You may be putting a lot of effort into packing your survival supplies for the future, but your efforts will be in vain if you forget to fully account for all of your family's needs.

The best way to plan for survival is to think about all of your everyday needs now, and then to figure out a way to fulfill those needs in a survival situation. Check out the list below for some ideas.

Water
Stock up on water in a big way. Along with this, once you get a significant amount of it H2O, buy a new jug every now and then — such as these durable and portable 6 gallon jugs — so as to keep your supplies growing (and replace old water with new water as it sits in storage; the life of stored water is said to be about six months).
Emergency Water Purification / Proven Methods
1. Water Purification Tablets – A quick way to treat water is by using water purification tablets. Water purification tablets are so useful they are even included in Navy Seal survival kits.
2. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter – Named a Time Magazine Invention of the Year winner, you've probably seen or used one of these by now if you spend anytime in the outdoors. A LifeStraw is capable of purifying up to 1,000 liters of water.
In a major city (or near an area of widespread agriculture or industry), avoid drinking water from nearby lakes, ponds, and streams using a water filter or tablets due to the possible contamination of sewage or industrial chemicals that can spill into underground water systems (both natural and man made). Even the best water filters should not be trusted when it comes to sewage or industrial chemicals.
Emergency Food and Storage Containers
#10 cans – Keep a number of #10 cans on hand and hope that they never get used. (A #10 can is 5.3 times larger than a traditional can of soup, holding a total of about 109 ounces.)
Oxygen absorption packets – These are used to reduce moisture in food items, thus keeping the food viable for much longer.
Foil pouches – These are made of multi layer laminated plastic and aluminum.
Clean, full size plastic garbage cans – These could be used for bathing or washing laundry.
5 Gallon Buckets – These could be used for washing dishes or for retrieving water from a local source.
Freezer – Okay, if the electricity goes out this won't help. But if it doesn't, a freezer and refrigerator in the area you plan on settling down is prudent (remember that if we're talking about a fallout shelter of sorts, it will have to be in an accessible place).
Dried Food, Non-Perishable Food
Here's the short answer: Have enough food and water on hand for at least a month which will involve stocking up on a number of food items. Particularly, you'll want to look into dry foods because they last well. Dried beans, various types of rice, canned milk, and anything else you can find will be beneficial. The most important thing to consider is that if you're going to survive off non-perishable food for a lengthy period of time that you get adequate nutrition.
Based on the items you've stocked up on, put together a daily diet plan that produces the vitamins and minerals you need in the appropriate amounts to stay healthy. Stocking up on quality multi-vitamins is a good idea also, as many canned foods or processed non-perishable foods may fall short of supplying sufficient nutritional needs.
Firearms – You may not believe in guns, but in an emergency situation there may be nothing better to have. From hunting to self-defense, in a time of collapse a long-range rifle, a pump-action shot gun, and a few pistols can go along way to keeping your family safe from burglars or thugs, to also living off the land — if you're an experienced hunter, as many Americans are.
Fishing Gear (for those of you who live near the ocean or near lakes or rivers where fish are plentiful) – Today, don't just buy any standard fishing pole; buy yourself a pole that can reel in a big fish, like a salmon pole; take some lessons in fishing, and also fly-fishing, depending on your area.
Camouflage – Don't just buy standard camouflage as you may have seen it worn casually over the years. It will be easier to stay hidden as you cross through a forest or wilderness area if you have the appropriate camouflage coloring for the terrain. Consider having two types of camouflage — dark colors for a forest rich in green colors; light colors for a terrain that is more like a prairie or even the desert. Camouflage face paint is a second item to have; but also know how to make natural colored camouflage “paint” for your face using simply streaks of dark mud and dirt.
Survival Knife – This and a good buck knife for cutting rope, etc. will be prudent.
Emergency Radio – Keep extra batteries around as well; or get yourself a quality hand-crank radio, that doesn't need batteries.
Cutlery, plates, can openers, bowls, etc. A good emergency kit can have the same kind of items you would take on a weekend camping trip. Choose items that are light weight, as small as you can get away with, and also high quality (no need for a can opener to break on you, if it doesn't have to).
Extra bedding – If the power is out for any length of time, bundle up at night under several layers of warm blankets. You may find some cheap blankets at a second hand store or thrift shop. Purchase 5 or more for each person in your family.
Warm clothing – Enough to wear in several layers for cold weather.
Extra bathroom supplies – Especially for women, when it comes to things like tampons, etc. Beyond this, you may want to know where you will toilet in advance if / when thinking about a fallout shelter or simply a “bug out” location.
Soap (not just bar soap, but also dish soap). Several gallons of bleach will also go a long way to keeping your home clean. Water it down and use it sparingly and you may be able to make a few gallons of bleach last several months.
First Aid Supply Kit – Experts recommend a kit that you hand-stock, rather than buy one that is pre-stocked. This way you can be sure to have key items as well as extras of items that you're likely to use up if anyone is injured.
Tarps and tents – In case you need to build a shelter. Also, tarps can be used to trap water if you run out of water as a simply rainwater harvesting system.
Flashlights, candles, and lighters – Nowadays, also purchase a solar powered battery charger (for small batteries of various sizes). This way, you can keep your batteries charged simply by solar power. These chargers aren't expensive; just be certain of the quality when you do buy one. A 55 hour emergency candle can provide several days worth of lighting, depending on how often you use these candles.
Portable stove – A propane BBQ may be the way to go if electricity dies. Keep in mind, a propane BBQ will burn more fuel typically than a much smaller propane camp stove. Only use the BBQ if you have to cook large quantities of food at a time. Along with this, you'll want spare propane tanks. Keep them away from your home while waiting, however, as they could go up with an explosion.
Towels, brushes, brooms, even mops – For cleaning and sanitation. Add to this 55 gallon (contractor size) heavy duty garbage bags for disposing of trash.
Several boxes (cases) of 3 gallon to 5 gallon garbage bags for disposing of human waste, should your plumbing be damaged or destroyed, and beyond repair.
Stationary – There's no telling how long you may be in a predicament. Thus, books, paper, and pens/ pencils may be needed to fill time and communicate with others.
Building supplies – What if your house or property needs fixing? A hammer, nails, axe, and saw could be as important to you as clothes themselves. A stack of 2x4s and plywood of various thickness can also go a long way (especially should an earthquake, tornado, or even a flood or tsunami destroy homes in your area).
Alternative transportation – If cars won't work because of gas or oil shortages, bicycles, scooters, and anything and everything else that moves can help you get around the area.
Backpacks and hiking boots – These could come in handy if you need to get going in a hurry. Also remember that if you're going for a hike, pack that tent of yours along with some food. Choose boots that use eye-holes to lace up, from the bottom of the boot where your laces enter, all the way up around your ankle (if you have to make a run for it, other boots that don't lace up with eye holes can easily come untied; having your shoes come untied is the last thing you want to have happen should you have to flee from danger suddenly).

Essentially, to be a good prepper, your savings account should be your survival supplies. After all, your savings is primarily for emergency use only. Put less of that money into the banks, which could have financial meltdowns (people keep thinking that planning for a banking collapse is crazy, but it literally happens all the time), and more of that money into stocking up on your essentials.

Cover all of your bases, and then increase the amounts from there. It does no good to have five years of food if you only have one month of water stored. Be frugal, stock up when you can and start practicing some survival skills.

This is an excellent article that hopefully won't come in handy one day. If you'd like to see the whole article, check out Secrets of Survival.