There are few things worse than any kind of household disaster.

Whether it’s a fire, blood, or break-in, your life may be thrown into disarray while shattering your feeling of safety and security in your home. Of course, that doesn’t need to be the case. Although you’re never really going to be able to predict if and when disaster will strike your home, that doesn’t mean you can’t keep your life under control when it happens. Here are some ways you can prevent a household disaster from throwing your life into chaos.

Know Who To Call

One of the main concerns with any type of disaster is not knowing how to deal with it yourself. But fortunately, there are plenty of people who can help! The last thing you want is to be scrambling around trying to figure out who to call in the middle of an emergency. Finding contact information of someone like a 24 hour emergency plumber beforehand is going to make your life so much easier. Keep an emergency call list that can cover any type of household emergency, and you’ll be able to call them right away without panicking about what to do.

Make It Everyone’s Job

Keeping your home safe and secure from disaster is a big task, and not one you should have to deal with on your own. If you want your home to be as safe as possible, everyone should take responsibility for it. From your partner to your kids, make sure that everyone understands their role in making your home the best, safest, and most secure place possible.

Set Some Money Aside

The biggest issue for a lot of people during a disaster is the significant financial impact that follows. Dealing with fires and floods can be expensive (my fellow Hoosiers will remember the Big Flood of ’08), so it’s always best to have some money set aside in case of emergencies. This way, even if you’re still dealing with it, you don’t have to worry so much about the state of your bank account simultaneously. It’s also a good idea to find out exactly what your insurance covers so that you’re not stuck with any nasty surprises when the time comes to make a claim.

One of the most important things to remember is that you can’t prepare for everything. Trying to do that is just going to leave you feeling stressed and frustrated. Sure, put things in place to protect your home. But spending all of your time obsessing over things that could go wrong is going to make you miserable. Trust me. Sometimes things will happen that you can’t prepare for. The best thing you can do is accept that and try to move forward.

Your Contents Are Valuable

On average, Americans spend $1083 annually for homeowners insurance. In the UK, Britons spend £297 a year for their home insurance coverage (that’s approximately $400USD). Depending on where you live, your age, and your claim history, your rates will vary. In Indiana, our average annual premium is $944, but in Oregon they have the lowest national average at $574! (Fun fact: Florida has the highest national annual average at $2055 – yikes.) I digress.

Take into consideration your content policy when purchasing insurance, because what’s the point in protecting the house but not your belongings? Finally, don’t forget to read the fine print: if you’re a DIY enthusiast who does many home fixes rather than calling a pro, you may be surprised to discover that some damages and claims won’t be covered by your insurance agent. Imagine if you fixed the electric at home. If an electrical fire occurs, your insurer may argue that you’ve taken inconsiderate risks by not allowing a certified technician to do the work.

Similarly, though insurance is designed to offer support in case of theft, things may not be as straightforward as they seem. If your agent finds out that you didn’t take all the precautions to secure your home, you may not receive any compensation for the lost items or damage. Additionally, more and more agents are becoming social media savvy, refusing to compensate users who have shared vacation pictures in real time with no privacy settings, as it is practically an open invitation for burglars.

How Much Energy Do You Actually Consume?

The cost of energy is not exactly going down. If you want to keep your home warm during the winter and cool during summer, you obviously need to rely on your energy supplier. However, if there’s one thing that everybody should know about energy suppliers, it’s that loyalty isn’t rewarded. Your supplier can only offer you prices as low as they can sustain. Because each supplier incurs various costs, it’s fair to say that you can receive a variety of deals – if more than on service provider is available in your area.

It’s not a bad idea to compare prices using Lumo Energy, or other comparative websites to find out if you’re paying too much. Unfortunately, the high energy prices are a constant of our modern society. They’ve driven millions of families to fuel poverty, so you need to become energy-savvy. Saving energy without sacrificing comfort isn’t too hard; simple things such as switching your light bulbs out with LED bulbs and keeping rooms clear for better air circulation can make a great deal of difference!

