Preparedness for when

Frugalsod

Avoiding trouble is the most efficient way for us to cope. Though in an extreme case like coming face to face with trouble you have no option but to face it and remove it as a threat.

greenbee

Breaking news for Mar - I've just heard on the radio that there's going to be a kale shortage...

GreyQueen

Most of us are blessed and have not been seriously tested in a fight for survival. We are all the descendants of people who were thus tested, and lived long enough to reproduce, however many generations ago.

Even quiet people of gentle natures have proved themselves capable of extraordinary acts when necessary. There is a huge difference between what you can avoid by prudent action, keeping a low profile, not rising to provocative behaviours etc, and what you can't avoid. Once that line has been crossed by other, very violent individuals who have you in their sights, all bets are off.

If it comes down to a home invasion, as a woman on my own in a tiny flat with thin interior doors, I will have about 3 seconds between someone starting to kick my door in and being face-to-face with them, with nowhere to run and hide. Which is why my reaction will be very fast and very violent, because I will have, at best, only one brief opportunity to deliver a disabling blow.

We will sort out appropriate weapons, appropriate degrees of response to threats later, in a court of law, should it come to that. I value my hide more highly than anything else, and would rather have a criminal conviction and lose my liberty than be maimed or murdered.

craigywv

hi all just a question I not as clued up /smart as you all on the stock market shtf thing unfortunately,but reading that link about Gordon browns adviser saying stock up on tin etc got me thinking, how long realistically will it take for it to affect people is it a "that week" time scale or six months gradual thing before people notice/affects them and how will it sffect them and why sorry I don't understand stocks/billions etc.reason being I need to get to February/march before I am completely debt free to point I owe nothing to no one ,this year has seen a major amount of debt being paid off but want nothing to be owed and want to know would I have time to pay it off before panic etc sets in or possible redundancies would possibly start thanks for replying in advance xxx

GreyQueen

craigyw, the short answer is that no one really knows. If you think about the banking system and the world financial system as being as fragile as a house of cards, it helps to give an idea of the vulnerabilities. If it goes t+ts up and the dollar wobbles out of being the world reserve currency, there could be a period of re-stabilisation which will take many months or even years.

We won't wake up tomorrow and be starving. What may happen is that several large banks fail and close, meaning some people can't access cash or make electronic transfers like direct debits, standing orders etc. Once things start looking bad, there will be a degree of panic, and people may start panic-buying.

Oftentimes, when things like this happen, sellers take advantage and there are price hikes. There will also likely be shortages, as supply chains are disrupted. Everyone will be looking out for themselves and their immediate family and close friends.

Best advice is that we're here already, doing the stuff. Reheares the no atm, no water supply, power-off scenario. If you buy shelf-stable stuff now which you would have bought later, you may be protecting yourself from price hikes.

Keep each and every vehicle in running order with a full tank, perhaps topping up more frequently rather than waiting until it's pretty low.

Keep prepped, keep your eyes and ears open, and if the media start telling you not to worry WORRY LIKE HELL AND ACT FAST.

craigywv

thank you gq very well explained and easy to digest xxx I heading to ikea this week to get manchild new bedroom stuff so his old cupboards are heading under my stairs and shed oh can shelve them and I can fill them! also shall get the lamp Lynn mentions the solar one as I have one but been meaning to get another ,also tealights cant have enogh of them ! glad I will be able to clear any debt before the shtf xoxo also been sorting my garden out this year as did not grow too much but will be going gung ho for next year!

SpikyHedgehog

Dry food storage - I've got an innoucous 1kea unit behind the sofa full of books, knitting stuff, DS1's motorbike gloves... unless you pull the sofa out when you see that all the hidden bottom compartments have bottled water, tinned food, pasta, etc in them.

