Essentials for Working Far from Home

Assuming you survived commuting to work, you're not exactly free and clear of problems. I went from a working at a location just five miles from my house to working 50 miles away. There are so many things that can go wrong during the work day and now I was too far away to be able to run home for a quick remedy.

Ibuprofen, lip balm, lotion...having these at your desk sure beats having to run to a nearby store when you need them.

Hygiene products like toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant...these are a lifesaver when you get rushed in the morning and forget to brush your teeth. I've had some very physically active days while preparing for events and was relieved to be able to reapply some deodorant.

Cosmetics, hair products...great for those days when you oversleep and had to skip a step getting ready. It's also nice for when weather messes up your look or you just need a little touch-up.

A change of clothing...surprised by this one? Have you ever spilled something on your clothes at work? Maybe you had to spend the day moving boxes and your clothing isn't fresh anymore. Any number of things could happen to mess up your shirt, pants, skirt, dress, etc. and you can't just run home to change.

Spare car key...very crucial unless you want to spend a fortune on calling a locksmith. It only took one close call for me to realize that I would really be stuck if I locked my keys in my car while at work. One of my coworkers went down the road at lunchtime to put gas in her car and ended up locking her purse and keys in the car. She called the office and I rushed to her rescue. Unfortunately, the only other person who had a key was her husband and it took 45 minutes for him to arrive. She couldn't just leave the car there since the gas station owner was threatening to tow it. Having a copy of your key made isn't usually expensive and it will quickly pay off if you ever need to use it.

That's my basic list. What are your work essentials?