Prepping for Brexit thread

[Deleted User] · 4 March 2019 at 5:28PM

It might be a good idea to look for a solar lamp as back up in power cuts too, I've several including a solar lantern from Ikea called Solvinden, they stopped making the reading light style lamps called Sunnan a while ago but they pop up on eBay now and then. The good thing about solar is that once charged fully in the full sun I keep mine on the windowsill and the daylight keeps the batteries topped up so they are ready all the time. The daylight costs nothing so after the initial outlay the running costs are zero. For reading in power cuts a head torch that straps round your forehead is a very useful bit of kit too and leaves you two hands free to hold your book.

maryb · 4 March 2019 at 9:14PM

My take on it is it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it

The question is working out what you might need - hours of innocent amusement!

GreyQueen · 5 March 2019 at 7:38AM

Too right, maryb, on both comments above.

One thing prepping has taught me is to take note of when I open something and when it's used up, thus knowing my consumption of items.

One per month; 250g loose leaf tea, 1 litre olive oil, 1 litre honegar, 1 100g bar of soap,1 jg epsom salts, 1 tube toothpaste.

One per week: small jar olives, 150 ml bottle apple cider vinegar.
Fortnightly: 350g cheddar.

When you know the expected usage, you know what you will be using, and how much inventory it is possible to buy before things go OOD. If indeed they do go OOD at all. TP. f'rinstsance, or soap.

There are also effects on thrift. I bought 2 x 1 litre bottles of Ecover just over a year ago. Was going to refill them but at my healthfood shop where they came from, it's almost the same price for a refill as a new bottle.

I noticed that the packaging had changed radically since I last bought the product and was chuffed to see several bottles of the new design reduced from £2.50 to 62p just as I was running out of the old - I bought several.

:mad: Not so thrilled to note that the bottle contents of this product has now shrunk to 950 ml, no wonder they wanted a radical redesign to help hide that!

Soooo, buying extra now may save you money long term as packages mysteriously contract leeetle by leeetle.....

Karmacat · 5 March 2019 at 10:04AM

That's one thing I've never analysed properly, the regular useage. I know roughly, but not in an analytical sense

markin · 5 March 2019 at 11:07AM

Interesting video about food prices around the world.

start at 5min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfhCn7XPmHg

Zentimes · 5 March 2019 at 6:58PM

Got another 'Brexit sized' order in for my online shop on Friday, filling in the gaps.

I heard on the BBC news that 'one in 5' people are 'stockpiling' for Brexit (research done by Barclaycard), mainly tinned and dried foods. If next week's votes in Parliament (if we have them!) don't go well then I imagine more people will join in a rush for the shelves.

melanzana · 5 March 2019 at 7:43PM

I wish, I wish, that tinned corned beef tins had ring pulls.

I have had so many cuts from the regular tins with the key. But nevertheless have bought some for the cupboard. I love it.

I posted earlier about deciding to have just a week's supply in. So here's the list.

Corned beef,
Tuna
Red salmon
Baby potatoes
Tomato sauce and plum tomatoes
Tinned soup various flavours.

Pasta
Noodles
Cup a soup

Coffee mate (big big tin X2) as I cannot stomach UHT milk. Does the job for tea/coffee.
UHT for everyone else.

Butter
Olive Oil
Seasonings, herbs and dried garlic/onion etc.

Extra bread in freezer.

Already have portions of batch cooked stuff in the freezer.

2 x 5 litres of water in a big square bottle. Looks scary lol!

Cheese of course, three blocks of mature cheddar divided into portions. Not freezing them, they'll be fine.

Parmesan no freezing, will be fine.

M+S have lovely Pinot Grigio in a bag. Bought two, very extravagant but could be good to have!

One bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin and plenty of Tonic. See above!

OTC meds.

Have I forgotten anything?

I think we would survive a week on that. Well we shouldn't starve anyway.

DryTheRain · 6 March 2019 at 8:09AM

What an interesting thread this is! I've been prepping for a couple of months now, have more or less got the things I wanted from Aldi and the whole food store, and wanted to share a couple of ideas.

Firstly, I'd really recommend a visit to your local Polish/Eastern European store if you haven't already, specially for the large, cheap jars of preserved fruits and salads - I picked up 900g cherries for £1.79 - which could be very handy if fresh fruit/veg gets scarce or more expensive.

Asian grocers are always worth investigating too, with spices, pulses, nuts and dried fruit being particularly good value. My favourite thing is the big bags of popcorn kernels (because low carb) but they're an ideal extra for families as well, in fact everyone, popcorn always feels like a treat

On a more sombre note, I've been considering getting a landline phone and/or solar power bank so I can summon help if the electricity goes kerplunk (T1 diabetic). Would it be feasible to run a USB fridge off the latter? Any thoughts/suggestions much appreciated.

Primrose · 6 March 2019 at 10:05AM

I read in the press this morning that Italian olive oil producers are going to run out of home produced olive oil in April due to a combination of bad weather, insect pests and disease of olive trees so if that's on your "must have" list probably wise to stock up now .

euronorris · 6 March 2019 at 10:08AM

GreyQueen, you're good with growing stuff aren't you? I noticed that Lidl are selling offcuts of blackberry and raspberry bushes. Would they grow well in slightly shaded (but still gets a lot of sun for a large portion of the day), sheltered, area? I have some space in the border. The earth is rather clay like round here.

Also, I wouldn't buy the raspberry one as work colleague has a raspberry bush and has offered to bring in an offcut. With regards to blackberries, there are loads that grow round here (I did a LOT of foraging last year and made tonnes of jam etc), could I just take a snip off one myself and stick it in the ground??

On another note, pleased to see my pea, beetroot and swiss chard seeds have sprouted already! I only sowed them on Saturday!

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Prepping for Brexit thread

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