If push comes to shove...?

Poosmate

Dreaming, you are right that going down the self sufficiency road does take a while to plan your garden layout, learning when to plant what. There's so much to learn. But the sooner you start the sooner you reap the benefits.

I believe the idea of this thread (correct me if I'm wrong Rhiw) is about the situation we find ourselves in now and the predicted hardships that are inevitable for some or a possibility for others such as losing jobs, rising living costs, possible food shortages (creating extreme high prices for some commodities) due to crop failures around the world (as Rhiw stated in the OP fires in Russia, floods in India, Australia).

We all face uncertainties this year with the rise in VAT, mortgage rate rises (to come), food and transport rises and lack of job security so now would be an excellent time to start making little changes to try to ease difficulties in the future. Growing your own produce is only a part of plan. For some it may be that the choice is a family holiday or the tv package you have, or for the younger ones, going out only 3 times a week rather than every night! EEK!

If it's a catastrophic event such as war on the mainland or civil war, to be honest I believe we'd stand a better chance as a country in a war as we'd be more preoccupied fighting the enemy rather than each other. I hope communities would gel together and look after each other rather than fight each other. That's a really awful thing to believe, to think that communities (in towns and cities mainly) are so broken that neighbours would turn on each other. I really hope neither scenario happens and I hope I am wrong.

Poo

lostinrates

Kirri wrote: »

It's already been bugging me that I bought 12 rolls of loo roll before Christmas as it's all stacked up!! I am struggling with liking both minimalist surroundings but wanting to save money!

I once bought 200 odd (lots of twelve packs) to stockpile in a BOGOF. TBH, I'd do it again. It was wonderful not ever having to worry about loo roll and worked out much more cheaply for a long while:o:o

Kirri

lostinrates wrote: »

I once bought 200 odd (lots of twelve packs) to stockpile in a BOGOF. TBH, I'd do it again. It was wonderful not ever having to worry about loo roll and worked out much more cheaply for a long while:o:o

:eek: That would be the stuff of my nightmares! Plus if it's purely about money, you could probably downsize if you have that much room spare just stashed full of BOGOF's as you aren't gaining anything by having the space as it's not useable in day to day living?

lostinrates

Kirri wrote: »

:eek: That would be the stuff of my nightmares! Plus if it's purely about money, you could probably downsize if you have that much room spare just stashed full of BOGOF's as you aren't gaining anything by having the space as it's not useable in day to day living?

Its not purely about money though (and actually we've upsized since then).It didn't take away from the daily living space, and tbh didn't take up much room when stacked in a cupboard. It saved money on all the taxis I would have had to take buying twelve packs more often.


It wouldn't work for everyone, but it worked for us, and if I see a bogof on loo roll again I'll be doing it again soon!

In the same way, I buy things liked tin toms...in multiples...not too hndred, but certainly in half dozen-12 numbers, when I'm down to about 6 and put new cans behind old ones. Its not time consuming and it has proven useful.

e.g. today my DH wrote off our car. A taxi to nearest town with a mini supermarket is £12 quid, for a proper supermarket...even though I'm not that isolated, is more. That's more than I spend on my food Mon-Fri lunch time...so I'd be frustrated if my costs doubled for that. I'm glad that even though tomorrow was when I would go out for more animal feeds and some human restock I can get by without forking out for a taxi and/or hire car, hopefully till we know what is going on with the car. Even if the news is so dreadful we use lots of loo roll:rotfl:

rhiwfield

lostinrates wrote: »

I once bought 200 odd (lots of twelve packs) to stockpile in a BOGOF. TBH, I'd do it again. It was wonderful not ever having to worry about loo roll and worked out much more cheaply for a long while:o:o

And I thought I was bad buying 36 rolls of Cushelle from LIDL :rotfl:

Still, on the upside you'll have plenty of loo roll inners for your spring planting!

Not sure whether the urge to stockpile stuff is a throwback to olden times when we had to last thru winter. There was something very satisfying about preparing for winter this year (log pile, oil tank full, snow shovel, apple store, homemade jams etc). And when the bad weather comes and you can say, "we dont need to go out, we're well stocked" it makes it sort of worthwhile.

Kirri

lostinrates wrote: »

Its not purely about money though (and actually we've upsized since then).It didn't take away from the daily living space, and tbh didn't take up much room when stacked in a cupboard. It saved money on all the taxis I would have had to take buying twelve packs more often.


It wouldn't work for everyone, but it worked for us, and if I see a bogof on loo roll again I'll be doing it again soon!

In the same way, I buy things liked tin toms...in multiples...not too hndred, but certainly in half dozen-12 numbers, when I'm down to about 6 and put new cans behind old ones. Its not time consuming and it has proven useful.

e.g. today my DH wrote off our car. A taxi to nearest town with a mini supermarket is £12 quid, for a proper supermarket...even though I'm not that isolated, is more. That's more than I spend on my food Mon-Fri lunch time...so I'd be frustrated if my costs doubled for that. I'm glad that even though tomorrow was when I would go out for more animal feeds and some human restock I can get by without forking out for a taxi and/or hire car, hopefully till we know what is going on with the car. Even if the news is so dreadful we use lots of loo roll:rotfl:

Hope you get your car situ sorted.. I guess if I lived somewhere a bit more remote I might stock up more, but 200 loo rolls would last me about 4 years!

I'm fascinated with how much people stock up with though! Does anyone else buy huge amounts like this?

dreaming

Poosmate wrote: »

Dreaming, you are right that going down the self sufficiency road does take a while to plan your garden layout, learning when to plant what. There's so much to learn. But the sooner you start the sooner you reap the benefits.

