72-hour kit: Medication

Medicine is an important part of any emergency kit. Storing over-the-counter medications like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen may be useful if you are away from home or if you are unable to go to a store for a period of time. If you have children at home, you should store appropriate medicine for them as well.

I store a bottle of each medicine in my kit. When I run out of one in my medicine cupboard, I get the bottle out of my kit. Then I buy a new one for the 72-hour kit. It has been helpful to have these extra medicines handy when I am unexpectedly run out and one of my kids is sick.

If you or a family member has a specific medical need that makes it necessary to take medication regularly, this medication is extremely important to have an emergency. My husband takes medicine weekly, along with daily vitamins. I store at least 3 days worth of the needed medication, one week's worth for the weekly meds. You may need to have a plan for medications that need to be refrigerated, if needed.

I use an old medicine bottle with a child-proof lid for the pills we need to keep my kids safe. I also have a card with each medicine and vitamin labeled.

I place the medicine in a small plastic bag, wrap it with packing tape, and label it with the date so I know when I need to rotate it.

This medication has also come in handy when we have had miscommunication between the doctor's office and the pharmacy.


This is step 4 on the PLAN 9 pamphlet put together by the Southwest Utah Public Health Department.

Previous Steps...
Step 3: Clothing
Step 2: Food
Step 1: Water

3-month supply: Baking Items & Spices

Let's talk about a 3-month supply of baking items and spices!!!

 

 

If you've read many of my previous posts, you know that I love having extras on hand. Even if I weren't trying to slowly build up my own 3-month supply, I think would have extras on hand when possible.

 

Here's an example of when I failed.

 

In February, my mother-in-law came to visit. We only see her a couple of times a year so these visits are extra special. We try to make yummy food or take her out to local places we love. We also eat a lot of desserts when she's here. (OK, I kinda like to bake so I have desserts at my house a lot.)

 

One day during her visit we decided to try a molten chocolate cake concoction. We were planning on making two square pans, but I only had enough baking cocoa for one. BUMMER!

 

Actually, one pan was PLENTY so it was OK, but the point of my story is that we couldn't do what we wanted to do without making a visit to the store...and I hate going to the store for only one item. Having an extra container of cocoa on hand would have been the most convenient solution.

 

OK, so....what are some of the baking items you use? Remember that oils, flour and sugars are included elsewhere in your 3-month supply.

 

So the first step is to make a LIST of what you use. Here's my list:

 

Salt

Baking powder

Baking soda

Yeast

Vanilla

Cooking spray

Cornstarch

Baking cocoa

Chocolate chips

Lemon juice

Vinegar

 

The next step is to decide HOW MUCH to store. The best way to start is to simply have one extra container on hand at all times. When you open that one, make sure to replace it with a new one. This is a good way to keep variety in your storage. Once you have that habit established, you can move on to storing more.

 

Here's some more information on each item to help you decide how much to store for your family:

 

Salt- The basic 26 oz. container is good for 4 people for 3-months. Unopened salt canisters have an indefinite shelf life AND salt is CHEAP. You can get a 26 oz. canister for less than $.50!!

Baking powder- The standard 8 oz. is probably enough for 2 people for 3-months. As far as shelf life, baking powder is usually good for 18 months (although I have a large canister that I've had for a couple of years and it's still good). A good price for an 8 oz. container is about $1.25.

Baking soda- A 16 oz. box is good for 4 people for 3-months. You can also purchase baking soda is large bags. (And remember, it's not only for baking. Click HERE.) Soda's shelf life is about 2 years. A good price for a 16 oz. box is about $.70.

Yeast- 3 oz. per person. Yeast is good on the shelf for about one year, but can last up to 5 years in the freezer. At a warehouse type store you can get 16 ounces of yeast for about $2.

Vanilla- About 4 oz. per person. That's 4 of the small containers. REAL vanilla has an indefinite shelf life, while imitation vanilla stores for about 4 years. At a warehouse store, you can get vanilla for about $.44 per oz. WAY better than any prices at the grocery store.

Cooking spray- Bottles are usually 6-8 oz. That's good for 2 people for 3-months. Cooking spray lasts from 12-18 months. A good price for spray is about $3.50 per can.

Cornstarch- The standard 16 oz. box is good for 4 people. Cornstarch also has an indefinite shelf life. You can find a 16 oz. box for about $1.30.

Baking cocoa- The standard 8 oz. container is good for 2 people for 3-months. Unopened cocoa can store indefinitely. A good price for cocoa is about $.26 per oz.

