Even though toiletries are non-food items, they are an important part of home storage, and disaster and emergency preparedness. In the first few months of job loss, it would be nice to have some of these items on hand to help with finances. After a disaster you may need to help more people in your neighborhood than just your own family. So, decide what items you want to stock up on. Most of us do this already since we shop at warehouse stores and buy larger packages with more items to save money.
When I first started building up my stock of items, I thought I needed a year’s supply of everything. Then I decided to focus on a 6 month’s supply of some items and 3 months of others. This helped my budget. Of course when there is a coupon that allows me to get something dirt cheap (usually toothpaste and deodorant) I stock up on more of these.
Here are some suggested amounts for a 3 month supply for one person:
- Shampoo/Conditioner – 3
- Body Wash or Bar Soap – 3
- Deodorant – 2
- Lotion – 1
- Razors – 3
- Toothpaste -1
- Toothbrushes -1
- Dental floss – 1
- Chapstick – 1
- Shaving cream – 1
- Feminine items – varies
- Facial tissue – 1
- Toilet paper – 12
If you would like to see my 3 month/12 month Food Storage Calculator with suggested amounts of toiletries to store, go here. You would need to download it from Acrobat.com.