In a crisis, bad will go worse. For this, we have first aid Kits. A fully furnished first aid kit bought at a store can be pricey. There are many ways to stock an excellent kit, without spending your bank account.

First, know what you’ll need. Clark County, NV recommends your kit contain the following:

  1. Emergency medications and prescriptions
  2. Extra hearing aid batteries, if needed
  3. Extra eyeglasses
  4. Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
  5. Laxative
  6. Sterile adhesive bandages in varying sizes
  7. Safety pins
  8. Adhesive tape
  9. Latex Gloves
  10. Sunscreen Gauze Pads
  11. Sterile roller bandages
  12. Scissors
  13. Tweezers
  14. Thermometer
  15. Liquid anti-bacterial soap
  16. Disposable hand wipes
  17. Needles
  18. Petroleum jelly or lubricant
  19. 2 tongue blades
  20. Antacid
  21. Saline solution, if needed
  22. Medicine dropper
  23. Anti-diarrhea medication
  24. Rubbing alcohol
  25. Antiseptic wash
  26. Ipecac syrup
  27. Activated charcoal
  28. Dust/ventilation masks

I also recommend athletic tape, instant ice packs, allergy medication (such as Benadryl), something like neosporin, a brace for any weak joints you possess, a mouth guard in case of CPR, and an emergency mylar blanket in case of shock.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the list. It’s 35 items, plus or minus anything you can think of. Some of the items may already be in bulk in your medicine cabinet, easily parceled into an emergency kit. If you remove medication from it’s packaging, put it in something you can label with the name, unit of measurement (i.e., 25mg capsules), the batch (in case of recall), and the expiration date.

Now that you’ve checked off what you have, arrange your list by priority, and divide it into up to four sections. Each week, you are responsible for obtaining the items in each section, creating a full kit inside of a month.

I think you should also consider putting a small first aid kit (antiseptic, bandaids, and gauze) in every individual’s emergency kit, over and above the household one.

Your first stop is your local dollar/99 cent store. The random brand “neosporin” that costs one dollar works just as well as the four dollar name brand. They usually have a wealth of random first aid supplies, but they rotate and you may not be able to find it the next time. My second favorite locale is our Big Lots. For those of you who don’t have one, it’s a closeout store, where retailers send their season’s ends. They have really good deals, many under a dollar. Their selection is also never the same twice.

When all else fails, you can still go to a grocery or drug store. Look for sales, and utilize rewards to maximize your dollar.

If you’re careful with you dollars you should be able to purchase a complex first aid kit for under $50, far better than the limited kits, and far less expensive than the”complete” kits.

One last tip, I look for coupons on first aid supplies, and purchased two mini-first aid kits, like the ones I recommend for your individual kits, for $1.50 each.

Your safety is worth your dollars, but don’t spend what you don’t have to.

Andi B.

Andi B.