Ten Important Items to Keep Inside Your Car

My father taught me early on to be prepared when on the road. He taught me basic car maintenance and repair, as well as a few things to keep in my car "in case of emergencies". Over the years, I have added some things and removed some things, but there are a number of items that have a permanent residence in my car. By keeping these items in my car, I have saved time and money when an incident arises. It's the "thinking ahead" of things I might need that has kept an unfortunate mishap from turning into a stressful disaster.

Here is a list of some things I keep in the passenger area of my car:

1. Napkins-since having children, I have acquired the habit of picking up several extra napkins for the inevitable spill or mess. Instead of discarding them with the trash, I add them to a small stack in one of the storage compartments of the car. Over time, I have acquired enough to handily wipe a mouth, clean a spill or wipe a foggy window in no time.

2. Pencil and small notepad-I keep these in a storage compartment for those times when I want to let someone know I stopped by when they weren't home. Or, when I see something for sale, I can jot down a phone number, address and brief description to follow up on when I get home. Sometimes I make a list for the grocery store or a list of chores while I am waiting at a drive-thru or for a child's activity to be over. I chose a mechanical pencil so that when the car is very hot during the summer, I don't have an ink explosion in the car!

3. Car charger for cell phones-of course!

4. Small personal defense pepper spray-I keep this in the pocket of the door itself. It is easily accessible yet hidden. I haven't had to use it but have carried it with me into a store at night. It makes me feel more secure knowing I have this bit of self defense available.

5. Compact umbrella-this is always kept beside my seat for those days when I have forgotten my large umbrella or get caught in an unexpected shower. When I return home, I leave it slightly open, point down, in the passenger floor board to dry.

6. Road maps-I have accumulated a nice collection of road maps that I always keep handy in my glove compartment. It includes a map of my city and county, my state and several surrounding states, as well as several papers with directions to places I go regularly but may need to be reminded of the directions. Most of my maps are complimentary ones handed out at visitor's centers and motels.

7. Tire gauge-I keep this in the glove box so I can easily reach it when I check the air in my tires. A simple pen style is all you need.

8. A small pair of scissors-I originally added these to my glove box on a whim because I had an extra pair. Surprisingly, they have come in handy on numerous occasions to remove packaging, to shorten straws, to trim a thread before a meeting and countless other times. Now I wouldn't be without a small pair of scissors!

9. A box of tissues-much softer than a napkin and convenient to have available.

10. Travel container of hand wipes-a great item to have for a messy face or sticky fingers. These usually have a soap ingredient, so be careful about wiping glass or interior plastic with them.

And one more item-the automobile owner's manual. This small book contains a wealth of basic information about your particular vehicle. When you need to know what amount and type of oil you need or what fuse you need or other information, it is convenient to have it readily available.

Take a few minutes of your time and budget to gather the items listed above. Organizing them conveniently in your car will certainly save you a bit of stress somewhere down the road.