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Having some savings to lean on in times of duress is an integral part of creating your own safety net. While preparing for an emergency isn’t as fun or glamorous as preparing for a vacation or new home, it is a vital aspect of financial responsibility which ensures that unforeseen circumstances don’t derail the work you’ve done to build the life you’re currently living. Emergencies happen in an instant, and lack of preparation can cause disastrous financial effects that can last for years, slowly degrading the overall strength of your savings.

A financial expert recommends these top 10 tips you need to consider when saving for an emergency. In addition, you will get clued into the one thing to never do when planning for an emergency. These tips will help guide you toward preparing for possible crisis, and their implementation will safeguard a post-crisis future.

1. Give yourself a preparation assessment

In order to define what steps you need to take to prepare for financial emergency, you first have to take a no-holds-barred inventory of your present state. Doing so will help you draft a personalized preparation outline. There are a variety of questions you can ask yourself, including:

How long could I get by if I lost my job tomorrow?

What would my financial life look like if I needed significant surgery and recovery time?

What are my total assets?

An honest self-examination isn’t always easy but it is crucial to see where you’re really at in your level of preparedness.

2. Draft an emergency plan

Thankfully, financially preparing for an emergency isn’t a new concept. There are many resources you can use to help you build a framework that works for you. A good starting point is this emergency plan outline.

3. Save

Insurance shouldn’t be your only option. In the event of a natural disaster or large-scale emergency, insurance agencies are overwhelmed with claims and it can take months to even get started on your own claim, at which point you may have drained your resources significantly. Start an emergency fund at your bank. Begin with whatever amount is possible for you. Make a deposit plan and stick to it.

4. Buy a comprehensive home-owner’s insurance package

It seems obvious, but home-owner’s insurance is often considered a grudge purchase. The reality is that there are many options for homeowner’s insurance that account for emergencies of all kinds – natural disasters, floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes. Know your area’s natural dangers (tornadoes in the Midwest, earthquakes on the West coast, etc.), and design your insurance accordingly.

5. Know your options

In the event of a medical emergency, bills can pile up fast, leaving your financial life in ruins. It is possible in certain circumstances, however, to withdraw money from your IRA without penalty. There’s a lot of paperwork involved, but hardship and disability are eligible. Do some research into what your options may be.

6. Remember, cash is king

When disasters or emergencies occur, it’s tempting to begin charging things to credit cards or taking out outrageous loans to cover the costs. Resist this temptation. Excessive borrowing in times of crisis can exacerbate your state of emergency. Now that you have emergency savings, use it. Pay for what you can while you can, and you’ll be surprised how far it will go. Don’t go for the quick fix that will only make things worse.

7. Invest in preventative measures

As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. If you know certain risks about where you live, your line of work, or your family’s health history, use that information to your advantage. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes, reinforcing your home could save you thousands of dollars should an earthquake occur.

8. Have a backup plan for your backup plan

Contingency plans are crucial in the event of emergencies, which cause events and circumstances to change quickly. Draft plans, backup plans, and backup-backup plans, and you’ll sleep easier at night knowing you aren’t banking on a single solution needing to work.

9. Commit to disciplined sacrifice

If you want to have a certain amount of money put away for emergencies and your current job or career isn’t making that possible, it may be time to take on a second job in the short-term so you can secure your long-term future. Working a little extra will grow your savings quickly, and later down the road, should an emergency occur, you won’t be scrambling.

10. Fire-proof your important documents

In the event that a fire engulfs your home, will you know where your important documents are? A fire-proof safe will ensure that in any event your documents will emerge unscathed. A large fire will be disaster enough without having to reproduce all your important paperwork, so fire-proof your documents as soon as possible.

The one thing to never do when preparing for an emergency

The one thing to never do when financially preparing for emergency — stashing cash! Avoid keeping a “stash” of cash in your closet, mattress or glass jar at home. Although you are taking a step forward in saving for an emergency, that money is not gaining any interest, plus it is at the mercy of floods, fires even robbery. If you do want to hold on to some extra cash just in case, keep it locked in a fire-proof safe.

Recent research shows that one-third of Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness. If an emergency were to occur, the results in these circumstances would be truly disastrous. Ensure your future today by planning ahead for the unthinkable. You’ll thank yourself later.

