How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you wished you didn’t skimp on something or wished you knew better and prepared in advance? Probably a lot. The famous quote goes, “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” However, let’s not confuse owning too much stuff and hoarding possessions at a storage unit with keeping certain items “just in case.” Do you really think you’ll need all those leftover cables and old chargers with ports that don’t fit any of the electronics you own? You probably don’t.
For certain life situations and emergencies of all sorts, some things are better held close at hand or somewhere nearby. Keeping emergency items, whether at home or in your car, is a good practice. However, aside from the obvious, such as the first-aid kit, self-defense tools, or flashlight, there are quite a few useful buys and good things to have in your car, home, or purse that one should always have. To explore the options of good things to buy and the best items to have in an emergency, we looked at this thread on AskReddit, which asked fellow community members, “What is your best example of ‘buy it before you need it’?” In the comments section, Redditors left an overwhelming amount of items they prefer to own in case of an unforeseen situation. To optimize the thread and make it more useful, we’ve selected the most upvoted answers to compile a list of things to have just in case.
Below, you’ll find the most popular ‘just in case’ items that Redditors recommend buying and owning to be safe rather than sorry. Do you agree with Redditors’ selections? If you do, give those entries you agree with an upvote. Also, are there any good things to buy and keep close at hand just in case that haven’t been mentioned? If so, share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments.
#1
“Carbon monoxide detector.”
WorshipNickOfferman said: “Lawyer here. Had a case a few years ago where the roommate came home drunk and left her car running in the garage. A running engine filled the house with CO and killed her and her roommate. House had a design flaw where the garage was connected to the HVAC system. House did not have dual-band smoke detectors. We caught the landlord swapping out the smoke detectors the week after the tenants died. Really sad case.”
Image source: Protogentantivirus, Rigby40
#2
“Dashcam can easily prove you innocent in an auto collision – some insurance even offers discounted rates if the insured vehicle has a dash cam. I personally recommend a front and rear cam setup.”
Image source: ROADHOG_IS_MY_WAIFU, Xingye Jiang
#3
“Physical therapist here. Single-story home. Buy a house you can age into. Can’t tell you how many times I see older people hospitalized that can’t safely return home. Whether they have their bedroom upstairs, multiple stairs to get in, or whatever else they just don’t think ahead.
Yeah, it’s really cool when you can afford your dream home when you’re in your mid 50’s. But once 20 years pass and you break a leg or are down with pneumonia or something for a few days you’re going to struggle to get around like you once did.”
Image source: Fitzer6
#4
“Spare keys – for your car and house.”
Image source: melody0505, George Becker
#5
“Fire extinguisher.”
likethefish33 comments: “The only annoying this is they expire. Usually, before you need them!”
BeefInspector replied: “Just schedule your fires to happen a few days before the extinguisher expires, that way you never waste one.”
Image source: ektos_topou, Erik Mclean
#6
“Extension cord with a surge protector.”
Image source: melody0505, Zonduurzaam Deventer
#7
“Leatherman multitool I have used every single one of the tools that are on it many many times over again. I also use it at least once a day usually 5-6 times a day. It is invaluable and if I should ever lose it or it breaks beyond its 25-year warranty then I would buy a new one that very day. Maybe it’s just my lifestyle but I consider it to be more important than my mobile phone.”
Image source: reddit.com, NIKOLAY OSMACHKO
#8
“It might sound a bit morbid, but… an outfit you can wear to a funeral hung in the closet with a hose/tie, etc.
There’s nothing worse than going shopping for such an outfit while grieving. Think of it as giving your future self a hug and saying, ‘Here, I’ll take care of this for you.'”
Image source: Preposterous_punk
#9
“A Will.”
Daffydil04 replied: “Advance directive, too.”
Image source: TurdHopper, Melinda Gimpel
#10
Period products. ALWAYS re-stock before the next one.”
Image source: Pette_Davis
#11
“Toilet plunger.”
MasuMora comments: “Back in college my roommate lent his plunger to the girls next door. It was more than an hour later till they came back with a brand new plunger. We asked what happened and she said they broke the plunger. We were surprised at the idea of breaking a plunger but we happily took the new plunger they bought for us.
They also told us that the cashier was very confused when they were at checkout with 2 plungers.”
Image source: godhasmoreaids, Buntysmum
#12
“Bought a bunch of bags of road salt from Walmart recently. Only 97 cents per bag.
My girlfriend asked why, it’s not even cold out, and I just said these same bags will be probably 3 bucks a pop when it’s storming.”
Image source: bpanio
#13
“Car emergency kit. Jumper cables, fix a flat, spare tire, Jack, basic first aid kit, road reflectors.
A fire extinguisher is a good idea to add, as well as the rechargeable ‘jump-start yourself’ pack. And a plug kit vs fix-a-flat is a good idea. I’ve never done a plug, so I’d have to catch up there myself. Air compressor for refilling the tire also. Some food/heat if you live somewhere where it could logically be a problem. A box of protein bars and some way to make a fire, blankets, etc. I’m never that far off the beaten path that it would be an issue for me, but for anyone who is, it makes sense.
And, damn, how many people have had dads who used jumper cables as a belt?”
Image source: vitaestbona1, Ploegerson
#14
“My wife is a nurse and comes from a family of preppers. In 2018 she bought a whole lot of N95 masks for ‘just in case.'”
Image source: Durlan Lorarieth, CDC
#15
“A case of bottled drinking water.”
Kyanche comments: “I get those 5-gallon bottles delivered. After a couple of earthquakes scared me, I asked them to just bring 4 extra bottles. So now instead of having 2 in my kitchen, I’ve got 6. That way I always have at least a couple of weeks of extra water on hand, but we regularly cycle through it.”
