Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

I couldn't get my money out of Co-Op in the form of a cheque or cash. Funnily enough, they'd managed to set up that savings account with a personal cheque from me, but the only way they could release my money was via an electronic transfer back to the current account from whence it came.

Another time, I caused a total tizwaz in a Halifax branch by asking for all my money back once. Needed to be approved by about 2 levels of peep above the cashier. Talk about cheeky.

My present bank are well known for laundering drug money so I'm just itching for somewhere there to pass comment on any of my financial habits - don't go there, banking peeps, I'm desperate to leg-pull.

Present policy at the Central Banque of GQ is to keep minimal amounts of dosh in the banking system but use all their services. Yup, I am that PITA customer. But on the plus side, I am personally very pleasant to deal with...........:rotfl:

I have just started another utility account switch (waves at Ebico/ Equigas and Equipower). Soon no more standing charges for this very low user.

Estimated cost for running my gas cooker for a year (inc VAT) is......wait for it.......£1.34. And 14 units of leccy per 7 days will be £2.43 per week. And it's ethical. I've not been so happy since I discovered Sainsbugs' Basics teabags at 27p/80 were free-trade. Shout out to nuatha for the top tip. MSE forumites rock.

I wouldn't say I'm cheap but I'm currently enjoying the light from the streetlamps outside, paid for by my council tax, as I reason it. That, and the luvverly glow of a CRT monitor is plenty.

Hollyberry

westcoastscot wrote: »

Anyway off to work - Hollyberry I have your pm and will respond at the weekend
WCS

No worries - I know you have plenty on your plate. Hope all's well at yours.

I'm having ever more cold chills at the water cannons and stripping of possessions from the homeless. Local election canvassing began this weekend, and I have to say I am looking forward to words on these things when my doorstep gets darkened by one of those in power.

It's been a little hectic, but OH is on the mend. Got him out of the house this afternoon for the first time in a week. SHTF lessons from a week of incarceration include:

• Check your prescriptions. A week to go isn't necessarily enough.
• Keep more general painkillers in stock if you can. Owing to the minute quantities that can be bought OTC, it doesn't take long to run out (at even less than prescribed maxima)
• We ran out of fresh fruit and veg quite quickly due to my new hobby of meal planning where it all got used up and not wasted. Plenty in the freezer, so no risk of scurvy.
• SHTF makes you fitter. I've not been to the gym, but lost 4 pounds this week. Not that I'm complaining, but be prepared to eat to compensate if you are doing lots more physical stuff.

On that note, off to finalise my tax return. Deep joy, but really looking forward to meeting a mate for lunch (40% voucher, no less) tomorrow as a reward.

Butterfly_Brain

Perplexed_Pineapple wrote: »

As discussed previously it isn't your own money, is it? You're redeeming the unsecured loan you have made to the bank, best hope their credit is good....:eek:

All the more reason to leave as little as possible in the banks

RAS

GreyQueen wrote: »

I have just started another utility account switch (waves at Ebico/ Equigas and Equipower). Soon no more standing charges for this very low user.

GQ

Could you share the details as the standing charges are always the biggest part of the bill?

RAS

GreyQueen

RAS wrote: »

GQ

Could you share the details as the standing charges are always the biggest part of the bill?

RAS

Here you go: https://www.ebico.org.uk/

Frugalsod

RAS wrote: »

A number of my college and university friends used to pack a small rug in their case when they came back to the UK.

It avoided currency regulations, customs just about accepted it as student furnishings and it could be converted into hard cash if needed. Some of those rugs came in handy after the revolution.

Iranians who live here also bring back Persian rugs to sell when they come back. They are limited in how many they can bring as well by the Iranian government. Though they could resell here for several thousand in the UK.

greenbee

jpscloud wrote: »

I sometimes amuse myself with the thought that if the obscenely rich and greedy were all to burger off into space, the rest of us could get on with living more peaceful and contented, slower paced lives. They'd continue their frenetic and destructive groping for power and wealth while we'll drive our ponies and traps into market with a few chickens to barter.

Well, I can dream and it would serve them right.

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Do you know if the tickets are on sale yet to watch the 'fat cats' leave for space? I'd hate to miss out on waving bye bye!!!

In a previous life I used to research trivia (I suspect this may be GQ's dream job :cool:) and worked on a book on the paranormal and conspiracy theories. This was one I wished we could adopt for politicians. Particularly if we could also use genetic testing to screen for them at birth...

