Preparing for winter II

shegar

While I do understand people getting a few winter supplies in, but surely its false economy to buy the shop out out.!!! like whats wrong with last years wellies.?coats?gloves?fleeces?curtains?blankets etc.etc. I wear wellies all winter because we live in the country and I have animals to feed in all weathers and my boots must be 8 yr old, I wont get rid of them until they leak,:eek: ...

I understand with children that they grow out of some stuff, but adults shoudlnt need some of the above items every year. And as for buying so much extra food and toilet rolls and medicines ,dog food, why not wait til the weather forcaster say that we will be snowed in for x amount of weeks then go buy extras for the amount of time we will be snowed in .......

I understand that if you live 3 or more miles away from the nearest shop that you do need to stock supplies, but weve only had one bad winter in years. Id rather leave that extra bit of dosh in the bank and draw it out when it will definately be used on extras...its better in your bank than in the shops till...I appreciate why some people stock pile ,but its not for me, Im enjoying reading this thread though ... ....:D

fedupandskint

I've restocked the medicine cupboard after using most of it up getting over the flu for the last 2 weeks. Amazed I got flu at this point of the year and have only just started to feel better at long last

Also made some lovely lentil and bacon soup to freeze for work lunches.

Sofa quilt had a wash and managed to dry it outside over 2 days inbetween the rain showers

Think I'm nearly ready now - checked my winter supplies list and just some food items to buy a bit extra of over the next few weeks and ready

Car's ready after its service ready for the MOT in a couple of months time

Think I'll wait and see if my pjs need replacing before I buy some more - might last this year

EstherH

Actually, it's the last two winters that have been bad. They called early 2009 once in a generation, and then last winter was worse.
As far as the stockpiling is concerned, if it's anything like it was round here last year, the shelves were empty because people started to panic buy when the snow came. At least when you are just buying an extra couple of something a week, you aren't contributing to that and there is still plenty to go round for everyone.

As far as keeping the money in your own pocket rather than the shopkeepers till, I would agree except that by January the prices will probably be higher than they are now and you don't get any interest on your money anyway these days, so why not have the food etc. in ready for if the weather gets bad, if it doesn't then you haven't lost anything and you may beat inflation a little.

I don't think people are going out and buying everything new for the sake of it. If they already have from previous years they are using that and lots of things are bought at charity shops from what I've read.

gtx

Frugal_Dreamer wrote: »

I'm slightly surprised at how many people on here say they need to get new curtains, slippers, pyjamas, fleeces etc for the winter...surely these things should last years?

All I've had to buy is the fleeces and wind-up torches - fleeces because i've only just found out about lining curtains with them (our living room is boiling now by the way as i have to put the heating on for about an hour due to damp and I've got lined curtains up at the windows and the door coming in to the living room:D) and the torches because i thought they were a great idea that will also save money over time through not having to buy batteries or use electric recharging.

I WILL have to buy gloves again:mad: we never seem to have a pair of gloves - lots of odd ones which i'm happy to wear but my teens refuse.

take care

gtx

EstherH

Where is best to buy windup torches? Argos? Also are the lamps/lanterns better than the torches?

EstherH

I have only started to read this thread this year and there are lots of things that I have never done which make so much sense, like lining curtains etc., and another quilt under the sheet, so may buy one of those. The wind up torch/lantern would be more economical and good for power cuts of which we had several last year although not due to weather but a power cut is a power cut and its good to be prepared as the boy scouts say.

parsonswife8

shegar wrote: »

While I do understand people getting a few winter supplies in, but surely its false economy to buy the shop out out.!!! like whats wrong with last years wellies.?coats?gloves?fleeces?curtains?blankets etc.etc. I wear wellies all winter because we live in the country and I have animals to feed in all weathers and my boots must be 8 yr old, I wont get rid of them until they leak,:eek: ...

I understand with children that they grow out of some stuff, but adults shoudlnt need some of the above items every year. And as for buying so much extra food and toilet rolls and medicines ,dog food, why not wait til the weather forcaster say that we will be snowed in for x amount of weeks then go buy extras for the amount of time we will be snowed in .......

I understand that if you live 3 or more miles away from the nearest shop that you do need to stock supplies, but weve only had one bad winter in years. Id rather leave that extra bit of dosh in the bank and draw it out when it will definately be used on extras...its better in your bank than in the shops till...I appreciate why some people stock pile ,but its not for me, Im enjoying reading this thread though ... ....:D

I am quite close to a few smaller High Street shops, but I cannot get there, without a car...

And when we were snowed in last year and the roads here were not gritted, the major supermarkets would not deliver, for a week or more, so...

The banks now pay you sweet FA in interest anyway..:mad::mad:

So, I would rather stockpile...

And prices on food etc are rising as we speak...:eek:

gtx

EstherH wrote: »

Where is best to buy windup torches? Argos? Also are the lamps/lanterns better than the torches?

Mine are from our local cheap shop - I'm sure every town has one. but i also saw some in poundstretcher.

can't help on which is better as this is my first time for using them and i've only got torches. i'm sure someone else will be along soon who knows though:)

gtx

maryb

Thought I'd got my threads mixed up for a minute - I've just posted on the 'tough' thread about how loads of prices seem to have jumped just in the last week. I think a lot of the price rises were in the region of 10-15% and the smaller rises were 6% plus (eg 93p last week, 99p this week). And the best interest rate I can get for easy access is 2.7% (before tax). That's a good bit less than inflation (even the official rate). Not willing to fix because if inflation goes up so will interest rates.

So stocking up on stuff that will go up in price (even without inflation, VAT is going up on all non-food items) makes some sense. Plus if you wait until it's cold before buying your thermals you won't find any left in the shops

Fruball

In answer to those who don't understand why we are buying supplies in early... here are my reasons...

Last year I got stuck in the car for 5 hours doing a 6/7 minute journey which I had to do as we had run out of essentials
I hated driving out for essentials when there was thick ice and snow on the ground
I want to spend any 'snowed in days' with my kids, their toboggans and making snowmen (none of which I did last year because I hated the whole episode of bad weather because I was unprepared.)
MrT was empty of the things I most needed because others were panic buying
I want to be cozy in my home, enjoying things like board games and having fun with my children
I don't want a gas bill like I had last year so I am happy to line my curtains with cheapy fleeces, chuck any old duvets in the loft, laying extra rugs, lagging pipes and back my radiators with insulation in advance
I want to enjoy cooking and baking with supplies I already have in, rather than have to nip to the shops for what I need
I don't want to go out unless absolutely necessary

Its not for everyone, but I know I will feel more comfy having these things done in advance

I live on the outside of a town, have shops that are walkable, but for me, winter (snow and ice, rain etc) is not a pleasure but has serious impact on my health and sanity! I intend to make the most of it this year as I am sure its gonna be a bad one... I will be prepared mentally and cupboardly prepared (if that is a word :rotfl:) and my gas (on meter now) will be well topped up so that if I don't want to drive for 2 weeks, I don't have to )


Was looking at one of my outside pipes today and realised that the way it comes from the wall to the ground, is the perfect size for an old washing up tub that I found in the shed so I will fill it with some sort of insulation material and hopefully my washing machine (in outhouse) will not freeze again this winter

I am with Parsonswife... BRING IT ON! Because I am ready for it.... well, not quite yet, but soon