Prepping: the new world...

DigForVictory

[Updated] One of our number, the cherished @thriftwizard, takes a Mah Jongg card set on holiday. (Forgive me for not reaching back to see whom, several of us are tile rattlers. [I went back & looked later!]) Mindful of that, when I saw someone clearing out their games cupboard (why?!) I pounced.
At a recent family birthday party there were three generations playing, viewing, advising etc & shockingly one cousin went Mah Jongg with chows! (Our grandmother had drilled into us the scoring starts “50 points for going Mah Jongg, double for no chows”) Still, it reminded me I have a set in mind for midSis (a garden tile needs regluing) and should move it along, even though her dogs may do something foolish.

So, in the bug out bag alongside the generic 52, or do I keep it at home near the tiles, dolefully certain Youngest will not play?

DigForVictory

Seems we may be ahead of the curve for government planning. I just dislike the verb ‘stockpile’ - I prepare. Which reflects I may not have the money to buy an extra tin of spam but can afford to get two tins of beans.
Water is always ticklish - how much per person per day, is that just to drink or do we flush, how much per cat/dog/large dog/gerbil etc. As for medication, the pandemic paracetamol has been replaced with in-date pills but I don’t need painkillers daily, I do need my anticonvulsants. Trying to get an appointment now requires rather more patience with the system & “because I want to ace exercise desert wombat” is unlikely to get me a callback, more a flag set “will waste a GP’s time”…

I am quietly concerned this will hike prices somewhat, create false demand (with genuine alarm & despondency) & not give HMG a clear idea at all, but I have to hope they have enough cynics to allow a percentage for “didn’t complete the paperwork in time.”

annieb64

Marks had jars of beans for 55p on Monday so got a couple.Couldn't carry any more as I was getting the bus home.

Cheapskate

This week I need to organise a boiler service and chimney sweep, and buy one bag of smokeless to start with for the winter.

My energy DD will be going up to a stonking amount this month, which I'll leave as is for a month or two, see how much credit there is, maybe cut it down if we look ok…

I'm also going back to adding one extra item to my shopping each time I go, and will store in my wardrobe now that I no longer have a DH who sneers at such things! Thinking loo rolls, cat food, toiletries, ambient foods etc., as a slight hedge against price rises, or my wages simply not stretching.

Although we rarely use OTC meds, I still need to get some fresh basics in as the existing ones are now out of date - flu/cold remedies, painkillers (although I don't know why I bother cos they don't work on us bendies! 🤣), antihistamines, etc.

I buy the milk for work and get reimbursed, this goes straight to an account I don't use so it's building up a tiny cushion for emergencies, and I'm rounding it up to whole fivers each week.

One more thing I need to do this week is have a thorough look at all my finances again, as I know there are gaps and places where it's leaking out which I can ill afford.

This sounds like a lot now that I've written it down, feel quite tired now! 😁

A xo

fionaandphil

It does sound like a lot but useful to have a 'to do' list to work through. Just think how satisfying when you've ticked it all off.

Chimney sweep coming here this week too, getting it out of the way early this year. I was going to order the oil but it's gone up again 25p a litre this week so I'll hold off a bit longer.