Chocolate chips- One 12 oz. pack for each person. These can be frozen to extend their shelf life and run about $3 each lately, about $.25 per oz. The big packs at the warehouse stores are definitely the best options, price wise, at about $.15 per oz but watch for sales at your local grocery store. (One magical day YEARS AGO I got packs for $.50 each!)

Lemon juice and vinegar are not really baking items, but more like cooking items. However, this is the list I included them on for some reason. Both can be used for many other purposes, like cleaning, so you might want to buy the big bottles. Lemon juice is good for about 18 months unopened and about 6 months opened in the fridge. Vinegar lasts indefinitely if stored properly! Both are cheapest at the warehouse stores.

 

And here's my list of herbs & spices that I use often:

 

CINNAMON

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Oregano

Basil

Chili powder

Black pepper

 

The thing about herbs & spices is that they lose potency over time, so you don't want to store them for TOO long. In fact, I don't store extras of these spices, but I do try to get a new container when I have about half a container's worth. (Except for cinnamon. I either have a big one from Sam's Club or several smaller ones on hand.) Does that make sense?

 

 

As you can see from the prices and the shelf life, baking items can actually be a pretty easy area to store. $10-20 will go A LONG WAY with these items! (Herbs and spices, not so much.)

 

Remember:

 

Make a list

Decide how much

Watch for deals

Rotate!

 

 

More Homemade Household Cleaners

So we've talked about Homemade Laundry Soap and Making Your Own Foam Soap, so I thought I'd mention a few other cheap and easy ways to make your own household cleaners.

For mirrors and windows, I use the following:

1 cup rubbing alcohol

1 cup water

1 T vinegar

Mix ingredients into empty spray bottle.

That's it.

And I really like it. It doesn't streak and it cleans really well. Rubbing alcohol is a great sterilizer and vinegar disinfects and deodorizes as well as removed mildew and grease.

Speaking of grease, one great way to clean greasy areas of your home, like a stove top, is by using 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar. The soda not only deodorizes, but it works as a mild abrasive that helps when scrubbing a surface without scratching. This combination will leave a white residue, but can be wiped off with a damp cloth.

One more: Wood Polish!

Mix 1/4 cup lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil.

Apply onto wood with soft cloth.

Love using this on my piano. It makes it shine and it smells yummy too!

For more information and recipes, click HERE to see my handout.

72-hour kit: Clothing

As far as clothing goes this is what I recommend for EACH family member:

1 shirt
1 pair of jeans (I use old, holey ones)
1 pair socks
1 pair of underwear (or 12-16 diapers for baby...and don't forget wipes!)
1 sweater
1 pair shoes

You can get clothing from your local thrift store. I save ALL my boys' clothes, so most of the stuff is used from their older brother. For my daughter, I have some pajamas that are the size bigger than she is currently in.

In the image above, I had all the clothing in a large, rolling suitcase. Since I took that photo, I have made separate kits for each member of the family. Do what works for you.

I also have a set of clothing in the car for each of my children, as well as a bunch of diapers and wipes. There have been MANY times that I have needed a new pair of underwear and pants for one of my kids who got in mud or had an accident while at a friend's house or even out doing errands.


While you're thinking of clothing for you 72-hour kits, you may want to consider the following items as well:

Ponchos
Blankets
Work gloves
Hats

This is Step 3 on the PLAN 9 pamphlet put together by the Southwest Utah Public Health Department.

Previous Steps...
Step 2: Food
Step 1: Water

Homemade laundry soap

For the last TWO years, I have not bought laundry soap. I make my own. It is easy, it's fun (in a nerdy way) and it's CHEAP!

Here's the "recipe" I use:

 

 

 

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated       

1/2 to 1 cup washing soda*            

1/2 to 1 cup Borax

5 gallons water

5 gallon bucket and lid

 

Boil 4 cups water. Turn to medium heat. Add grated soap til all soap is melted. In the meantime, fill 5 gallon bucket half full with hot tap water.

 

 

Add washing soda and Borax to water. When soap mixture is melted, add to water as well.

Fill rest of bucket with hot tap water and let sit for 24 hours, covered, before using.

 

 

Use 1/2 cup- 1 cup of soap for a regular load of laundry.

*Washing soda and baking soda are different, but baking soda is cheaper. To convert baking soda into washing soda, bake baking soda at 250 degrees for 1 hour.

 

 

EASY, right???

Here's some more info and photos...

 

Fels Naptha is a bar of soap that can be found with the stain removers.

Borax is a natural cleaner that can also be found at the store with the stain removers.

 

Grated Fels Naptha (looks like cheese!) and box of Borax.

4 cups water with grated soap...

 

 

 Baking soda turning into washing soda....

