Last-Chance Shopping?
I’m sure most of us have seen these images each hurricane season: store shelves bare, lines of people waiting to check out and those who waited last minute to prepare and walked away with nothing.
Even if your family is well prepared, its in our nature to want to stock up or hoard in times of crisis. If you knew of an impending weather event or crisis, you still would want to have the chance to run to one store to buy extras of anything that could help you survive the coming days or weeks.
So what would that one store be? For me, the answer is simple. These stores seem to be around every corner and most are open 24 hours. Your local drug store; like CVS, Rite Aid or Walgreens.
Drug stores can be found about every couple of miles in towns and cities across the United States. In fact, you’ll frequently see Walgreens and CVS right next to each other, and in an emergency, that could come in handy – giving you twice the shopping opportunities at the same location.
Although they may not be the cheapest place to buy supplies, they do tend to have a huge array of products and really are a one-stop shop.
So, even if you have stocked up on the following items or have enough for your own use, consider grabbing extras for barter or for resale, especially when coupons or sales allow you to do so for a reasonable cost.
First Aid Supplies
-bandages
-Neosporin and sanitizer spray or wipes
-tape
-cold packs
Medicine and Vitamins
If cold or flu season is near, think about stocking up on cough drops, vitamins, cold medication or other necessities you may need if you get sick while stuck at home during a crisis. Most of these medications have a lengthy shelf life, so you can stock up and not worry about them expiring. Consider pain relief medication and build a good stash to cover the basics of handling a fever to dealing with migraines.
Foot Care
This sounds like a minimal worry but give it a thought for a second. If you are unable to use your vehicle you may find yourself walking to locations or having to relocate by foot. If you have blisters, you’re not going to get very far. Look into shoe inserts, blister bandages, sprays and moleskin to help take care of your footwear and feet.
Baby Supplies
Even if you do not have a baby at home, stocking up on diapers, wipes, and electrolyte formula can be used for a variety of things and in a true emergency, will be worth their weight in gold for those needing these supplies.
Trial and Travel-Sized Items
I stock up on these as much as I can. Not only are they handy for emergency kits and bug out bags, but they are just right for barter. These items are great for short-term bug out bags or for cars or work locations. Often, they also have travel size laundry care and a few tools as well.
So, what store would be YOUR choice as a final shopping location and what would you purchase? Share in the comments below.
Hello 4Patriots. What kind of diapers? The most absorbent for wounds, probably–diff sizes too. What else?
I’m pretty rural, so my Closest, closest store would be a convenience store. But I could walk to that after the fact, so I would probably bypass it and go to the next closest store/strip mall. There I would find a supermarket and my bank, right behind it. I would get cash from my savings account, cuz, yes, I am addicted to my debit card. Then I would grab a cart at the supermarket and …h*ll NO…There is nothing I would go inside a store for unless I had a LOT of warning and could do it before the masses descended. IF I was there a couple of days ahead, so the lines were reasonable I would pick up some bread, some gallon ziplocs freezer bags and maybe, just maybe every single M&M in the place. (Definately one FAMILY size bag) If I was low on milk and coffee creamer I would get a jug of each. After that, I’m good. Maybe not for the rest of my life, but for just about anything ending in 1 – 2 years. Oh, WAIT A MINUTE. Chicken feed. I would take the truck and get as much chicken feed as I had money for and some chicken medications. Forget the bread, I can eat crackers….but if it was a long term event I would have to have chicken feed to tide me over til I could gather alternative food for them. Short term…1 – 3 weeks? I’m good. Longer than that I need chicken food.
Homeopathic remedies….. These are true necessities as far as I am concerned, especially if you can not get Meds .
Essential oils like tea tree oil for wounds, lemon oil to disinfect and use in water…. Look into this. It is easy to find info on the Internet, and Walmart even carries a good selection of oils now.
I have a neighbor, about 30 yrs younger than I am. She is always borrowing cooking oil, flour, cigs, bandages, etc.
As yet, she has never returned anything. How should I tell her that I will barter with her? She really does not have anything I would want. We have been neighbors for over 15 yrs. I am a prepper, and always have been. I’m 74 yrs old, and raised on an 800 acre farm, so I learned how to prep for any emergency, and she knows it. In an emergency, (we’ve had a couple of very long power outages,) she and her family come to my house. This is OK, but I would love to barter with her, and anyone else, but do not know how.
I used to own a bar, and have enough liquor to stock another bar, but no one in my neighborhood really drinks, except my family when they visit. They live an hours, or better, drive away. We only have 5 houses on my block, and all know they are welcome in an emergency.
I do all the cooking when weather turns bad, and neighbors know it. I watch the news twice a day for possible weather probs. I have NOT been able to get anyone in the neighborhood to prep for weather, or any emergencies.
Did I set myself up to be the “go-to” person?
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thank you
I agree with the Walmart option, as long as you’re ahead of the crowd. Also, I read after Katrina that the most in-demand/wish-I-had item was Gold Bond Foot Powder, for what it’s worth.
I agree that we need to be prepared for emergencies—however a question I have is “how do I store my supplies for, hopefully, a long time ? In heat proof,waterproof, etc containers and where would you recommend buying the containers ?
Thanks for your comment & question, Margaret. The key is to block heat, sunlight and air from your supplies. We sell these containers (www.4patriots.com, click on “Catalog”) or you can find them elsewhere.
Yes I agree Walmart
We just went through a hurricane and Walmart is not the best store to shop at. Our Walmart only allowed about 20 people at a time in the store. Shelves were almost empty and the pharmacy was closed.
I greatly appreciate your information. I have tried to think of everything, but I find you always have common sense items, that I have overlooked. Thanks
We already have enough food, clothes, and cell phones, etc…to keep us okay in case of a catastrophe. We used to be here in the country, but now so many people moved out here, it’s different, however, we still have our acreage of land, so we can plant veggies, etc…
A good idea is if your gonna have firearms make sure the caliber is common. Exotic ammo will be hard to get when TSHTF . Also aloe vera is great for inner body as well as skin . And no matter what the situation is have a plan B and C . Contingency!!!
I know this is not a last minute item, but I just purchased an outdoor oven. It has a two burner stove top and oven below it. It’s a miniature stove/oven, just like in your home. It runs on propane. Very excited about this new item to add to my Preps.
Dollar General and local pharmay are my closest options, and next door to each other. Pharmacy has a good selection of pet, car, paper, grocery items in adition… but cost is slightly higher.Which one I entered would depend on what I thought I needed the worst.
Walmart. First choice. Toilet tissue.
One item for your car, would need to be a ways to put air into your tires. But also, make sure your spare is full of air. There are gadgets available where you can use these to put air into your tires. Get flashlights that have the capability to recharge themselves.
There are plenty of references of how to build your own home pharmacy with yard weeds etc. That should be first aid shopping while you save and dry your own. Other than that, anywhere you can buy water last minute and food.
I agree with your choices. But walmart would be my first choice. It has everything the drug stores do plus a whole lot more. Camping equipment, guns, ammo, knives, bikes,
Ty, dude: guns cant be an element to persuade you for ‘last minute’ shopping list as there is a waiting period! And Wal-Mart sells only long guns, and can limit ammo purchases when they think it appropriate.
Otherwise agree with you on WM. My local store is also now carrying water filtration equipment. YouTube has many bush campers that demonstrate it can be done with budget equipment from WM!
You and everyone else. Might not be the most secure place to be in a time like described. Your local drug stores are not the crowds first thought in s time like that.
Besides you should already have secured most of your supplies.