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Main site > Forums > Household & Travel > Old Style MoneySaving > THE Prepping thread - a new beginning :)
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      MrsLurcherwalker
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    • By MrsLurcherwalker 5th Jul 18, 5:08 PM
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      What's this?

    MrsLurcherwalker
    FUDDLE made some microwave heated WHEATY BAGS a few years ago which were most reasonable from scraps of material and a bag of wheat/rice/pearl barley from the health food shop. You can get a small bottle of essential oil of your choice of smell and drop a little on the bag and they take 1 minute in the microwave and stay warm for a good half an hour. You have to damp them slightly after each dozen or so heatings to keep the grains inside from overheating but a little mister bottle does that well.

    You can make smaller sized bags that are super as hand warmers when you come back frozen in the colder months too.
    Thumpers mum was right - if you can't find anything nice to say don't say anything at all!

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      mardatha
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    • By mardatha 5th Jul 18, 5:25 PM
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      What's this?

    mardatha
    Just finished a month of living on half the grocery bill we are used to. Dropped over £100 a week and had to make drastic changes, and glad to say it has worked and I'm reasonably happy. Menu plans helped a lot, and the cupboards/freezer did the rest. Still not hit the bottom of freezer yet.
    Only prob has been having to drop home delivery online shopping - I find it hard getting round a whole big supermarket at any time and now with the shoulder/arm out of action it will be worse. But then that's why we keep husbands eh

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      GreyQueen
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    • By GreyQueen 5th Jul 18, 5:33 PM
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      What's this?

    GreyQueen
    “
    Just finished a month of living on half the grocery bill we are used to. Dropped over £100 a week and had to make drastic changes, and glad to say it has worked and I'm reasonably happy. Menu plans helped a lot, and the cupboards/freezer did the rest. Still not hit the bottom of freezer yet.
    Only prob has been having to drop home delivery online shopping - I find it hard getting round a whole big supermarket at any time and now with the shoulder/arm out of action it will be worse. But then that's why we keep husbands eh
    Originally posted by mardatha ”
    Yeah, since they abolished slavery, one has to make do as best one can with hubbies as pack mules, hey?
    Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.
     John Ruskin
     Veni, vidi, eradici
    (I came, I saw, I kondo'd)

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    • By MrsLurcherwalker 5th Jul 18, 5:40 PM
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    Crikey ladies He Who Knows is ALLERGIC to shopping! are you trying to kill him off?
    Thumpers mum was right - if you can't find anything nice to say don't say anything at all!

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    • By Money_mess 5th Jul 18, 6:58 PM
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    Money_mess
    Thanks Capella. I hadn't thought of a first aid kit at the allotment though I had thought I need to take sun cream to take and leave there. Will get that sorted. In fact I got stung by some nettles last week and wished I had some antihistamine cream there. As hadn't done my kit for the car yet.

    A friend of mine told me she has an app with photos of all her important documents on, I think i need to look into that . She has her daughter's prescriptions on there which would be a good idea for me as my daughter has asthma.

    We have quite a few blankets and we have torches. A few in the house and two in the car. I need to make a box of winter prep like hot water bottles, candles, matches.
    It's a case of doing it gradually but we will get there.

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    • By MrsLurcherwalker 5th Jul 18, 7:00 PM
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      What's this?

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    Physical photocopies in a waterproof packet inside a fireproof box would be more useful than a phone ap, what if the electricity was out and your phone ran out of battery life and your power pack had all been used up? Much better to have actual copies of important documentation to hand.
    Thumpers mum was right - if you can't find anything nice to say don't say anything at all!

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    • By GreyQueen 5th Jul 18, 7:01 PM
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      What's this?

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    “
    Crikey ladies He Who Knows is ALLERGIC to shopping! are you trying to kill him off?
    Originally posted by MrsLurcherwalker ”
    He is cast from the same mould as me, then. After shopping for a computer and a phone in the same week, I still feel so rattled that I need to go on a retreat. Or take a sauna to get the Shopping Germs off me.


    I told my friendly neighbourhood chazzer manager that I'd had to go into New Shops and buy New Things. He widened his eyes in horror and shared a commiserating shudder at the horror of it.


