Stocking Up on a Budget

You never know when an emergency is going to happen. Having provisional supplies on hand could mean the difference between life and death depending on your situation. Stocking up on stuff is great, but how do you do it when you live pay to paycheck or have just a little bit to spend here and there?

Stretch your grocery bill. This is a top priority. Use coupons, watch the sales, shop generic brands, and buy in bulk when necessary. Buy things when they are on sale. Visit discount grocery stores like Winco, Grocer's Outlet and Food4Less. Depending on your area of the country, you probably have a store that sells off brands, misprinted labeled can foods, or takes extra inventory from the bigger stores and sell these items much cheaper.

Buy extra toiletries and household products too. This includes feminine products, toilet paper (all brands are not equal), bars of soap, dishwashing soap, laundry soap, batteries, candles, matches, lighters (storing them in safe place, of course,) and toothpaste. Don't forget deodorants and razors.

Buy generic brand medicines. Buy the large bottles of ibuprofen and Tylenol. The same goes for bandages, Neosporin, cold, and cough medicines.

Use your Dollar stores. I always get 4-5x more time dishwashing soap for the same price as I would have spent in my local grocery store. Go to the dollar stores first and gather as much as you can from your regular shopping list. Get the rest at discount grocers. This will always save you money.

As your supplies grow over time, you'll notice certain products you'll purchase in bulk more often. Some of these could be bar soap, toilet paper, rice, oats, band-aids, and laundry soap.

Keeping it simply and building your supplies consistently will lead to a successful storage of extra supplies. Every time you go out, ask yourself, "Can I get this at the dollar store?" remembering if you can you will often get way more bang for your buck. Ask yourself, "Am I low on this item?" If it's on sale, buy 1/3 more than you think you'll need. Putting a little thought and effort into gathering your supplies will go a long way to making sure you actually achieve your goal of doing so on a budget.