The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

MingVase

Same here Si Clist

dreaming

AnnesWitterings said:

Im asking about flour/weevils/freezing can you keep your flour in the freezer all the time or do you freeze for a certain time then defrost and put in to sealed containers out of original packaging or or loose?
Can you freeze eggs?

Also have you noticed that the UHT milk available seems to have less use by dates and some of mine is in some right inferior packaging it usually survives the bumpy delivery driver bit some have burst and thankfully replaced,
Great idea on doing some pre  C Word shopping cranberry sauce and bread sauce and stuffing and turkey crown going on my list and c pudding its going to be a pre prepared C dinner this year methinks.

Not sure what the answer is about the flour. I binned some earlier in the year as they had weevils, despite having been frozen when I bought them and being kept in a Lock'n'lock box. I have some flour in my under-counter freezer at the moment but it takes up too much room so it will be coming out any day now. I agree about the plastic milk bottles though. I buy a 6pint bottle once a week which does for cereal, tea, the odd jug of custard etc., but have noticed that it often seems to bend when I am pouring it. Luckily the shop is just round the corner from me so carrying it home is quite safe. I do hold the bottle as well as the handle now though when using it. It's one of those dilemmas - on the one hand I support trying to decrease use of plastic (I would use a milkman if there was one round here) but still want sturdy enough packaging.
The other thing I have on my list to-get is some vitamin supplements (especially vit.D) as they seemed to be in short supply during lockdown.

Thriftygifty

Sorry I can't remember who it was that asked about spreadsheets, it wasn't anything fancy, I started with old style pen an paper then transferred it across for the spreadsheet to calculate the cost and number or items etc.  It does have quite a few holes, but I started with what we use most of the time weetabix etc and how long each item last us,  I have 6 columns, A) Item, Required Qty for given time frame (in my case I was aiming for April), C) Already have, D) Difference required still to buy which the spreadsheet calculates with a formula, E) Price (Individual price), then the final column F) was the total price of columns E multiplied by column D .  It was more to see how much it would cost to fully stock the larder with store cupboard things for us, it does have lots of gaps and doesn't equate for luxury and fresh items but it's a start.  I don't use it for ongoing stock keeping with regards to dates etc just purely maths exercise.
I've settled down a little with regards to DS school and admitted defeat, it is impossible to maintain space from people even with the staggered start and finish times, people still insist on walking close behind as if they will get to collect their child any quicker and I find it quite rude.  DS said that one of his friends wanted a cuddle the other day so the other little boy cuddled him but my son didn't cuddle him back because of the germs, this made me quite sad for the other little boy and also my son half got the germ thing.  I've told my Mum that after next week we are going to have to go back to complete distance no cuddling the children or coming in, I hate this!!  
I need to book our flu jabs we don't actually need them but would rather air on the side of caution this year.  Does anyone know about the children's ones this year?  Does it give them a temp spike?  Are we meant to isolate as a household if it does?  We have 3 little people who will have temps at different times if that is the case.  DH work will not be impressed as he is the only one in his particular role, as long as companies don't start pushing out the ones that do actually isolate as a requirement.  
We are stocking up on sun dried tomatoes, pesto, pasta, and passata and a few tins of potatoes.  We have 2 chickens from March in the freezer and a two joints of pork and beef which are for emergency use.  We are going to eat the chickens as and when we get replacements.  The gov supermarket priority shopping finishes on the 3rd of Oct for us and A aren't renewing it eek best get organised.  It's going to be a long winter.    
  

jamanda

I've read that some panic buying is starting with the usual stuff:  loo rolls, pasta etc.

Thriftygifty

jamanda said:

I've read that some panic buying is starting with the usual stuff:  loo rolls, pasta etc.

There was no pasta online when I did our A shop this week or ketchup!

