Preparedness for when

Mojoworking

Just to change the subject slightly.

Ive always wanted an open fire or stove. Roll on to reading this thread for at least a year now and I'd upped my arguments and finally got one over half term. OH loves it and is very man fire.

The only problem was he was insistent it went in the back room (2rooms are knocked through). So I spent a week hanging off my chair to watch the flames. I swapped the two rooms round and after huge protest from both OH and DD they both love it.

Today I got the camping kettle and balanced it on top. There were a few murmurs but I explained it was an experiment. I discovered it takes about 2 hours to heat. Not to whistle heat and the tea it made was a bit pants but I think mug shot or hot chocolate in a power cut it would be gratefully received. Especially as it is essentially just wasted heat.

We've had no indication here in the north west of any potential power cuts but I feel a lot better now.

DawnW

Mojoworking wrote: »

Just to change the subject slightly.

Ive always wanted an open fire or stove. Roll on to reading this thread for at least a year now and I'd upped my arguments and finally got one over half term. OH loves it and is very man fire.

The only problem was he was insistent it went in the back room (2rooms are knocked through). So I spent a week hanging off my chair to watch the flames. I swapped the two rooms round and after huge protest from both OH and DD they both love it.

Today I got the camping kettle and balanced it on top. There were a few murmurs but I explained it was an experiment. I discovered it takes about 2 hours to heat. Not to whistle heat and the tea it made was a bit pants but I think mug shot or hot chocolate in a power cut it would be gratefully received. Especially as it is essentially just wasted heat.

We've had no indication here in the north west of any potential power cuts but I feel a lot better now.

I routinely keep 2 kettles on my stove when it is alight, and they do boil when the fire is hot. However, even if they don't the hot water is useful for bits of washing up and cleaning that need to be done, and saves the boiler firing up and all the waste of water that seems to be involved with waiting for it to run hot, if you only need a washing up bowl of water. As you say, it is just wasted heat otherwise

GreyQueen

Yes, and never underestimate the comfort of having warm water for personal washing as opposed to icy cold, if your boiler was down.

Have spent a very rainy day pootling around in the homestead and have hauled everything out from under the bed. Everything in this preptastic household includes a longbow and a lot of canned goods. Thank goodness for the valance or visitors might get the impression I'm a bit odd.:rotfl:

I have discovered a shameful thing, which is that there are only 21 cans of baked beans on the premises. That's almost shocking to me, and something I shall be looking to remedy soonish. We can't start the zombie apocalypse until I have more cans and have improved my accuracy with the bow. Or the frisbee-style flingage of the FB tinned pie.

Broomstick

Dawn, do you have camping kettles (this kind of thing http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gelert-Stainless-Whistling-Kettle-2lt/dp/B0010AFES2 ) or proper cast-iron ones meant for stoves and agas? Mojo, is your kettle like this Gelert one as well? I'm wanting to experiment with a kettle on top of our woodburner for the same reason as you both and don't want to waste money on something that is wrong for the job. It would be ideal if a camping kettle like this would do because that would work on our table top gas stove as well and be cheaper. I've had one of these kettles in the past and they've worked fine on a camping stove.

B x

katep23

GreyQueen wrote: »

I have discovered a shameful thing, which is that there are only 21 cans of baked beans on the premises. That's almost shocking to me, and something I shall be looking to remedy soonish. We can't start the zombie apocalypse until I have more cans and have improved my accuracy with the bow. Or the frisbee-style flingage of the FB tinned pie.

We (might!) be moving before Christmas and are therefore running down stocks; I have 17 cans of baked beans on the premises (down from over 100 at the peak!) and am feeling distinctly jittery at this!


My colleague buys food every 2 - 3 days from M&S and doesn't keep a single tin of beans in the cupboard - such strange behaviour I cannot comprehend!

Softstuff

A final bit of the funeral plans from me: it is "Funeral Plans" we have and have had in the family, not Funeral Insurance. A funeral plan is where you pay the cost of a funeral upfront and then that's that, funeral insurance, as I understand it, can have you paying a monthly sum ad infinitum to receive a cash benefit at the end. This cash benefit then may or may not pay for the entire funeral, since the cost isn't held. Not a fan of the idea of funeral insurance.