Trying to get a job is really all about the interview part and how well you answer the questions. Most people will admit that they get very nervous during an interview and certain questions will be tougher than others. Though you should feel relaxed, it is actually natural to feel nervous, but you should not allow this to stop you from answering correctly. The best way to be able to feel confident is to come to the interview fully prepared. This means that you should have practiced several questions beforehand so that you will have a few ideas ready before you answer.

Common Interview Question – What is Your Biggest Strength?

One of the most common yet most difficult questions that you will be asked is “What is your biggest strength?” In order to answer this question, you will need to first take these things into consideration.

Be Creative

If you want to stand out from everyone else, you will need to be creative. This means that you simply cannot say “I work hard and I want to be the best.” Try to be as detailed as possible and to outline what your strengths truly are. Depending on what the interview is for, you will be able to prepare beforehand what your strengths can be and how they will help the company out. The interviewer will only have one thing in mind and all they are thinking about is what you can do for the company. If your strength is something that can truly help the company, they will surely consider hiring you. The trick is to figure out what it is you can bring to the table and how you will be able to tell them.

Be Honest

The most important thing to do during any interview is make sure that you are honest. Lying will lead to more problems and it will certainly not do you any good. When you are trying of your strengths, remember that you must not over estimate what you can do. This can often be tough for some people who truly want to get the job but it is very important that you stay honest. Remember that when you are honest, you will be able to speak clearer and you will not stutter during your interview. Some people will get into the habit of lying during an interview but even though you get hired, you will then be expected to perform those strengths.

Be Sincere

Being sincere during the whole interview is very important. The people that conduct the interviews have seen thousands of interviews and so they know exactly when a person is being sincere or not. This is why it is very important to practice as much as you can beforehand so that you will be able to simply repeat what you will be doing. As easy as this may sound, it really just depends on how you deliver the words that you are going to be saying. It is also very important that you do not want to sound arrogant when you are talking about your strengths and you simply want to state them as humble as possible.

Common Interview Question – What is Your Biggest Weakness?

Another of the most common interview questions is “What is your biggest weakness?” This is a question that a lot of people have trouble with, and so it is a good idea to prepare for this question beforehand so that you will be comfortable answering it when you are in that position. If you are serious about being able to answer this question perfectly, take these simple things into consideration.

Identify Your Weakness

Though this might seem like common sense, it is a good idea to first have your weaknesses laid out on paper. Look through your weaknesses and figure out which weakness is the worst. This is very important because you simply do not want to stutter during your interview without a clear answer. Remember that answering “on the go” is simply the best way to mess up and ruin your interview. Focus on first identifying your weaknesses and then choose which one to share.

Avoid Telling The Whole Truth

Though this may not seem like the best advice, it is a good idea to avoid saying a weakness that will hurt your chances of getting the job. This is because a company looking to hire a manager will not want someone that is “unorganized and lazy.” You will need to pick your poison and choose a weakness that you know you can improve on. Most people will make the mistake of saying a weakness that will truly ruin their chances and so you will need to choose wisely.

Choose A Weakness That Can Be Fixed

When you are trying to figure out what to say, you must remember that it should be something that you can reassure will be fixed. When you say something like “my biggest weakness is that I often read instructions correctly” then you should reassure them that you will double check everything and that you will read everything thoroughly. Remember that you need to still let the company feel comfortable with hiring you and still being able to tell your weakness.

Be Honest

The last thing that you need to remember is that you cannot lie about anything. Though you can choose what to say, remember that you cannot simply say that you have no weaknesses. Often times a company will be more open to someone who is completely honest and they will sometimes commend this. When you are being honest, you will realize that it is also very easy to speak and you will not stutter at all. This is because you are not making anything up and you will be able to simply answer their question.

Before your interview day comes, you need to feel prepared. Remember that it can be tough to practice what you will be saying repeatedly but it is the only way. Once you feel confident about what you will be answering, nothing can really go wrong. The goal is to simply walk out of the interview feeling like you did your best. Whether you get the job or not, remember that you will be going against a lot of other people and you can just chalk it up as experience. With just a little patience and hard work, you will surely be able to get that job easily.