Prepping: the new world...

annieb64

I went to Tesco and Lidl today.Both shops were quiet and seemed well stocked.There was a long queue for the petrol station.

daz378

Yes over 13 weeks post opp on ankle…from last wednesday... stopped wearing boot and only 1 crutch…wearing trainers…not felt like going out unless I have to…probably back in work..beginning next month…used a lot of my preps…especially tins of beans, stewed steak, chilli, curry tins etc…been rebuilding fron online shopping…lost 20 pounds in weight..had to be good…couldn't get takeaways..very few deliver to your door..on a block of flats....need to contine weightloss or at least mantain... work have been ok accepted sick notes...scarey times take care

MrsCD

@daz378 , I'm so glad you're on the road to recovery and managing with all the preps you made. You'll be able to restock properly once you're out and about again. It's good that work have been ok with you, because I know your job can be quite physical at times. Take care.

DigForVictory

The press has already started a "WW3 survival" checklist (so thoughtful) but it is presuming there will be no nuclear shenanigans, just supply problems thanks to the Straight of Hormuz currently being very cautious. So what? It's just oil and petrol are in more things than we might think...

Starting, of course, with petrol and diesel. If you haven't seen, or been stuck in, a queue, congratulations.
Where shipping is struggling though, LPG and propane cylinders will become more expensive. (Says one journo, but I can't disagree with the logic.)
Home heating oil and kerosene (have already jumped, may yet go higher).
For those wanting a foreign holiday, flights and package holidays will not get cheaper. (Having seen footage of the thankful returnees, I think I'll be holidaying in the UK for a while)
Basic car maintenance unguents - engine oil and other car fluids could go up too. (I suppose I had better ask son-with-car how his supplies are.)
Petrol derivatives are in paint, varnish, DIY solvents, adhesives and sealants - if you had a DIY job planned, maybe get the gear sooner rather than later?
I confess, I have all sorts of household plastic-based products (bin bags, cling film, freezer bags, etc) which it makes sense to get a stock of before the oil shock price crashes all the way through.
Disposable nappies and incontinence pads - many contain petrochemical feedstock derivatives, and be needed at whatever price.
Paraffin-wax household products - largely candles - your milage may vary but if you love a scented candle or just having a box in case of power cuts, now might be a shrewd time to add a couple to the stash.
Cooking oils and other cupboard staples - I've mentioned Ramadan discounts in other posts & stand by 'seize the opportunity'! Olive oil & vegetable oil are going to get stuck in the supply chain stress too.

Now this is hardly a 'survival kit', but it is a useful nudge to look around & see what you already have a sufficiency of & what you can top up relatively cheaply now that may become more expensive in another 3 months. I refuse to tempt Fate by saying "I don't need X" but I share the whole list on the grounds someone may have a clear call for S but not D…

If you haven't taken meter reads, I commend them, so you can argue the next bill using data.

maryb

It's just as well this is happening as we are going into spring since Qatar has halted its LNG facilities and we import a lot. Not necessarily from Qatar but it's a world market. If it was happening in winter I wonder if we would need to worry about power cuts

thriftwizard

I stocked up on non-perishables today, rather more than usual; we'll still eat/use them before they go out of date. I haven't been caught in any queues for fuel, bearing in mind I've covered over 500 miles this week (albeit in a reasonably efficient diesel car) however several of the fuel stations I've visited haven't had any diesel, or have only had it on one pump out of 8 or more. Luckily one did. Not quite sure how to break it to my 100 y.o. & mildly-demented mother, who lives 45 miles away, that visits may need to be rationed for a while…

greenbee

I have just nagged my mum about topping up every time she goes out and sees a fuel station without a massive queue - and under no circumstances to let the tank drop below 50%. Living rurally she needs to make sure she doesn't run out.

I have 300l of oil left. Once that's gone, I'm going to get a heat pump installed, and will up my battery storage.

daz378

14 weeks post op... I am now walking in house..with a walking stick..and outside for this week with 1 crutch…few days in to excercises that put all my weight on to my bad ankle..but I am managing…though going out for a couple of hours puts painful pressure on it physio visiting tomorrow…sick note till end of month..just after my 60 th…will go out Manchester town centre..but might book an hotel in case..ankle flares up… might be back in work april... depends if they will give me another sick note…need to restock especially tinned prepps…you all take care

fionaandphil

Good to hear your recovery is going well and you are back to some weight bearing exercise.

Broomstick

I'm trying to get into the habit of recharging everything once a week eg. on Sundays, even if it only needs a little bit of topping up. We've had some power cuts in the last few months where I've realised that they would have been so much easier had I bothered to stay on top of this. Some things need charging more often but at least planning a once week blitz means that at the start of each week I know that my mobile, laptop, Kindle, rechargeable spare AA batteries, powerbank, electric toothbrush, neck light and solar lamp are all ready to go.

I'm doing the same with the car so after I do my longest trip of the week, usually on a Thursday or Friday, I stop off at the garage and fill-up the tank again. I tend to do the tyres, water, oil, screenwash, spare drinking water and in-car snacks (I have a little tin with some treats for emergencies) all being checked every fortnight. The tin is because a year ago I had an in-car emergency grab bag (as one does!) of salted popcorn stored in the boot and discovered that a mouse had got in and scoffed the lot. It must have been soooo thirsty that night. Snacks now need to be mouse-proof.

When I do my weekly shopping list, I'll add to it anything that I've used from my 'deep pantry' so it always stays full. I'm regularly using what I have stored so that there is a slow and steady turnover. If I can manage it, I'll also get a small amount of extra cashback with the shopping each week to build my growing supply of emergency cash, and add a few more bits and pieces of food, household or first-aid things to my general supplies as well.

Small amounts of 'habit stacking' for resilience like this seem to be working at the moment for me. I feel more in control of it than I've done in ages.