THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

[Deleted User] · 3 December 2017 at 3:49PM

A couple of years ago, as I was leaving the local shopping precinct, I was approached by a young man, who told me he was homeless, and had a drink problem.

My reply was that he was doing quite well, until he mentioned the drink problem.

I advised him to get himself dried out, because "I will not give you money, so you can drink yourself to death."

A few months ago, I was coming out of B&Q, when the same man approached me, with the same spiel.

He looked at least 10 years older.

I wonder, if I had given him some money, on that first occasion, would he still have even been alive?

singlestep · 3 December 2017 at 5:22PM

One of my temping jobs years back was at a major sporting venue where tickets were extremely expensive and beyond anything I'd consider paying every year even now. Over the several summers I worked there I would occasionally notice them going to people I knew. One had several children who never seemed to have shoes that fit or kept out the water. Another, whose membership went back decades, was the father of a child in my class at school who really did seem to eat nothing but beans at home. I just don't get it when there seems to be some alternative for income other than ensuring children are fed and cared for.

It isn't confined to parents on low incomes. I still believe that most people are decent enough not to do it unless they have to. Addiction, troubled upbringing or mental ill-health can play a part in poor decisions but sometimes there's a whole family dealing with the consequences.

daz378 · 4 December 2017 at 12:25AM

A lot of my stores is down to my dad god bless him , who died the end of April he would and earlier both parents since i left home about 30 years gave me tin meat or fish every week so wouldnt cook after a night out, the last year of his life was giving me 3 tins a week .... i now prepp for my self with occasional online shop my current favorites to batch buy are tinned veg and tinned curry, so its really my parents foresight that made me a prepper.......the scarcity of houses is politically\economically driven the large housing builders buy land and dont build to keep prices high im not really political but Corbyn is right that society runs for the few not the many wonder if people are ready to give the left a chance as more people are struggling for the basics....interesting times

[Deleted User] · 4 December 2017 at 2:36PM

We've known hard times, we've survived them because we're tough old birds and know how to make £1 do the work of 2, because we eat what we grow in times like that and I've learned to be pretty inventive with veg and pulses to make the food we have not just OK but delicious. I'm not above buying things in charity shops, most of my useful equipment has come from them or jumble sales and since I've dropped weight quite a lot of clothes have come from charity shops or boot fairs. I'm one of the lucky ones in life who now has enough for our needs in retirement and in part this is because we have few needs and are quite content with a simple life and also have no 'side' to us, just appreciation of what we have however we choose to live simply and have no children to feed now and not everyone is fortunate enough to be in that situation for any number of reasons. Thank God there are charities that help and food banks to feed the poor folk who can't manage on what they earn/get on benefits, how anyone could or would take advantage of something that has been designed specifically to keep people from starving and deprivation is incomprehensible not just at Christmas time but for every other day of the year too!

Karmacat · 4 December 2017 at 2:44PM

mardatha wrote: »

I think if you want to be a true prepper, one who will survive when others won't... then you have toi grow a thicker skin than most in here. I'm not arguing lol I'm just saying. And that's all I'm saying.

:kisses3: Yes.

I have to say, I don't join in online discussions like this at all, ever. A few years ago, I had a different forum explode on me, and it made me very shaky for a long time. It went on (and on and on) over a period of five months, and I really was a nervous wreck by the time I decided to delete everything I'd ever written on that forum and leave. Best thing I've ever done, but I was a long time coming to terms with it. Then someone on here, on the mfw board, recommended reading Captain Awkward, and it was one of the best things I've ever done. But I still don't take part in discussions like this, even though I agree with so many of the posts.

Though I love the bald statements from Mar, and the detailed observations and anecdotes from GQ.

And daz I hope you're doing okay, you lost your dad so recently, and you don't sound like you have much additional family? I may be wrong there. My mum died almost exactly a year ago, but my brother and sister and I are very much of a mind with what we're dealing with.

Doveling · 4 December 2017 at 5:54PM

There will always be a minority who will abuse any system.:(

However, I thought that the Welfare State was specifically designed to keep people from starving and deprivation.

There would not be the need for charity and food banks if the system in place was not being gradually eroded by austerity cuts.

I think Mardatha is right re: shift in responsibility.

I would like to qualify in that, of course, people should take responsibility for themselves as far as possible, but some cannot for whatever reason and who are we to judge.

I feel the shift has gone too far.:(

Karmacat - I know what you mean but the new Rowntree report is out and it's set me off on one again!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

fuddle · 4 December 2017 at 6:32PM

The Welfare State can't take into account debt and debt repayments. Debt responsibility doesn't disappear when financial hard times hit. In my opinion the financial industry also have a role to play in helping in hard times. The problem is so complicated in my mind and for me, it's not just about austerity but zero hours, the huge shift towards self employment and stagnant wages in all sectors, to name a few.

Karmacat · 4 December 2017 at 7:29PM

Doveling wrote: »

Karmacat - I know what you mean but the new Rowntree report is out and it's set me off on one again!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Thanks Doveling! Much appreciated.

mardatha · 4 December 2017 at 10:13PM

I don't mean to sound bald lol, I just say what I think, because I know we're all friends in here. And friends are allowed to disagree as long as they are not hurtful. Although I can cope with hurtful if I have to.
Daz your dad was a good man !
Agree re the Rowantree report Doveling.
TS been Hitting the F here for a few months now and it's getting steadily worse. Apologies if I am rattier than usual recently, I'm getting seriously not amused. Hopefully life will re-balance itself for me soon.

[Deleted User] · 4 December 2017 at 10:43PM

fuddle wrote: »

The Welfare State can't take into account debt and debt repayments.

Nor can it take into account addiction, be that illegal drugs, nicotine, alcohol, gambling, or anything else for that matter.

There will always be people, who will put smoking, drinking, etc. ahead of feeding themselves and, in some cases, even their children.

These people wouldn't be able to budget for household needs, if they were on £1,000 a week.

What should we do about these people?

I'm damned if I know.

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THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)

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