I believe the idea of this thread (correct me if I'm wrong Rhiw) is about the situation we find ourselves in now and the predicted hardships that are inevitable for some or a possibility for others such as losing jobs, rising living costs, possible food shortages (creating extreme high prices for some commodities) due to crop failures around the world (as Rhiw stated in the OP fires in Russia, floods in India, Australia).

We all face uncertainties this year with the rise in VAT, mortgage rate rises (to come), food and transport rises and lack of job security so now would be an excellent time to start making little changes to try to ease difficulties in the future. Growing your own produce is only a part of plan. For some it may be that the choice is a family holiday or the tv package you have, or for the younger ones, going out only 3 times a week rather than every night! EEK!

If it's a catastrophic event such as war on the mainland or civil war, to be honest I believe we'd stand a better chance as a country in a war as we'd be more preoccupied fighting the enemy rather than each other. I hope communities would gel together and look after each other rather than fight each other. That's a really awful thing to believe, to think that communities (in towns and cities mainly) are so broken that neighbours would turn on each other. I really hope neither scenario happens and I hope I am wrong.

Poo

Oh dear, I feel I have given the impression that I am a real doom and gloom person. I'm not, honest. I tend to believe that most people are basically good and would help each other out - I was just sort of musing about how "disaster" outcomes are generally portrayed. I have seen a lot of people coming together already - sharing bulk buys/swapping seeds and produce/car sharing - not to mention this site.
On a personal level I live on my own and currently work full-time (and quite long hours), so although I do love gardening I don't do as much as I could, or would like to. Living in a town and only having a smallish garden means that I would be fairly limited as to how self-sufficient I could be. I have a fairly cheap social life, tending to visit family and friends and only spend about £10-20 per month on that, and I don't go on holidays. My main expense is mortgage as I took it out after marriage broke down, and as I am in my 50s I want to pay it off as quickly as possible so as much of my money as possible goes towards that. If I lost my job the chances are I would lose my home too so I suppose I do feel there is not much I could do about providing food for myself in that scenario. So I do try to do what I can to save money wherever possible, and not spend it unwisely, but I know I could do a lot more -

I could give up my (small) car but how would I see my family with such rubbish transport links?
I need to look presentable for work so have to buy reasonable clothes/shoes (although some colleagues would be shocked to see me at weekends), and actually I don't spend that much at all.
And so on, and so on.

It could send me mad if I let it but I just keep trying to do a little bit more all the time and feel fortunate that I am not in too bad a position at the moment. I have some leeway in my budget if it comes to it, and would give up the car and the tv/internet etc., but I do worry about those people who have already cut back to the bare essentials. What is going to happen to them in the next year or so? But - at the same time I like my life the way it is; I like the freedom a car gives me to just go and see family; I like being able to choose (to a certain extent) what I spend my money on; I don't want to spend every waking minute thinking about these things until I have to - sometimes I think ostriches have the right idea. So I am trying to do a bit of both - forward planning and not worrying about it (actually, come to think about it, the forward planning helps me not worry so much).
Anyway, I have found a lot of inspiration on these threads (wouldn't want to give that up), and hearing other people's thoughts help me clarify mine. I know that you (Poo) and Rhiwfield, and many other regular contributors, are very generous with knowledge and support so thanks to you all for that.

lostinrates

Kirri wrote: »

Hope you get your car situ sorted.. I guess if I lived somewhere a bit more remote I might stock up more, but 200 loo rolls would last me about 4 years!

I'm fascinated with how much people stock up with though! Does anyone else buy huge amounts like this?

Thank you.

At the tome we were living in London. I used to run out for expensive four packs often.. Alone dh and I worked out we get through one a week, but we had house full of people often and were getting through at least four a week (often 6-8 people in the place,plus parties/dinner parties and work things that meant once a week we had about twenty people and once a week another 6-10 visitors routinely. ) Dh's siblings and their partners/friend used to stay..

the two hundred lasted us less than a year :mad: but saved a lot of money.

edit: rhiwfield: we have the outdoor loo and the upstairs one. I like to have a fullpack in reserve for each plus the pack they have on the go as a minimum. Not running out of stuff is a huge saving of money when fuel is expensive. When I go out I also like to make the most of it and FILL the car.

Kirri

Dreaming, I live in a flat but am self sufficient on veg from my allotment, when I lost my job I decided to see if I could cope with not buying veg in the winter and living on purely what I grew or had frozen. It helps that I enjoy doing it and being outside otherwise it could become a bit of a chore. Plus depends how much people want to eat certain veg all year round, ie at this time of year when growing veg is scarce, I am happy to eat veg frozen/stored back in the summer.

Even though I was new to gardening it was surprisingly easy to grow more than enough for me (and any friends/family if they wanted it), in fact a lot gets thrown away what I/family can't freeze/preserve. But if I can do it, I'm sure anyone could as I couldn't recognise one plant from another when I started

Davesnave

Kirri wrote: »

I'm fascinated with how much people stock up with though! Does anyone else buy huge amounts like this?

Not huge amounts, but last year we were paid in pork for something reasonably expensive, so we need a freezer large enough to hold a pig (cut up into portions, sausages etc!) plus all the other things one has in a freezer.

I suppose I could root around and find about a dozen packs of 80 tea bags, many kg of spaghetti and rice etc and maybe 2 dozen tins of beans/peas. However none of that is a problem to store, as we have a garage that's only half full.

What's hard to keep is fresh, unprocessed food, like apples or squashes and peppers. I still have a few of last years peppers, struggling to ripen, but I think the apples are mostly only good for the chickens now. Some of the squashes are fine, but the cold winter has reached a few and I shall have to cut & freeze them, or that's more chicken food.

We've felt a real difference between town & country living. Some of it is to do with available space, other aspects are about the cost of using a vehicle more than necessary, and there's a small but significant part played by payment in kind too.