Ever have this happen? It's the middle of the night and you wake up with horrid indigestion. You head downstairs only to discover that you're out of Tums. Now you're left with the undesirable decision to either ride out the pain or ride out to the drugstore and pay full price for a bottle of the stuff.
When it comes to stockpiling, you need to think beyond groceries and consider all the items your family uses. Today I want to share with you just one area I've been focusing on: first aid and OTC medicines. And I have to admit, I like feeling prepared in case I suddenly develop a cold or headache.
Here is a current picture of my stockpile. As of this post, it all fits (but barely) in this plastic bin. (Incidentally, if you have small children or animals who like to get into things, do make sure to store these types of items somewhere safe!).
Some of the items in my first aid stockpile include:
- Cough drops – lots of flavors and varieties
- Cough syrup
- Bandages
- Allergy medicine
- Antacid
- Baby motrin and aspirin
- Pain medicines
It's important to pay attention to expiration dates – both when making your purchase and when managing your stockpile. When items get close to expiring and you realize you are not going to be using them, consider donating them to a local non-profit where they could be used quickly.
Since shopping at Rite Aid and Walgreens, I've been able to accumulate many of these items for cheap, free, or better than free (AKA "money-makers"). I'll be sure to clue you in to these deals in the days to come – so stay tuned!
