100+ Ways for Preppers to Spend a Buck at the Dollar Store

Written By: David (Dok-The El Cheapo Schlock Prepper) Amberson
You never know when hyper-inflation might kick in and the Dollar Stores become the $10 Stores! So take advantage of the situation now, and while things are still reasonable. The buck stops here with over 100 ways to spend a dollar at your local dollar stores. Consider this as a semi-complete list of dollar stores emergency supplies for your preparedness.
Shopping the dollar stores is the cheapest and fastest thing you can do for your survival. Grab some things today!
Following is an alphabetical list of prepper essentials you can find at your friendly, local dollar store.
1.8-quart dish pans. For off grid dishwashing. You’ll need three dishpans. One for a water rinse, one for warm soapy water, and one for bleach rinse (one capful for the pan).
2.Pain Reliever. For your medicine cabinet and Bug-Out-Bag.
3.America’s Almanac. Available seasonally, the almanac provides useful tidbits of information and a spring planting guide.
4.Automotive Repair Kits. Hose clamps, zip ties, extra fuses, and many other useful gadgets for you.
5.Baking Soda. Useful for many different applications
6.Baking tins. Many preppers choose a steel baking tin for cooking in their do-it-yourself camping equipment, particularly the bread size is popular for bug out bags. We’ve also seen preppers file down a cooling rack to create grill to fit into a bugout bag. I have even seen mechanics and technicians use muffin pans to separate nuts and bolts.
7.Bandages. Buy different sizes, and make sure to look for quality brands.
8.Bandannas. Preppers have dozens of uses for bandannas. If you’re lucky enough to find them, get them.
9.Bars of Soap. These can be used for cleaning. Soap bars can also be cubed and used for bait for catfish.
10. BIC Lighters. Have extra firestarters on hand. Ideal for starting fires in high wind conditions, when matches just won’t do.
11. Bottled and Canned Foods. Salsa, pickles, olives, asparagus, peppers and anything else you can think of.
12. Bottled Water. Why pay more than a buck for water? Look for Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water by the jug or bottles.
13. Brown Sugar. Look for Domino or C&H pure cane sugars.
14. Bungee Cords. Often an overlooked item, but ideal for bugging out to strap equipment.
15. Camping Fuel in a Can. Canned fuel is available seasonally or online.
16. Candles. Emergency candles come packed 6 and each last for 5 hours, look also for jar candles and tea light candles. These can be used for light, heat, and as fire starters
17. Canned Heat. Available seasonally, Canned Heat is just a dollar!
18. Clothesline for the wooden clothes pins. Paracord is a better material, but this works in a pinch, and will last nearly as long.
19. Brushes and Combs. Think of brushes and combs as bartering or replacements.
20. Compact Mirror. Useful as a signaling device, or as a standard mirror.
21. Condiments. These include mustard and ketchup. Look for the brands without high fructose corn syrup
22. Cookie Tins. Useful for making your own home-made charcoal.
23. Cordage. Look for braided cord that you can break down into smaller strands.
24. Cotton balls and cotton rounds. Useful in your first aid kit and for fire-starting when used with petroleum jelly.
25. Dental Floss & Tooth Brushes. These can be used for Hygiene, cleaning those hard-to-reach areas (toothbrushes), and as twine (floss).
26. Dish Towels. You’ll need more than you think for cleaning up in a life off grid. Buy a plastic container and fill it up! Look for super absorbent car towels as well.
27. Disposable Razors. These are great to have for shaving, and for emergency surgery preparation.
28. Drop Cloth. Plastic drop cloths for sealing windows and doors on concern of pandemics, also has a myriad of camping uses. Unfortunately, there is a limit of 4 per person.
29. Duct Tape. Seen multiple times on the MythBusters TV show, this versatile item is a must have for your bug-out-bag, vehicle, purse, backpack, or anywhere else you can think of.
