Goal #1 for this month is an easy one: stock up on the personal care and hygiene products you routinely use. The prices of personal care products do not fluctuate as dramatically as do food price. Even so, it is a good idea to have extra stored up for times of financial stress, emergency or just to make sure you never run out of deodorant or toothpaste in case you couldn’t get to the store this week.
As with all your non-food storage items, take an inventory of the items you regularly use and make a list of how much you will need for a 3-month, 6-month or one-year supply. Then begin buying extras until you reach your storage goal. If you combine coupons with sales you could get most of your personal care items for free or almost free.
Don’t forget over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Your insurance company may limit how much of your prescription drugs you can stockpile. You do not want to store so much that you risk of the drugs expiring before you use them. Be sure to date everything and store the oldest items in front so that they are always used first.
Be sure you have a reasonable supply of first aid items. If you have active boys like I do, it’s not a bad idea to have a couple splints and Steri-Strips on hand. We’ve had our share of broken bones and stitches and unfortunately too many of them have happened in the middle of winter storms when we could not get to the emergency room right away. In the case of my broken leg, it was 12 hours before the storm subsided and tractors could get in to remove the snow so we could get into town.
Here are some links for more information:
- Make-your-ownsoaps, shampoos, deodorants, etc.
- You might like this recipe for homemade shampoo.
- Here is just one of many couponing ideas for free shampoo this month. Sign up for couponing websites or do a Google search to get lots of other pointers.
- First aid and medicines you’ll want to have on hand.
We do this. The top shelf in my bathroom closet is all rolls of toilet paper. The next is towels, the next is rows of shampoo, deoderants, body wash, bar soap, toothbrushes, etc. I don’t just buy randomly, but try to find the preferred product for each family member as re scent vs unscented, type of scent, gel or paste etc. The floor holds the extras of the household cleaning supplies.
Wow! That takes a lot of organizing.
I,’ve always done things that way even when single. If there are only certain things one likes then get them whenever on sale and get more than just the one whether it is a certain shampoo or canned good or even a clothing item.