forget to pack at least enough to get you by until you can get to the store. A urologist once told me that women seem prone to bladder infections while they’re on vacation. If you are, you might want to pack an OTC medication that will help relieve the pain and lessen the symptoms until you can get to a doctor.

6. Medications. I have a separated pill box that holds pills for a week. Usually my trips are not that long (unfortunately!) so I’ll put in what I need for each day and use the extra slots for aspirin or other things I might need while away. My vitamins come in an AM/PM foil package so all I have to do is throw in a package for each day. Warning: You may want to carry your original pill bottles so you’ll know exactly what you’re taking in case of a problem.

7. Clothes. After considering what the weather will be, I pull clothes out and lay them on the bed. I like dark colors because those spills aren’t quite so obvious as they are on light colors! I pack pants that will be interchangeable with more than one shirt. In trying to pack light, I may wear a pair of black pants more than once, but not my shirts! If you’re going to a cool climate, remember to bring things to layer. It will take up less room than bulkier items. It doesn’t hurt to try things on before you go, either! If you haven’t worn something in awhile, it may not fit the way you remembered. If you’re flying, wear the bulkiest items on the plane.

8. Accessories. Make sure you have belts if necessary. You should only need one belt if you’ve packed color coordinated items. Keep jewelry to a minimum.

9. Shoes. Be sure your shoes are comfortable! Don’t go buy a new pair of shoes and try to break them in away from home. I plan my wardrobe so that I only need one or two pair of shoes. I’ve cut heels out of my wardrobe, and flats go great with long skirts or pants. Crocs are my shoe of choice for comfort and functionality. If you’re packing shorts, take a comfortable pair of sandals that will work with shorts or skirts. If I’m taking tennis shoes, I try to wear them on the plane because they take up too much room in the suitcase. If you’re going on a business trip, be sure to polish your shoes before you pack them, and then slip them inside a plastic grocery bag so the polish doesn’t rub off on your clothes. Don’t forget to take socks or nylons that will fit with the shoes you’ve chosen to take.

10. Vacation gear. Don’t forget your swimsuit, cover-up and a pair of flip-flops (we used to call them ‘thongs’ but now that has an entirely different meaning!). My husband always forgets swim trunks and I accuse him of just wanting to buy a new pair in every city!

11. Hair products. I have short hair that can easily air dry on its own in the summer, but I have a travel hair dryer I carry with me if I’m staying in a hotel that doesn’t provide one in the room. I have a hair brush that always stays in my bag. Condense big bottles of shampoo and conditioner into smaller ones. I carry a shampoo/conditioner product with me so I only have to use one product. If you need gel or hair spray, buy travel sizes the first time, and then refill them from your big bottle when it runs out.

12. Electronics. With cell phones and computers, neither are any good to you if the batteries are dead. Be sure to take the cords with you and remember to recharge every night. Don’t forget your camera, batteries and film. Take film mailers with you and send it off before you leave to have a head start on the processing, and save on those one hour prices. If you have a digital camera, and you are carrying a laptop, be sure to include connections so you can upload the photos as you go. Just an idea. We’ve enjoyed watching slideshows of special days while we’re still on vacation.

13. Backpack. I always carry a backpack for things to entertain myself on the plane or in the car. About a week before I leave home, I pull the backpack out and as I think of things I want to take, I throw them in and then repack it before I leave. Seems like it’s always heavy going to my destination and lighter coming home because I’m tired and pack more of it in the suitcase. If I have a connecting flight and am worried about my suitcase arriving at the same time I do, I include a change of clothes and my toiletry bag. I always carry something to read, my journal, a bottle of water and a snack. Individual packages of nuts are good and supply the protein you need to get you by until your next meal. I put all travel documents in the outside pocket so they are easily accessible. Do NOT pack your manicure tools or they will be taken away from you.

14. Purse. I don’t carry a purse when traveling, so I condense everything into a fanny pack and put anything else I have to have in the backpack. If I’m carrying much cash, I use one of those money pouches that hangs around your neck and can be worn under your shirt. It’s a good idea not to carry all of your money in one place.