30. Ear plugs. Ear plugs for discreet comfort while manning firearms. They also have the added benefit of letting you sleep comfortably when there is someone who snores nearby.
31. Elastic hairbands. These will last you much longer than rubber bands.
32. Elastic support bandages. Look for latex-free spandex
33. Epsom Salts. Great for soaking your feet after a long hard day on guard duty.
34. Eyeglass cleaning cloth. Eyeglass cleaning cloths are also for sunglasses!
35. Eyeglass repair kit. Eyeglass repair kit.
36. Feminine Hygiene Products. We used tampons in the Army to seal bullet holes. We also used pads as makeshift bandages. All this, despite their normal function.
37. First aid tape. for use with gauze.
38. Flashlights. There are many inexpensive options for flashlights at the dollar stores and it’s essential to have extras throughout your home, so long as you can maintain the batteries!
39. Foot Powder, Body Powder, Baby Powder: These are great for personal hygiene
40. Funnel: Useful for canning, and food storage.
41. Garbage Bags (30 Gallon Size): These can be used for garbage, storage, emergency shelters and ponchos
42. Gardening and work gloves. For tending to your crops, collecting wood and other chores.
43. Gauze. For your first aid kit, available in different sizes.
44. Gum. Where else can you get for or five packs of gum for a buck? Look for gum that contains real sugar.
45. Hairbrushes. It’s always good to have extras.
46. Halls Cough drops. For your medicine kit
47. Hand Crank Radio. This can help keep you entertained, as well as keep you in constant communication with the Emergency Broadcasting System
48. Hand sanitizer. Unfortunately, most of the stock comes from China, but hand sanitizer is a necessary for survival and it comes inexpensively at the dollar stores!
49. Handkerchiefs. These can be used for cleaning. You can also soak them and use them as a head covering, or around your neck to help cool you off. They can also be used for first aid.
50. Hard candies. Useful to boost morale and provide energy burst for your bug-out bag.
51. Hydrogen Peroxide. This can be used to treat wounds, and for water purification. Just make sure to watch the expiration dates
52. Instant ice packs. Great for your medical kit, useful to treat heat injuries too.
53. Facial tissues. Always just $1 at the local dollar store, but more than double the price elsewhere.
54. Knives. Not something for your bug-out bag, these are usually poor quality, but work wonders with simple small tasks. Your best buy is the un-serrated edge, as it will last longer.
55. Latex Dishwashing Gloves. For dishwashing.
56. Latex Medical Exam Gloves. Useful for dealing with medical emergencies and pandemics, provided your prepping household does not have any allergies. They can also be used for vehicle repairs to keep grease off your hands.
57. Lip balms. To retain moisture in your lips when water is in short supply. Look for name brand names, as they tend to work best.
58. Liquid soaps. Look for quality brands.
59. Lotions. To help you keep moisture in your body when water is in short supply.
60. Magnifying glass. Again, a fire starter option and available inexpensively at the Dollar Stores.
61. Manual can opener. Buy extras to stash with your preps. They won’t be the best quality, but it’s always good to have extras around with your #10 cans.
62. Matches, Lighters, Lighter Fluid: These can be used for starting fires, and as short term lighting (matches)
63. Moleskin. This can be used to treat blisters. Of great importance when there are no vehicles, and walking is the only way to get around.
64. Nail cutters. Pack one in your bug out bag.
65. Nail polish. An unusual prepper item, and not for vanity’s sake! Preppers will find loads clever uses for nail polish. Personally, I used black nail polish for
66. Nails and screws. Useful for your tool box. How else are you going to repair items without the right things to repair them with?
67. Petroleum jelly. For use as a fire starter with cotton. Petroleum jelly is the same as the name brand, Vaseline.
68. Plastic dish rack. Also for off grid dishwashing and ideal for camping.
69. Plastic food containers. Look for Rubber maid, which is at least 100% cheaper than the same thing at the grocery stores.
