Do we actually need to get two weeks of food in?

A couple of times a year I go through our first aid kits and medicine cabinets.

Usually it is at the beginning of spring - a good opportunity to top up painkillers after cold and flu season, top up / replace antihistamines and suncream etc.

Before summer holidays - thorough check of first aid kit before going away, how bad has the hayfever season been, do we need more antihistamines /suncream? Also check through diarrhoea and sickness meds, travel sickness tablets, rehydration tablets

This time of year it's checking painkillers, cold and flu tablets, decongestants, saline sachets for nasal flushes and menthol sweets. I favour dispersible paracetamol through the winter for sore throats and make sure we all have vitamin D supplements.

We keep a stock of water, we are on the priority list with our water company (definitely check if you are eligible) this means that we get water delivered if there is issue with our supply. We have some left from a previous issue. Last winter we had reduced water supply due to a burst water main that cut off our estate. It took them 4 weeks to fix. We had very low- no water supply for a couple of days on and off (we got deliveries on these days). They were able to do a temporary fix of bypassing the leak and pump water into the estate for the following couple of weeks whilst they could do the full repair. We had water but it was reduced pressure which was especially noticeable at "peak" times

It's never a bad idea to build a bit of resilience into your life tbh whether that be a couple of extra loo rolls and a bag of pasta or a bit of cash in a drawer.
We all have times when for one reason or another things are difficult. Having something to fall back on can be the difference between a bit of a hiccup and disaster.

No, you absolutely don't need to. Those of us who choose to follow the advice just feel it's a wise thing to do, given the current state of world affairs.

Ministers have confirmed that a formal public‑resilience campaign is being developed. This includes advising households to keep basic supplies such as tinned food and bottled water in case of emergencies.

The aim is for households to be able to look after themselves for the first stretch of an emergency, freeing emergency services to focus on the most vulnerable.

It's very much a you do you thing.

I put newly purchased things behind what is already in the cupboards so stock rotates naturally, ie we take the oldest first which is front of shelf. Likewise batch cooking in the freezer, newest stuff goes under the ones already there. I have a habit of checking use by dates when I shop anyway even for tins and packets as some shops seem to buy in short dated stuff, I.e B&M bargains and Iceland in particular where some packets and tins may only have a few weeks shelf life compared to usually several months in the main supermarkets.

If you are thinking of buying extras make sure you check what you have in the cupboard and the bb dates before you order anything extra.
I normally have a quick check but today I went through my cupboards properly (freezer tomorrow). It's quite eye opening.
It just means that when I do stock up I won't be wasting money on things I already have or actually don't use.

Yes, those were the ones I got. Individually wrapped flannels. Most used thing I’ve bought, during the years.

wet wipes are a great idea but I do find they dry out even if unopened so another thing that needs rotating. Maybe the single wrapped ones are better?

Ooh great idea. Always up for any advice what to add, thank you!

They look good. We have a wholesaler that gets really random things in day to day so I’ll keep an eye there. It’s like the random middle isle of Aldi 😂

It’s these ones if I google, but sadly can’t find any similar.

zambia.desertcart.com/products/49550503-individually-wrapped-adult-wet-wipes-large-face-and-body-wipes

I bought those individually wrapped wet towels/flannels a couple of years ago. They are great when traveling, but I can’t find them anymore on amazon. You can wash and reuse for other things too if you want. Truly great.

Just checked, they are called Challenge state, premium face & body toilettes. A life saver when out. Will google.

In homebargains the other week they had deodorant wipes for 49p so I grabbed some for the bathroom for anyone who feels a bit stinky when visiting also in the camping cupboard because I don’t like aerosols by the tent. Could be good in a stash.

@SparklingTurquoiseOcean wet wipes? Great if no water.

I have an absolute shit creek emergency box under my bed. Off the top of my head there is a big bag of pasta, passata, chopped tomatoes, large bottles of water, cat food, paracetamol, sanitary towels, toilet roll, super noodles, long life milk, tea bags, tinned peaches, tinned potatoes, tinned tuna, baked beans, Batteries, water purifying tablets and a small amount of cash tucked in there for essentials if we can get out. We are campers so have a camping gas oven, kettle and torches and candles and we have hot water bottles and weighted blankets in the winter anyway. All my stash is cheap own brands just added on top of my weekly shop here and there so it doesn't add up too much in one go. I do try to live by the mantra of replacing anything used in the cupboard immediately when funds permit. None of this is tin hat wearing stuff, it wouldn't last long in a huge emergency but you just never know what's around the corner, power cut, flood, snow, Illness, etc.

Isn’t it interesting how @ducksterr started this whole thread, but has not engaged in it even once?

Very similar to all the other 5 threads about this subject, where the OP is oh so worried, but never actually returns to their own thread.

Apple cider is a big thing where I live, it’s mostly alcohol free (well 0,3 or something..) and many farmers make their own local cider.They are really nice most of them.

I’d guess getting the liquor license.

They do apple juice and use the apples in their sausages and burgers.

Though maybe it’s something they have in the pipe line and haven’t told us yet.

That is a bargain with the apples!

I wonder why they don’t make their own apple cider instead to sell..

It’s tough out there for famers. So I get why some diversify

We camp at a working farm so they have given up two fields for us campers and they have converted some old barns into rental cottages. Subsidises the farm to keep it ticking.

Our local farm has been holding apple picking / pear picking days £10 a car full of people pick as much as you want. Which is crazy when you think about it but it must be more than the shops are willing to pay for around the same quantity. They do their own butchering, cheese, milk and ice cream and offer bbq hosting. Make some amazing sausages if I do say so haha.

Quite.

Here I know some farmers shut down their farms and rented their fields out to festivals. They said they make more money on having a big festival for one week during summer than they do farming!

It’s actually really worrying news.

The underwater cable thing is quite concerning on its own. It’s why it stupid that as a country we are so dependent of others for so many things.

Farmers fields being turned into housing and solar farms. No new water reservoirs for years despite growing populations. Shutting down and dismantling our gas storage.

Which is a lot.

That’s really how most of my prep as such works but will obviously work great in most situations.

What if next month we had no money and had to survive on what’s in the house till a new job / benefits kicked in.

Mainly because I grew up in a house that was surviving on benefits only. Lamb roll stew with tinned potatoes and piss water liquid consistency, those weird turkey joints from Iceland that looked like a blob of meat, £2 boxes of 24 burgers with frozen seeded buns. I mean we survived but I’d rather always be stocked up to try and avoid that situation myself. Provident lady at the door 🫣 the mutual man and a neighbour who did catalogs.