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Tips to Help You Avoid Family Conflict This Thanksgiving

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Tips to Help You Avoid Family Conflict This Thanksgiving

How you can alleviate family tensions this Thanksgiving weekend.

While the holidays are all about spending time with your loved ones, being around family can often turn into bitter arguments.  With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you probably want to avoid conflict with your family members as much as possible.  Here are some of the things that you can do to keep things civil this Thanksgiving.

  • Have a Set Schedule

Before you head to your family’s house, let them know ahead of time how long you will be staying.  Alternatively, if you are hosting, then make sure your invites come with a defined end-date.  When you limit the time that you have to share space with your family, this can help you avoid unnecessary conflict.

  • Ignore Criticism

Everyone has that one relative that loves to nitpick everything that you do.  Whether they choose to make snide remarks about your weight or take jabs at your career choices, you should expect what’s coming.  Rather than letting yourself stew over their rudeness, let their petty commentary roll off your back and forget about it.  They are likely feeling insecure about some aspect of their life and are attacking you for validation.  If anything, you should feel bad that they have to stoop so low to feel better about themselves.

  • Remind Yourself That You Love Your Family

While dealing with family is undoubtedly stressful, it’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, you all love each other.  Try to look past the inconvenience and annoyance that you feel and remember all the good that these people bring to your life.  Having a more positive outlook will help you remain calm this holiday season.

These are some of the things that you should do to keep tensions at a minimum this Thanksgiving.  Want another way to be stress-free this holiday season?  Then turn to the experts at James Page Insurance for the easy insurance experience that you deserve.

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Steps to Take If You’ve Locked Yourself Out of Your Car

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Steps to Take If You’ve Locked Yourself Out of Your Car

What to do if you’ve locked your keys inside your car.

If you haven’t already locked yourself out of your car, then chances are you will probably do it at some point in your lifetime.  While this is a distressing situation, there are steps that you can take to get back inside your vehicle.  Here’s what you should do if you’ve locked your keys inside your car.

  • Remain Calm

First, take a moment to settle your nerves.  Acting panicked and flustered will do nothing but make an unfortunate situation even worse.  So, do yourself a favor and collect yourself before weighing your next options.  Also, make sure that you check all your doors before calling for help.  The last thing you want to do is jump through all these hoops only to find that your passenger side door was open the whole time.

  • Have Someone Bring Your Back-Up Key

Most drivers have a spare key for their car.  It’s a good idea to leave your spare with a trusted family member or friend.  If you are in the local area and your spare key holder is available, then all you have to do is give them a call.  While you may owe them a favor in return, this is the easiest scenario.

  • Call for Roadside Assistance

If you don’t have a spare key or cannot reach your spare key holder, then it’s time to call for roadside assistance.  Roadside assistance is a service that many drivers have through their insurance.  This service allows the driver to call for help, and the company will send out a technician to assist them.  Roadside assistance technicians can unlock your car, tow your car, replace dead batteries, bring spare gas, and so on.

  • Contact a Professional

If you do not have roadside assistance, then place a call to the nearest tow truck company.  Many towing companies offer lockout services and can help you get back into your car.  If there isn’t a towing service nearby, then you can also call a locksmith or a car repair shop.

These are some of the things that you should do if you’ve accidentally locked yourself out of your car.  Interested in adding roadside assistance coverage to your auto policy?  If so, then contact the experts at James Page Insurance.  We are ready to get you the comprehensive car insurance you need today.

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Tips for Making Your First Home Inventory

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Tips for Making Your First Home Inventory

Suggestions to help you with your home inventory.

If you’ve just secured homeowners insurance, then your agent has probably advised you to make a home inventory.  However, because this task is so tedious, many homeowners put it off as long as possible.  Unfortunately, not having an updated home inventory can cause issues with your insurance.  Here’s why it’s so important to have a home inventory and some helpful tips for creating your first one.

