Everyone knows about having an emergency fund. But how many people think of having a sickness stash?
Without a few basic supplies, minor illnesses can become major pains. Expensive ones, too: When you feel seriously lousy, it’s tempting just to go to the closest shop. Ever price a bottle of cough syrup at a convenience store?
Having even a basic pain reliever and a little soup just makes sense. If you’re prone to specific ailments, like sinus infections or coughs (hi there, fellow asthmatics!), make sure you have the meds to match.
Right now my stash includes:
- Sudafed PE Triple Action
- Generic ibuprofen for aches and pains, in case I break my toe or something
- Motrin PM, to encourage extra sleep when I’m feeling lousy
- Sugar-free Ricola cough lozenges
- Robitussin (every time I see it I think of Chris Rock’s take on the cough syrup)
Incidentally, everything except the ibuprofen was cheap or free thanks to coupon-rebate combos.
Feed a cold, hydrate a fever
During a minor illness or injury I’m not interested in cooking – only in being fed. I make it my business always to have easy-to-prepare staples in the cupboard and freezer. Right now that includes soup, crackers, NuttZo multi-nut butters, bagels, eggs, tuna, homemade jams, dried and canned fruit, rice, canned beans, salsa, tortillas, and oatmeal and Cream of Wheat.
If you have a bad cold and you can’t taste much, you might as well have hot cereal for supper.
Applesauce is soothing to a sore throat or an upset stomach. Here’s an old mom-trick: If you’ve been throwing up, a spoon or two of the juice from canned peaches or pears will quiet the nausea. Saltines are also good for upset stomachs, as many moms found out while they were studying to be moms.
Crackers also let revisit your childhood: Breaking them into soup is fun when you’re a grownup, too.
Hot drinks are soothing, so I always have cocoa mix and some kind of tea on hand. Right now it’s Lemon Zinger (50 cents after double coupons) and generic black tea ($1 for 100 tagless bags).
Buy now or pay later
Today, while you’re not sick, inventory what you don’t have. Then go get it.
Since you have the advantage of health, you can afford to look around for the best prices. Check the dollar store or read the ads online for discount drugstores in your area. Ditto the grocery ads – your favorite soup might be on sale this week.
A few minutes of shopping now will let you rest both comfortably and frugally later on. You can use the money you saved to buy some of those tissues with the lotion in them. Or you can be classy like me and just carry a roll of toilet paper from room to room.
A jar of honey is also a good thing to have on hand. Fresh lemons are good, but I guess you could keep a bottle of lemon juice in your fridge to make hot toddies.
“(hi there, fellow asthmatics!)”-Hi back!!
And so you know I’m the classy type. I just love reading what you write.
This is particularly important if you live in an area like mine where there aren’t 24 hour stores available. I remember the last time one of us got sick and didn’t realize we were out of cold medicine. It as a really long night.
I like your food staples list too. Toast and tea with lemon and honey are must haves.
Homemade chicken soup in the freezer (or canned in the pantry) and generic immodium are good additions to your list. Keeping an extra supply of prescription meds is a good idea, too. I do that by refilling as soon as insurance will allow, after a few months, I have an extra months supply. Comes in handy if there is a tight money month or just feel too sick to go into town.
Roger on the pain killers, but I’ve given up on over-the-counter cold remedies. They knock me out the first night, usually, but then they backfire and keep me awake and restless.
Nowadays I keep a plastic neti pot on hand. At the first sign of a cold or sinus infection, I stir up some saline solution and rinse, rinse, rinse those sinuses. I also gargle with salt water frequently. This flushes out most germs and creates a hostile environment for whatever is left.
I definitely feel you on the toilet paper.
Even without coupons, I get most stuff close to free as you do: check the weekly ads from the drugstores. These are available online if you don’t get a paper.
I’ve started using cloth handkerchiefs (easy to find at thrifts) also. I love the ones with monograms!
This is timely for me right now as I’m down with a nasty virus. I’m glad I had a 2 liter of 7 up hidden in the garage. I stock up on cold med whenever I see them on sale. I get the kids stuff at Dollar General whenever I’m in there. The only thing I’m missing is some ginger ale.
@Jenny: Ginger ale, and someone to rub your feet.
Hope you’re feeling better soon.
Timely information. 6 weeks of a rash/uber bad cough this fall cost almost $150 in Over the Counter medications! Came right out of the Christmas fund, unfortunately. I won’t be unprepared next time…and my 22 year old daughter gets the extras.
BTW, the thermometer I bought from the Family Dollar stores never worked. If I can save you the $5 it cost me, great! When I tried to return it, there was a lot of hassle and “testing” that the thermometer really worked. (not). Fuming about it still.