Last year, in a fit of cleaning motivation, I went through my entire medicine cabinet and tossed anything out of date. While I went through my stash, I kept a running list of what I would need to replace.

This is really not the place, in my opinion, to skimp on what you keep at hand. Are you really going to be happy you saved $5.99 at the store when you’re at home with diarrhea and no medication? Are you really going to feel like placing an order or going out shopping when you have the flu or a massive headache?

No.

This doesn’t mean you have to replace it all at once, medications can be pricy. And, if you truly don’t go through some quick enough, see if a neighbor or friend would be willing to split a pack of pills or bottle with you.

This goes double for supplements you may be taking. Often supplements have a less rigorous testing protocol so I’m more likely to throw those out when they age and begin to melt together or smell funky.

If you need a new way to store your meds, I highly recommend this photo organizer which you can usually pick up for about $20. It’s not lockable but contains inner boxes which can be labeled and filled up. It won’t hold large bottles so I keep a small box next to my pill/photo organizer for those medications.

It’ll be a life saver the next time you need meds at home!