The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

thriftwizard

marycanary said:

There is sometimes a nostalgia for "the good old days", even the war, depression and other times of hardship. I don't share that nostalgia and I don't feel superior to others who I think should be educated to act better through cooking and planning.  I like technology and I am glad it has enabled me to work outside the house. So you can wish for the old days, I'll take technology and the ability to earn my own money.

I'm not nostalgic for the "good" old days either; as a child of a widowed mother, we were made homeless when my father died and we quite often did go hungry, which I certainly wouldn't wish on anyone. But my mother would be the first to tell you that everyone should learn to cook & plan, at an early age; she hadn't, having been "hothoused" for an prosperous academic future that never materialised, and bitterly regretted it. I'm all for fridges, freezers etc. (and also for people actually having enough space for them) as tools to free us up from the ever-present threat of food-borne illness and the necessity to shop daily for fresh ingredients, but I also (just) remember that no-one in our village starved, or even suffered unduly, when we were cut off for 6 weeks in the winter of 61-62, because most had larders of traditional preserves, and a strong community. I'm not looking back with fondness - I still remember the ice patterns on the inside of my bedroom window - but with recognition that modern technology, which I'm happy to use, can be fragile, and also that life can change drastically in the blink of an eye, often for reasons outside our control.

Nargleblast

Yes, look how many were caught out when a new virus appeared on the scene. Part of prepping I think involves being open minded and willing to adapt and find new ways of doing things. I always think that if you have the basics - a roof over your head, clothes, a means of cooking and keeping warm, and food in store, then you're in a good  starting position when it comes to the unexpected.

Floss

Effician said:

Floss said:

pelirocco said:

Food prices may be rising but as a % of household income they are much lower then they were in the 60s ,50s ,40s etc 

Could you point me in the direction of that data as I can't easily locate it?

Providing you have any faith in Which.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/11/heres-how-our-food-prices-compare-to-30-years-ago-and-you-might-be-surprised/

It would be interesting to see if Which update that from 2019 figures, as there have been increases since then

marycanary

thriftwizard said:

marycanary said:

There is sometimes a nostalgia for "the good old days", even the war, depression and other times of hardship. I don't share that nostalgia and I don't feel superior to others who I think should be educated to act better through cooking and planning.  I like technology and I am glad it has enabled me to work outside the house. So you can wish for the old days, I'll take technology and the ability to earn my own money.

I'm not nostalgic for the "good" old days either; as a child of a widowed mother, we were made homeless when my father died and we quite often did go hungry, which I certainly wouldn't wish on anyone. But my mother would be the first to tell you that everyone should learn to cook & plan, at an early age; she hadn't, having been "hothoused" for an prosperous academic future that never materialised, and bitterly regretted it. I'm all for fridges, freezers etc. (and also for people actually having enough space for them) as tools to free us up from the ever-present threat of food-borne illness and the necessity to shop daily for fresh ingredients, but I also (just) remember that no-one in our village starved, or even suffered unduly, when we were cut off for 6 weeks in the winter of 61-62, because most had larders of traditional preserves, and a strong community. I'm not looking back with fondness - I still remember the ice patterns on the inside of my bedroom window - but with recognition that modern technology, which I'm happy to use, can be fragile, and also that life can change drastically in the blink of an eye, often for reasons outside our control.

 It was not my aim to start some three Yorkshiremen type, "my childhood was harder than yours" competition, only to explain why I think we should aim to shop in a way which supports how we live now not how we lived 50, 60 or more years ago. 

Effician

Floss said:

Effician said:

Floss said:

pelirocco said:

Food prices may be rising but as a % of household income they are much lower then they were in the 60s ,50s ,40s etc 

Could you point me in the direction of that data as I can't easily locate it?

Providing you have any faith in Which.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/11/heres-how-our-food-prices-compare-to-30-years-ago-and-you-might-be-surprised/

It would be interesting to see if Which update that from 2019 figures, as there have been increases since then

Be very suprised if any differece, it's even possible it could widen further as AVERAGE wage inflation seems to be kicking in.

Folks at bottom will still feel as though food is pricier but that's because they have so little left after high housing'energy/transport costs

Nargleblast

It's not easy to find up to date stats on food spending. Even the ONS site only has figures for the financial year ending March 2020, so all the events relating to the past 19 months have to be considered. I guess the next report on food prices will go to March 2021, so the report after that will be what we're all looking for. Of course, by the time that report comes out things will have moved on and changed yet again. One thing is certain, prices are unlikely to fall in our favour.

Effician

Nargleblast said:

One thing is certain, prices are unlikely to fall in our favour.

We really have had a good run of super cheap food in historical terms but because it's lasted so long most think of it as a right & take it for granted .

Unfortunately a correction is going to come as a shock to many.

You could swap the word food in the above sentence for many other staples in our lives ,be it energy, clothing, interest rates etc etc.

bit_by_bit

As a long time lurker on this thread I have been of the prepping mindset for many years.

It is because of this thread that when the power went out last year I knew where the candles were and the torches.
When the water was cut off for a few days we had enough to make the odd cuppa and have a wash.
When stranded in Derbyshire by snow the boot had all the kit needed for the five people in the car and we were alright.

I was a child in the 70s when there were powercuts and queues for bread etc. Breakfast by candlelight was an adventure then. 

I lived in poverty and deprivation for many of my formative years until I started earning my own money. I wish I knew then what I do now....

So we must all do what we can do with what we have and make adjustments to accomodate the odd outage and emergency. Look around to those we care about and see how we can prep for them too if we have the space and resources, and look wider to do out part. 

Stepping off my soapbix now. 

DigForVictory

Spent the weekend online jamboreeing with scouts around the world via the internet. (Every 3rd weekend in October)
I watched a scout cook 500g of spaghetti in 1/5 the recommended water, got it to the boil, all under water then put the lid on & turned the gas off. [I nearly fell off my chair.]
Cooking time 9 minutes said the packet so at 4m 30s she lifted the lid, stirred & put the lid back on. At 9 minutes, the pasta was al dente & the water almost wholly gone. (You could add more boiling water and lid it back again, she said, if you wanted.)
I was Awed at the water & energy saved & will be trying this, not least as anything which stops me burning expensive gas has to be worth the experiment... Especially if done with a hungry son within range, as any failures will still get eaten &/or the pot cleaned for me or if I get it right, both!

Shropshirelass

I cook pasta, also rice this way. I have hesitated to recommend this method, as I suspect purists would be shocked. Also, frozen veg e.g. peas and sweet corn, frozen fruit, need only minimal simmering, then put lid on for a while. Can't quote timings, it's an art not a science, you need to taste for yourself.