Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

mardatha wrote: »

Nooo the Lone Ranger and Tonto does it for me! And goodies have big white hats and baddies have bigger black hats...:)

Mar, Mum doesn't like telly progs or films with ambivalent villains and constantly mourns the end of the black hat/ white hat era.

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

Just in the middle of reading this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24184728

I have been thinking this for a few days now... I am prepping for food/cost of living price increase etc..

But what if there was a financial crash in this country to the extent we cant get our money out of the banks etc Like some EU countries over the last year or so???

From a personal safety view your money is safer in a bank, BUT if this type of thing did happen here, we are better keeping our money out of the banks, and buying everything with cash...

I personally think the government are not telling how close we are sailing to the wind financially... as they know most people will try and take their money out of the banks, ( a bit like northern rock) ....

sorry if you have had this conversation before

Some of us have and some of us haven't, but it's such an important subject that it bears revisiting.

I was going to post a linkie to an article on the Daily Wail but it was essentially the same as this one. We've just had the five year anniversary of the Lehmann Brothers' Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing (15/09/2008). Very few memories on the mainstream media although ZH did a piece.

Trouble is, the risks which caused this collapse haven't been eradicated or even mitigated, so we're all vulnerable. With the speed of the internet and interlinked banking systems, a crash would flash around the planet in minutes. We could go to bed with the world business-as-usual, and awake to find the banks locked down and all hell breaking loose.

Gordon Brown did have a fair idea of the severity of the probable reaction, from the quotes in this spin-doctor's memoir.

I'm old school and like dealing in cash. I like it for it's ease, its speed and its anonymity. I want to keep my transactions, humble as they are, off the radar.

I don't consider the banking system to be safe, here or abroad. I think it will tank and that it could go any time. I'm keeping minimal amounts of my money in it, just enough to lubricate the things on DD with a bit of a margin, and no more.

It horrifies me that I encounter so many twenty-somethings who just don't have cash; everything is on their cards and they never even have pocket change. If (and I personally consider it more a case of when) the global baking system crashes, they will be in a terrible place.

nuatha, interesting about £50 notes. I refused to accept one as part of my GBP when changing back from NZ dollars. Too few places will touch them. And an acquaintance who runs a bureau de change tells me that it they receive any 500 euro notes in, they aren't allowed to re-issue them as the government considers them too great a convenience for drug dealers and smugglers. He's sarcastic about it, as in not having one 500 note instead of 5 x 100 notes will stop criminality, but he has to comply.

Having a "sacrificial" amount of cash somewhere easy for a burglar to find is something I've seen recommended in a book on home security. As in, if the villian gets something, hopefully he won't continue to search every nook and cranny and get something better.

Your money being safer in the bank than the house.......yes - and no. Once you have your money in a bank, it ceases to be your money. It is now their money and you are a creditor of that bank, and relying on its continued solvency. You are also relying on their ability to get it back to you, and the government's intentions vis a vis confiscations, taxes, haircuts, capital controls etc etc *waves at Cyprus*.

Trouble is, the mere whiff of a major bank becoming insovent will cause a run and guarantee its insolvency, which the government may try to stop by imposing a "bank holiday" whilst they run around like headless chickens and try to figure a way out of it. Meanwhile, you, me and Joe Schmo will be trying to buy food, fuel and pay our bills.

And if one bank does go, others won't be far behind. Makes the Banque D'Mattress, with yourself as central banker seem a little less risky, does it not?

I have "invested" spare cash in tins. Under the bedstead not the mattress because that would just be uncomfortable.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

good post GQ

Cheapskate

GQ, how do I know if I (or rather, my spuds) have blight? Think they do/did, but don't know how to post photos here. Pulled up all the foliage, bagged up, unearthed the spuds, which are drying. How would I know if the spuds themselves are affected? If they're goners, this is a SHTF moment for me, as there must be at least 2 stones of spuds in my hallway now - that's about 2-3 months supply for us! :eek::mad:

{hiding from the answer}

Going to read something else for a few minutes!

A xo

GreyQueen

Cheapskate wrote: »

GQ, how do I know if I (or rather, my spuds) have blight? Think they do/did, but don't know how to post photos here. Pulled up all the foliage, bagged up, unearthed the spuds, which are drying. How would I know if the spuds themselves are affected? If they're goners, this is a SHTF moment for me, as there must be at least 2 stones of spuds in my hallway now - that's about 2-3 months supply for us! :eek::mad:

{hiding from the answer}

Going to read something else for a few minutes!

