10 Items to Stock Up on in Your Home
Last week, we talked about how to stock our food storage, but as we know, it takes more than food to run our homes! A while ago we listed 10 Items to Add to Your Home Storage that we need to have to sustain our lifestyle; things like toilet paper, or baby supplies. Today, we’re adding to that list, with another ten things you may want should there be a break in the supply chain, or an emergency.
Emergency Supplies
One thing that comes to mind is having some emergency supplies and tools on hand. You never know when these could come in handy! These could include things that you might find in a first aid kit such as bandaids, gauze, and alcohol wipes. These could also include things like matches and flashlights, or things you might find in the junk drawer, like duct tape, rubber gloves, and Sharpies.
Pet Food/Essentials
Don’t forget about your furry family members! One thing we didn’t talk about last time that disappeared quickly at the beginning of the pandemic was pet food. When the lockdowns were coming, people rushed to the store to stock up on essentials, and one of the things that disappeared were dog and cat food especially. I remember going to a few stores and seeing some people buy truck loads of pet food. Having some extras on hand can help make sure we don’t accidentally run out, as well as having some in case of a real emergency.
A Manual Can Opener
Many of us have lots of cans stored up in our food storage, but if there were a power outage, do we have a way to open them? If you don’t have a manual can opener in your drawer or 72 hour kit, getting one to have for emergencies is also a great idea.
Blankets
We have talked about using blankets for various things such as heat and layers during the cold months, or especially in a heat related emergency. Having a few extra blankets easily accessible can help in lots of ways! We can add them to our bedding during cold spells, and help hold in the heat. In addition we can cover windows with them to reinforce curtains, tarp off areas, and add warmth to pet beds. Fleece can also be used to smother fires, or create hot rice packs.
Light Bulbs
Having a few extra bulbs around is always handy, for when burns out at night.
Tools
If you don’t have some already, consider getting a set of basic tools such as a hammer, screwdrivers, and wrenches for quick home repairs and projects.
Trash Bags
Trash bags are another thing that is super inconvenient to run out of. They can help a lot with cleaning up or grabbing things quickly in the event of an emergency.
Cleaning Essentials
In our last post we talked about having some extra cleaners on hand, but in the event that they aren’t currently on the shelves, vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, castile soap, Dawn dish soap, and lemon are great cleaning agents on their own. Vinegar can be used to clean mirrors and glass surfaces. Baking soda can be used as a laundry detergent and toilet bowl cleaner. Lemons can help remove soap scum and hard water stains. The best thing about these supplies are all non-toxic, meaning there are no harsh chemicals that can hurt your health. If you want to check out some cleaning recipes, check out some of our favorites here!
Fuel
If you have a generator, backup heater/air conditioner, barbecue, or even just a vehicle, having some fuel on hand is also a great idea! Having a generator can help power your home, or at least the appliances and heat to help keep your food safe and family warm. Having fuel to power your cooking gear can stretch your menu items and offer some familiarity during hard times. And, in case of an evacuation, having extra fuel could get you where you need to go when pumps are unavailable.
Communication Aids
Another great thing to have on hand is a way to communicate. During emergencies, cell towers tend to get overwhelmed, which can make it difficult for emergency personnel to communicate, and for our calls to get out. Having a backup plan can alleviate the stress of a difficult situation. Anyone can buy two way radios, and several have signals that can cover several miles. We can also get a Ham radio, which requires a license to operate, but can communicate with other radio operators across the country.
Taking some simple steps can help our home and family be more prepared for the unexpected! We hope this helps your personal journey to self-reliance.
XO,
Cheri