25 Survival Items You Should Get From The Dollar Store

Source: https://www.askaprepper.com/

Preparing for a survival situation doesn’t have to break the bank – in fact, there are countless survival items you should get from the dollar store.

Rather than splurging on costly items, you can get them at rock-bottom prices by heading over to your local dollar store.

There you will find food items, medical equipment, gardening supplies and many more. You’ll be surprised at the quality, too.

Water

You probably don’t care about the name-brand of the bottled water you buy. Purchase it in bulk at the dollar store and you’ll save tons of money.

Flashlights

When the power goes out, you don’t want to be rummaging around in the dark for your sole flashlight. Stock up and buy dozens at the dollar store for a bargain.

Batteries

If you’ve got flashlights, you need a way to power them, and all of your other gear, of course.

So make sure you stock up on batteries of all types while you’re shopping.

Related: How To Turn Used Car Batteries Into A Survival Power Bank

Candles

Candles don’t just provide a warm glow and ambiance – they can provide an important source of illumination when the lights go out.

Solar Lights

If you want to have reliable lighting around your home regardless of what the electricity situation looks like, invest in a few solar lights. The ones that you can hang up along any entryways or pathways will be especially useful should the grid go down.

Utility Knives

The utility knives and boxcutter you can buy at a bargain store aren’t going to be of the highest quality, so save your important purchases for the sporting goods store.

However, you’ll still find decent knives for sale at the dollar store so don’t be afraid to give them a try.

Lighters And Matches

You can buy four-packs of BIC lighters for just a buck at most dollar stores.

Stock up in case you need to light a propane stove, candle, or anything else should the grid go down.

Don’t want to use lighters? No problem – you can buy matches here, too.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the most versatile items you can keep in your pantry. You can use it for baking, cleaning, hygiene, laundry, and so much more.

Toilet Paper

As the recent COVID-19 pandemic showed us, when things go down, toilet paper starts to disappear. Stockpile a supply before there’s a shortage – and get it cheap at your local dollar store.

Disposable Cookware And Cutlery

From paper plates to cooking utensils, paper towels and drinking cups, there are all kinds of disposable cooking and dining supplies for sale at the dollar store. Although these aren’t the best quality, you’re only going to use them once anyway, so who cares?

Canned Food

You’ll save more money and get better quality food by preserving your own vegetables and meats.

However, to fill in any gaps, buy a bunch of canned goods at the dollar store.

Related: 7 Deadly Canning Mistakes Even Smart People Make

Bungee Cords

These are important survival items that can be used for everything from securing a gate to keeping a load tied down on the truck. They’re often sold in bulk bins at dollar stores for super low prices.

Gauze And Bandages

Get some in a variety of sizes along with other medical supplies like cotton balls at your closest dollar store.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is necessary for medical emergencies but it can also be used as fuel for an alcohol stove and for cleaning, in many cases.

Basic Medications

It’s smart to head to the pharmacy to stock up on all of the prescription medications you might need.

However, you should also buy basic medications like pain relievers, antidiarrheal medicine, and antacids from the dollar store, while they are still available.

Plastic Sheeting

Plastic sheeting serves so many purposes in a survival situation. It can be used to create privacy around a home or campsite, as a table mat, or to warm the ground up for planting early in the season.

It can even be used to make your own cold frames so you can grow vegetables during the colder fall and winter months.

Latex Gloves

You can use latex gloves to treat medical wounds on yourself or any livestock.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen is going to be hard to find in a survival situation – it’s not technically a necessity but if you burn easily in the sun, you’re going to think otherwise.

Super Glue

You can buy basic Elmer’s glue at the dollar store but super glue is what you should stock up on.

You can use it to make basic repairs around the house and much more.

Related: 18 Survival Uses For Super Glue

Aluminum Foil

You can use aluminum foil for cooking on an open fire and many other tasks – such as blocking the wind, cleaning up ashes, and starting a fire.

Seeds And Seed Starting Equipment

They aren’t sold in the largest packages here – you’ll only get about five to ten seeds per bag – but you can buy a decent selection of seeds at most dollar stores. The same goes for seed starting equipment.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste and toothbrushes are two other items that are perfect items to put on your dollar store shopping list. If you’re married to a certain brand of toothpaste, you can often find name brand options here, too.

Soap

Buy a few packs of bars of soap. Not only will you need them in a survival situation, but they can also prove to be great products for bartering.

Spices

You can grow most of your own herbs and dehydrate them to put in your survival stockpile, but spices, for most people, are another story. Stock up on things like salt, pepper, and cinnamon by shopping at the dollar store.

Clothing

The clothing that is sold at the dollar store might not be the most durable or the most fashionable – but it will get the job done. You can buy things like scarves, gloves, flip flops, shoelaces, tee shirts, baby clothes, and more here.

Get creative to save money and to be prepared at all times. Of course, there are countless other purchases you can make at the dollar store that didn’t make this list – we had to stop somewhere.

The only limitation is your imagination. Take a walk around your local dollar store to see what you can find.