A xo

(((Cheapskate))))

And breathe. It's not the end of the world. I've had blighted potatoes and have shared Dad's gardening lore, plus that of the Old Boys on the lotties and we have made work-arounds.

First off, the blight doesn't cause the potatoes to become toxic. What it does is create soft entry points for secondary rots to get in. If a rotten spud touches a sound spud, it will spread the rot.

You're doing all the right things so far. I would say lay the spuds on sheets of newspaper, on the floor, as widely spread out as possible, with a few layers of newspaper over the top to keep the light off. Daylight + spuds = green bits and the green bits are poisonous, think (racks brain) it's an alkaloid and green bits should be cut off or you can get a gut ache.

Once the spuds have had several drying days, you'll need to put them in a receptacle. Paper or hessian sacks, or something breathable but light excluding. I have even used baskets lined with newspaper.

When you pick them up, do a bit of triage. Put aside any which have been clipped or pranged with the fork in the process of digging them up, as these won't keep well. Ditto any which have been chewed on by critters. Take the titchy ones for early consumption as well.

The start of blight on the actual spud will be a very faint bronze shading (as on white spuds, never had it on red ones). A slight shading. If you thinkl you see it, put those aside for early consumption.

Sack up everything else but put a note on your calendar to shoot them out at least once a week for the next several weeks, to check for rotters.

The next stage on from the slight bronzing, and not always seen, is for that patch to develop a sweaty look, and the next stage is for the patch to sink inwards a few mm and take on a stronger almost purply-brown hue. If you cut into the spud at this point, you will see a brown staining in the spud's flesh adjacent to the sunken area. This isn't to be confused with the entirely benign potato condtion called "spraing" when the spud flesh gets thin brown stresslines thru the middle.

Once the blighted patch has got sweaty, it may be colonised by secondary molds, in which case it will go soft and probably develop a whitish cast and a stench.

Even if secondary molds have got in, the spud, like the curate's egg, may still be good in parts. Cut off the part which looks suspicious and discard it. Leave a decent margin of sound spud. The cut edge will dry out and self-seal and the rest of the spud should keep just fine.

It's important not to compost dodgy potato bits or peelings as any diseases present may continue and be spread about again. I eat my potato peels on my potatoes but if there are any damaged bits to be cut out before cooking, I put these in the household waste, not the green waste.

Keep your hands washed and wash any knives/ containers you use, and keep an eye. If your tatties have blight, you'll soon know about it. If you still have spuds by Christmas ('scuse my Klatchian) they'll have shown blight if they were going to.

I've had a couple of go-rounds with blight, inc a horrendous time in 2007 and with these methods, my bumper crop kept me in h.g. spuds until June 2008.

There. Hope you're feeling safe to come out now. I'm gonna get my supper on the stove. GQ xx

ArthriticOldThing

Pineapple I hope you're ok after your accident. Don't mess about with it though. Get yourself to outpatients if you think you need more than home first aid.

The conversation about banks and governments has made me think. Have always kept a little cash in case of emergencies but can see it would be wise to increase it, just in case. My change usually goes in the bank when it reaches £100 but have to think about that now.

I've been trying to obtain 50's from banks recently for a friend who lives abroad and have found that not many banks have them to hand - and they look suspiciously if you request them.

GreyQueen I think I might follow your investment advice about tins. Can't put them under bed though as its already full.

pineapple

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

It was in the local press that he was caught and had been doing similar stuff across the county and got away with thousands.

Some smart thinking there! You should have got some sort of citizens award. :T
Mrs L steristrips are on the list! Have been looking at first aid kits on the net but have come to the conclusion that a lot contain naff all for the price. Plus I have some things already.
Was rehearsing a speech for casualty. But I expect they have seen it all....:rotfl:

