Prepping for Brexit thread

VJsmum

(Thanks both )

Hmm, I don't have loads of clothes. KonMarie saw to that . But I do keep them well and they tend to last me a long time. I have even been known to darn the thicker, fleecy socks :eek: I was thinking of buying a new winter coat so I shall do that...

When OH gives up work we shall lose our lovely big car, we are thinking of seeing if we can make do with the teeny tiny car we actually own (it's a VW Up - bought after DS wrote off our old car :eek:) we are not small people but tend not to do much travelling by car, except locally - and are considering hiring cars / vans on the rare occasions that we need something bigger. We think overall that will be cheaper than buying another car. we wouldn't buy a new one in any case. People tend to want / expect newer cars these days but i feel a car a few years old (as the Up is) is better VFM.

Floss

For those who are already preppers...we have a gas camping stove in the attic with a small calor gas bottle - is it relatively easy to swap out for a larger one, and are regulator hoses readily available (not sure how old this one is but we haven't used it for 15 years!)?

I also want to replace DH's armageddon stores for fresh anyway so think this is as good a time as any. Our plot has not been as productive this year due to persistent pigeons snaffling the bean seedlings, and relocation of the strawberry & raspberry beds, so I will be purchasing frozen beans & other veg from Icel@nd while on offer to fill the freezers. DH will be making wine with his apples as usual

cuddlymarm

Hi guys
I have loads of summer clothes and tend to layer with t shirts in winter. I have bought a waterproof coat and a duffle in the sales in the last 18 months. I could do with a few new jumpers but am watching out in the CS and sales for now. We are both doing SW so as we shrink out of clothes they are being donated and only when we need new we will buy them. We both have smaller clothes that we have kept so won’t need much. Socks and undies will be stocked up on but we do have quite a lot already.
Personally I would rather we discuss prepping rather than the politics of Brexit. Emotions are running high both for and against and this doesn’t help any of us. Being practical does.
If the European countries are being advised to prepare for the chaos a no deal might cause then I rather be prepared than not. I rotate my cupboards regularly so as long as there is no waste then I will also be prepared for times when my food money might be needed elsewhere.
Cuddles

[Deleted User]

Totally agree Cuddles words won't feed you and keep you warm will they? When we've moved I'm going to re stock the store cupboard and put in basics like flour, tea, sugar porridge oats, tins of things and things like stock cubes and spices and flavourings that will make even just potatoes taste good. I've a few wartime recipes for things like curried potatoes and potato floddies (like rosti)which we've tried and they're pretty tasty so we'd not get bored with what was available because we could vary the flavourings. Things like Patatas Bravas from Spain, Saag Aloo (potato and spinach curry, Colcannon, Rumbledethumps and Pan Hagerty and Rosti along with jacket spuds and a filling are all a good warming meal with loads of energy in it and the fact that they're all made from the basic spud wouldn't get repetitive because of the difference in taste they all have.

fuddle

DH and I are talking about an attic DIY conversion. We live in a 2 bed 2up 2down plus bathroom. We have two girls 13 and 9 one wants to go to university and the other wants to be involved in agriculture and animal husbandry. They share a bedroom and do so well considering, they are friends essentially. The problem being I was 24 and DH 28 before we left home and we're realising that life is most probably going to be extremely tough for the girls to find their feet and move on and that they may even have families before they're financially ready as what happened to DH and I. We would like to be able to offer homes to their girls, partner,s children at any stage in their lives.

Personally I think we might have to enter into the realms of families living together with multiple generations again and if that does happen then I want to be in a position to be able to cope with that.

I expect we'll have to go slow and steady with whatever money we have left at the end of the month but It's a serious consideration.

[Deleted User]

That's a good idea FUDS and would most definitely add to the value of your property as well as giving you much more room. The thing to consider with loft conversions is that you have to have space for a second staircase going up to it which takes space from one of your bedrooms, is there a space big enough in your rooms or on the landing?

Floss

Fuddle there is a potential thread there of multigenerational families

VJsmum

I ran out of porridge last week :eek: (I know, I know, shall I get me coat?). But I now have three packs... :T

But i have run out of tins of chickpeas

Fuddle, the loft conversion is a good idea. But you have to be prepared for the disruption putting it in will cause - could you decamp to the caravan for a few weeks when the worst of it happens? That's what we did when we had our extension built, the kids and i went in the caravan to my parents' for two weeks whilst they did the knocking through.

in a similar vein, we have considered moving several times over the years. but we are lucky enough to have a big house with plenty of space for us all. i think we've decided to stay put for the foreseeable future. DD came back after uni and Ds is likely to have to. if we had a smaller house we would get under each other's feet (my kids do not get on terribly well ). hence the question about solar panels (or PV or whatever) as we don't intend moving for a while now.

ivyleaf

Vjsmum Might you be able to buy the company car for a good price when your OH retires?

fuddle

We would lose a slice of our bedroom. It would have to incorporate the new staircase. There's room but just enough. It would be tight but all the furniture and double bed would still fit.

When we get the ball rolling I'll start a thread if no beats me to it Floss. I expect the caravan will be utilised at some point VJs, good idea.

I priced up solar panels last year VJs. Looking at it from a monetary perspective it would take a long time for them to pay for themselves. I want to say 20 years but I might have not stored that correctly in my mind. But I do think, if I had the money to invest without havinbg to worry about it, I would most certainly like the peace of mind that having my own means of generating energy would give me. I think it's a good idea but I'm also aware that I yearn to live off grid so you might want to discount what I think :rotfl: