The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

euronorris

GreyQueen wrote: »

Precisely none. I never played Monopoly as a kid, we were more a Scrabble/ Snakes & Ladders/Ludo/Stop Pestering the Cat! household.


Just shy of 17p per roll, that's a good deal. I also have other rolls of TP in the stash, inc 3 x 18 packs from FarmFoods, something with Duck in the brand name. I may be pushing the 200-roll mark.;)

You'll definitely be Queen Bee during an apocalypse where loo roll would become the new currency!

Zentimes

Where are people storing their Loo Rolls? They're not exactly compact things to stow away. Unless you're using them as furniture and covering them with a throw? :rotfl:

Karmacat

For storing loo rolls - I have some 2 litre water bottles lined up in a recess thats covered, and the loo rolls are on top of them, since they're so light

Zentimes

OOooooh wait, I know where those loo rolls can be used - LOFT INSULATION! :j

Siebrie

I am usually lurking on this thread, but have now come to join with a story and a question

My parents live a four-hour drive away from me, Mum is 82 and Dad is 77. Until five years ago, they were both in excellent health. Then Mum was diagnosed with Hodgkin's (lymphoma cancer), and Dad with prostate and skin cancer. Luckily, they have excellent health care where they live, all paid for by the Dutch NHS. Recently, some more problems are popping up: Dad has painful osteoporosis, Mum's eyesight is deteriorating, and Mum had an epileptic fit two weeks ago while napping on the sofa. She has never had one before. She has recovered well. They try and not let all of this impact their lives; they are the secondary carers for Mum's sister, who lives around the corner and is 87 They still regularly walk 5 miles and cycle as much as they can (the city is very flat and favours cyclists).

Why have their problems nor impacted their lives much? They actively maintain their social networks, growing it all the time. They are active church members; Dad has regularly been a church warden, and served/serves on several committees, both local and national. Mum has been President of the local, regional, and national WI for about forty years. Every Sunday, they invite people around for lunch, sometimes it's visitors to the church, sometimes church friends or a bunch of friends. They will call people they haven't seen for a while and invite them for coffee at their home (coffee-out does not cross their minds). Mum is a social worker by nature, training and profession, and will look out for vulnerable people; she will connect people to grow their social networks, too. They actively connect with younger people, and their neighbours, so that their network is mixed and will not die out when their generation does. For instance, they will invite a couple of students for a meal. They read a daily paper, watch the news daily, and stay interested in the world around them. They also willingly share their surplus and skills.

The success of this network showed when my Mum had her epileptic fit and Dad called for an ambulance: the neighbour rang the doorbell when Dad was still on the phone, as she is part of an alert network to help out with possible cpr. She helped make Mum comfortable. When Mum came back from hospital, 7 neighbours checked in to see how she was doing and if they needed help. This is innercity, on a through road, with many houses sublet to students, so all rather anonymous and transitory.

All of this gives me peace of mind about living so far away.

My question is: with all the materialistic prepping that you are doing, how is your social network?

DryTheRain

Funny, for all the talk of extras-to-make-it-tolerable it's amazing how quickly prepping comes down to basics. Defo a future opportunity for disaster capitalists, chuck in a free tin of beans for the perfect circle

DigForVictory

Had a bit of a surprise yesterday - my car stopped, on the motorway.

I had a further unpleasant shock when I realised my car grab bag was still in the car & I had nothing I could effectively use to keep warm & dry from the anorak down. Motorways are not really intended for humans outside their cars.

It may be worth keeping a foil blanket in your coat pocket. Which is probably safer than sitting in the car on the hard shoulder - but it was wet & windy & I was trying to keep my phone dry.

All worked out well, but yikes. When your first act on getting home is a pint of hot soup & clean dry clothing, starting with trousers? (I left my hat on for a good half hour.)

(All comments as to having spare clean dry trousers in these current times being a blessing taken as read.)

thriftwizard

Beware of keeping extra loo roll anywhere that mice can get into it! As I found out the hard way...

I've just spent another week in hospital following an emergency operation because my digestion had ground to a complete halt - again. Luckily turned out to be (relatively) easily sorted & I'm back again, but oh boy have my stores dwindled away in the meantime... I won't be able to drive again until after the weekend, so can't do much about it just yet, but I'm having visions of living on spuds - there's a new sack in the garage thanks to OH - for the next couple of months! And I'm still due for that final reconstruction operation at the end of the month. Hope the NHS will have some paracetamol left..

I thought we had plenty of "hungry gap" greens (kale, purple sprouting, leeks, kohlrabi, celery, carrots) growing up at the 'lottie, but it turns out that the "old boys" had persuaded OH that it's time to dig everything up to make room & prepare the soil for this summer's "show" crops. I tried not to shout at him... I think he's gone up there today to try to re-plant some of them, but he's gone very, very quiet...

mardatha

Sorry to hear you're not well TW xxx

Karmacat

Thriftwizard, I think you cope amazingly well - sounds like your OH is having a hard time keeping up with what you've always done! It must be aggravating for you to see it, but of course your own health is paramount. I'm glad this latest issue was easily sorted, though it sounds like the next one is coming up really soon. Thinking of you.