Emergency fund in real emergency. Money makes huge difference.

[Nika]

We were lucky to have our power, many around us lost power (which means water (no flushing the toilet), elevator, heat and everything else), since in high-rises power is used to get the water up.

I see the difference on how people handled in Manhattan and the poorer boroughs like Queens.

In Manhattan, on Friday all the bars and cafes above 40th st and had power were full. People had dinner, charged their laptops and phones, kitchen was so swamped with orders, the wait for a sandwich was close to 40 minutes,. Hotels in the vicinity were booked up.

In Queens and parts of Brooklyn there was looting, grocery stores and businesses shut, people waiting for government to drop off water and food.

There is difference between infrastructure, but also in mentality... that is a much longer post.

If I had to, I would rather take my toddler to a hotel than a shelter, buy him hot meals instead of rations, and get out of the area if need be. When real emergency hits, money can be a difference between helplessness and being able to take care of your family. Knowing that we had those options has greatly reduced our stress levels.

[UnknownXV]

Peace of mind. That new TV or Laptop will never provide you with such a boost to your quality of life as a proper emergency fund will.

[disneysteve]

So true. I posted in another thread about a friend who got evacuated from the Jersey shore. He and his family were able to spend a week in a nice hotel suite while many of his friends and neighbors stayed in their homes with no power, no heat, no gas, limited food, etc. Money makes all the difference.

[thesimplemoneyblog]

Always plan for the unexpected. You never know 'what' or 'when' the unexpected will happen, but if you prepare yourself regularly by saving and building that emergency fund, then you will be in that much of a better position to recover quickly and get back on the right track.

[humandraydel]

He and his family were able to spend a week in a nice hotel suite while many of his friends and neighbors stayed in their homes with no power, no heat, no gas, limited food, etc. Money makes all the difference.

This would be a tough decision for me - whether or not to spend money ($500?) to stay in a hotel and eat out for a week. I'd probably just tough it out but I'm almost 3 states further south so it isn't too cold yet. I've gone without power before for a week and didn't feel the need to pay for a hotel (plus I had a gas range so I could cook anything)

[UnknownXV]

While I agree I would likely tough it out unless things got seriously bad, the simple fact that I have the financial ability at any point to take care of myself and people I care about.. that is such an uplifting and calming thought it's hard to put into words.

[Nika]

This would be a tough decision for me - whether or not to spend money ($500?) to stay in a hotel and eat out for a week. I'd probably just tough it out but I'm almost 3 states further south so it isn't too cold yet. I've gone without power before for a week and didn't feel the need to pay for a hotel (plus I had a gas range so I could cook anything)

If it was 40 degrees, you had a 2 year old, lived on a high floor of a high-rise and COULD NOT FLUSH your toilet (and going outside is not an option, you don't have a yard, you are in the city), no shower yet you have to go to work... the charm of toughing it out and eating only non-perishable foods may wear out soon. It is not the same as camping in a cabin.

My colleague lives on a 34th floor. No power still. He goes up and down several times a day. And still, it could be worse. We are in decent neighborhoods with 24hr doormen. In poor areas they have deteriorating security situation, looting, muggings, and people are afraid to leave their apartments. Imagine living in a project when power is out for days. If I was afraid for my family's safety, I would take my child leave the area. It is so important to have that option.

[disneysteve]

This would be a tough decision for me - whether or not to spend money ($500?) to stay in a hotel and eat out for a week. I'd probably just tough it out

Keep in mind that this wasn't a suggestion. It was a mandatory evacuation. The government made it very clear that if you chose to stay, you were on your own. There would be no city services, no EMS, nothing. If anything happened to you, you were screwed. The police, fire, ambulances, etc. were not going to come to help you. If your roof blew off or a window got shattered by flying debris or your first floor flooded, you'd be out of luck. Still, a lot of people stayed because they didn't have the means to leave.

It is very similar to what happened after Katrina. How many people suffered at the Superdome because they had no way to get out of town when the evacuation order came? I'm sure most of those people didn't want to be there. They just had no choice.

[Nika]

This would be a tough decision for me - whether or not to spend money ($500?) to stay in a hotel and eat out for a week. I'd probably just tough it out

I missed that part. $500 a week? Seriously? Try $500 a day.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Nika, are you saying it is costing some people $500 a day to get a hotel and food? Is that a choice or simply the going price if one wants to stay fairly near home.

[Nika]

Yes, that was the price for a Renaissance Marriott in midtown ($430 plus tax) when I was looking up hotels for someone with no power on Thursday. There might have been cheaper ones, I did not check all hotels in New York.

But NYC is not a cheap city to begin with, plus with the surge in the demand from population with no
power, plus marathoners... Sure, you can get hotel for less if much further away -- IF you have a car and gas or if Amtrak and Metronorth or other public transportation is running.

And food... a sandwich in Manhattan would be about $12. If you have a kid and want a healthier hot meal, than it is more expensive. If you have 3 people and want to eat 3 times a day... do the math. Though there are other options if you know the area well. But there is also a stress factor and you may not want to count every penny you spend on food when you are displaced like that and maybe want to treat your family to a meal in a nice cafe for some sense of normalcy.

If I had no power, since we had a car with some gas in it, we would probably head to CT and get a nice hotel room for less than 200 a day. Unless they had a surge in demand from Westchester residents who were in the same situation. That is if I did not have to commute to work during that time.

But to put prices into perspective, we are paying 3k a month (100 per day) to live in our Bronx apartment, and that's after 170K+ downpayment and no maid service. So for a hotel price in Manhattan is not that much out of line.

[Like2Plan]

If it was 40 degrees, you had a 2 year old, lived on a high floor of a high-rise and COULD NOT FLUSH your toilet (and going outside is not an option, you don't have a yard, you are in the city)

I was wondering about the flushing aspect. When we are preparing for a hurricane (or other major wx event), we fill the bathtub full of water (in addition to storing drinkable water in containers). This is mainly so that we could flush the toilet if the water stops running by using a bucket of water.
Can you "bucket flush" in a high rise or do you need power for the waste water to go down, too? (Or, is it not typical to have a bathtub in a high rise apartment?)

[Like2Plan]

Oh! Thought of another question. What if you live on the 101th floor and there is no electricity? It must take hours to walk down and then back up again? I can't imagine doing that more than one time.

[kork13]

Can you "bucket flush" in a high rise or do you need power for the waste water to go down, too? (Or, is it not typical to have a bathtub in a high rise apartment?)

With some rare exceptions, yes. Most toilets are gravity-flushing, so if you have a full tank behind the toilet (and the sewers aren't backed up), you should be able to flush. Part of the problem is having enough water on hand for flushing (even a filled bathtub only lasts for about 10 flushes or so), and that sewer proviso I mentioned can be a problem if there's been flooding. If you're in a highrise, it might leave your place, but your neighbors on the lower levels might have a nasty surprise waiting for them....

[kork13]

Another thought/question as far as emergency preparedness... Do you all keep some cash on hand? I'm of a split mind about this. I've often heard that you want to keep some cash on hand in case power knocks out access to ATMs and credit card machines. However, I NEVER have cash on hand, because I use my credit card for almost all purchases, and I prefer to just leave my money in the bank where it's safe, secure, and earning some interest (I know, that's almost laughable right now). Every so often, though, I do consider the value of keeping between $500-$1000 in cash available in my home, just in case it truly became required. What do you all think?