YWCA Fresh Start start 3:Layout 1 - YWCA Canada

YWCA CANADA | A TURNING POINT FOR WOMENname in a bank that he does not use, even if you can only put a fewdollars in it at first. Add money to the account whenever you can.Eventually, this will give you some money that is just yours. Ask thebank to hold your monthly statements for you to pick up and theneither throw them away once you have reviewed them or findsomewhere safe and private to keep them. If you bank online withthis private account, remember to clear your cache and place anysaved statements in a password-encoded file that only you can access.If your partner has access to your computer and might becomesuspicious of a new locked file, save all of your private information ona memory stick that you keep somewhere safe.If possible, get a credit card in your name only and keep it in a safeand private place.KeysHave an extra set of house and car keys made. Keep them somewheresecret that is also accessible (for example, under a shrub or rockoutside your house), so you can grab them quickly if you need to.The telephoneIf you can afford it, buy yourself a cell phone and keep it somewheresafe and private. Get a pay as you go plan so that you are not receivingbills for this phone at your home. Program in emergency numbers aswell as telephone numbers for friends or family members who knowabout your situation.Make sure you keep this phone charged up so you can use it in anemergency. You might want to keep it outside your home, so you canget to it even if you are trying to get away from your partner. Use it tomake any calls you do not want your partner to know about.If you can’t afford a cell phone, find out how to block the “last callredial” service on your home phone, and use it when you are makingcalls that you do not want your partner to know about.If possible, have at least one cordless phone in your home, so you cangrab it and take it somewhere safe to use it if necessary.DocumentsKeep important documents in a safe place that you can get to easily. Ifpossible, have photocopies made and keep the copies at work or at thehouse of a trusted friend or family member who will not tell anyone.34