Snow!

It snowed in Las Vegas last night which is both rare (I think it last snowed here a decade ago) and exciting (even more so because you know it won't last for days on end so you need to quickly get out and enjoy it).  There are several money-saving things to know about snow in a place that doesn't usually get snow...

• full coverage car insurance is a good thing; there were a lot of wrecked cars on the roadways this morning even though there was less than two inches of snow that fell overnight.
• stay home if possible.  Again, there were so many wrecks on the freeway they closed down a big section between Vegas and LA until the snow melted this afternoon.
• if you are driving a distance in the snow, make sure you have plenty of emergency supplies in your car like water, food, and blankets (some people were stranded on the freeway for hours).
• don't expect snow plows.  I don't think our city even owns a snow plow because snow is so rare and usually melts within hours.
• if you do wreck or get stranded in the snow, having a AAA membership is also a good thing (free towing and roadside service for less than $100 per year).
• you need to cover your plants in really cold weather; there are a lot of cacti wearing coats in the snow!  A big cactus can cost upwards of $2000 to replace so keeping them warm and alive is worth the effort.
• wrapping pipes is sometimes important.  It usually is only below freezing for a short time here so the week-long freezes that cause burst pipes here is rare but we do wrap our outdoor faucets just to be safe...the last thing we want is an emergency plumbing repair bill!
• even living in somewhere where it rarely gets very cold, you still need a bit of winter wear.  I saved some fleece jackets, a down coat, a hat, and gloves when we moved here and they get used a couple of times a year.  On the other hand, if you need these items they can be found cheap at the Goodwill because so many people donate these items when they move to Vegas!