While it’s true you are going to need food and water to survive, there are other things you can be stockpiling now in case of a disaster, that will make your life easier.
Beyond food and water, what about healthcare?
Hydrogen peroxide may sound like a good thing to stock up on but it doesn’t last long enough to be of use to you in the future. It typically expires in as little as 6 months. Rubbing alcohol might be a better alternative since it will last up to 3 years.
Vaseline (even the generic version) is a great thing to stock up on. It helps protect minor cuts, scrapes, and burns and also protects your skin, and lips from chapping and windburn. If your hands dry out, use Vaseline to help. Celebs do it to make their hands look younger and feel softer. Basically, you put a bunch of Vaseline all of your hands before bed, then cover your hands with plastic bags. When you wake up your hands will be baby soft!
If you are a female you should look for deals on maxi-pads and tampons. There is no reason you shouldn’t stock up on these items since obviously all females will need them.
How about extra socks and underwear? They tend to go bad faster than normal clothes so if you find some on sale, pick up extras — Actually same thing with t-shirts. Doesn’t hurt to have some extra t-shirts just in case.
Other things could stock up on things like aluminum foil, toilet paper, and paper towels. If you find these items on sale, don’t be afraid to buy extra. They don’t go bad and you’ll without a doubt need them in times of disaster. My mother has a small shed in her back yard and it’s full of these items. She buys them in massive bulk when she finds them on sale. Even if a disaster never hits, she isn’t out the money because they are items you’ll always use.
Here are some other items that have a long shelf life …
Brown Sugar
If you store it in a moisture proof consider, it will last forever.
Honey
It will last forever
Mayonnaise
If unopened it will last indefinitely
Vinegar
It will last up to 42 months (3 1/2 years)
Worcestershire sauce
Unopened 5 to 10 years
Windex
2 years
Bar of soap
Will usually last 2 to 3 years
Shampoo and hair conditioner
Usually 2 to 3 years
Other things to consider include
- Wax candles
- Lights and Matches
- Charcoal
- Lighter fluid
- Hard, Clear plastic containers to store extra water
- Garbage bags
- Band-aides
- Board Games, Cards, Poker Chips and Dice
- Books – build yourself an old school library
A friend of mine said the three things he has a lot of is duct tape, WD-40, and Super Glue. With those he said he can fix about anything. I think I might agree so be sure you have plenty of those three items.