Dollar Store Items You Can Count on in a Roadside Emergency

Shopping Tips

Dollar Store Items You Can Count on in a Roadside Emergency

We all hope we will never encounter an emergency situation when driving, but with the weather emergencies we’ve been seeing over the last few years, and winter approaching, it’s best to be prepared. Here are some dollar store items you can count on in a roadside emergency.

Many emergency items can be found at a dollar store. The items in my car are a good example of what should be included, although you will want to vary yours according to your needs and perhaps the time you spend on the road.

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Similar items to the ones in this post, that you can find on Amazon:

Utility Knife

 

 

I keep a utility knife like this one in my car. Most emergency car kits contain a seatbelt cutter. I figure on using this instead, if the need should ever arise. One like the one pictured has been in my car’s tool box for years. However, it would be of no use to me in the trunk if I did need to cut my seatbelt, so I moved it to the glovebox, where I’d have a better chance of reaching it in an emergency.

 

 

I like these orange safety cones with reflective bands that I found at Dollar Tree. You’ll want to have one of these in your trunk, if you get stuck in the middle or at the side of the road, so other vehicles will be warned of an obstruction. I have a smaller version of one of these in my trunk, as well as a folding reflective triangle that I bought many years ago at Dollarama.

 

 

I found these cut resistant gloves at Dollar Tree. These could come in handy if you have to tinker under the hood at the side of the road. I have a pair of work gloves in my trunk, but I wouldn’t know what I was looking at under the hood anyway. 

 

 

I found this lantern pair at Dollarama. They run on three AAA batteries and are very bright. You could keep one in the car and one at home, in case you lose power. 

I’m told that batteries do not last as long in the cold, so you should change them once a month in really cold weather so your flashlight will work when you need it the most.

 

 

Emergency candles provide light and warmth if you get stuck by the side of the road on a chilly night. Don’t forget to pack some wooden matches with these, as well.

Take the candles out of the car during the summer or you’ll end up with misshapen candles

If you don’t want to buy an emergency blanket, you can pack some large garbage bags that you can cut a hole in and wear over your coat to help keep you warm until help arrives.

A plastic shoebox will serve to hold the smaller items in your emergency car kit. 

Tool Kit

Dollar store tools have come a long way from the early days of flimsy pliers and hammers that the head falls off of. 

Besides what’s shown in the picture, there is also a pair of locking pliers in my tool box. I bought the little tool box a long time ago. If you can’t find one like this at your dollar store, a plastic shoebox will serve just as well to hold your tool kit.

You will want to stock your emergency car kit with the items you feel would be most useful to you in a car crisis.

Similar items to the ones in this post, that you can find on Amazon:

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