Preparing for Winter V

Baileys_Babe

BritishBibliophile wrote: »

Aaarg, just realised that if I'm moving back to the countryside then I'll need to organise a winter box for whatever car I end up buying. As a child there were a few winters where sudden thick snow meant my Dad had to walk 5 miles from the nearest town back to our village as the police wouldn't let anyone drive, all he ever had were his smart work shoes and his winter coat and a hat!!! :eek:

So I'll need;
- An extra scarf
- A thick jumper
- Thick gloves
- Thick socks
- A woolly hat
- Possibly a second cheap pair of wellies, the ones I bought last year aren't wide leg ones and are bloody uncomfortable, so I could buy a second pair this year and then try to work out which pair to stick in the car XD
- Some kind of sacking or old sheets to be used in the event the car gets stuck on ice.
- A bottle of water will freeze if just left in the car so I'll need to remember to fill up a bottle when I leave work if snow is predicted.
- A torch.
- Possibly some kind of High-Vis thing, although if I'm not allowed to drive no one else should be either.

Must remember all this once I move.

What about if the car breaks down or once you start your journey the road is blocked due accident ect, both occasions where you will be sitting in the car possibly for a couple of hours?
I would include:
blanket and or sleeping bag
food, something which can stay in the car like dried fruit or cereal bar or beef jerky
Some form of entertainment to while a way the hours until you can continue your journey, preferably something that doesn't need fuel, book, magazine, puzzle book and pen
Breakdown cover

You could replace the sacking with cardboard or a piece of old carpet.

Rainy-Days

Not so much preparing for winter, but this is something that will hit all of us come October - the carrier bag tax!

Having said that if you are in Ireland, Scotland or Wales you already know about it :eek:, but I will be jiggered if I will pay five pence per carrier bag! So, I have had a sort through of my bags. I am keeping the ordinary supermarket bags and storing those up in a separate big bag and those will do for cat litter etc. The other bag has my really good bags in it, such as the M&S clothes ones, there are also a couple of the super strong Lakeland ones in there as well.

Had a rootle through the boot in the car as there is a boot holdall in there which has got the fold down hessian type bags in there and a couple of the bottle carriers. I also bought a beautiful rattan type shopping bag recently for my non supermarket buys when I go 'extra nice shopping'.

I can really see that nice shopping bags going to very popular come October and I have also made sure I have a good stock of bin liners as they will be in short supply for a while!

Would be really, really interested to read from those who have already had to put up with the carrier bag tax and how it works for them!

Cheapskate

I'd forgotten about this, thanks Rainy-Days, must go through my own bag of bags! M&S already charge 5p for their normal sized bags, more for the bags for life type, and on mega-fail days I've had to buy one/some. :eek:

This autumn and winter we need to massively rein in our spending (house renovations next spring/summer), so food and heating are my biggest expenses. Over the summer I need to make 2 door curtains and 2 draught excluders because our 80 year old doors are pretty pants at keeping icy air out. Also going to make new curtains for the huge bay window in the front room, for similar reasons, and line them well.

Whilst the children are off school, we'll go through all their clothes, including winter stuff, and do the usual de-junk and buy new or re-purpose old things. Our income's loured recently, so we'll start tightening our belts now, before the cold weather returns. There are vague rumours of a really cold winter (aren't there always?!), so will be better prepared than last year so we don't waste money and fuel we can't afford. Going to empty the freezers during the summer, and then batch cook and re-fill the freezer, along with a wide range of basics foods in case we're stuck in or just CBA to shop when it's cold. :rotfl:

A xo

Emm-in-a-pickle

Hi Rainy-Days.
I live in Wales, where the `free ` carrier bag went out around 4 years ago (2011), but I was already on side for this change after visiting Modbury, South Devon, where the campaign started in 2007! I couldn`t understand why it took us so long, and why it is taking England so long to get around to it.

