Who doesn't have a stock cupboard

grandma247

Nottoobadyet wrote: »

I think of myself as quite OS but the truth is that I really, really dont have a store cupboard in my life! I did when I lived in the UK, but where I live now fresh fruit and veg are painfully cheap and tinned goods are exceptionally dear. I do plan meals, but buy veg on the roadside as needed since nothing seems to last very long. I have a few things for baking (flour, sugar, baking soda) but not enough that I'd be able to live off it for any length of time.

That said, there isnt much chance of being snowed in here!

You would however be able to use the sunshine to dehydrate some foods. You can even use your car to do it if it is just standing outside.. Once dry they keep a very long time in an airtight container.

prepareathome

Well my supermarket ( Mr S been going there 20 years so got to know all the staff well) told me they did have a run on milk first thing this morning and same yesterday so they just ordered a bit more for today and next few days so I was able to buy my two 4 pt cartons which are now in the freezer and two frozen ones on the side - I keep 5 x 4 pt cartons in the fridge at any one time, as some weeks I don't get out to shop and that does us a week or so, we are big milk drinkers, hubby has a pint or more on his cereal.

They had restocked the long life but were totally out of dried and waiting for next delivery of it - so I bought 6 cartons of long life which we will use the week before its use by date as we normally do if not used before.

They had lots of bread for 10p no matter make or size so as I had this week collected an old working freezer from someone on freegle, first it was for son then he got a almost new fridge freezer off a friend who was moving so I kept it for putting the vegetables in from garden, so its still sitting in living room so just cleared a space in study ( the dumping ground) and son will pop over later and him and hubby will take it up ) then all this bread I bought will go in it once its on. I certainly could not make the bread and baguettes for 10p each. I do have a bread machine which I use a lot of if I see bread this cheap I would rather keep my flour etc to use another time

Also picked up some carrots and broccilli reduced to 10p a packet - the type all cut up ready to use and so going to blanch then throw them in my dehydrator ( new toy got this week to dehydrate my home grown vegetables and any bargains I pick up - already done a load of my own potatoes and they are vacumn sealed in main freezer). Just luck of the draw what is there reduced when you go - in the chilled reduced section there were many, many sandwiches but at £1.20 for two filled slices of bread I gave them a miss.

I know some people have said on threads they have a dehydrator but use it on YS fruit and vegetables instead of growing their own and so have a good supply, never had thought of that, so I will be keeping my eyes peeled.

Remember what ever you buy it must be something you are going to use and then rotate, rotate - shop out of your stock cupboard to fill up kitchen cupboard then keep a note of what you have taken out of stock cupboard and replace that when shopping however you can afford it.

Also remember its not a race to see who can have the best and biggest store cupboard, know use having a massive amount of goods and bills not being paid so you end up with no roof over your head - I knew someone on my group who did this about 10 years ago. Only add with money you can afford to use please.

mcjordi be surprised at the price of both condensed milk and evapourated milk they have gone way up in price - I only have a few tins of them in my stock as we rarely use it, hubby will have condensed on puds and occasionally will use evapourated in cooking but both are far, far to sickly for me.

You can buy tinned cream, its no where near as sweet. Again not cheap and no so easy to find, but its still out there ( if you buy it and use it add a bit of milk when whipping it up, makes it go a bit further and makes it more palatable).

I would love to aim for a years supply of food but where to put it, if I got rid of my beloved books cans could go there, but love my books ( and if worst happened they could be used as fuel or even for toilet purposes, shudder at the thought but you have to look laterally at anything stored and not used daily, I cannot read my many thousands of books on a daily basis and why I bought a kindle to try and stop them taking over the house, now I think do I want this book in hardcopy if so why or is it a novel where on kindle is fine and I can survive without if no power for charging kindle).

Remember medical things for store cupboard - if you are on medication can you get an extra months supply from GP or do as I did and missed out odd ones till I built up a months supply of most, just one tablet I have to take all the time I cannot build up a stock of. Dr will not give me extra as they are Class A drugs annoying but not much I can do about it and I guess not a good idea to have more than I need of them in, already had some pretend to be from me and collect my prescription once as my my chemist never used to have any checks in place. Came out a few people had, had this happen when we reported it to the police from same chemist so they guessed people watching and listening to see if any one mentions drugs like these when they take the prescriptions in. Now they check every time and would rather that than the fun I had getting repeat prescription last time as doctors security is good. Not sure if they felt there were listening devices in place but they closed the chemist and gave it a big make over just after this, now video cameras watch every person who comes in with a prescription and to collect it. One of the staff told me they use face recognition software to check you are who you say you are before you are given certain meds, like mine and if you are collecting for someone boy do you need proof.