Another bit for those married folks out there, preparing for the worst. Something we didn't know when my dad died was that any bank accounts just in his name would be immediately frozen when we notified the bank of his passing (which you're obliged to do when someone dies). Had he had more money, and probate been required, these wouldn't have been unfrozen until that had been done (and that can take weeks). As it stood we had to wait for a death certificate. Now, imagine a moment that this account (as it in fact did) had all the direct debits for household bills and most of the bill money. Bit of a nightmare. Best advice to any married couples is to have the bank account that has bills like that going out of it in joint names. Anything in joint names doesn't get frozen.

GQ, I'm running down loo roll. Which means that should I be surrounded by The Blob, I have no means to absorb it. Tins I'm fine with, so the Zombies won't know what hit em. I wonder if the correct throw of a fray bentos lid could take the head off a zombie... much like Odd Job?

Kantankrus_Mare

Have reached the 21 day target goal for the first time in over a year. :j

Many thanks to those that gave guidance on using the mobile apps which has made it possible. :beer:

So sorry. Tried to delete but it wont go.

Wrong thread. Oops.

jk0

Softstuff wrote: »

A final bit of the funeral plans from me: it is "Funeral Plans" we have and have had in the family, not Funeral Insurance. A funeral plan is where you pay the cost of a funeral upfront and then that's that, funeral insurance, as I understand it, can have you paying a monthly sum ad infinitum to receive a cash benefit at the end. This cash benefit then may or may not pay for the entire funeral, since the cost isn't held. Not a fan of the idea of funeral insurance.

Another bit for those married folks out there, preparing for the worst. Something we didn't know when my dad died was that any bank accounts just in his name would be immediately frozen when we notified the bank of his passing (which you're obliged to do when someone dies). Had he had more money, and probate been required, these wouldn't have been unfrozen until that had been done (and that can take weeks). As it stood we had to wait for a death certificate. Now, imagine a moment that this account (as it in fact did) had all the direct debits for household bills and most of the bill money. Bit of a nightmare. Best advice to any married couples is to have the bank account that has bills like that going out of it in joint names. Anything in joint names doesn't get frozen.

GQ, I'm running down loo roll. Which means that should I be surrounded by The Blob, I have no means to absorb it. Tins I'm fine with, so the Zombies won't know what hit em. I wonder if the correct throw of a fray bentos lid could take the head off a zombie... much like Odd Job?

Oh yes. You make a good point regarding the bank accounts. When my dad went into a home in 1995 about six months before he died, I asked him to make me a joint signatory of his bank account, so I could pay the home fees and bills for his house.

When dad died, the bank just sent me a new cheque book with my name only, and I was able to pay funeral bills straight away.

We also had the enduring power of attorney, but oddly I was instructed that I would not be allowed to take any financial decisions based on it, if my father went gaga.

Regarding funeral plans, I was considering something like this:

http://www.co-operativefuneralcare.co.uk/pre-paid-funeral-plans/set-plans/set-cremation-plan/

Mojisola

My parents both had funeral plans through AgeUK. They contract out to a local undertaker. Everything was dealt with very well after the two deaths. The plans were a lot cheaper than we would have paid at the time of their deaths.

Softstuff

jk0 wrote: »

Regarding funeral plans, I was considering something like this:

http://www.co-operativefuneralcare.co.uk/pre-paid-funeral-plans/set-plans/set-cremation-plan/

That's very similar to what we have/have had. With that though, I'd want to pay in full or in a few monthly installments, rather than pay a set amount for life. Though, given my luck, paying a set amount for life would guarantee I'd live to 120 :rotfl:

I note as well, if you choose the "pay every month for life" option, and choose to cancel after 30 days, you get nothing back at all. I've always been one to plan for the worst financially, and can readily imagine situations where you'd have to cancel and lose the lot. Whereas if it's paid up, that's that. Personally, as with most things, I'd be inclined to save up for it in a bank account and pay for it when I had the money.