Everybody has those moments when you reach into a cabinet for a household item and suddenly realize you used it up last week and completely forgot to buy it last time you went grocery shopping. In some cases, you can put off the task you were trying to do until the next time you go to the store. Other times, it’s incredibly frustrating because you need that item now. Here are the most important items to buy in bulk so you always have them on hand when you need them.
1. Toothpaste
You’ll be stuck leaving the house with your morning breath if you realize too late that you don’t have another tube of toothpaste in the house. Even though it feels like you can squeeze a little bit more out of your almost empty tube, there will be a point when it’s truly empty, so be ready!
2. Trash Bags
How often do you check to see if you have a clean trash bag before you take the current bag out to the trash can? If you’re like most people, the answer is rarely. If you come back inside and find that you don’t have any more trash bags, you’ll be incredibly frustrated because you now have to get your trash can dirty until your next trip to the store.
3. Toilet Paper
In addition to having at least one extra roll in each bathroom at all times, you should have plenty of spare rolls stored in your house. Beyond that, you can hide a secret stash of toilet paper in an out-of-the-way corner of your basement or top shelf of a closet for emergencies. Just replenish your emergency stash if you ever have to use it.
4. Laundry Detergent
Especially if you’re a parent, you know emergency loads of laundry happen. But if you’re out of laundry detergent, you’re stuck with dirty clothes or sheets and you can’t do anything about it. Having extra laundry detergent is also helpful if you’re the type of person who regularly waits to do your laundry until you’re wearing your last pair of underwear.
5. Coffee
This one isn’t for everyone, but if you can’t function without your morning cup of coffee, have extra on hand. Even a little box of instant coffee packets or coffee pods stashed in the back corner of your cabinet can help you make do in emergencies.
Keeping a house stocked is all about balance. You want to have everything you need when you need it, but you probably don’t have a massive storage area to keep every single thing you may run out of at some point. However, these are items you need to make a point to stock in your limited space because you won’t want to find yourself without them.