    ETA; Hi and welcome aboard, Money-mess. I'd second MrsLW's comment about hardcopies. Smartphones are energy hogs and you easily could end up with your phone off due to a flat battery, or otherwise lost/stolen/broken and then you'd be stuffed. On UK Preppers, I think it was, someone was posting about being snowed in on a main road earlier this year. He had a powerbank to supply extra charge to his phone and was able to charge other motorists' phones up for them.


    A button phone will hold a charge for a long time compared to these energy hogging smartphones and you could still use it to call for assistance/ ring your rellies and assure them you're OK, just delayed.



    I think it's a good idea to have hardcopy of anything important, and a duplicate hardcopy off-site for valuable and irreplacable documents. We hope you never lose your home to fire or flood but having your docs backed up the old fashioned way could be invaluable. If you have receipts and photos of your possessions off site, it will be a lot easier fpr proof-of-loss for an insurance claim, too.
    Last edited by GreyQueen; 05-07-2018 at 7:10 PM. Reason: to add a bit
    Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.
     John Ruskin
     Veni, vidi, eradici
    (I came, I saw, I kondo'd)

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    • By ancientofdays 6th Jul 18, 8:02 AM
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      What's this?

    ancientofdays
    I don't often go shopping as OH likes doing it. He has a list. The list is organised not in categories of items needed but in the order in which he travels around the sm and this seems to work well until the sm inevitably reorganises stock at which point he becomes crabby in the extreme. I just whizz in from time to time to check out the Y'S bits, also to get what he was too crabby to find post reorganisation.
    I was jumping to conclusions and one of them jumped back

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    • By DigForVictory 6th Jul 18, 11:39 AM
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      What's this?

    DigForVictory
    Himself claims to hate supermarkets, but that fortunately will not kill him when the offspring have sprung off.

    I might, but prepping includes a robust alibi.

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    • By fuddle 6th Jul 18, 2:46 PM
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      What's this?

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    Just as a heads up UK supermarkets are recalling packets of frozen vegetables due to concerns over listeria. I'll go try find a link.

    UK supermarkets recall frozen vegetables over listeria outbreak fears | The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/aldi-lidl-iceland-sainsburys-tesco-waitrose-recall-frozen-vegetables-listeria-outbreak-a8434571.html
    Last edited by fuddle; 06-07-2018 at 2:48 PM.
    Please don't judge my story by the chapter that you walked in on.
    .

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    • By jk0 6th Jul 18, 3:24 PM
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      What's this?

    jk0
    Flaming banks eh?
    Recently my 2% five year fixed savings account at the Halifax matured, and they asked would I like another fix at 0.55%. Err, no, I'll have my money back please. I completed the form & sent it off, and received a further letter from Halifax this week. They claimed that 'They did not have my signature on record, so could I go into my local branch and take my id?'

    Bit frustrated, but I cooperated on Wednesday and paid £1.70 for an hour's parking.

    The branch were mystified by the id request when I told them I'd had the account for 5 years. They were unable to send the money to my bank whose details I gave them on my form, and said I would have to take a cheque.

    A further faff about, and finally I walked out of there with a bank draft. I immediately posted it to my bank, but they say they did not receive it.

    WTF? I think I'm going to have to sue someone if it does not show up soon.

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    • By MrsLurcherwalker 6th Jul 18, 3:45 PM
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    Thanks FUDS that's a fairly comprehensive list of products from many of the big name supermarkets, we only have one product on the list and that's some Iceland Mixed Veg and we've already eaten some of it and were fine so I'll finish it off. I think I'll stock to fresh and seasonal for a while though, Oh what a good thing I have so many beans and courgettes, just when I was thinking I'd got too many!
    Thumpers mum was right - if you can't find anything nice to say don't say anything at all!

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    • By DigForVictory 6th Jul 18, 3:52 PM
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      What's this?

    DigForVictory
    Uncertain whether this will save the planet or just come in handy as an eco-warrior weapon, but I was mildly impressed by St Martin's championing of reducing plastic waste & obtained reusable drinking straws with useful brushes.

