What We Store and How We Prep: Personal Hygiene/Toiletry Items

One of the many things that we store in the event of an emergency/financial downturn (in our home) are personal hygiene and toiletry items. I do this for several reasons:
1) I have tricks to scoring them in bulk, for minimal cost.
2) Generally speaking, a lot of this stuff doesn't expire. (I ask you, have YOU ever had a box of tampons "go bad"?)
3) In an emergency, maybe, for example, deodorant isn't something that will save your life, but if you are already sacrificing a lot of comfort, maybe not being stinky will make you feel better. I remember someone saying that they would pack a razor because smooth legs would be comforting to them. If it makes you feel good in a time of crisis, why not?
We stockpile toothbrushes/toothpaste, deodorant, hand and bar soaps, body washes, shampoos, razors, lotions, tampons/pads, and toilet paper. I'm sure I might be forgetting something, but you get the general idea. Sometimes, I'm not as good with keeping up with a stockpile of pads and such, but I try to keep at least some excess around the house.
So, what are the tricks to getting these items for little $$?

• Utilizing warehouse stores. You can find stuff like deodorant for really inexpensive prices. For the amount of two bars of it at a normal store, you can snag four at a warehouse club. And they do carry name brands, like Secret, Dove, and Degree. Warehouse stores are also excellent for toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, body washes, shampoo, razors, toothbrushes/toothpaste, soap, etc. If you're not much of a couponer, you can still get great deals using this method.
• Shopping sales. The weekly circular of your local grocery store is key here. A lot of grocery chains will post their ads on their websites (I know mine does), if you don't wanna pay for a newspaper (I know I don't). A lot of times, stores will have "stock-up" sales, which are where you will be able to find these items for less. For example, at my local grocery store, I picked up Dial hand soaps for $1 a piece. 8 hand soaps for $8 is pretty good. Items like toothbrushes and toothpaste can be good deals going this route, as well.
• Coupons. I am NOT a coupon sort of gal, but I do use them on a few items, and this is one aspect of my storage where I am known to use them on occasion. I can get low-cost, swanky razors this way, along with pads/tampons, lotions and shower gels, shampoos...the coupon market seems to love this subsection of the grocery store. And, once again, you can find many coupons online, or have a friend save the circulars out of his or her newspaper, if you can.
  

To give you some rough figures, we have 11 bottles of hand soap, 24 bars of "normal" soap, about 6 9-roll packs of toilet paper, more body washes and shampoos than I can count, same with lotions, two large pump bottles of baby wash (and I mean LARGE), four large bottles of kid-friendly shampoo, about a dozen (plus) toothbrushes, three full sized, unopened things of toothpaste, plus numerous sample sized ones (we also like hoarding sample sized products when we can get them)...I say this not to brag (OK, maybe I am a little), but to show that getting a good stockpile is POSSIBLE on a LOW budget. We have a grocery budget right now of about $300-500 a month, which includes all food, emergency prep items, long term food storage, extra for our short term food storage, personal hygiene stockpile, cleaning supplies, kitchen utensils and small appliances/supplies, AND our children's clothing budget and formula/diaper budget. With the right tools, you too can do this. If my terrible-at-finances self can do it, I promise you...YOU CAN, TOO!! Get motivated, and start stockpiling/preparing for a rainy day!