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Five Tips for Getting Your Barbecue On

By Arthur Murray

You waited – not all that patiently – all winter for a chance to fire up the grill again and have a barbecue. But the weather in many parts of the country hasn’t been cooperative until recently.

You can almost taste the burgers or chicken or whatever your favorite barbecue fare is. But there are a few safety precautions you should take before you light the grill. Following are five things to do before you start cooking:

Prepare for the worst

Buy a fire extinguisher, and make sure you know how to use it. Why? According to the National Fire Prevention Association, there was an average of about 8,300 grill fires in the U.S. per year between 2006 and 2010. Putting out those fires quickly could sharply reduce the $75 million annually in property damage caused by grill fires.

Move it back

It almost goes without saying that you should only use propane and charcoal grills outside. Beyond that, you should move the grill well away from the house – probably even farther than you think. Be sure to keep clear of deck railings, eaves and overhanging branches. You should not move the grill once it’s ignited.

Perform maintenance

Before you light that gas grill, check the tank hose to make sure there are no leaks. One way to do this is to apply soapy water on the hose. Then turn on the gas: If it bubbles, you have a leak and a problem. Turn off the gas, and get the hose serviced by a professional. You should also check for spiders in the burner pipes and hoses; the webs can cause a backup and ignite the propane.

Never leave the grill unattended

This should be another no-brainer. Unfortunately, it’s all too common for chaise lounge chefs to put the food on the grill and then go inside for a beer or a bathroom break. This is a terrible practice on two fronts. One, you need to pay attention to the grill at all times while it’s lit. So not only shouldn’t you leave to get a beer, you shouldn’t be drinking beer while you’re cooking. Time enough for a cold one once you finish.

Establish a kids-free zone

Set up at least a three-foot child-free zone around the grill. The NFPA says grill burns led to about 7,800 emergency room visits in the U.S. in 2011. Children younger than 5 years old made up about 26% of the cases. That means you’ll need to mark the kid-free zone clearly and make sure your child understands the rules.

Make sure your menu includes a healthy helping of safety rather than a visit from the fire department or to the emergency room.

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Hurricane Season Begins June 1: Are You Covered?

Last year, experts recorded 19 tropical storm systems in the Atlantic Ocean – the third highest number in history. Of those, nine developed into fully fledged hurricanes, and one mutated into Superstorm Sandy – the second most catastrophic storm on record, outranked only by Hurricane Katrina.

Millions of homeowners were caught unprepared and underinsured last year because they didn’t know that their standard homeowners insurance policies did not automatically provide complete coverage against hurricanes.

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The average cost of homeowners insurance last year was $897, based on policies sold across the U.S. by HomeInsurance.com in 2012. This was a 15% increase in the average national premium as reported by HomeInsurance.com in 2011. Some homeowners paid as much as $1,700 and as little as $520 to insure their homes last year. Check out the states where homeowners were paying the highest and lowest premiums in the map below. Where do your rates measure up? Let us know in the comments section below.

Note: The average premiums displayed in the map below are based on average premiums as sold by HomeInsurance.com in 2012 through top-rated U.S. P/C Insurers including Safeco, Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, MetLife, The Hartford, Foremost and ASI. Visit the HomeInsurance.com RateReport for the complete list of most recent data.

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Bigger homes should make us happier, right? Maybe not. Since 1950, the size of an average home in the U.S. has more than doubled. But we’re spending less time in them, working more to pay them off and – to top it off – sleeping less. Check out how we’ve become fatter, poorer and sleepier despite all the upgrades in our homes.

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Whether you’re getting ready to send your kids away on a summer adventure or planning an overdue getaway for yourself, the last thing you want to worry about when it comes to vacation is what could go wrong. Sometimes, investing in travel insurance for your trip is a smart move in order to give you that peace of mind and help you relax on your time off. But when a policy typically costs 5-8% of your trip’s total cost, it’s important to have a good understanding of when you really need travel insurance, and when you could do without.

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You’ve purchased a smart home insurance policy that’s helped to prepare you for the fast-approaching perils of spring. You’ve got coverage against the strong winds that come with spring storms, smoke and fire damage that often accompanies the changes in temperature and much more. But what happens when you face a peril that doesn’t fall under the protective umbrella of your insurance policy? We’ve compiled a helpful list of things you can do to better prepare for those times when you need more than insurance.

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It’s springtime, and love is in the air – almost a third of all weddings occur in the spring, and the most popular month to get married is June, according to The Knot. Since the wedding season has begun, we’re offering a few smart insurance considerations every couple should hear before they say, “I do.”
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For many homeowners, the beginning of spring signals a time for cleaning. That makes great sense, of course. But while you’re moving stuff around in every room so that you can clean it, take a few extra minutes to compile a detailed inventory of what you’ve got.

Why do I need an inventory?

A home inventory is an extremely valuable resource to have if you ever need to file a home insurance claim for property damage. It’s extremely difficult to name every insured item that’s been lost or damaged after a covered peril if you don’t have a ready-made list to reference. That’s why homeowners who haven’t taken the time to inventory their belongings are much more likely to forget to claim a loss (or several losses) and miss out on valuable coverage they deserve than homeowners who have.
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This blog often details ways to lower home insurance premiums by promoting a safer lifestyle, such as installing smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, deadbolt locks and more. With Earth Day around the corner, we thought we’d discuss how some major insurance carriers are now rewarding green homeowners and drivers for their earth-friendly initiatives. Check out these suggestions for ways the green choices you’ve made are – or should be – preserving your bank account.
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The calendar says it’s spring – even if the temperatures outside don’t act like it yet. Regardless, the changing of the season means it’s time to conduct some maintenance on your house. Sure, it’s a chore, but you could save big bucks in the long run by taking care of the little things before they become big problems.
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