Top Things To Stock For The Coronavirus ~ Simple At Home

The coronavirus outbreak has everyone on edge and a large number of people bulk buying things like toilet paper as if it won’t be available for a year or so. This is a gross miss-use of your prepping funds. When prepping for any situation you need to be smart about where your money is going. I worked through this checklist to ensure we where ready should we have to bug in due to quarantine here.

Preparing ahead of time will limit the impact on your family and your comfort. This list is what we used to get everything ready. I attached a spreadsheet you can use to help ensure your family’s comfort.

Food

We hit and stocked food right before the panic buying rush hit. My hope is that the stock will replenish before things get bad and families will have a chance to stock up. We, of course, are hitting all of the sales in effort to build on our basic stock while keeping our everyday items replenished until we can no longer.

As we prepped food we stocked baking supplies so I can make fun treats along with canned food we normally do not, and shelf-stable versions of our everyday staples to ensure no one will go hungry. The US government is recommending 14 days of supplies but we went for 30 to ensure we have a bit of a buffer.

You will need:

2-4 weeks of meat
2-4 weeks of vegetables (frozen or canned)
2-4 weeks of fruit (canned or frozen)
flour
baking soda
baking powder
corn starch
sugar
powdered sugar
brown sugar
2-4 weeks of butter
cream cheese
breakfast cereals
pancake mix
syrup
oatmeal
powdered or shelf-stable milk
canned cooking milk
crackers
soups
soup stock
easy cook meals
peanut butter or sun butter
jelly
eggs
cheese

The best way to make a list that fits your family’s needs is to make a menu of your family’s favorite meals and copy them with shelf-stable options, add fun treats, and baking supplies you can use for both entertainment and feeding your family.

Medical

The US medical system will not have the compacity to handle this situation. Like in other countries most other illnesses will be turned away from hospitals meaning you need to be prepared to treat things at home. If you are quarantined getting your regular medications will be difficult and you may struggle to find stock even if you can get out. Being prepared is vital for coping with this situation.

While you are at it make sure you have a fully stocked basic first aid kit. For this particular illness, I recommend having a stethoscope on hand and learning what healthy lungs sound like so you have an early warning if lungs are filling with fluid.

Pick up any prescription medications you can get early and have them ready. If your dr will approve a 60 or 90 day supply get the larger quantities in case supply chain issues to arise.

Stock over the counter medications

Fever reducers/pain relievers
Benadryl/allergy relief
Antacids
Anti-diarrheal
Gass medication
UTI medication
Mucus reducer
Cough drops and syrup (only to promote sleep do not use during the day)
Sleep aid/melatonin
Vapor rub
Throat spray

Stock herbal supplements

Stock vitamins

Quality multivitamin for each member of the family
Vitamin A
Vitamin D3
Vitamin C

Sanitation

People love to compare things like this virus with major epidemics like the plague. The truth is when it comes to stopping the spread of this virus there are some shocking similarities. One of the main advantages we have against this virus is that we know sanitation is the key to stopping the spread and we can take the necessary steps to do so. Stock enough cleaning supplies to properly clean your home daily as well and do a strong disinfecting should someone become ill.

You should have:

Bleach
Lysol
All-purpose spray cleaner
Wood polish
Dish detergent
Degreaser
Odoban
Window cleaner
Cleaning cloths
Gloves
Steam cleaner

Personal care

while Ia m happy so many of you are thinking about toilet paper you can chill out now. I am certainly glad I was watching other countries run on this basic and grabbed a big pack form Sams Club for both us and my sister.

No, you do not need a full cart of toilet paper, in fact, some of that money can go to other basic hygiene products you most certainly will need.

Items to stock now include:

Toilet Paper
Tissues
Gloves
Feminine hygiene products
Deodorant
Toothpaste
Floss
Mouthwash
Spare toothbrushes
Hand soap
Hand sanitizer
Bar soap
Body wash
Bubble Bath
Shampoo
Conditioner
Body lotion
Lip balm

Baby

If you have a baby at home you know that there is nothing scarier than running out of formula or running out of diapers when your baby needs them. Being trapped at home in a quarantine is not the time to find yourself in this situation

What to stock for your baby

A quality multivitamin
Formula (if using)
Diapers
Wipes
Spare opacifiers
Infant fever reducers
Diaper ointment

Pet care

One of the most common comments coming out of China was the situation with there not being a supply of cat litter when everything shut down. Most of us do not keep a long terms supply of cat litter on hand and quickly discover in a SHTF situation that this is a staple for cat owners. Stock your pet’s needs so you have no worries if you can not get out. This includes:

Pet food
Pet litter
Pet bedding
Pet medications

Entertainment

If you are going to be stuck inside for long periods of time you are going to want to have basics on hand for entertainment. Thinking ahead can be a great way to help ease such a difficult time for your family.

Great ideas to stock include: