History has shown that those who are are prepared have a better chance at survival than those who are not. You don’t really need to take your preparedness to the next level especially if your budget is tight.  But there are a few inexpensive things you should consider stockpiling now.

You never know when something could go wrong, as those who live in California have come to discover during the PG&E blackouts. However, having these five things on hand just in case could make a huge difference if the SHTF.

1. Toilet Paper – this shouldn’t need an explanation, but if you’ve only got one roll when the grocery store gets emptied out, you could really be up a creek in an uncomfortable way!
2. Cooking Oil – this can be any oil you like to cook with, and could come in handy if you need to make an oil lamp. Oil has several uses and is likely to be something that’ll disappear from shelves quickly in the event of an emergency.
3. Candles/Flashlights –  try to buy candles in bulk and those with a long burn time if you can.  Flashlights are really personal preference and so many have an opinion on what’s best.  I prefer Maglites in all sizes, but those often cost a little more than a cheap knock off that will likely perform almost as well.
4. Batteries – make sure you have more than enough batteries to operate your flashlights and any other electronic equipment.  You may need to rely on battery power in the event of a long term power outage, so there isn’t really such a thing as “too many batteries.” Keep all sizes on hand, and you have a good barterable item as well!
5. Matches/Lighters – You will want to be able to make a fire and light your candles, so grab cheap matches and lighters.  Make sure to check the lighters periodically to ensure the fuel is still usable and keep your matches dry.  Nothing could be worse than not being able to easily make a fire if you need to! These are also items that you can buy a lot of and buy often as both matches and lighters could be bartered with.

Obviously, there are far more than just these few things that you could stockpile now as a way to prepare for anything.  I really tried to make a point of stockpiling these five things just because they are incredibly useful, and most (if not all) will have some value if you need to take to a barter system.

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