15. Maps and other. Before I visit a new place, I do some research on the internet and get driving directions from the airport. I pull information on that city that might be of interest to me and my family. Be sure to include a small sewing kit, or at least some safety pins, as well as your basic first aid supplies. We also have a GPS that we can carry with us, as well as the GPS and map function on my cell phone.

Each trip I take becomes a challenge to me to pack even better on the next one. I discover what’s important to take and what’s not. Having your list available as you pack for each trip allows you to pack and feel confident that you haven’t forgotten anything. Of course if you are traveling with children, you’ll need to take their needs into consideration, and that might include taking in-laws with you to help carry everything!

Copyright 2009 Joyce Moseley Pierce

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On Friday night, instead of doing the dinner dishes right away, something on the television caught my eye and I sat down to watch it with my husband. Before long, it was time to go to bed, and when I walked into the kitchen to put my glass in the dishwasher, realized that a sink full of dirty dishes was still waiting for me. What made that even worse was that when I turned the faucet on to start washing them, nothing came out!

We live on property with a well, so we knew that we weren’t “out of water.” With flashlight in hand, my husband went to check on it, and discovered that the pump wasn’t working. There wasn’t anything he could do, so we decided to go sleep in our RV. We’d just returned from a trip and the fresh water tank was full, so we knew that at least we could use the bathroom and shower until we got the pump fixed.

Next morning, we called the man who works on our well. He came out with everything he needed to repair it, but the damage was beyond repair. We needed a new pump and he would have to pick one up and come back the next day to install it.

That meant going another 24 hours without water. Water’s one of those things you just take for granted until you have to do without. You just turn the faucet and water comes out, right?

Fortunately, we had bottled water stored for drinking, and some quick hand washing, but not enough for bathing. If it hadn’t been for the RV, we would have had to go to our daughter’s house for at least our daily showers.

We did, however, discover a couple of other resources for water:

1. Having a two story home means that you have lots of water pipes and they’re full of water. You know this because generally, when you turn the faucet on, water immediately comes out. I took three empty food storage barrels to the ground level and turned on the outside faucet. I was able to capture enough water to fill all three of the buckets. We put one in the kitchen and dipped water out of it with a measuring cup to wash hands. We put another in the bathroom to fill the tank if necessary.

2. We have a water softener system with a tank under the kitchen sink that filters the water. This water comes out of a smaller spigot – similar to those that produce hot water on demand. This tank probably holds about 5 gallons of water, so I was able to use it for cooking. That came in handy for meal preparation and I didn’t have to use the bottled water.

3. The hot water tank is another source of extra water. We didn’t have to get into it, but at least it was there.

We survived thirty-six hours without water without too much inconvenience, but it’s making me think about what I could do to make it even easier if it ever happens again. For one thing, we have 55 gallon barrels in our shed that are meant to hold water. Because we have the well, we’ve never been too concerned about filling them up. I wouldn’t want to drink the water out of them, but we could have used it for bathing if we had more than a simple pump to remove the water. That’s definitely something I’m going to be checking on this week.

Sometimes it’s good to have a minor emergency just so you can figure out a way to become more prepared. It’s even better if someone else has the emergency and it helps make you more aware. Take some time to assess the water situation in your home and come up with a plan you can implement if you ever find yourself without water. Even if you have city water, you might have your line temporarily shut off in the event that a main line is cut or has a leak. It’s always better to come up with a plan before you need it because you can think more clearly, and generally have more options when you’re not in emergency mode.

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Several years ago we rented a car that came with a GPS. It was the first time we’d ever used one, but it didn’t take long for me to nickname it the “marriage saver.” My husband is always the driver, which means I’m the navigator, and I can’t tell you how many vacations were tainted because we’d get lost somewhere along the way. It’s not that I can’t read a map, but if you don’t know where you’re starting, then it’s hard to say whether you need to go right or left to reach your destination. As soon as we got home, we bought a GPS for ourselves, and now, as the credit card commercial says, we “never leave home without it.”

