make do and mend for tougher times

Possession

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Not rambling Evie, sounds sensible to me!

I have fairly good stores for the same reason as you - I buy offers and things that are cheap to save money generally and as a hedge against future price rises.

I can see the sense of plans for things like power/water going off or getting snowed in/flooded out, but do wonder how far to take things.

Mar - I presume you have an emergency stash of sweeties .

I KNEW there was a reason I couldn't get rid of those sweeties! When the SHTF they are going to sustain me! With all major infrastructure gone I'll be OK with my pink shrimps and some cola bottles.
I visited the preppers' site last night for a little look and it scared me too. There are some things I'll take on board I think, as I can see the use for a head torch and the like, but I won't be buying freeze dried food supplies any time soon.

[Deleted User]

flipping heck that uk preppers site is way over the top. What on earth are they so worried about? I can just imagine the scenario of relatives coming in to house clear when they pop their clogs. Going on sites like that makes people worry unnecessarily and is scaremongering for its own sake. Basic prep is sensible and is what we are doing and that is enough

Mrs_Chip

I did think some of them were planning for full Armageddon scenario - slightly too much prepping for me, I can barely organise our daily lives,
let alone any heading-for-the hills arrangements.

If the leccy goes off we have no heating or hot water as the oil boiler needs electric to function, but I do have the wood burner and two bottled gas stoves.

I cook with electric but do have a full-sized two ring burner that runs from a 7 kilo bottle, plus my little camping stoves (two of those) - oh and if it came to it I could fire up the van :rotfl:.

Water - at a push we have the river :eek:. We could heat on top of the woodburner for washing etc, and boil on the gas for drinking - might be good to get some sterilising tabs.

The food stash consists of abut 20 tins of beans, ditto rice pud and custard, several tins of corned beef, same salmon/tuna/sardines. Loads (15 kgs?) of rice and about 8kg of pasta. Several jars of peanut butter and about 20 of mixed jams/marmalade/honey. Lots of bread and baking flour, spare packs of yeast. Loads of bottles/jars/pots of spices/herbs/condiments/seasonings. Huge tub of salt and 5lts vinegar. Quite a few bottles of wine should the going get tough, and of course 5kg of chocolate;). Plenty of cat food to fatten him up:rotfl: Just need some dried or UHT milk but don't like either so would only really get for dire emergencies.

4 freezers full of fish, sausages, chips, chickens, chops, rolls, etc.etc.... I think we could last for a few days, and prob feed the whole village too :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

katieowl_2

The preppers site didn't scare me as such, because I think that sort of mind set is quite close to the surface in me anyway...I dealt with a permanent end of the world scenario with my Gran being a JW anyway (don't start me on the damage it does to a child... :mad:) and then went straight into my first relationship with a bloke who was keeping one eye on the doomsday clock all the time (oooh it's only 30 seconds to midnight - put your head between your legs dear, and kiss your a$$ goodbye) He was pretty much looking forward to seeing how WW3 played out

I've always kept a substantial stock cupboard, mainly because since I had the kids, OH has always been self-employed, and the nature of what he does means sometime he doesn't get any income for quite a while. He worked on 1/3 up front, 1/3 half way through, 1/3 on completion for his bespoke joinery and as the up front went mostly on materials, how long between that when we got paid was down to how quick he could work. I tell you frankly I don't know how we managed (apart from my mum's continual help) or how we managed to pay the mortgage pretty much without fail.

Now days it's ingrained to pick up a bargain, and stash it for future use...but my thoughts on 'worse case scenarios' for the moment are...

Civil disobedence (if you live in an urban environment) but don't think that would affect us much TBH at the edge of the world

Bank Failure, and the inability to get ££ out when you need it... that could go on for a while if things were monumentally bad

Terrorist attack, mainly for the urbanites again. Biological or dirty bomb are the two that give me the heebie jeebies. Look how much is being done to protect the Olympics... No amount of searching would stop a suicide 'carrier' going in.

Acts of God. Floods, Storm and the such like, could cause power failure, great dampness, loss of roof etc. Can be partially ameliorated by insurance, but look at St Louis. We are used to the odd power cut, and have belt and braces methods of heating, cooking, lighting. It's just a matter of thinking that through a little.

Loss of the (food/petrol) supply chain: can also be caused by weather, as we are so far away from centers of civilisation, but could also be caused by Terror attack, act of god, bank failure... good store cupboard is insurance against that in the short term. Anything long term. the Eastern seaboard going, Yellowstone park, or the dreaded zombie apocolypse we are all probably stuffed anyway... but knowing how to do a few things for yourself may stave off discomfort for a while.