elaine241

Hello all, seem to be catching up all the time nowadays so much going on , on this thread.
I have invested in a Shef dehydrator, when it was reduced on Am*zon. I was surprised at the size of the thing! I thought it would be the size of a steamer but it was more than double the size. It comes with 5 trays which you can move around when drying to ensure even drying.
I have used it for beans and veg gluts from the garden and I am planning on drying some blackberries and raspberries. I have found that it is really great for YS bargains from supermarkets. I bought loads of herbs reduced plus parsnips, apples and large spanish onions. My freezers are groaning with bargains and home produce and the dehydrator gives me an alternative storage solution.
One thing I was amazed at was how little space that the dehydrated veg takes up. I dried the onions and parsnips to crispy and 5 large onions fit easily into a normal jam jar with space to spare.
I didnt have a clue how to dehydrate veg so off to Am*zon again and bought "The Complete Idiots Guide to Dehydrating Food"! although American based I found it a very good starting point. Dor (Southwales saver) who works at my local library suggested "How to store your home grown produce" By J & V Harrison. This also is a good book covering salting, canning, lacto fermentation, drying and freezing and it is UK based, yet to take it back to the library and on the look out for a sh copy.

I still have to tackle the french bean and runner bean glut, plus there are several large zepellins on my kitchen floor waiting to be tackled ( courgettes!) I even went into work last week and found a bag of pears on my desk left by a like minded co worker!:rotfl:

On a totally different topic it occured to me that most of us on here are like minded. It got me thinking about why we are prepping be it power cut/snow or zombie apocalypse TEOTWAWKI.
I dont want to be nosey or pry into peoples private lives but I for one have suffered from anxiety/stress/depression in the past and currently have anxiety/ stress health issues. I still manage to work, run a house, look after my kids etc but it does get very difficult sometimes. What I am getting at is prepping/being organised/feeling secure with food & preps helps me cope as I react badly to unexpected events/anything out the ordinary often getting worked up before and getting stress headaches after.
Not sure if the above is making much sense! what I am trying to say is I wonder if having a limiting condition , budget, lifestyle helps when being a prepper. If I had a "perfect" normal life with enough of everything perhaps I wouldnt even think about SHTF scenarios as I would be in a "lovely bubble" of a life where very little could go wrong. By having to think about scenarios that may make me unwell (e.g my kids birthday party) it means I have the ability to imagine SHTF situations and methods that I can use to prevent or limit the effect it has on me or my family.

Anyway not sure if any of the above is relevant or makes sense but it would be interesting to get you opinions!:o ELaine x

Mrs_T_M

elaine241, I agree that depression and anxiety is helped by prepping! Cooking and preserving are my main outlets for my depression, but right now I'm trying to lose a lot of weight (135 pounds), so I'm having to change my routine a lot, which is really throwing me for a loop.

GreyQueen

ArthriticOldThing wrote: »

Pineapple I hope you're ok after your accident. Don't mess about with it though. Get yourself to outpatients if you think you need more than home first aid.

The conversation about banks and governments has made me think. Have always kept a little cash in case of emergencies but can see it would be wise to increase it, just in case. My change usually goes in the bank when it reaches £100 but have to think about that now.

I've been trying to obtain 50's from banks recently for a friend who lives abroad and have found that not many banks have them to hand - and they look suspiciously if you request them.

GreyQueen I think I might follow your investment advice about tins. Can't put them under bed though as its already full.

You need to move your account to HSBC. They have no end of experience in money laundering and have paid the fines to prove it. If they get suspicious with you, you can then remark on their form as money-launderers for Mexican drug cartels with high body counts and smirk while they squirm.

elaine, as every your productivity astounds me. Wish I was you. Seriously, not being sarky.

I think your point is very interesting. I have had, my whole life, as sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don't know how much of this was shaped by my parents' and wider family experience of the precariousness of living at the bottom of the socio-economic pile and being the first people to get thrown under the metaphorical bus when things go wrong.

The workhouse crops up frequently in the family history. My parents had had both of us kids by the time they were 25, plus post-partum psychosis (Mum - 8 weeks in the psyciatric hospital) and Dad with a severe health problem which kept him off work for 7 months, the only time between 15 and 65 he wasn't working. So, they were always ultra-cautious and I suppose I inherited that trait.

But I'm the tin hatter in the clan, because I don't trust The State to do people like me any good and actively believe that some of them would like to do me harm.

mardatha

I personally don't think of it that way Elaine really, I just think its plain commonsense that instead of trekking out 20 miles to a supermarket in the snow, it's a lot easier having a kitchen crammed full of food! Likewise having candles and lamps when the lights go out. But we all individuals, we all have our own reasons - and what matters is that we do it