Image source: melody0505, Hans
#16
“Flashlight for when the power goes out.”
EmeraldMoose12 replied: “And candles.”
Image source: rottenblues, ALESSANDRO SKOCIR
#17
“A case for your phone.”
Image source: Skychronicles, Fernando Arcos
#18
“Insurance.”
Inle-rah replied: “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Auto liability insurance, homeowners insurance, hell I even have gap insurance.”
Image source: Whulad
#19
“Canned soup, because it’s good. I would say cause of hurricanes and disasters but it’s just good.”
Image source: Wassuuupmydudess, Andrea Davis
#20
“Cold/flu medicine. Not fun stumbling to the drugstore when you feel like death.”
Image source: lizardgal10, Kelly Sikkema
#21
“Batteries.”
Diligent_Jury_9956 replied: “Yes! I always find myself running out if batteries and end up can’t go to the store.”
Image source: treydon11, Claudio Schwarz
#22
“Backup means of heating and cooking that don’t require electricity.
I live in Texas. Not going through that again.”
Image source: stupidlyugly, Honye Sanges
#23
“Snow shovel, better buy one before you have to get your entrance free of snow.”
Image source: Skalion, Karolina Grabowska
#24
“Ice scraper. Do you know how long it takes a window to defrost on a car that just started? A lot longer than it should.”
Image source: gingerbeans5, HeikoAL
#25
“Put a bag of kitty litter in your trunk now before it starts snowing and freezing.”
Image source: Jux_
#26
“Epi-pen.”
notthesedays comments: “Pharmacist here. One of the most obscene things about the recent price-gouging is that this is an item that people purchase because they hope they never need it.”
hjonsey comments: “I was in the hospital last month and they gave me a med I was anaphylactic allergic to. It was the first time needing an Epi-pen. I have always kept them on me but never needed them. I was scared but the relief to be able to breathe again is indescribable. I will NEVER not have one on me at all times.”
Image source: Unique_Lavishness879
#27
“Toilet paper. Or as we call them at home. Lifesavers!”
levelup_jar replied: “Yeah, everybody called me a madman for always having 2x 20packs at home, and then covid hit and I was laughing and s*itting without worries.”
Image source: FrikkudelSpusjaal, Vlada Karpovich
#28
“An umbrella.”
driving_andflying comments: “Especially one that can stand up to windy conditions while it rains.”
Image source: CourtClarkMusic, Craig Whitehead
#29
“Nail clipper – especially for healthcare workers.”
Image source: melody0505, saulhm
#30
“Generator. My ex-girlfriend said it was a stupid purchase and a waste of money. Ended up using it for two days straight after a wind storm. Had the fridges, fish tank a few lights, TV, and internet going the whole time.”
Pineneedlecollada replied: “Yeah, generators are really useful, but you have to take care of them. When I was like 6, there was a really bad snowstorm where I was. The generator hadn’t been taken care of for around a year, so it didn’t work. Ended up not having power for like 2-3 days. At least it was cold outside so the stuff in the fridge could stay cold. Frozen milk isn’t the easiest to drink though.
So now anytime we go back to that place, my dad checks the generator. So far it’s helped us every other time.”
Image source: elscotto80, ulleo
#31
“Here in Florida, air conditioning systems are our lifeline. One of the most common failures is the fan motor start capacitor for the compressor. It’s a cheap part ($20 to $50), but it always takes several days to get. Without air conditioning in your home in Florida, not only will it be impossible to sleep, but your house will grow mold indoors in 2 days or less. This is exactly how AC repair companies get to charge $500+; they stock the parts but refuse to sell you the part and charge the repair as an emergency.
So buy one and keep it as a backup.”
Image source: gplusplus314
#32
“Light bulbs.”
hippiemuch21 said: “Thanks for reminding me.”
Image source: BigBigNic, Couleur
#33
“Ear plugs.
Nothing worse than getting woken up in the middle of the night and trying to go back to sleep by smashing a pillow over your head.”
Image source: trexrocks, asundermeier
#34
“Security system. My best friend got robbed of around $5k of things.”
Image source: TerraPlays, Pixabay
#35
“Anything that doesn’t have an expiry date, that gets used with regularity, I stock up on. Toilet paper, kitchen roll, dish soap, shower gel, hand soap, bleach, etc.”
SisyphusMedia agreed: “This. I was gonna say, ‘Everything?’ I absolutely loathe shopping. There are at least fifty scrubbing sponges under my sink. I have dozens of boxes of Kleenex, and fifteen or so bars of soap, the list just goes on and on.
My bill at the Mega Membership Mart is typically $500. But I only go two or three times a year. That’s about as much exposure as I can stand.”
Image source: Kashara1989
#36
“If you’re a parent or plan on having kids – diapers. It seems like a no brainer but there’s nothing worse than looking at your pack and going, ‘Eh I think we can last til tomorrow’ then sending your son or loading your kid up at midnight for a trip to Walmart because they’ve pooped way more than you anticipated that day.”
Image source: serpentprincess, RDNE Stock project
#37
“Tire inflator/compressor to keep in your car. And a tire repair kit (not the slime) for bonus points.”
Image source: Mark1arMark1ar
#38
“Printer ink.”
melody0505 replied: “Especially if you’re a student.”
Image source: MarBulls13, IT services EU
#39
“Papper spray.”
Image source: FunkyBats
#40
“Gas. Had to push my car 1/2 mile down a highway just to get enough to make it to a cheaper location. Didn’t take too long to push but it was a harrowing experience being out of a car on the highway with traffic not slowing around you.”
Image source: Ferret_witha_Berrett, emkanicepic
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