Greenglockenspiel

I already had a delivery booked for tomorrow so have added a bit more pasta, rice, cereal, squash, nuts, plant milk etc to it plus a few things to go into the freezer (peas, crumpets etc). We did run down our supplies when certain things were difficult to get hold of eg brown rice and wholemeal pasta when supermarkets prioritised the white versions so I’m glad to have had my supplies earlier in the year. Work is going to get increasingly busy so I have also ordered a few jars of sauces - ordinarily I make my own but just in case there are days where I don’t have the time or energy to. I’m signed up to a milkman service now though for OH and the house is in better shape than it was prior to lockdown so if (when) there is another I am hoping it won’t be too bad even though it will be winter.
I have also begun preparing for C-day - got cranberry sauce, chestnuts and stuffing mix in previous deliveries plus some nibbles and soft drinks. Have sorted some presents but not all, but most urgently I seem to be running low on gin 😱

taurusgb

Just in case any of you have priority slots with Asda that are due to end soon - they will not.  I wrote to the CEO to ask about this as I am still being advised to shield and an email back confirming that even if it doesn't say so on your account yet, existing priority slots will carry on until March 2021.  Customer Service don't seem to know this and are worrying people unnecessarily by saying they will be finishing - even though there is now an announcement on their own website.

Thriftygifty

taurusgb said:

Just in case any of you have priority slots with Asda that are due to end soon - they will not.  I wrote to the CEO to ask about this as I am still being advised to shield and an email back confirming that even if it doesn't say so on your account yet, existing priority slots will carry on until March 2021.  Customer Service don't seem to know this and are worrying people unnecessarily by saying they will be finishing - even though there is now an announcement on their own website.

On a selfish note that would be amazing if we still qualify for it, I rang CS last week and she said as its a government thing they have no control over it and that's when it's finishing and that was that!  I asked if we could sign up to their delivery passes and she said no we aren't taking on anymore.  Our problem is i'm not sure how we qualified as such and don't want to rock the boat by asking, I was priority as I was pregnant at the time and have used A before at this address, my Dad falls into the highest category and lives next door.  I filled in the government form on behalf of my parents and I am sure there was a section to put someone else's details to act on your behalf but I can't remember as was in blind panic being 9m pregnant and pandemic and all that, I remember putting my email address as my Dad is beyond useless with emails but i'm not sure if I put my details as a helper?!  I then got an email from A addressed to my Dad by his first name only saying they would be in touch and then the next email a few days later was a follow up one but addressed to me by first name, does this mean that we have it because of my Dad or myself?  The thought of doing shopping with 3 under 5s for two households fills me with complete dread, if not I will be venturing out in the night.

muffin_man_7

For those of you who are worried about delivery slots  ive been getting mine from A on a wednesday every 2 weeks  by  checking and booking the next order within a day or 2 of getting delivery  maybe you could try that  i keep the same day and time and seems to be ok so far as for missing any items subs are  close to what i ordered  unlike M  never again will i tick subs allowed with  them. I have noticed today (sat) that there are gaps on tinned items   havent checked others  but will do soon 11
I only go out to collect prescriptions for myself and 2 sons    11 of the meds i take is unavailabe and asda chemist have no idea how long for so they said to call gp on monday   for a different one  ithought the assistants  would know that it cant be stopped or changed just like that  i take 2 strengths they have the lower tabs  so may get lucky and gp will just do double of them  this is 1 area   i cant prep as  get  a month at at time maybe  they can adjust  things temporarily  thank u for all the helpful reminders  im still waiting to move and im not supposed to be stocking up    but ive  been  stressed   over  half empty cupboard ive decided  im stocking up  as best i can   not too much  just 3 months    if i get to move it will just mean a bit extra to pack into cardboard boxes  so  not obvious what ive got   i think i may try and go  once a week and see if  any other items seem to be  oos  to help those of you that are unable to go to the store  sorry this is a bit longer than i expected   fibro  is playing up along with arthritis  

euronorris

My sisters report having difficulty getting beans, tinned spaghetti and tinned tomatoes.

I have an order coming this morning and my choice of swetcorn was greatly reduced. And whilst beans were available, none of them were available in multipacks, only single tins. I just wanted to top up, as they were starting to get low here. So will probably pop to farmfoods first thing on Tuesday morning, and take it out of my lunch break. Still collecting tomatoes from the garden, so haven't needed to use tinned tomatoes in months.