I really like the variety and quality of some of the shopping bags sold at supermarket checkouts, the hessian and the plastic, both good for various uses. Absolute Best though, is the little black `Footprint` bags I bought at Asda. A little black pouch that has 6 pockets in, fastens with velcro and looks like a large purse/small handbag, and each pocket contains a folded up shopping bag made of kagoul-type fabric. They are strong, washable, and I have 2 sets that have lasted me 4 years and are still good as new.
At the time they cost about £3.50, but our local Asda doesn`t do them anymore - I suspect they might do them again for the launch of the English carrier-bag changes, though they might be a couple of quid dearer now. Seriously, I`d snap up a few if I saw them again, or anything similar, even if they were more expensive.
I also prefer not to put fruit & veg in shopping bags, I keep a cardboard fruit box in the boot so things don`t get squashed and sweaty while I go to the next shop, have done that for years too.
Lastly, folks, try not to think of it as a `tax`, more of a bit of environmental common sense at last!

parsniphead

Thanks for the reminder Rainy-Days. I had forgotten about that. I have loads of jute bags but they are beginning to fall apart. I think a few old pairs of jeans are going to have to be recycled.

I'm off on holiday tomorrow to Lincolnshire so have a case packed with all eventualities in mind. Hopefully it will be warm though. When I get back the winter prepping is going to start in earnest. I still have to put the fleece linings in the curtains so that will be the first job. I'm also going to get a thermal blind for the sitting room and the bedrooms.

Uneven_income

Parsniphead, have a lovely holiday. I live in Lincs and love it here ��

dawn_rose

Things to sort

Get linings washed and up on my bedroom curtains
Get radiator fitted in bathroom
Defrost freezer
Batch cook and bake for freezer
Gloves for 3 kids
Finish painting in bathroom

I've already ordered all the new school uniform for next year.

meandmaboy

Would be really, really interested to read from those who have already had to put up with the carrier bag tax and how it works for them![/QUOTE]

Hi,
Tesco in Siverburn gave out vouchers to get 4 free strong bags just b4 they started charging.:j Sainsbury bags are now smaller bags for life & they will be replaced free of charge. Local charity shop doesnt charge as the bags are 2nd hand, whereas Barnardos does charge for used bags. If shops havent got bags big enough then they will charge for 2 grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.:mad::mad::mad:
It does cause a few arguments in some shops, as they just lump the stuff back on the counter & dont ask if you want a bag or have a bag. The biggest surprise is the chemist delivers my prescription in a bag but they must be exempt from charging.:T:T:T:T

Eenymeeny

Rainy-Days wrote: »

Not so much preparing for winter, but this is something that will hit all of us come October - the carrier bag tax!

I can really see that nice shopping bags going to very popular come October and I have also made sure I have a good stock of bin liners as they will be in short supply for a while!
Would be really, really interested to read from those who have already had to put up with the carrier bag tax and how it works for them!

I'm with you on the pretty shopping bags that are available Rainy-Days. I always check out B&M's shopping bags while I'm instore as they often have nice vintage designs. (Their boxy shape also makes them good for storage of odd shaped seasonal items like boots and flipflops )
One thing I have realised though, is that the Ikea grey nylon fold-up shopper (which is always in my shoulder bag;)) will be carried happily by my OH whereas a pretty flowery one won't! (I know, but I'll not change him now!)

silverwhistle

Rainy-Days wrote: »

That cost for the chimney sweep seems a bit excessive to me!

I agree! Here on the sunny south coast I called out the sweep after my first season. The lady on the phone said around £30-35.

In the event he came round, we had a chat, he looked up it, saw I'd been burning clean with very dry wood and said it didn't need sweep. As he left the house I asked how much ( I thought a tenner maybe for the call-out) but he didn't charge a penny!

My wood (all scrounged) for next year is split and stacked in my home made stores and around 15% moisture. I've lots of pallet slats too which I'll cut up later for kindling.I'll get some briquettes from Home Bargains as they are handy to have inside the house in bad weather, and that's me ready for winter. I've also got another year's supply in rounds and logs against the fence which I'll prep next early summer. I'm still on the lookout for more wood.. I rather like having a £65 annual gas bill!