I think it's always good as survival skill to know how to make a loaf, or a few things locally you can forage, but sometimes some more exotic stuff, like how to deliver a baby, or purify drinking water might be handy. Picking up a book and reading up on a few new skills is a sound investment of time.

Kate

Mrs_Chip

Oh Kate - thank god I am able to block those sorts of scenarios from my conciousness - I would never sleep!

OH has always said that I would be the best person to be marooned on a desert island with, I could pretty much get us fed watered and warm - but I don't fancy putting it to the test!

katieowl_2

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Oh Kate - thank god I am able to block those sorts of scenarios from my conciousness - I would never sleep!

Sorry....

Popperwell

Mrs_Chip wrote: »

Is anyone really prepping for SHTF in a major infrastructure way (I don't mean water/leccy off for a time, I mean breakdown of society/infrastructure/law and order etc)?

For me, it's trying to have choice, save money when things get worse as it will money wise regarding income/benefits and cost of items rising, more so with the recent weather affecting things and the availablity of certain goods...

prepareathome

Sunshine4 wrote: »

Morning everyone,
Well we did have sunshine for a few mins now its dark and black so rain is on its way again.
PAH That list was very interesting would love to see some recipes.
Would love to get a dehydrator, can you let me know where you got your please.As I know I would use it alot.

Fuddle I think you doing very well, not letting the panic attacks take over.

Got given some small balls of cotton yarn, so I am knitting some dish clothes with them. They are so soft.
Not used to being home all the time, so I am trying to keep busy with knitting and decluttering.
I am really looking at things we have and seeing if we really need them and are they useful if not they are going .

This is the one someone on here posted that they had so have gone for it - but done as someone else suggested bought two as they have and will use the trays from the second in the first and put rest of it away for spares.

http://www2.westfalia.net/shops/household/preserving_food/food_preservation/dehydrating_/193811-food_dehydrator.htm

I know its cheap and small but at moment I am not sure how I will get on with it and apart from my potatoes - I hope - and anything else I can harvest from garden I don't know how often I will use it. I do pick up YS fruit and vegetables when I can but only to use up quickly so that is an added possibility. If I find I do use it regularly and get on with it then I may save up and buy a better one, but £72 ( the two plus pp) is a far cry from £300 + for the really good ones so as long as this does as it says I know I will be happy enough with it for the moment.

We started with sun coming up at before 5 in full force, not a cloud in the sky and went on like that till midday when clouds appeared and since then one minute sun covered with clouds next minute bright sunshine but unfortunately as it has happened nearly every time we have had sunshine this year ( bar a week in April I think it was) there is a nasty cold wind keeping the temp down so going to need a jacket on when we go out in a minute.

I went through all my tins this morning and wrote down everything I have, most things I only have 2 -5 of with the exception of baked beans I have 25 of these. Only got 14 tins of tomatoes and 4 FB pies, but have lots of single tins of meat or fish ( oh except tuna have 16 of them, just the B&M 3 pack for 99p) so enough to do a few weeks for just us, but if i have to give the kids wouldn't do a week so seriously need to do some stocking up.

Having spent all bar gardening money out of what gary owed me on the stove etc and dehydrators plus some ESP ( that product sounds like the lazy persons dream way of painting varnished furniture) I only have some shopping money left out of Alans wages so will not be commencing the big stocking up today or this week.

Right he is ready so out we go.

Hugs, Love and healing xxxxx

Mrs_Chip

No probs Kate, tbh I have enough of my own stupid worries to keep me awake, a few more won't make much difference!

ginnyknit

I just like to be stocked up so if SHTF I have a safety net. I pick up every cheap thing I can find, use my dehydrator and slow cooker so hopefully if I cant get to the shops due to OH being worse or in hospital I dont have to worry about fitting shopping in. I want to be in a position where one week I can stash all our income for emergencies or treats. Its us against the wrold in our littlecastles and if need be we can pull up the draw bridge and repel invaders :rotfl:

Just been to Mr A as OH felt like going out so stocked up on a few tins and essentials like ice cream, chocolate and diet coke ( my guilty pleasure). Going to fill the dehydrator again with potatoes (thank you kitty) and more of those flipping onions. When I bought the dehydrator I imagine the house would reek of onions but it doesnt happen - the worst is peppers they do smell a bit.