Prepping for Brexit thread

moneyistooshorttomention

dreaming wrote: »

The thing about opinions and influence is that we are all influenced in some way, whether we know it or not. Some of this influence is overt through media, but there is also the less overt influences such as past experience. As I have said before, I am influenced by my past -(my family being relatively poor when I was a child, through the rising prosperity of the latter part of the 20th century, through the financial crash (when I was working in finance) to the present day of being on a fixed retirement income. It is this that has mainly influenced my desire for some small sense of "security" with a store cupboard.

This is certainly one of the things I've become very aware of recently - ie just how influenced we ALL are by people and/or events going on near us.

By now - I think I'd be absolutely astonished if anyone anywhere on the planet had managed to "make up their own mind" for themselves about even the majority of issues.

It is incredible just how much we are all products of "what is going on around us" - rather than "having decided for ourselves".

I know I do the very best I can to find out facts/make up my own mind about things for myself but I can see the "outside factors" that have influenced me and I try to distance myself from them and "make up my own mind".

For instance - my mother is a home-owner/puts necessities first usually re what the income is spent on/doesnt "curry favour" for th sake of it. My father is very "logical in his thinking/very fair-minded". Now there's a lot I don't agree with/even disapprove of sometimes - but yep...I'm a home-owner/put necessities first usually re what the income is spent on/doesnt curry favour for the sake of it/tries to be logical (rather than emotional) in my thinking/tries to be fair-minded.

I have absolutely no idea where I got all that from:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: - obviously...

But I try and "think things through for myself" and not be racist (mother)/shut the world out (mother)/accept I dont want children and wouldnt be a "mother type mother" to them if I'd had any (mother - and I agree with her on that one and am grateful I feel that way actually personally) but I understand people that do want children (father....).

I must say - I'd be very interested to know if there is literally anyone - at all - ever - on the planet that has managed to work out their own thoughts/feelings totally for themselves dead logically and not been influenced by anyone/anything else at all.

One of the things I can see over the last few years (ie since moving) is just how much lots of people are influenced by "community thinking". This has absolutely gobsmacked me - as, where I'm from, the whole concept of "community thinking" is something I wasnt even aware of basically (but I'm guessing that I was part of the community thinking there - and it boils down to it ain't me personally that thinks "Future/future/future/don't anyone try and tell me what to do - because we all decide for ourselves" and very conscious this may not be MY personal way of thinking - but one I've just absorbed and take for granted as the norm)....

I very much doubt if there is anyone like it: - ie that has managed to ensure that absolutely all their thoughts and feelings ARE absolutely "theirs - and theirs only"(:(:(

fuddle

I hold my hands up here money, I know I'm influenced by years of being on here but it's given me the mindset and confidence to be my own person and research. I am the person I am because of my really good childhood but then things went a bit wrong and I got a bit lost.

I'm definitely influenced by my DH. He's very logical and can put a good point across. I'm not at all logical but I have a lot of common sense. We share many the same beliefs that's for sure. I think we've shaped each other over the years.

You've brought a really interesting point to my mind. I shall ponder.

moneyistooshorttomention

Fuddle - I think we're beginning to understand each other...

and I admit to a very strong preference indeed for people being "logical". I still can't get my head around how my father could be in the armed forces for many years and still be a very logical/fair-minded sort of person basically (though he has explained that there weren't exactly a lot of options for someone from a poor background and he didnt see a lot of alternatives available to him).

[Deleted User]

If you soak washing in soapy water in a bucket overnight it takes less to get it clean the next day when you wash it. I know nearly all of us have washing machines but if electricity prices hike too much we'll all maybe think about usage and soaking things like undies, socks, tights etc. makes them easier to hand wash and that might mean only one machine wash a week for clothes and one for linens which would be a big money saver.

dreaming

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

This is certainly one of the things I've become very aware of recently - ie just how influenced we ALL are by people and/or events going on near us.


I very much doubt if there is anyone like it: - ie that has managed to ensure that absolutely all their thoughts and feelings ARE absolutely "theirs - and theirs only"(:(:(

That is the point of what I was saying. Although there are many reports supposedly giving us "information", they are written by people who have been influenced in some way due to their past and published, or broadcast, by organisations which in turn are run by people who have been influenced in some way. Of course there are certainly organisations/people who are deliberately trying to sway public opinion one way or another, but you can't escape some sort of influence, even though most people are unaware of it as they merely absorb it into their own psyche.
Sometimes it is a positive influence (e.g. parenting in a similar way to your own childhood because it was happy), or it can be negative (e.g. parenting in an opposite way to your own childhood because it wasn't so good). Then of course we modify our thoughts and behaviours as we meet and are influenced by others, or by new information and experiences. So, although we all like to talk about free will, it isn't quite as "free" as we may believe.

On a prepping note, I have just been baking and have completely run out of dried fruit now. This has been one of the regular "empty shelves" in the local supermarket, so I hadn't re-stocked as I went along. I shall definitely be buying a good stock when I see it as although it is still summer, it will soon enough be Christmas cake/pudding time.

mardatha

You know what came into my mind re the ~experts~ and professional opinion makers as somebody called them -- "empty barrels make the most noise".

[Deleted User]

We use our old newspapers to make papier mache logs to burn on the woodstove, we use them as firelighters and they're good to get the fire away and hot quickly, saves on kindling and as we get a daily paper still to read they're free.

If I'm thinking someone elses thoughts God help them, they're even odder than I am!

moneyistooshorttomention

By now - I'm inclined to think that probably the only people thinking their "own" thoughts are geniuses like Stephen Hawkings, Leonardo da Vinci, etc. The rest of us probably don't have much hope of chucking out "other peoples" thoughts/emotions and ensuring that the only thoughts/emotions we have are Our Own:(

The best I can do on that personally is to think "Well - at least some of my thoughts seem to be My Own afaik and anyone-else-that-wants-to-tell-me-what-to-think knows where the exit is....

At least some of us have got the (sometimes dubious) blessing of coming from places where there isn't much (as far as I can see) of "community thinking" - so there's at least a reasonable chance that our thoughts/opinions are our own and logically thought out.

maryb

Just to illustrate how Elaine approached stockpiling starting from when she was flat broke

https://mortgagefreeinthree.com/2012/06/armageddon-cupboard-show-and-tell/

Her blog is full of great ideas on how to eat from stores as well. Such a pity she doesn't have time to keep it up to date

[Deleted User]

I made a WONDERBAG because of Elaine's inspiration, it was very easy and DD1 and I made the whole thing in a couple of hours on a Sunday morning and it's absolutely smashing and works very well indeed. There was a thread on here a few years ago which is where I got the idea to make one which will still be around in the archives. It's a modern day hay box and does a long slow cook after an initial time on the hob and even chick peas come out perfectly soft and toothsome. Some upholstery grade material, some stuffing polystyrene bead, sewing machine and thread and some paracord are all you need to make one. Very easy to make and will save money on fuel use for cooking.