Home Inventories Help with Insurance Claims

Having an updated home inventory is essential to managing your homeowners insurance.  This is because your inventory is a comprehensive list of all the items you own.  In the event of an emergency, you can reference your inventory to see which possessions you need to file a claim for.  Your inventory also documents the value of each item, which helps you secure an adequate amount of personal property insurance.

Tips for Creating Your First Home Inventory

The idea of documenting every item you own is daunting.  However, there are some steps that you can take to make this process as painless as possible.

  • Go room to room when creating your inventory. Do not forget to include the items in your basement, attic, and other often-forgotten storage areas.
  • Don’t try to finish your inventory all at once. This is a big job that’s best tackled over a longer period of time.  Work slowly to avoid careless mistakes and frustration.
  • While your inventory should include every item in your possession, be particularly meticulous when documenting valuable items such as jewelry, artwork, collectibles, electronics, furniture, and so on.
  • Your inventory should include as much information about each item as possible. For instance, you should include photos, receipts, and a written description of each possession whenever possible.
  • For your high-value items, you should also include an appraisal report, so you can show that an expert verified the item’s listed value.
  • Every year, you should update your inventory, making sure to add any new items that you have acquired and removing any old items no longer in your possession.

Storing Your Inventory

After creating your inventory, you need to make several copies and keep them in secure locations.  For instance, you should keep a physical copy in your home and a digital copy on your devices.  This way, you can access it immediately following a claim event.  You should also ask a trusted family member or friend to keep a copy of your inventory so you can access it if your home is completely destroyed, and you cannot reach any of the copies you have stored in it.

This is why homeowners need to create and update their home inventory.  Do you have further questions about your inventory?  If so, then contact the experts at James Page Insurance.  We are ready to assist you with all your coverage needs today.

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Don’t Slack on These Homeownership Tasks

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Don’t Slack on These Homeownership Tasks

Homeowners often forget about these important tasks.

If you own a home, then you know you are responsible for paying your mortgage and keeping up with routine repairs.  However, there are many other tasks that seem to slip homeowners’ minds.  To ensure that you are being a responsible homeowner, don’t forget to keep up with these tasks.

  • Update Your Alarms

Your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors keep your family safe by alerting you to fires and gas leaks in your home.  This is why it’s so important to make sure that they are operating properly.  To ensure that your technology is up to date, experts recommend upgrading your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors every ten years.  Additionally, you should replace the batteries in all your alarms annually.

  • Replace Your Fire Extinguisher

Many homeowners are surprised to learn that fire extinguishers actually expire.  To ensure that your extinguisher works well in an emergency, experts recommend changing it out every 5-15 years.  You can check the condition of your extinguisher by looking at the pressure gauge on the extinguisher’s handle.  If the needle is in the “green,” then your extinguisher is good to go.  If the pressure drops below this range, then it’s time for a replacement.

  • Refresh Your Emergency Kit

Many homeowners make an emergency kit, only to forget about it until disaster strikes.  However, your emergency kit won’t do any good if it’s filled with expired products.  This is why it’s important to go through your kit and refresh certain items every year.  For instance, homeowners need to change out the batteries, first aid supplies, food, and water in their kits every couple of years or so.

  • Clean Your Appliances

Cleaning your appliances is an important part of keeping them in good condition.  Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t think to complete these routine maintenance tasks.  For instance, they fail to clean out their dryer vents, flush out their water heaters, scrub their refrigerator coils, and wash their dishwasher.  When you take care of these tasks semi-regularly, you will find that your appliances perform better and last longer.

  • Review Your Insurance

Many homeowners secure insurance and then forget about their policy until they need to file a claim.  However, when you fail to review and update your homeowners insurance, you risk having insufficient coverage.  If your policy does not offer adequate coverage, then you may be forced to cover claim costs on your own.  Rather than assuming this significant risk, it’s best to review your policy annually and update your coverage to reflect your current needs.

These are some of the tasks that many homeowners forget about.  Do you need help with your homeowners insurance?  If so, then contact the experts at James Page Insurance.  We are ready to assist you with all your home coverage needs today.

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