Prepping: the new world...

Cherryfudge

luvchocolate said:

Pretty sure you clever people do this but just in case 
When jar candles are finished I always chip the remaining wax from sides and put in a bag to use as wax melts 

Would it work to stand the jar in hot water so the wax melts out and you can pour it? 

I do this for honey and you do get enough to make it worthwhile.

skye_blue

I heard this candle wax tip and it works, fill the candle jar with boiling water and it melts the remaining wax and floats to the top.  A lot easier to get out - hope this helps

DigForVictory

Just mopped the irate tears of a colleague who had his wallet nicked & there goes bank card, associated credit card & he’d no cash on hand. 
Reassure me all canny preppers have a modest amount of cash & an “in case of emergency” bank account? With its own card?
I was thankful of the chase account when the Barclays system went wibble at the end of January.

fionaandphil

I would normally say yes but I am rubbish at keeping cash, I could probably scrape together a fiver if I had to.  In relation to different bank accounts, I do have those separate - if I can remember where the card is ;o)

Nonnadiluca

Do you remember a few years back there were a few occasions where banks' systems went down and it was impossible to use a card? Since then I keep £50 cash in the house: enough to get food and fuel for a few days but not enough to worry about having. Bits get used for things like Gumtree purchases the replenished next time I'm near a cash machine.. My granddaughter was caught out halfway through a transaction!

Cherryfudge

Good reminder: the small stash in my purse has whittled down so I will head for an ATM.

I've finally learned how to use the wallet on my phone though so I have an alternative if I leave my purse at home - just not if the system lets me down or I can't get a signal... and it's amazing how many supermarkets seem to be a wi-fi black hole.

greenbee

You don't need wifi to use the wallet on your phone as they use NFC (Near Field Communication) to talk directly to the POS terminal. 

Keeping your phone and wallet separate means that if one goes missing you still have the other. And keep the cash separate from the cards too, otherwise it's no use in the event that your wallet is stolen. 

Cherryfudge

greenbee said:

You don't need wifi to use the wallet on your phone as they use NFC (Near Field Communication) to talk directly to the POS terminal. 

Keeping your phone and wallet separate means that if one goes missing you still have the other. And keep the cash separate from the cards too, otherwise it's no use in the event that your wallet is stolen. 

That's worth knowing thanks - would explain why supermarkets can take my money but not always apply my vouchers! The phone and wallet are kept separate - and I've got some cash out which I will now separate into purse and other safe place, so should the system crash, or my purse be stolen, there's still something I can buy food with.

Baileys_Babe

I always keep a note in the case behind my phone for emergencies, it is a pain to get to so not something I use without it being necessary.

We also keep a small amount of cash in the house.

DigForVictory

In times past when my car battery went flat & I had to ring a son-at-school's mate's dad (who ran a garage) for help, I kept enough for a new battery (they were cheaper then) in cash in an undocumented corner. Even though he was sited over the road from a cash machine, I'd pay cash. His only comment (and I could see several chewed & swallowed) was he did like a woman who knew to a penny how much she had in the housekeeping. (Range of note sizes probably revealed my hand a bit there, but nothing that would raise an eyebrow at the pub.)
To my amusement, my now-largely-grown-up children like to have a few quid in coin, as they were taught to buy & wear a poppy (& the like) & can come over awkward at having to go past a bucket rattler without eye contact.