TA DA!

 

 

 

 

You can use the soap straight from the bucket, you funnel it into old liquid detergent bottle.

 

Some recipes say to dilute the mixture with water and then use it. I just use a little less of the undiluted soap.

 

For normal cleaning, I use about 1/2 cup of soap for a load. For rags or other dirtier loads, I use from 1 cup to 1  1/2 cups of soap.

I do A LOT of laundry, at least 10 loads a week, and a 5 gallon bucket of soap lasts me about 3 months. I figured that without the initial cost of the bucket and lid, spend $12 a year on laundry soap.

 

FOR REAL!

And I really like it.

I have had several friends try it and they don't like that there is no scent to it. I just use nice smelling drying sheets and that's enough for me.

3-month supply: Cleaning supplies

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons

 

Let's talk about a 3-month supply of CLEANING SUPPLIES!!

 

OK, first of all...why store extra cleaning supplies? If you remember my post from earlier this year titled, "Why I Prepare," you'll have the answers.

 

Here's a summary. With food, hygiene products, cleaning supplies, etc., it is always CONVENIENT to have extras on hand. Even someone who plans ahead might reach for the window cleaner and find that it's almost gone. I don't know about you, but I don't go to the store for ONE product. I try to wait until I absolutely HAVE to go. But because I have extras on hand, most of the time that works out for me.

 

Also, you cannot plan for a natural disaster or economic hardship to come along. If you stock up on cleaners that you use most commonly and have a month of unexpected expenses, you may not have to worry about spending precious resources on a box of laundry soap.

 

A personal example with convenience as well as something unexpected: A while back, our church building was vandalized. There was paint and other things all over the walls in the hallway as well as in many of the rooms. The damage was pretty extensive. Several members of our church were asked or volunteered to go in and do some initial cleaning before the professionals came in to clean, repair and replace. With little kids at home, I wasn't able to help, but a friend who was helping there called and asked if I happened to have any if those cleaning pads that "erase" marks on walls. I had 3 or 4 from a box I had purchased on Amazon, so I was able to contribute those to the clean-up effort. It wasn't inconvenient for me to give my extras away and no one had to run to the store to grab some.

 

In addition, if you watch sales, you can purchase several of one product at a lower cost than going out and buying the product every month.

 

So WHAT kind of products should you store?? Every household will be different, depending on the preferences of those doing the cleaning. Here's my list:

 

Laundry soap*

Stain removers, dryer sheets, and other laundry items

Glass cleaner*

All-purpose cleaner

Toilet bowl cleaner

Disinfectant wipes

Dish soap

Dishwasher detergent

Bleach

Vinegar

Rubbing Alcohol

 

*You may want to make your own cleaners, so you would need to store the products necessary to make them. I will post more about homemade cleaners soon.

 

Once you have determined WHAT you want to store, you can decided HOW MUCH of each items to store. The best way to get started is to simply have ONE extra of each item. From there, you may find that you need more than that for a 3-month time period.

 

Remember, keep it simple! Do what works for you.

 

Making your own foam soap

About a year ago, I started feeling annoyed at the amount of hand soap our family was using. With 3 young boys using the bathroom, it seemed like I was always refilling the soap dispensers or cleaning up little mounds of dried soap.

On top of that, at Wal-Mart, the generic brand, Equate, has gone from a 64-oz bottle to a 44-oz bottle for the same price.

So I looked around online and I found that you can make your own foam soap with regular hand soap and I decided to give it a try.

The verdict: I'm hooked! In over a year I have gone through only TWO 44-oz bottles of liquid hand soap.

Here's what you need:

Foam soap dispenser

Liquid hand soap

Water

Here's what you do:

Mix ONE part liquid hand soap with FOUR parts water. Ta da!

 

Here I am, pouring some soap into an empty bottle.

 

 

 

Adding water. You may need to shake it a bit as well.

 

 

And that's it. As long as you have a foam soap dispenser (which they sell for less that $2 each in the same area as the hand soap) you are set!

 

 

 

Here is the current dispenser in my bathroom.

There are only TWO draw backs that I have found. One is that the dispenses don't work for more than 6 or 8 months. I just recently bought new ones to replace the first ones I purchased. Even with this, I think that the savings MORE THAN out ways having to replace the soap dispenser once or twice a year.

The other draw back is that you have to make sure your family scrubs there hands together a bit before putting them under the water because the foam soap is so much lighter than straight hand soap. This has worked out fine for us, but is something to consider.

 

Please note: I am not endorsing the Equate brand...I am just cheap and that is the cheapest brand at Wal-Mart currently.