What About Home Maintenance?

How much do you spend each year to run your home? In 2013, the typical UK household spend an average of £9,590 a year in full maintenance costs (roughly $13,000). Here in the US, we spend on average about $14,448 annually. Ultimately, the costs of repair, household appliances, equipment, toiletries, and cleaning products have increased in the past years significantly. Surprisingly, first time homeowners and young tenants are not always aware that maintenance is not just a choice; it’s mandatory if you want to keep your home in good condition for as long as possible. For instance, treating mold patches – a common occurrence in homes with weak insulation – with a sponge and bucket doesn’t sort out the problem. You need to target the source of the humidity. But unfortunately, in many cases, people choose the quick fix without considering long term consequences.

You’re Ruining Yourself In Decoration

Are you the kind of person who can’t go to the store without coming out with cushions, new bed sheets, a throw for the couch, and a quirky candle holder that you don’t need but was so cute you couldn’t resist? Homeowners in the London area and in the West Midlands spend as much as £5781 a year on decorating and purchasing new furnishings for their home. I’ll admit, I myself am fairly guilty of this sometimes. Just last night I went to the store to pick up baby items, and came out having spent over $200 on a new bed set and quilt, and all new bath towels.

But let’s get things straight: obviously want need/want to make your home as homely and pleasant as possible. But that doesn’t mean you should break the bank in brand new decor every year. Sometimes less is more. Refrain from decorating and consider something simple like adding a colorful accent by painting one wall. If you continue to go overboard, you’re going to burn a big unnecessary hole in your pocket.

How Do You Repay The Mortgage?

Are you a homeowner, or planning to buy a home? If so, here’s one important keyword: MORTGAGE REPAYMENTS. So many households are struggling to pay their mortgage back, and unfortunately it is a growing trend. But is it all due to poor finance management skills? In reality, most cases are not the result of debts from excessive shopping or selfish overspending activities. The actual cause is high energy costs, cold winters, and lack of inflation-adjusted wages.

It can be easy once in you’re in the midst of mortgages debts to forget about refinancing options that could allow your to repay your mortgage more comfortably. The bottom line is you need to keep a cool head and find the best option for your current financial situation. Because your finances are not set in stone, there’s no reason your mortgage should be either.

Entertaining At Home

As an architect recently claimed, Millennials don’t host dinner parties. The reality can be a little different though. Millennials who are single and work in an urban environment tend to prefer going out to eat rather than eating at home. You have to consider the lifestyle of a dynamic millennial, who works long hours and comes back home late in the evening. There is no time for cooking and even less for entertaining. But for couples and millennial families with young children, entertaining becomes a priority.

Whether you’re inviting friends or in-laws, it may not seem like much effort to invite people for dinner, but realistically your grocery bills increase quite a bit. From the mandatory bottle of wine to the fancy cheese, dining at home can be an expensive experience! Let’s not forget the “me time” home entertainment scenario where you buy popcorn and soda to binge watch Netflix. You may not think about it, but at the end of the month, home entertainment is an expensive hobby.

The Healthy Trend

There’s something interesting about the content of your kitchen. Millennials are a lot more health-conscious than the previous generations, so it’s likely you’ll find more kale smoothies, avocado, chia seeds, and other superfoods in the pantry. Superfood, however, comes at a price – literally. More often than not, it’s the desire to embrace a healthy lifestyle that can ruin your household budget for good.  From daily smoothies to enhanced vitamin and protein options, you might find that your grocery shopping is bringing your home finances down. The solution is not to choose junk food instead, but to eat healthy meals without following the latest Pinterest or Instagram trends.

From maintenance to energy to grocery shopping, your home certainly comes at a cost. While there is no way you can completely free yourself from your household budget, you can definitely be more thoughtful about how much and where you choose to spend on creating the ideal home.

What’s something that has been eating away at your budget? Let me know in the comments!