HOUSTON – Hurricane Season is here and your weather team is always looking out for you, regardless of your budget.
According to FEMA here are some essential items you’ll need to be prepared for this year’s hurricane season.
- Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation)
- Food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food)
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
- Flashlight
- First aid kit
- Extra batteries
- Whistle (to signal for help)
- Dust mask (to help filter contaminated air)
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape (to shelter in place)
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation)
- Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
- Manual can opener (for food)
- Local maps
- Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
So we took the list to H-E-B and Dollar Tree to see what items we could find on this list.
Gallon of water:
- H-E-B $1.22
- Dollar Tree: $1.25
Non - perishable foods:
- Name Brand Tuna: $1.25 Dollar Tree
- Store Brand Tuna: $1.08 H-E-B.
If you’re looking for name-brand items - Dollar Tree may be your best best. But if you’re looking to save money H-E-B store brands may actually save you money.
Toilet Paper:
$1.25 Soft and Comfy toilet paper:
For 31 cents a roll, the “Soft and Comfy” brand of toilet paper does offer the comfort and thickness it advertises.
$1.25 Batteries:
According to Consumer Reports, these batteries are a GREAT deal if you use them for smaller appliances – like remotes.
Next, I asked each store what the hottest item was for them during hurricane season:
Dollar Tree: $1.25 Body wipes.
They offer a wide variety of body wipes to serve all needs and for $1.25 it’s no surprise people line up for this hurricane deal.
H-E-B: Coolers $11.98 +
But the secret to saving money on a cooler is to buy it around the holidays, not hurricane season.
If you’re looking for safety kits - you’ll need to know what you need to save money.
Dollar Tree offers more of a D-I-Y yourself kit. So if you only need a few things or just need to refresh your stock, this could save you money. But if you don’t know what you need or want, you could end up wasting money - buying products you will never need.
H-E-B does offer kits which are great if you’re starting from nothing or have a general idea of what you need. If you have coupons or find in-store deals - you may end up saving more money.
What if you need to buy in bulk, need specialty items or have dietary restrictions? Can you save money on those items too?
One of my favorite apps to use when I need to buy in bulk, need a certain brand of dog food or even want to enjoy a bottle of wine, the Ibotta app, offers discounts on all these items. I also like to save throughout the year and cash out during the holidays to help with the stress of the holidays.