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The question here isn’t so much what you CAN buy at the Dollar Store for survival, but what you CAN’T buy. They have everything from bleach to charcoal and everything in between.
So, instead of talking about individual survival items that you can buy at the Dollar Store, I’m going to give you the top 13 multi-purpose items that you should stock up on, along with several ways that they can be used.
To make it interesting, I’m going to pick unlikely items that you may not even think about, or provide you with new ways to use the ones that are obvious. I’m also going to pick some of the ones that are the best deals so that you can REALLY get some bang for your buck.
1. Maxi Pads
You probably already know that maxi pads are great for stopping bleeding, packing wounds, providing insulation, and of course their intended use but they have many other uses as well. Did you think of using them to make hot or cold compresses? Since they retain water, they’re great for this. On the flip side, they’re great fire starters.
They’re also good to use to hold a poultice in place because the pad will absorb part of the poultice material and also absorb and leakage of blood.
Finally – are you ready? – maxi pads are good for starting seeds. They hold moisture extremely well and keep the seeds just moist enough to sprout.
2. Vinegar
Yes, it’s great for cooking and cleaning windows, but did you know that ACV has several medicinal properties? It’s a great antiseptic and also works to cure acid reflux. You see, the reason for acid reflux is often not TOO MUCH acid as many people think, but of too little acid. Reflux occurs when your stomach is churning to digest the food with what little acid it has.
Antacids reduce the amount of acid even more, which makes the problem worse. Try taking a couple tablespoons of ACV instead of an antacid and see how you feel.
Other uses of ACV? Use it to curdle cream and make cottage cheese, kill weeds in the garden, deodorize just about anything, and treat such conditions as warts, sore throats, and skin irritations. Finally, ACV may give you a bit of an energy boost and help prevent the buildup of lactic acid, which leads to muscle fatigue. You can also make apple cider vinegar at home.
3. Chapstick
You can get this stuff for crazy cheap at the dollar store. Packs of 3-5 are only a buck, and if you have a really good dollar store, you can get even more. The base of chapstick is petroleum jelly, but it’s in a handy little container that’s useful, too.
Here are just a few good ways to use chapstick for survival:
4. Steel Wool
Sure it’s great to scrub your pots and pans, but steel wool is flammable and is great to use to strike sparks into in order to get your fire started.
Video first seen on wildernessoutfitters.
You can also sharpen knives with it, and hold a stripped screw in place.
5. WD40
We all love it and it can be 4 dollars a can or more at other stores, so WD40 definitely makes our list. Of course it’s good for lubricating things; that’s what it’s promoted as. There are literally hundreds of other uses for WD40 though.
6. Aspirin
Of course it’s good for a headache, but aspirin is also good for heart health, namely reducing blood pressure, because it thins the blood. That could be good in a survival situation for people with heart problems and strokes. It also:
7. Pantyhose
Of course they make your legs look tan, but pantyhose have many different survival uses. Here are some of them, but you should also read our article to see why they deserve a place in your survival kit:
8. Can of Coffee
This is probably the one survival product that you’ll save the most on at the dollar store. Coffee has the obvious benefit of mental alertness but it has several other uses, too. Buy the type that’s in a metal can. Use the coffee for:
You can also use the can for:
9. Mouthwash
Again, a huge money saver with numerous survival uses. Go for the unflavored kind if you can.
10. Zip Ties
These are fairly cheap – around $3 or $4 – just about anywhere, but you’ll likely only pay a buck for them at the dollar store. If you buy 5 packs, you’ve saved at least $10. Not bad, and there are about a kazillion survival uses for zip ties.
Video first seen on SensiblePrepper.
11. Clay Pots
Yes, you can put plants in them, but clay pots have several survival uses.
12. Bungee Cords
They’re stretchy but strong and you’ve probably used bungee cords for a myriad of tasks during your life. They’re extremely versatile and you can buy them in packs of several at the dollar store for practically nothing.
13. Crayons with Sharpener
I bought a big box of crayons for my nieces the other day and they were almost $10! I should have gone to the dollar store, but didn’t feel like going that far out of my way. I did notice, though, that the sharpener would come in handy and that the box of crayons with the sharpener would be going in my stockpile, along with a few other toys.
There are thousands of items at the dollar store that you can stockpile for survival and these are just a few that I found that were both multi-purpose, and could save you significant cash over buying them somewhere else.
Surely, you can think of other awesome survival items available at the dollar store, so please share them with us in the comments section below!
This article has been written by Theresa Crouse for Survivopedia.
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