10 Things You Should Always Have In Your Car

I love lists.Simple, easy to read and straight to the point.  I've seen many list of 10-25 things to have in your car.   Yes, 25!  Do they count hair ties and bobby pins? (Rolls eyes) The people who write this stuff do not have the end user in mind.  I'm convinced.Anyway, I put together a simple, easy to read and straight to the point (just how I like it) list for Essentials in your Car* - Girls Auto Clinic Style!First up, FIRST AID KIT.  Hey, my safety and health is first before my car's.  Band-aids and q-tips come in handy for many things.  When in doubt, go with this.

You can use it for, um, disinfectant. Yeah.  Drive responsibility ;-)

FLASH LIGHT - You can get a small inexpensive flashlight from anywhere.  It may come in handy one night.  It's one of those safety things that you may never use but you feel better having it with you; sort of like mace.TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE/SPARE TIRE/CAR JACK/LUG WRENCH - The pesky flat tire change, ugh!  OR my ladies could take this as an opportunity to show their independence.  You cannot be independent without the right tools.  You will need a minimum of all these things to change a flat tire.  Don't wait until you have a flat tire to open your trunk or look under your car and find out these items are not there.  A good tip, although most don't do it, check the air in your spare tire.  If your spare tire is flat, you're out.  Ask your mechanic or whoever changes your oil to check it.  The tire pressure gauge is less than $5 and should be kept in your glove box for easy measuring of the air pressure in your tire.JUMPER CABLES  - I'd rather look for just a car to help me with a jump than look for a car that also has cables.OWNER'S MANUAL/PROPER PAPERWORK/PENS - All stored in the glove box, owner's manual is a must, must, must.  How else are you going to figure out how to jump your car or change your tire?  Make sure you have an updated insurance card and car registration (obvi, I know) in case you get pulled over or worse, an accident.  Use the pen to write down a license plate number or a driver information.DUCT (OR DUCK if you fancy) TAPE - The universal tool you can never go wrong with.  Tape on a mirror or a light in case of an emergency.  At least it will get you home.

AQUA - If you're stuck, especially in the summer, water will come in handy.  Store a few water bottles in your car.  Water also helps in a pinch if you have an overheating (smoking radiator) issue.NAPKINS/RAGS - Next time you're at McDonald's drive-thru stash some extra napkins in the glove box.  They'll come in handy for many things like cleaning up spilled coffee, wiping off dust or moisture on the windshield, cleaning hands, checking oil, etc.SPARE KEY - Embarrassing and unnecessarily expensive, hold your spare key in a magnet case and place it in a secret location under your car.  Make sure it is magnetic.  Don't worry, we've all done it.  Challenge: finding a key holder that is big enough for these huge keys made nowadays. Of course SPARE SHOES/CLOTHES - Can I tell you how many time having an extra shirt, coat, or shoes (flats or heels) has saved my life?  I've definitely utilized this tool more than any other in my car. *Note:  You will not regularly use these things.  Most are in case of an emergency (ICE).  It is hard for many people to plan for ICE, but try to keep as many of these things as possible in your car trunk or glove box. You will NEED one of these at some point in time.