    I have to say I am impressed & have stashed a couple plus cleaning brush into workbag. Mostly as they do exactly what they purport to do, but also, who would have thought you could file an edge onto the curve making a nifty little gouge, icepick or otherwise gerrof-my-kit tool?

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    • By ivyleaf 7th Jul 18, 12:09 PM
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    ivyleaf
    DFV I almost clicked on "Buy now", but then realised we don't really use drinking straws anyway a really good idea though.

    jk0 Allow me to say GGGRRRR! on your behalf

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    • By MrsLurcherwalker 8th Jul 18, 11:55 AM
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    I read in the paper last week that cereal crops might be very sparse this year if we don't get some rain to 'swell' the grains on the stalk, we've just driven round a couple of lanes bounded by cereal crops of one kind and another and the look completely ripe and golden. If the seed hasn't developed there could be a shortage of staples like flour, pearl barley and feed wheat for livestock this coming winter. I think when it cools down and we've moved I may do what MAR does and give over an entire drawer of my freezer to storing flour and oatmeal.
    Thumpers mum was right - if you can't find anything nice to say don't say anything at all!

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    • By DigForVictory 8th Jul 18, 3:28 PM
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    And on a water-related but completely sideways note, I am watching riveted as news of the Thai lads rescue from the cave is being reported.
    4 reported out by 15:38, and a break for the team to recover before they go back for the remaining 8 & coach. (Whether the feeblest or the huskiest were brought first is ongoing debate - I wish the lads well with it in coming decades.)

    Who have all been having scuba & swimming lessons, these not being footballer requirements. It would appear basic risk assessment was a bit sketchy too, but that can be gone into, in depth, after all 13 are out & complaining that they aren't able to focus on their footy as everyone keeps talking about the blinking cave...
    Last edited by DigForVictory; 08-07-2018 at 3:56 PM.

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    • By westcoastscot 8th Jul 18, 8:45 PM
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    I've probably missed the discussion :-) but have we any thoughts on food prices/availability post-brexit (should it actually happen) ?
    Have limited financial capacity now for prepping, making it even more important!!
    WCS

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    • By kittie 9th Jul 18, 7:27 AM
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    MrsLW cereal crops are looking very good, everyone was surprised but grain yields are high. Winter barley is in process of being taken in and is so dry that the grain dryers are hardly on, farmers are very happy. Silage has been taken and so has hay, farmers are in for a bumper crop to see us all through winter. I am storing nothing, no grains need to be bought in bulk and stored. Papers scare mongering as always


    Farmers are also very happy at the dry weather as fungus is not prevalent this year and much less spraying and consequent cost

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    • By lucielle 9th Jul 18, 8:26 AM
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    lucielle
    Kittie


    A lot of the farmers are having to feed this years silage crops as their isn't enough grass to keep the stock going. As the grass isn't growing they are also struggling to get second and third crop silage in. I think we're all in for a tricky winter. Also the silage they have taken hasn't got the bulk as the grass hasn't grown.


    I'll go back to lurking
    L
    Total Debt Dec 07 £59875.83 Overdrafts £2900,New Debt Figure ZERO !!!!!! 08/06/2013
    Lucielle's Daring Debt Free Journey
    DFD Before we Die!!!! Long Haul Supporter #124

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    • By Karmacat 9th Jul 18, 9:16 AM
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      What's this?

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    “
    I've probably missed the discussion :-) but have we any thoughts on food prices/availability post-brexit (should it actually happen) ?
    Have limited financial capacity now for prepping, making it even more important!!
    WCS
    Originally posted by westcoastscot ”
    It's mostly the little pleasures, for me, though I do have one problem because of dairy intolerance. I need goats/sheeps milk, not cows - and most of the affordable cheese comes from the EU area.

    Otherwise, its olive oil. And Waitrose Essential Olives (pitted, in brine, 50p per 100g ).

    Seriously though, we currently import 40% or so of our food? Maybe half that is from the EU? It will almost certainly be more expensive, so extra stocking up will probably be a good thing - but we don't know when those price rises will take place, so its a guessing game. And a tough one, when, as you say, financial capacity is limited. I'm retired now, with no active pension, so cash flow is not the problem for me that it is for other low-income folks, so I really might stock up on a few things.
    Retired August 2016

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