Preparedness for when

Butterfly_Brain

This was in the Telegraph today, really scary, we are closer to economic collapse than we thought
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11704051/The-world-is-defenseless-against-the-next-financial-crisis-warns-BIS.html

Big order for heritage seeds going in tomorrow and a a major re stock of food and sundries. better to spend it now than save it

moneyistooshorttomention

Just as well an alternative "currency" has been waiting in the wings for years ready for scaling-up if need be to be more than a quirky little thing that individual little communities do - at absolute root the LETS scheme was invented with this sort of End Game very much in mind.

People have been practicising at it with the "quirky little schemes" - but it could go bigger I think if it had to.

Frugalsod

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Just as well an alternative "currency" has been waiting in the wings for years ready for scaling-up if need be to be more than a quirky little thing that individual little communities do - at absolute root the LETS scheme was invented with this sort of End Game very much in mind.

People have been practicising at it with the "quirky little schemes" - but it could go bigger I think if it had to.

We all ready have it, we call it the pound. Local currencies are good for small economies though it has limitations.

Frugalsod

Here is list of alternatives to expensive cleaning products that you can make yourself and will also save you money.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/17/diy-household-products_n_7055218.html

Remember these are also greener and so less toxic to the environment as well.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

There has been an exp!osion in Turkey, near the Syrian borders
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33593615

Frugalsod

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

There has been an exp!osion in Turkey, near the Syrian borders
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33593615

Absolutely appalling what a pointless attack.

thriftwizard

Back now from my week in the Land of Festival & Make-Believe, and after much effort have caught up with the thread. One or two observations to share with you all, which I feel are significant...

We took a bit more than last year, despite many other traders moaning about how poor it was this year. And what we were selling that was different (most of them were just doing "vintage" or fancy clothing, and we all had some of that too) was useful old-fashioned things - wind-up clocks, mincers, recipe & how-to books, a duplicator, typewriters, sewing machines, hand-fans. So less fancy dressing-up stuff, more "real" stuff. Interestingly, that was much the same at the last show we did, which was much less upmarket and "entertainment" based.

And standing in the queues at the food stall (we really don't have time to go & cook an evening meal, though we all did our own breakfasts & lunches & had tea & coffee facilities tucked away in corners of our marquee) we overheard conversations like, "No, go to that stall - it's a pound cheaper," and "I've brought £50 with me, and that's ALL I'm going to spend," which indicates to me that there's a much greater awareness of financial constrictions out there than I'd previously thought. This is at a very "posh" and quite exclusive festival in an area where there's no apparent shortage of money, and a lot of very privileged people - and at least some of them are worried now.

But on a brighter note, I attended a talk from Maddy Harland, editor of Permaculture magazine; our little garden was planned 20-odd years ago & is still grown largely along permaculture lines, although I've never found the time or money to do a design course. And she was talking about prepping for power cuts and an uncertain energy & financial future - and pointed out that as campers, people who can spend a week living in a field without the internet, much mobile signal or a power supply, we all already had some preps in place, even if we weren't aware of it! Put like that, prepping doesn't sound so scary to those who are only just starting out.

moneyistooshorttomention

Ooh...meeting Maddy Harland...envy...envy...sighs....

I get my copy of Permaculture Magazine pretty regularly - lotsa good info. there:T

Yep....I'm currently going up a gear on the garden...."Grow grow grow" being my new motto de jour.

So far today - food into my stomach from the garden has been strawberries/blackcurrants/endive/sorrel/chives and I'm just "starting out" on this (edit - nearly forgot the lettuce...).

Right now...shattered again...courtesy of more digging...

Karmacat

I'm back too ... I spent my time much less fruitfully but at least I got to spend a week with my mum and sister and other rellies ...

I read through the thread today, been looking at zh as well - what strikes me is how normal everything appears on the surface, but everything underneath seems to be in the last stages, to be honest

So I did two supermarket orders today anything I can from Asda, which is cheaper, and the own brands I'm used to and are the same price from Sainsbo (organic honey is 10p cheaper ).

Also cooked a kilo of rhubarb today - and I'll be processing a lot more stuff over the next few days.

mardatha

Arrgh been MIA again sorry am back.