PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Preparedness for when

Options
1227422752277227922804145

Comments

  • vivatifosi
    vivatifosi Posts: 18,746 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Mortgage-free Glee! PPI Party Pooper
    Very exciting today in terms of my resilience planning. Bought my mini gas hob and four gas canisters from Aldi for a total outlay of less than £15:

    https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-22nd-may/product-detail/ps/p/portable-gas-cooker/
    https://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-22nd-may/product-detail/ps/p/gas-canister-refill/

    There are also some camping supplies and a gas barbeque for people who may be interested.
    Please stay safe in the sun and learn the A-E of melanoma: A = asymmetry, B = irregular borders, C= different colours, D= diameter, larger than 6mm, E = evolving, is your mole changing? Most moles are not cancerous, any doubts, please check next time you visit your GP.
  • jk0
    jk0 Posts: 3,479 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Someone just linked to this on PP:

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/10849333/Interest-bill-on-UKs-1.27-trillion-debt-to-hit-1bn-a-week.html

    £52 billion interest on £1.27 trillion is an interest rate of 4.09%. Now, none of my premium bonds, index linked bonds, etc give anything like that.

    Who is receiving 4.09%? OMG, I think that was a silly question... it's the same beggars that we were talking about yesterday.
  • vivatifosi wrote: »
    Bought my mini gas hob and four gas canisters from Aldi for a total outlay of less than £15

    If you have a B&M Bargains near you, you could've got the same for less than £13.
  • nuatha
    nuatha Posts: 1,932 Forumite
    vivatifosi wrote: »
    Sorry, playing catch up, so apologies for quoting posts from several days back. I have given my storage heater bricks away to a guy building one of these. He's been collecting them from local area on ebay and freecycle. Sounds like he'll have a phenomenal oven with very little outlay.

    Never apologise for giving useful information.
    It just happens that a friend was moaning that he'd had to buy another storage heater, complete with bricks and why couldn't he reuse the bricks he had - his moan may well have just become my pizza oven :)
    Thank you
  • Morning all, this is a bit of a ramble but pertinent to this thread, I think!!!

    Yesterday evening we got a phone call from a neighbour asking if they could come and 'practise' talking to us about the new job they're taking on to do with selling a DISCOUNT CARD, just to get some experience in the relevant skills, so we said OK provided it was only a practise interview and we wouldn't be taking on anything ourselves. At the time of arrival they were accompanied by the person at the top of the pyramid sales scheme too, Grrrrr but we let them in. The Discount Card was only skimmed over in the introductory chat and video. What it actually was is a utilities company trying to sell us a complete utilities, phone and broadband deal which they guaranteed would be less than £200 a month always. I challenged this on several levels and they couldn't answer the question I asked about what would happen when the cost of buying in gas and generating electricity in the power stations went up due to increasing difficulty in getting the gas here, Russia's pipeline and the new deal with China and lessening supplies of oil for the power stations and they skirted round it every time. The Discount Card is one that you load with your own money on which the company do NOT pay you interest, in thier words ' it's not earning any in the bank is it?' and valid for a few shops and will pay 5% back they said. Unfortunately none of the shops in the scheme are any I use so I asked if there was a recruitment drive to increase this to include any shops I do use and got a blank again. Then as they went out there was the statement that they were very dissapointed as they were sure they could save us at least £1,000 a year on our utilities bills and couldn't take in that we dont use the central heating at all because of the insulation and the woodstove. I shall be having words with said neighbour next time I see them but the warning to all of you is beware those who approach you on one subject and really are trying to sell you a very different package indeed. Luckily our outgoings are very extensively recorded and we were under thier predicted figures anyway, but I HATE BACKDOOR SALESMANSHIP!!! OK rant over, spleen vented etc.etc.etc. One fact to take in on this topic that shocked me mightily is that the top honcho has just been given a company car as they have now signed up almost 100 customers in the area. what on earth must the company be making by way of profits to be able to do that for just 100 peoples business, there's a thought isn't it?
  • ClootiesMum
    ClootiesMum Posts: 1,606 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Mrs LW - a couple of years ago DH's cousin popped in to visit to offer us this same wonderful opportunity..... We were both very nice to him and he ended up going away with information on how to lower his phone contracts.
    Basically, he was struggling really badly financially and trying nything to bring some money in.
    Needless to say - didn't sign up...
    Debts 07/12/2021
    #280/#310.08/#450/#575.47/#750/#1000/#1200/#1848.83
  • nuatha
    nuatha Posts: 1,932 Forumite
    I'd much rather have a planned descent of usage in all things rather than be part of a suddenly occuring crisis caused by shortages. I think cutting back and down on consumption and getting used to a less indulgent lifestyle would be a better way of easing us into an increasingly uncertain future.

    It also makes good sense if the S never HTF and the resource decline doesn't happen. To me its a win win situation.
    Interestingly one of my neighbours came to see me last night and was asking about the dehydrator I had as a christmas present a couple of years ago and was asking how I used the dehydrated produce as she always has surpluses in the season and I've offered to dry down her extra tomatoes this autumn so she can see if it's worth investing in a small dehydrator of her own, she'd not come across it as a way of food preservation before so I'm of the opinion that Ghandi was right when he said 'Be the change you want to see in the world' and you can only lead from the front!!!

    That's neighbourliness.
    And wise words, from both Ghandi and yourself - Thank you Lyn.
    GreyQueen wrote: »

    Can anyone offer tips? I have a small very warm home with an airing cupboard, a gas oven and two of those mesh-thingies you can put on oven shelves for £1 but could get some more if necessary.

    Also, has anyone put beans into storage by other methods such as salting?

    All inputs gratefully received. TIA.

    I've dried in low ovens and airing cupboards - the latter takes longer but works and uses free heat.
    Fairly sure Kittie salted beans last year - check the dehydrator thread (I'd go look but need to go and do the work thing - hopefully back before Wednesday)
  • mardatha
    mardatha Posts: 15,612 Forumite
    That's very sneaky MrsL, and the kind of thing that some would jump at.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 12,492 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 24 May 2014 at 8:56AM
    nuatha wrote: »

    Fairly sure Kittie salted beans last year - check the dehydrator thread (I'd go look but need to go and do the work thing - hopefully back before Wednesday)

    I was just having a quick browse before starting my day, nice to see so many around and so full of enthusiasm and helpfulness. Yes I preserved beans by brining, just runners and french though. I still have jars two years old and if kept cool and dark are as good as new, great when rinsed well and put in soups. Re broad beans, try making a broad bean pesto and then freezing, takes lots less room and gives a very quick meal with pasta. You can add to the crushed beans after thawing. Will do this myself this year as am always up for a quick meal from the freezer

    Brining/salting is not so good if the storage is warm as it will continue fermenting. For warm places then dehydrating is best after freezing. I am still using 2 year old hm bottled passata and sauerkraut, all v good too. I used under stairs which is cool and dark. Now have a super dooper highly insulated local carpenter -made shed on the north side with amazing ventilation and is dark, so one massive larder amongst other things 5m x 3m and constant temperature :)
  • mardatha
    mardatha Posts: 15,612 Forumite
    You can see why they always built the pantry on the north side of houses in the old days eh? My kitchen is always cool in summer and downright baltic in winter. When we moved in we knocked out the old pantry and adjoining coal cellar, I sort of wish I hadn't now but I got a lot of extra cupboard space and room for the big f/f.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.9K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.