We recently took a 2,000 mile journey to visit our daughter in Northern Nevada. We had the GPS stuck to the inside of the windshield, a step-by-step preferred route provided by the Good Sam Club, and an Atlas, just so I could confirm everything on the map as we went along.

The trip out there was great and we had no problems. It took us 3 days to get there, but everything went just as planned as long as we followed the directions.

Going home, we decided to go home through Las Vegas so we could avoid the hairpin turns in the mountains. We also wanted to avoid driving the RV over Hoover Dam. The GPS routed us straight south on Hwy 95, where we would catch I-10 in California and take it all the way home to Houston. One look at the map made me question the GPS and “her” routing us in a near-perfect 90 degree angle. Hwy 93 going southeast through Arizona went straight to Phoenix, and looking at it on the map, seemed like it would cut the miles and the time.

My husband is a bit leery of my “shortcuts,” so we sat down together, analyzed it, and decided to try the new route. We got to Las Vegas without any problems, but as we started going east into Arizona, it didn’t take long for us to realize that there was no way to avoid the mountains in Arizona, either! They weren’t as treacherous as the California mountains leading into Lake Tahoe, but there were steep inclines that threatened overheating the engine. There were warnings for descending, too, and emergency escapes for runaway trucks. Just looking at all of the crosses honoring those who had died on this highway was enough for me to question my judgment. While I don’t know what we might have encountered on Hwy 95, I had to agree with my husband that this “alternate route” I had suggested did nothing but slow us down.

Why is it that some of us, and I’m specifically talking about myself here, seem to think we know more than the map? Why is it so hard for us to just follow directions? Why can’t I agree that an electronic device with a woman’s voice knows more than I do?

There are just some things that are better left to the experts, whether you’re planning a trip, or the future of your family.

When talking to people about making end-of-life decisions and making sure their families know what they would want them to do, I’m constantly amazed at some of the comments I hear.

“I already have a will.”

“I have enough insurance. They’ll be okay.”

“Aw, I’m going to be dead anyway. Let them figure it out.”

I can’t believe anyone could be so insensitive as to put their families through additional stress at a time when all the loved ones want to do is grieve! As hard as it is to make decisions on a good day, imagine having to decide on funeral arrangements and how to pay for them when you’re overwhelmed with grief.

To those who think they’ve already done enough, let me give you something to think about.

First of all, if you have a will, good for you. I hope it’s current and issued in the state in which you reside, but that’s just the beginning. Does your family know where to find the will? Do you have a separate document telling them how your personal items should be distributed? Do your loved ones know who the executor is? Is the will in a safe deposit box at the bank where you can’t access it until bank hours, or do you have it in a fireproof safe at home? Is the information in the will current? Make sure your beneficiary is the person you want it to be.

If you have insurance, that’s great, too. Are your loved ones aware of the policies? Do you realize that you have to notify the insurance company at time of death and provide a death certificate for them to release the funds? If you think the insurance companies will just magically send your beneficiary a check when you die, you are just dreaming. Thousands, if not millions of dollars are kept by insurance companies because the money is never claimed.

Yes, you may be dead and not care that your loved ones are left to make stressful decisions without you, but if they don’t mean anything more to you than that, then you must not care that much about them now. Maybe you need to do some thinking about the relationships in your life.

If you don’t have a destination, then you may not need a map. Just get in the car and drive until you see some place you want to stop. But if you start out know where you want to end up, it’s essential. Instead of trying to figure it out on your own, rely on the experts who have plotted every nook and cranny along the way.

When it comes to finalizing your affairs, why not do the same? After all, if you put that much care and planning into a vacation, wouldn’t you do the same for your family?

Copyright 2009 by Joyce Moseley Pierce. Joyce is the creator of “All They’ll Need to Know,” and owner of www.EmersonPublications.com .

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