70. Plastic shoebox containers. Make your own Dollar Store Kit for the car. Be sure to look for boxes that seal well, as some are flimsy.
71. Playing Cards & Other Games. You’ll need something to do so you won’t get bored. Read more about board games for the bunker.
72. Potted meats. Be sure to buy only the brands made in the United States. Tuna for example, is unregulated in many countries.
73. Pure Cane Sugar. Look for name brands.
74. Rain poncho. for the bug out bag.
75. Rubbing Alcohol. Look for the highest percentage of alcohol you can 80-90% is best.
76. Safety pins. Get 100 safety pins for $1 when elsewhere they will cost you three times as much. Safety pins are a prepper favorite for bug out bags and key rings.
77. Salt with iodine. Salt has many uses for preppers, from a flavor enhancer to a preservative.
78. Scrub brushes. Great for dishes, and general cleaning.
79. Scrub buddies. Metal scrubbers, for scouring pots and pans.
80. Sharpie markers. For identifying expiration dates of your food storage.
81. Shoe laces or leather strips. Good to have replacement shoe laces, as well as useful for traps, and tying things to your bug-out-bag if necessary.
82. Small cutting boards. Look for the red cutting boards from Betty Crocker. These are ideal for camping or for your bug out bag.
83. Small pack facial tissues. Great for the car or the bug out bag.
84. Socks. We are going to have to do a lot more walking should the end of the world happen, so socks will be a highly prized commodity after a few months. Personally, I would use cheap dollar store socks for trade items, and keep my good socks for me
85. Solar lights. Great for lighting at your bug-out location.
86. Spices. The dollar stores are ideal for purchasing chili powder, cinnamon, oregano, basil and parsley.
87. Sponges. Useful for cleaning, and keeping cool in the summer heat.
88. Sturdy tote bags. Yet again, this is one of the 37 unusual items for preppers to hoard!
89. Sun hat. For just a buck you can cover your head. Ideal to stuff in a bug out bag and forget about.
90. Super glue. To fix an innumerable things you’ll inevitably break when you won’t be able to buy it again.
91. Thumb-tacks. Use thumb tacks home defense.
92. Tiny first aid kit. For the kids’ backpacks, the glove compartment, your bug-out-bag, or your purse.
93. Tiny sewing kit. Ideal for bug out bags, and they may include tiny scissors.
94. Toilet Paper. These can be used for Toilet Paper, and Facial Tissue
95. Travel bottles. Mark with a sharpie the contents: rubbing alcohol, bleach, and dish soap.
96. Triple Antibiotic Ointment. Perfect for your first aid kit, and your bug-out-bag.
97. Tums antacids. Ideal for first aid kits, and bug-out-bags (especially if you aren’t used to easting MRE’s).
98. Twine. You’ll use twine for the garden, choose paracord for outdoor survival.
99. Utility bags. Ideal for bug out bag to collect wood or forage for foods.
100. Utility Knife. Tool bench utility knives (inexpensive Exacto knife).
101. Vegetable peelers. Vegetable peelers.
102. Washcloths. These can be used for cleaning. You can also soak them and use them as a head covering, or around your neck to help cool you off. They can also be used for first aid.
103. Wet Wipes. These can be used for Bathing & Cleanliness, Baby Diaper Changing, and Toilet Paper
104. Wooden clothes pins. For hanging your laundry in an off grid world.
105. Zip ties, also sometimes called Cable ties. Zip ties are ideal for tying gear (keeps bicycle wheels in place), household repairs, camping to keep raccoons out, hanging utensils to dry), lashing sticks together, and so much more.
So there you have it: Over 100 ways to spend bucks. It’s prepping on the cheap! Print this list and take it with you next time you shop for essential prepping items. You only need a few bucks in your hand for emergency supplies at the Dollar Stores.

http://americanpreppersnetwork.com/2014/11/100-ways-preppers-spend-buck-dollar-store.html