When I made a flower bed at the end of my tiny garden, I deliberately put thorny plants against the back fence - can't put barbed wire on the fence to deter people climbing over it, but I can grow a plant that has half inch long thorns on it. Dunno what it's called as it comes from a cutting from the one in my parents' garden that grows next to their shed. I did kindly go for mahonia on the corner next to the neighbours garden - spiky enough to discourage without actually being hazardous to garden there.

Frugalsod

craigywv wrote: »

hi all just a question I not as clued up /smart as you all on the stock market shtf thing unfortunately,but reading that link about Gordon browns adviser saying stock up on tin etc got me thinking, how long realistically will it take for it to affect people is it a "that week" time scale or six months gradual thing before people notice/affects them and how will it sffect them and why sorry I don't understand stocks/billions etc.reason being I need to get to February/march before I am completely debt free to point I owe nothing to no one ,this year has seen a major amount of debt being paid off but want nothing to be owed and want to know would I have time to pay it off before panic etc sets in or possible redundancies would possibly start thanks for replying in advance xxx

The stock market could slide for several years as it did between 1929 and 1933. So you should have plenty of time to get debt free. I am in a nearly identical situation. I will be completely debt free in a similar time frame. The advantage of concentrating on debt repayment is that if your income changes for any reason that you have much more scope to cope and make additional changes. I have the additional problem of having to move, so am actually running down food stocks to make the move easier. Though I am also saving money because I am barely spending anything. So once I move I should be able to do a big online order and rebuild stocks overnight when debt free.

I would also take advantage of this time to make changes to basic lifestyle to cut your overheads. I have invested in LED lights so my electricity bill is very low for my lifestyle. My basic principle is to keep my basic costs such as electricity gas TV water etc as low as possible so if ever unemployed I can maintain the same standard of living. In fact many of these sorts of changes have very high rates of return so can be very beneficial in keeping your overheads down and might be as valuable as building food stockpiles.

Also the slide will not necessarily be overnight. It could take months or years to reach its bottom. So you could add an extra can and packet each time you shop. Things like water storage are simpler in that you only need the containers and use tap water.

Cash is something that you can again build over time. I withdraw £50 cashback every couple of weeks as part of my normal routine and what change I get I keep separately and bag up. Then every couple of weeks what ever notes are left are hidden away. So when I run out of notes I get more cash back. It is done slowly and gradually and does not impact my debt clearing efforts. I currently have more than £100 in small change which I could cash in or exchange for notes but from 1Tonsils experience I think I will keep the change as it is more valuable and useful when trying to pay for goods.

Nargleblast

sb44 wrote: »

The thing is, we don't eat much tinned food, or frozen ready meals etc. I tend to buy frozen or fresh meat and make my own meals.

Have to ask, 8kg of chocolate! Was that the ones from past half price offers at Lidl?

I wish I could keep that amount of chocolate in the house. I would have to get my husband to put it in the loft!

I just read that as "get my husband put in the loft."
Same end result, different method?

craigywv

frugal sod,i will be so relieved to finally be completely debt free ,in past 5 years we have had 2 sets of redundancy ,both being unemployed at same time so I even when heavily debted I managed to keep food on table granted sometimes it left a lot to be expected! thankfully that was short lived as to be honest we both worked full time from ages 15 and 16 and we done each others head in lol being under each others feet all day,so I not as panicked if shtf now as have managed before just don't ever want to be in that position ever again. already have led lights and open fire so should be ok there ,our cooker is gas bottle outside so have 3 at the minute is shed and outhouse type room not all stored together! water butts over flowing and food a plenty but its still a bit scary as I have noticed the world as a whole is always talking about banking slides ,falls etc and tend to get myself a bit worked up just glad in fact really glad the debt coming to an end,caught myself in primark the other day considering buying son clothes in sale for years away ended up walking away as I could make myself a hoarder if I started to go down that road.at the minute this year I have gutted house out of all clutter and find it easier on the mind so my preps are smaller scale than some peoples .....................except for the tins of food!!!!!!!!!!