Preparedness for when

thriftwizard

I keep reading these shrill weather warnings too, and wondering whether to give them any credence. Probably because I'm pretty far south here, not far from the sea and sheltered in all directions; we hardly ever have snow lying for more than 24 hours, even when we can see it on the surrounding hills. If you look at that famous satellite picture of white Britain covered in snow, we're in that little corner to the left of the Isle of Wight that's still brown and stayed that way… so those of you who live in more exposed areas, please forgive me a little scepticism!

I suppose if it does come to pass, the warnings will have played their part in raising awareness amongst those who otherwise might not have bothered with any preps. And if it doesn't, the only harm done will be to make them a bit more sceptical next time...

GreyQueen

CTC, Sainsbugs Basics teabags are 27p/80 bags are very good. If you care about dates, they are in date til 2015 but will be good for years after that in reality. I keep about 15-20 in stock at any given time and would have more if I had the space.

Other than that, I buy their tinned tomato soup and baked beans and have stocked up on their Basics corned beef for the Armageddon Cupboard. Pasta may be a good storecupboard buy? Could you perhaps look at cleaning materials such as clothes-washing powder? TP?

I use stockpiling as a way to defray rising costs, too. If I have space and a bit of cash, I figure savings in things which I know I will eat/ use, at a time of rising food costs and effective negative rates on savings' interest, makes good sense.

***********
I've been observing nature closely for years and have to say that I haven't personally noted a correlation between abundant fruiting of trees and a cold winter. At least in my part of southern England; cannot speak for the country as a whole.

Trees tend to fruit well if there has been a favourable season and every few years we get what botanists call a "mast" year when nut-bearing trees bear particularly well esp beeches and oaks. 2013 is a mast year, they tend to come around about every 3-5 years. We certainly have a plentiful supply of hawthorn berries, and rowan berries and the jays keep planting acorns in my veggie patch, the little beggars.

Regarding harsh winters, we certainly are past due for a real stinker but you can't schedule nature. I dread to think what a mess a winter equivalent to 1963 or 1947 would make of our fragile JIT delivery systems. Also, I see a lot of people who don't seem to have the sense of a day-old chick when it comes to dressing themselves warmly. It's crass stupidity when adults do this to themselves, but I get very cross when I see them out with young children, often in buggies thus not moving, and the children aren't properly dressed in bitter weather.:(

Probably best if everyone, even the non-preptastic, had a UHT milk, breadflour and yeast by them so they didn't need to venture out in baltic weather unnecessarily for just bread and milk.

Oh, and something to bear in mind if you're storing root crops in the ground until you need them; if you get an iron frost you may not be able to get them out for a while. Dad was working on farms in the winter of 63 and they were once digging out parsnips with pick-axes. So many farmers couldn't lift their crops that there was a hefty price premium on those who did manage to get their produce trucked up to Covent Garden.

Sooo, remember that if it gets baltic and stays baltic, fresh veggies may well be scarce and expensive.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

thanks GQ Iam going to buy a few packs of their cat food, it works out the same price as felix in A$da before my money ff voucher..will try some tea bags...

one part of me is saying is it another scaremongering tactic, so we go out and buy loads of staples etc, and then the government can disguise it an say our economy is growing etc So their growth figures go up for the quarter ( like they did at the beginning of the year with 'potential' fuel strike/shortage and everyone panic bought fuel, which made their quarterly sales/growth figures go up)

As you can see I do not trust the government, and blame them for everything:D:rotfl:

GreyQueen

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

As you can see I do not trust the government, and blame them for everything:D:rotfl:

:T Which means you have achieved Englightenment and True Wisdom, Grasshopper.

I'd just like to send a small message to those retailers and the gubbermint who are anticipating that there will be an uptick in Q3 profits due to spending over Crimble.

You've had it. Quite literally in my case; Crimble-spending has been done in the first 10 months of the year (and very modest it was, too) and nothing more of a seasonal nature will be expended. Done. Finito. Kaput. I shall be wrapping a few more things in paper from the wrapping paper stash, and handing out a few cards from the card stash (not mailing the beggars) and that's it.