Anyway that is an aside remember if you have little ones to keep extra Calpol and ibuprofen in as last thing you want is to have to drag an ill child out in freezing cold ( always happens the times hubbys away and everyone you know is busy and cannot do it till much later)also the usual plasters etc, etc - I know taking coals to Newcastle but better mentioned and waste of time than not and someone forgets. Write a list of all the things you could possibly need and slowly get them in - remember plasters, lint, bandages, cotton wool do not go out of date, although plasters and micropore tape will eventually lose their stickiness.

prepareathome

If storing cat litter in the garden shed or garage I would put it in a plastic container - as I found out field mice get everywhere and although they didn't eat the cat litter they did make a lovely mess when they chewed through the packet so now it lives in the study, but if I had to put it out in shed again it would be in a plastic tub with lid.

For anything you store out of the house always think mice and insects and protect against both - usually plastic containers do just fine and make things easier to store as you can just stack the containers.

Evie74_2

Thank you PAH for your advice once again - I usually keep a couple of spare inhalers in stock for little DD as she suffers from asthma; I have started ordering them a little more frequently than I probably need to, which I do feel a bit selfish and guilty about, but if the worst came to the worst and there was no medication readily available in the chemists (as in Greece) at least I would know that I had a few months' supply in store for her.

I always have plenty of calpol/ibuprofen/adult paracetamol/vick/cough medicine/tummy medicine and a well stocked first aid tin at the ready because - as you say - things always seem to go wrong at the worst possible time!

As regards storing the litter, it hadn't occurred to me to think about mice etc . I was only thinking in terms of the stuff getting wet! I will have to get some big plastic lidded storage boxes as well. I have never seen any evidence of mice in the garden or the shed, but I bet they are there all the same.

Evie xx

Popperwell

Well, I'd never thought of cat litter and now I don't think I have a bucket(something for my list)Hope I get the right cat litter...

Must get for daily ordinary life but in a way it's like doing a store room thing some Willington Boots, spare pair of shoes and trainers. And trousers.

Now for daily wear I knock about in short sleeved shirts(I bought)but now I can buy them for 99p at the charity shop. The same with jumpers and cardigans(all 99p)and my trousers are similar to track suit bottoms.

mcjordi, those boxes are easy to get to find and don't need to be so fancy or expensive, I got 6 for £1 in Wilkinsons...they do foil containers too.

You'll find something I am sure at ASDA...

Popperwell

Excellent posts from all over the last few hours, thank you...

prepareathome

Pops when you are looking at the cat litter it will say what its made from - if it says wood, or pulp then leave it be( that is usually what the cheapest of cat litters is made from and not so good at helping keep smell at bay - even if you live on your own the last thing you want to face is a smelly toilet.

I need to get more as a friend who has 3 cats ran out of it yesterday and phoned and asked if I had some - she was sure I had mentioned it for emergency toilet so guessed I would have some - she was broke so 'borrowed' it but she is a very good friend so am not bothered at all sharing with her. So its on my list for Tuesday - just two packs, I do want to get more but never seem to have more in as its always been borrowed ( used to be my son when he had his cat). I adore cats but sadly when ours was 10 I suddenly developed an allergy, cannot even go to friends house any more and even when she comes here I end up wheezing.

Evie you have reminded me my last inhaler has gone out of date so I must ask the doctor for another, she knows it like my epi-pen ( badly allergic to wasps) are only for emergencies so often don't get used but as she said she would rather she knows i have them than not and end up having to call 999 ( been there done that ) so thank you for the reminder am very grateful.

Evie74_2

PAH - glad to have been of some help as your advice re: storecupboards/general prep has been completely invaluable to me; you've made me think of things I would never normally have considered - thank you!

Evie xx

Kiwisaver_2

Evie74 wrote: »

I will add cat litter to the trolley when I'm next in the supermarket! I don't have pets (apart from fish in the pond) so don't know about these things but presumably the litter will keep OK in a dry garden shed? I don't have a garage, and space is at a premium in the house.

Evie xx

Even if you don't have a cat, it's handy to keep some anyway as it can be used to soak up unspeakable spills or accidents on the carpet, to soak up oil if spilled from a car onto the driveway or in the garage.

I do have a cat, so always have some and decant it into an airtight plastic box in the garage, mainly because it makes it easier to handle.

Popperwell

Kiwisaver wrote: »

You can get the most basic cheap one, it wont cost very much. Even if you don't have a cat, it's handy to keep some anyway as it can be used to soak up unspeakable spills or accidents on the carpet, to soak up oil if spilled from a car onto the driveway or in the garage.

I do have a cat, so always have some and decant it into an airtight plastic box in the garage, mainly because it makes it easier to handle.

Even for soaking up spills(I would never have thought about that)I am still trying to work out how the bucket and litter works, I assume you just keep it close at hand near the toilet, trouble is here the room is really tiny and partioned as a seperate room to where the bath is so I might if used for that purpose have to use the passage that runs along the side of the house which means it's not indoors and it's private as there are locked doors on either end and they have no glass in them.