The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Thriftygifty

If not already doing so now might be the time to keep vehicles topped up, BP have jumped on the band wagon of shortages. 

euronorris

Thriftygifty said:

We don't actually have a slow cooker - any recommendations? Or pitfalls that I should look out for? 

A colleague of mine gifted me a small cookworks one about 6 years ago. It was an unwanted gift of hers. It's cheap, it's cheerful, and it works perfectly well and still going strong. We are only a family of 3 though, I expect larger households would benefit from a larger slow cooker. 

daz378

In  Tesscoss  today    again most of the tins curry   were gone....but otherwise  not much evidence of shortages....quite a few of us have been preppers a good few years....as anyone  noticed   their non prepper friends   become consciously  or unconsciously  become more likely to stock up more.... as a result   of the last couple of years....heard whispers  my tupe  terms may be changing next year    may lose up to 300 pound a month worrying times...may have ruthlessly look at my bank account for unnecessaries...take care

pollyanna_26

That's a big loss if it happens Daz . I keep a close eye on what I'm spending however I've found apart from stocking up on candles, light bulbs if we're allowed to switch the lights on and useful things i'm spending less in other ways. Since the start of the pandemic I no longer browse in shops so don't see things I might be tempted by. I'm in and out as fast as I can with a list and unless .I notice a bargain in food etc which wasn't on the list I stick to the list.

I don't think non preppers suddenly become aware in great numbers some do but through the decades there are always those who'll go extreme on shopping when there's the slightest hint they may not be able to get their favourite things whether needs or wants. You only have to see the footage on Black Friday with adults fighting over a tv to see that in action.

My concerns are more rising charges in utility bills. If it comes to it we can survive on beans on toast if we can access or make the bread but however careful we are minimising our energy use and using alternative ways of keeping warm etc at the end of the day we are in the hands of companies who have the control and are looking at the money.

There are many now barely surviving, going without so their children can eat or have a decent pair of shoes on their feet and it angers me that so many are being overlooked and left to struggle on. Same with the elderly and disabled they're struggling and often isolated and alone but the powers that be have no concept of how that feels . It isn't on their radar because it isn't how they live. I remember a tv series where Michael Portillo moved in with a struggling single mum and her children "to experience poverty". A total waste of time . He made stupid suggestions not looking at the reasons why she couldn't do those things but making her feel rather inept as she couldn't which made me angry as the poor woman wasn't being helped by his presence but harmed. As with such progarammes he knew he was there for a short time and duly toddled off back to a life she couldn't imagine where there were no big dilemmas on a daily basis . Heat or eat, school uniform worries or any of the constandt pressure he could never understand . Such programmes are Poverty !!!!!! not helpful but it brings in the viewers. There is such a gap in incomes for the haves and have nots nothing will change for the better. I never thought I'd see the day when a young footballer had to fight a Govt so children could get fed during a pandemic.

I have thought through this whole disaster we need a coalition Govt in charge with understanding , sense and not the types to nip off on a jolly if they get a bit fed up having to do the job they're paid to.

Try not to worry Daz.My mum used to say Never trouble  trouble until trouble troubles you. I always thought it a daft thing to say but think she meant well. All we can do is focus on needs rather than wants. Stock up on needs where possible , find ways to stretch those things we buy to a number of meals if possible, use things like this thread to talk if we're feeling overwhelmed rather than worry in silence and try not to let the ineptitude of others overcome us and inflict damage our mental wellbeing.

So try to focus on keeping an eye on your budget , taking care of yourself and getting through the days one at a time.

Those rumours may just be rumours but if not we're here to listen and talk.

pollyx

Oh dear I triggered the swear filter , was back to correct a spelling error and noticed. It began with a P and ended in an N and in common use where those programmes about those struggling in poverty are concerend.

littlemoney

Petrol panic buying has started.  Went to Sainsbury's to get what I couldn't on Monday. As I left there were staff directing the traffic as the queue for petrol was stopping cars getting into the shop car park and generating a queue  over half a mile on the road. Pleased I was a good prepper and filled up before I did my shop.

pollyanna_26

Thriftygifty said:

We don't actually have a slow cooker - any recommendations? Or pitfalls that I should look out for? 

Last year when only essential food shops were open i was in our little Coop and noticed some big boxes on the shelf.

I'd been wondering for years whether to get a slow cooker . I've always posted on the Tougher threads , the current one is the Garden Fence. There were many discussions over there about slow cookers but I always dithered. One of the posters there was Andrea who ran the Farmfoods thread for a long time and was also a top reviewer for the big river site and tested products for them. In exchange she would get to keep the product but she was an honest reviewer and if if something was rubbish she'd say so in her review. I used to amuse myself on dark winter nights laughing at some of her reviews she's from the NE and calls a spade a spade.

Anyway she said if I ever made my mind up the best of all the ones she'd tested was always the CrockPot- she'd sent me a pm.

The years passed but I looked at those boxes. CrockPot less than half price. I put one in the trolley. I chose the smaller one . A couple of days after her usual 2 weekly appt with her GP mid February last year the phone rang Superdoc saying she must stay indoors and he'd be back in touch.

He rang back to say she's ECV she mustn't go out I'll send the nurses in to do her checks.

So we had a chat and she wanted to go to her boyfriends where the two cats they rescued lived. She's still there! Mentally she wouldn'd have coped without seeing bf and the mogs.

So I chose the little crockpot and it's been really good . Very clear instructions and there are lots of online recipies for it. They do different sizes so worth looking on the big river site for reviews. There are many different slow cookers so you could look at other brands too but I'm very happy so far with miine.

pollyx

pollyanna_26

Anyone having problems posting? I wrote a post pressed send and being told body is required.

Think it's posted now but noticed I missed out it was youngest dd only one of the offspring still at home Superdoc was talking about so I'm cooking for one for the first time in my life so the slow cooker was a good idea. I'll check how many servings but I'm able to fridge or freeze meals for another day.

pollyx

Thriftygifty

Panic buying for fuel here also, DH who is out and about for work said queues down the road at most of the fuel stations. 

euronorris

Panic buying fuel here too. Same where my parents are (East Sussex), where my sisters are (Kent) and where one of my brothers is (Leicester). Sigh.

C_J

Panic buying at petrol stations around here too. I've just returned from doing an Aldi shop and overheard several people talking in the aisles about the queues at nearby petrol stations and that the large Tesco one had closed as they had no fuel at all. 

Driving back home, I saw queues of probably 20+ cars at each of three nearby petrol stations - Esso as well as BP - and people looking a bit frenzied.  Very very glad I have a full tank, and that I don't need to venture out in the car again for another week.  I hope it doesn't turn ugly out there