Every year I try to challenge myself by writing an insurance blog that is somehow holiday themed. I have succeeded in the past (see here and here) and sometimes fallen very flat. However, only history can really judge what we do today, so it’ll be a few years before I declare the “Not At All Annual Phoenix Insurance Holiday Gift Giving Guide” a success – or conveniently forget that it exists.
I love gift guides, because after a while, they become even more interesting than they were when they were newly written. What were the people of 2013 thinking? What did they think was “cool”, but in retrospect was awful and exploded in your pocket or worse? Hopefully this insurance themed gift guide will stand that same test of time. I assembled things that will help you protect yourself and your loved ones and your possessions (and by extension your home insurance rates).
Without further ado, here is some stuff you can buy.
- Kidde Multi Use Fire Extinguisher. $19.99
Do you have a fire extinguisher in your house? How old is it? If you don’t know, it might not be any good anymore, so get your wife one for Christmas. No, it’s not a diamond ring, but it is a handy way to prevent your house form burning down, which is a pretty nice thing. It’s a beautiful shade of red, is compact (so it’ll fit in a stocking) , and once again, it’ll prevent you from losing everything in a fire. Fire claims raise your home insurance rates a lot.
- Master Lock Dual Function Security Bar. $19.98
This is a nice bar.
I like this item because it has multiple uses, which always makes something better in my opinion. This is a great gift for anyone who owns a door – or who is responsible for controlling access to one. The security bar can be used to lock hinged doors, as well as locking your sliding glass door. Sure, you have locks on those doors (at least I presume you do) but this gives you an extra layer of protection, especially on your sliding glass door – the locks on those things are ridiculous. As a bonus, you can bring your master lock security bar on the road if you are a traveler, and keep people out of your hotel room. Theft claims can also make your house insurance skyrocket.
- Kidde 13 Foot Fire Escape Ladder $34.97
This ladder is a great gift for the person who owns a two story home. The safety ladder is more of a personal safety item, and less of a way to keep your premiums down. However, all kidding aside, this is really an item you need to own, along with a plan for using it should there be a fire. If you don’t have one, ask for one for Hanukkah, unless you are a teenager, in which case no one is buying that you are asking for an escape ladder so you can be safe in a fire.
- Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm $99
This is a great gift for that friend who smokes in bed, or anyone really, except people who do not have homes. The Nest Protect is a “smart” smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm that will talk to you rather than just screeching at you, will send you messages, and will even work as a light in a dark hallway. I have one in my home, and it’s awesome – it actually works with my Nest thermostat somehow, though I’m not clear on exactly what they talk about. It does communicate with me very well via my phone, so if a fire happens while I am chained to the blogging table here at the office, I’ll get a message and be able to call 911 and save my home, therefore incurring less damage, and keeping my home insurance premiums down.
It looks like this insurance gift guide has turned out way better than I thought; as I type word 684, I have come to the realization that I have a few more gifts to share with you, so tune in in a couple of days to check out the rest of The Not At All Annual Phoenix Insurance Holiday Gift Giving Guide 2016.