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

Estimated cost for running my gas cooker for a year (inc VAT) is......wait for it.......£1.34. And 14 units of leccy per 7 days will be £2.43 per week. And it's ethical. I've not been so happy since I discovered Sainsbugs' Basics teabags at 27p/80 were free-trade. Shout out to nuatha for the top tip. MSE forumites rock.

I wouldn't say I'm cheap but I'm currently enjoying the light from the streetlamps outside, paid for by my council tax, as I reason it. That, and the luvverly glow of a CRT monitor is plenty.

That gas bill sounds amazing.
Pleased it was of use to you, I've a couple of accounts with them and always found them helpful and efficient.

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I've just had an idea, always a bit risky if you're me, but this one might help us all in the long run. I suspect we all, as individuals, have that little bit of extra thriftiness to use on particularly difficult days when there is very little in the kitty and very little in the larder. Could we all search our collective experience and maybe share the things to make a difference to comfort and feeling well in difficult times? I'll kick it off with a very simple idea for hungry days when there is very little available and that's to make KETTLE BROTH

Kettle Broth

Boiling water
Salt
Pepper
Dripping if you have any
Crusts torn into small pieces

Put the dripping if you're using it, just a teaspoon and if you have the meat jelly underneath it use that too and the torn bread into a deep bowl/small basin pour over the boiling water and season it to your liking and give it a stir. Eat with a spoon.

This is a very old fashioned way of giving a hungry tum the illusion of a warm meal and is best served for supper just before bedtime. I've read of it in old books particularly during the 1930s/wartime period. Anyone with other ideas? could be useful to have in reserve for the future, Lyn xxx.

I used to cook supper for a group of friends several nights per week. Always vegan as that matched most of the dietary preferences. Folk would turn up with any veg they had left in their fridge or any bargains they'd picked up from local shops. Tired veg still make amazing stews and soups. Add lentils and pearl barley for a filling winter broth. Spices and you have a curry (with a lentil dahl on the side). Veg suet makes wonderful filling dumplings and pie tops. Suet pastry rolled out and filled with onions, then rolled up swiss roll style and baked in the oven (add a little bacon for a non veggie version) makes a cheap roast style dinner and the leftovers are tasty cold.
Pooling resources with like minded friends can increase variety and cut costs.

JayneC

Hi all,

Thanks for the good wishes re my woodland quest.

GQ cheers for the links, I had seen that blog before but had forgotten about it. I tend to flit around the blogosphere quite a lot, there's just too much to keep up with! will definitely keep checking in on that one tho.

Pollyjuice thanks for reminder about possible restrictions. I would definitely be wanting to work the woods. The woods I've looked at are already being worked and are privately owned, I would definitely be wary of the Woodland Trust. There's quite a lot of forest owned by the Forestry Commision hereabouts and they are worked, and a number of large land estates. As a very rural area there's a tendency towards practical use of the land rather than leisure ideals - although there's that too...

Here's the most recent one I've been looking at
http://www.conservationwoodland.co.uk/

Lyn I like your idea of sharing practical prepping 'recipes'. I'm looking into making more things myself. I usually cook from scratch but have started making hummous pretty regularly, much cheaper and not difficult, and keep meaning to try yoghurt. Also making things like crumpets and flat breads. Not quite as extreme as yours but I think the more we can do the better equipped we are.
My very cheap meal option is one tin baked beans and one tin toms mixed together and heated. Serve with pasta/rice/bread/baked potato or on toast even.
Variations: you can add a fried onion and herbs & spices if you have them and/or bulk out with seasonal veg.
Add a stock cube for a meaty flavour.
Top with a bit of grated cheese or a fried egg

jk0

I just received this book from a recommendation I believe on Zerohedge:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9089645993

It has a very interesting forward that is part of a newsletter written in 1966 by Alan Greenspan (Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006).

The full article is here: http://www.321gold.com/fed/greenspan/1966.html but this is the forward of the book I bought:

In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value. If there were, the government would have to make its holding illegal, as was done in the case of gold. If everyone decided, for example, to convert all his bank deposits to silver or copper or any other good, and thereafter declined to accept checks as payment for goods, bank deposits would lose their purchasing power and government-created bank credit would be worthless as a claim on goods. The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves.

This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists' tirades against gold. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights. If one grasps this, one has no difficulty in understanding the statists' antagonism toward the gold standard.

###

Alan Greenspan
[written in 1966]