I've thought about generators in the past, and have always concluded that I had no real need for one.

In the event of an extended power outage during a disaster, what do I need that requires electricity? Refridgerator and freezer? - nice, but certainly not a necessity. If the food inside spoils, it wasn't very expensive in the first place anyway. Much less than the cost of a generator. Lights? - you would certainly want some light, but I think several LED flashlights and loads of batteries would be perfectly functional. Washer, dryer, electric cooktop? - Don't need them. Heat? - that would be nice too, assuming the gas to the furnace wasn't disrupted along with the electricity for the fan. But we've got lots of cold weather gear and very good sleeping bags, so we could survive without.

The only thing I can really come up with that would be a necessity is communications. That could be cell phones, or computers/modems/routers/etc. Of course, you are dependant on the infrastructure to support these devices to be intact. HAM radio would be best, but I'm not into that.

So I can only come up with a use for a smallish generator. One big enough to charge cellphones, run a computer for short periods, maybe to power a charger for NiMH spare batteries, etc.

But I don't live in an area that is prone to disasters or has frequent power outages (I have been without power for probably less than 4 hours total over the last 30 years). For those of you that do live in problem areas, what essential things do you use your generator for? I can see if you have long and frequent power outages, you might grow weary of having your refridgerated foods spoil all the time. I'm lucky in that I don't have to deal with that where I live.