Preparedness for when

bluebag

For those that don't have much prep or money.
The greatest prep item is your mind, having the right mindset to deal with emergency, catastrophe or just ever changing conditions is the finest tool.

Simple preparation can be done by anyone, keeping a little extra cash on hand, or even a few bits of cheap jewelry you can pawn.
A credit card with a reasonable free balance can get you a hotel room till you can re-asses things.

A few large 5L bottles of cheap water from any supermarket will get you through most basic emergencies.

A good store cupboard will keep you going for about a week even if you have to eat ravioli with rice pudding.

Most homes have enough spare bedding and coats to keep warm.

Tea lights are cheap and easily stored.

A 'cat stove' can be easily made for free ( instructions on you tube) they will burn meths and alcohol including vodka. MUST BE USED OUTSIDE THOUGH!

A cheap battery radio can keep you informed almost anywhere, the batteries last ages.

If it is a greater emergency real shtf situation then that needs greater tools. But just having a few basic preps puts you ahead of the game whatever.

the_cake

Katy43 wrote: »

Hi All,

I would like to buy some solar lamps, has anyone got any recommendations for good lamps that will charge up in the winter months?

Thank you.x

This: http://smartgreenshop.co.uk/index.php/review/product/list/id/47/ was recommended by someone on this thread (thank you!) and I am delighted with mine; it's robust and gives an excellent light. HTH, the cake

nuatha

Tink_04 wrote: »

Baby milk is drank at room temp (unless its freezing then we take the chill off it) we have plenty of nappys/wipes/sudocrem as always stock up, and im always ahead with milk etc.

You can tell I'm not a parent, only times I've dealt with baby's bottles the contents have always been warm

We had a lot of debt when our 1st dd was born then i lost my job, was so frightened we would go without i never let our supplies run too low a habbit ive gladly never lost! and thanks to a few bad winters with little money for heating we have good winter stores.

Good habits, and that's the best basis for prepping there is.
Starting with 24 hours and building up is the best way to go IMO.

jk0 wrote: »

It is. Seems like we're entering stage 3.

That list made me wonder if it would be worth holding a small amount of foreign currency(s) in addition to gold, and some pounds.

I'm thinking if the pound collapsed, maybe TPTB would impose the Euro, or even the dollar?

The Euro has fairly well reported difficulties and the dollar is only stable while other countries use it as an exchange medium (or China doesn't foreclose its American investments).
I have no faith in intangible exchange systems, though I do keep an emergency fund, since currently that's the simplest way to operate. However I don't expect that to be the case long term. My long term investment is in skills.

bluebag

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

After hearing about the Nationwide IT meltdown today, it has really proven to me that our money is no longer safe in the hands of the financial institutions, is it me or is this sort of thing happening more and more?
I found this online which proves that we need to be alert to what is going on in this country as well.

http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/?p=54365

http://www.storyleak.com/pentagon-prepping-large-scale-economic-breakdown/

If it's in the bank it isn't money anyway, it's 'bank credit' and they can magic that back with the click of a mouse.

What it will be worth in the way of spending power if they do that too much and too often though is a whole new ball of wax.

If the whole global system goes pete tong then it might be best to find a deep hole to hide in.

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

:heartpuls Weeell, wouldn't go quite that far, Bob, but I certainly find you interesting and entertaining, which is more than can be said for some people I encounter in that strange place called Real Life. Loving the Hitchhiker's quote btw.

Dunno why it's called Real Life anyway; it's full of implausible events, bizarre occurances and strange people.

If they called it fiction, no one would believe it. You need a far lower credibility threshold for reality.
Real life bears a very similar relationship to life as to that between real tennis and the sort played at Wimbledon. Its vague and the more you compare them the more apparent differences become.

jk0

26 September 2013

​The Bank has been experiencing some technical IT problems today. There is no impact on critical payment and settlement services. Alternative procedures are in place where necessary. The Bank is acting to resolve these problems as soon as possible.

Does this statement remind anyone of the Tannoy voice in the dust covered spaceship found by Ford, Arthur, & Zephod. It was something about the passengers being kept in suspended animation until a new civilisation arose: 'Until then there will be a slight delay'

bluebag

nuatha wrote: »

If they called it fiction, no one would believe it. You need a far lower credibility threshold for reality.
Real life bears a very similar relationship to life as to that between real tennis and the sort played at Wimbledon. Its vague and the more you compare them the more apparent differences become.

I find it comforting to be unsurprised at surprises.

GreyQueen

jk0 wrote: »

Does this statement remind anyone of the Tannoy voice in the dust covered spaceship found by Ford, Arthur, & Zephod. It was something about the passengers being kept in suspended animation until a new civilisation arose: 'Until then there will be a slight delay'

I'm reading a Hitchhikers book atm. And listening to/ reading online about current events. Sometimes the overlap is astonishing.

Whenever I saw the Muppet in Chief (George W Bush) I was reminded of that Hitchhikers quote about the purpose of the president being to distract attention for those really in power. But I liked Zaphod better than Dubya...........:)

bluebag wrote: »

I find it comforting to be unsurprised at surprises.

As a result of about 40 years reading fantasy and science fiction, I frequently hear the breaking news and think Waitaminute, that's not new, I'd heard about that back in the eighties.

I'm a bit, yeah, whatever, as I feel I've seen a lot of it before and managed then. Gonna be a helluva shock for the young 'uns raised in a hyper-connected world when the leccy becomes unreliable.

Invest in string and yoghurt pots, you know it makes sense.

[Deleted User]

Cor GQ you iz a modern yung fing izn't you? In my day it woz Cocoa Tins 'n String nuffing so up market as yoghurt pots!!! Cheers Lyn xxx.

thriftwizard

Isn't yogurt itself a bit - well, new-fangled, MrsLW? I well remember my mother proudly placing a little plastic pot in front of me when I was in my early teens, i.e. mid 1970s, which she had probably paid a small & hard-earned fortune for. Sadly it was fizzy. Maybe some semaphore flags or a mirror would keep better... do they teach kids semaphore or Morse Code any longer? I know they don't do knots...