At the midway mark on the month, I have spent precisely £64.42 inc food but exc the futility bills, rent and CTAX. Might get up to £100 on the spends by month's end (archery is £10 a go) but it won't be much more and that includes storecupboard items.

Just having a cuppa with the overflow from the teapot as I make the flask then heading up to the allotmentino for a couple of hours scratching around in the earth. There's couch grass which is begging for a beating.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

GreyQueen wrote: »

:T Which means you have achieved Englightenment and True Wisdom, Grasshopper.

thank you I am honoured I have achieved Enlightenment and True Wisdom... by seeing right through this government, and blaming them for everything... even if my light bulb blows:D

Over the last few years we have cut back, to the point where we thought we could cut back anymore, but this year will be one of the cheapest Christmases ever for us..

I don't send cards... not even birthday cards.. waste of money.. you can say happy birthday, or merry Christmas... I use to buy and write cards, and end up not seeing the people, so I would have abox full of written xmas cards .. Plus just think of all the trees and energy you are saving. ( and the money) I don't buy tags to go on presents, I just write the name on the wrapping paper. I did buy a LOAD of crimbo paper years ago for 50p ( big commercial rolls, at the stage before they are cut up to be packed) in the end I had to buy different paper, as the kids were moaning they had the same paper every year on ALL of their presents:cool::rotfl:

No Turkey for us this year, unless there is one stupidly reduced on xmas eve, we will just have our own pork or Lamb that is in the freezer.

present wise, its got to fall into a category of can they wear it, use it or eat it... no stupid silly novelty crap..

craigywv

CTC , the only reason I was thinking of changing fuel was because we were offered it annnnnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddddddddd...............this year I want to decorate the house. I DONOT do that very often and decided I might as well kill 2 birds etc.....while I got the gas in. However now thinking about it I think I shall pass on the gas and keep the oil I have a measuring stick and can see how much is in the tank etc... as for the fire /chimney NO WAY is it going as its free to me as sister supplies free wood from their tree surgery bsiness, this year we having 3 year seasoned wood so my fire is staying put! thanks for all your replies.xxx on the subjet of store cupboard things I always have lots of coffee/hot choc can be made with milk boiled in pot outside and is quite filling xxx

mardatha

Thriftwizard, I'd hate to live anywhere that doesn't get snow!

[Deleted User]

Personally, I'd say, if you are limited in what you can afford to buy for stock, I'd go for soup and plenty of teabags, sugar and powdered milk, plus some means of boiling water, and heating the soup, in the event of a power cut.

You can survive for a long time, provided you can keep yourself topped up with hot sweet drinks and soup.

If you are really struggling to afford an alternative stove, one of these will cost you less than a fiver, including P&P.



However, the cartridges aren't exactly cheap (I've never seen them lower than £5 for 500g) so, if you will be needing to use the stove for a long time, one of these (although a bit more expensive to buy) will work out cheaper to run.



Gas for these can be had for less than £2-50 per 500g, so, by the time you have used up two cartridges on the first stove, you will have more or less covered the extra cost of the second stove.

Also, the second stove is more stable, and therefore safer to use.

Also, it'll handle larger pans and kettles than the first one, which will be important if you have a large family.

[Deleted User]

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

I don't buy tags to go on presents

I don't even buy presents.

short_bird

GreyQueen wrote: »

:T Which means you have achieved Englightenment and True Wisdom, Grasshopper.

I'd just like to send a small message to those retailers and the gubbermint who are anticipating that there will be an uptick in Q3 profits due to spending over Crimble.

You've had it. Quite literally in my case; Crimble-spending has been done in the first 10 months of the year (and very modest it was, too) and nothing more of a seasonal nature will be expended. Done. Finito. Kaput. I shall be wrapping a few more things in paper from the wrapping paper stash, and handing out a few cards from the card stash (not mailing the beggars) and that's it.

So, could it be said that TPTB are trying to persuade us to go shopping now by playing on fears? If the weather does become foul, then they've already got our money even if we can't get out over The Festive Season. Quarter 3 will look great due to panic buying and, if the weather turns out nice, they've got that second load of spending.