People have a tendency to overreact when they’re afraid. Nasty weather systems have a particularly devastating effect on people’s sensibilities, causing them to rush to protect themselves by buying all sorts of supplies even when they don’t need to. Several times during the winter, the Deli that I’ve been working at had “busy” days that might have otherwise been quiet because of an incoming winter storm that sent residents into a panic. If we consider for a moment that I live in Massachusetts, these people are used to winter storms, they should know that, for the most part, they aren’t a big deal, and yet, like clockwork, we had customers just before every major storm. I remember a woman in particular who bought 5 lbs of American cheese!

It’s easy to justify preparing for the worst, because if you’re not prepared, you’re going to regret it. However, it’s important to remember that maintaining a discipline over our personal finances is important, and, if we break from it we risk a lot more than just the money spent. A lapse in discipline is indicative of a lot more that might be lost in the future. There are times when preparation is a good thing, but, as with anything else that might affect your personal finances, you shouldn’t simply jump into it impulsively. Rather, a disciplined individual will consider a number of factors.

Impact

One of the biggest things you should consider is the potential impact of the storm. If you feel that the storm might trap you, it’s reasonable to want to prepare with some basic things and to ensure that you’re stocked up well enough to last a handful of days of not leaving the residence. Most people are generally well-equipped to last a few days as it is with their normal supply, so there’s generally no reason to “stock” up.

If you suspect that the potential storm could cause you to lose power, then you’ll want to make sure you have a back-up situation in that event tailored to your needs. Most people are uncomfortable without power, but will find they can live just fine without it for a few days. Simple candles,a fire starter lighter, and flashlights.

Things like bottled water can become legitimate items if you’re concerned that the storm might some how cut-off your water supply. In these cases you might want to prepare by getting enough water for a few days. This may not be something you would normally have, but you should be reasonably certain that your water supply is actually at risk before spending money on it.

Duration

Duration is an important factor to consider when deciding whether or not you need to make preparations. As mentioned before, if you expect, at worst, a few days of trouble, then, chances are that you’re already prepared so long as you regularly keep up with groceries and such. So, aside from making sure you have what you need in possible emergency contingencies as a result of a storm, the only other concern is duration: how long will you have to get along before you can go shopping again?

If the storm will honestly be devastating enough that you could see yourself going without necessities for longer than a week, then it may be worth considering evacuating to somewhere safer for a time. Even if you could or do manage to stock up the necessary supplies, you put yourself at greater risk if something goes wrong, since your local community’s infrastructure will be too strained to offer you assistance.

Still, sometimes weathering it out may be your only option. In these cases, it may be appropriate to spend money to ensure that you can survive. In these situations, spend frugally and watch out for price gouging. Buy only what is needed to weather you through however long you expect to be without access to stores where you can purchase more.

Fear can do a lot of things to people, but, as much as possible, we should try to be objective and reasonable in the face of it. Potential weather emergencies don’t need to break our budget, and we’ll find, more often than not, that we’re already prepared for them. And if we’re prepared, we don’t need to spend extra money in fear.