To feel totally overwhelmed about Be Prepared?

[Witchhunted]

Sorry im sure there are hundreds of posts about this but I used Search and couldn't find what I was lookimg for.

I'm not really looking for a conspiracy theory type discussion about whether something terrible is coming. I'm trying to keep really calm and thinking - we don't really know either way. But it seems sensible, on balance, that if lots of governments across the world are telling people to have a bit of a stash in plus some things like torches, radios etc - in the interest of my family I probably should. If I don't need it, hurray, and if whatever happens is too awful for a 1 week supply then...well, canned food will probably be the least of our worries.

SO my AIBU is just that I'm totally overwhelmed with what to get? I want to get a one off bulk shop really, with budget of max about £150. Would rather spend less because it's nearly Christmas and could do with that money elsewhere! We are a family of 2 adults, 2 teenagers. What would we need for 1 week that's vaguely palatable and wouldn't require either water or electricity to cook?? We do have an old school bbq so I guess if I get some bags of charcoal, could heat things on that if it isn't raining outside. Also - what can I get that will genuinely keep for a really long time as I stocked up for Covid and there was soooo much wastage; really don't want that situation again where everything just gets thrown out.

I've looked on the Preppers section but that all seems quite hardcore and survivalist! What does the absolute average Joe family buy who isn't prepping for the apocalypse, realistically won't survive a worst case scenario, but wants to be prepared if there are 1 week of power cuts etc? Specific brands, foods, recipes hugely appreciated!

I think it’s in case you loose them. Let’s say like flooding.

That way you have all the details at hand which should make it easier until you get some new ones.
Same reasons than you’re also advised to do that when travelling.

Waitrose strawberry jam is what you need.

We have done nothing to prepare although I suspect we have enough dried pasta, chopped tomatoes, soup tins to last months. Are we cooking on open fire in this scenario?

I think I'd like to have a few bottles of water as in the summer we didn't have power for a few hours and luckily we did have a few big bottles so I'd be happy to restock those.
I've never been able to get on board with panic buying and faux crisis. I think it creates a crisis like we saw during lockdown where there was no loo roll because people are nuts.

Bottles of water is sensible but everything else just feels ridiculous.

Ah yes that makes sense. I’ve put our copies and the “emergency household plan” in a plastic folder kept near the door so easy to grab in an emergency.

Tinned soup, tinned meatballs, dried noodles, cereal, uht milk, hotdogs, rice pouches, beans and sausages, oats, jam. Tea lights/torch. Gas stove? Bottled water. Crackers and shelf stable primula? Cup a soup, pot noodles.

You are impressive @CountCountington

I do find it very funny how many people on here are patronisingly and confidently talking about their well-stocked pantry meaning they have enough food for WEEKS - people talking about their pastas and grains etc - but the whole point is that this may leave us without power, and without warning, so it's just to have enough for 3 days of (admittedly mostly quite crap) food that can be eaten cold out of tins/packs. So it's a lot of beans, tinned fish, pickled things and condiments that will pep up a bland meal.

Those same people have had enough foresight to own/buy a camping stove, so that they can warm food, or cook pasta/rice in addition or instead of just eating cold beans out of the tin. Nothing really ‘very funny’ about it.

I don't trust the government to do anything useful at all. Much less feed and heat the entire population of England in the case of a major disaster, war or widespread utility and infrastructure failure.

Actually I’m just pretty anxious! And have two autistic boys who will struggle with any disruption, so I tend to be over-prepared to try and control as much as possible.

I'd love to hear what you stock up on. Veg here too (and I should be eating low carb but in times of scarcity the junky foods can become life savers). I often eat shelf-stable tofu, perfect for emergencies too.

You can get big bags of freeze dried mixed veg, add in some dried beans and pasta or rice.

Not sure you can speak for all of them given the confidence with which the former is stated without any mention of the latter, nor perhaps having enough gas (and indeed water) to see through meal after meal of grains and pasta, but absolutely of course some may do, which is great - but without that information in their own posts, not much help to the OP, is it?

I hear if you smear it at the threshold it will repel looters.

Absolutely. They couldn't even use an Excel spreadsheet properly in COVID, so unless it involves standing on the doorstep and clapping once a week, I would look elsewhere for usefulness.

The other thing that I have done recently is to start to collect power cut things in one place, so that the DC who are older now (and therefore more likely to be home alone) know where to look. Given how often they need me to find e.g. school bags, I have no faith in them being able to look in more than one location for torches and power banks.

That sounds absolutely delicious. Lunch sorted.

I think of it like putting your seat belt on and making sure the car’s insured. You don’t set off expecting to have an accident. You just do those things so you’re sorted if something does happen. It’s much the same at home.
I wrote a free guide for anyone in the UK who’s a bit worried and wondering where to start. Have a look if you fancy. You can pick out the bits that are useful to you and start there.
Free UK household preparedness guide (28-page PDF)

@SartreYou have faith in them after how they handled covid?

This to me makes a lot more sense than all the people who don't trust the government enough to take any notice of basic, standard issue disaster prep recommendations, but do trust them enough to believe all their basic needs would be met in the event of a disaster. A number of my loved ones fall into that category.

As per @iamnotalemon and poss others, I live in a country where challenging situations can arise very fast. I do not think it is beyond the means of anybody to ensure they can look after themselves for several days if needs must. (I know this is a sweeping generalisation) There was a water cut in my neighbourhood yesterday due to storm damage on the aqueduct - I always have 3 large bottles of water stashed, and I can tell you it goes fast ! I ordered more but it had sold out everywhere, as the cuts were citywide. My niece endured several stoppages by her water supplier during the UK summer, and they are a family of four.
Take out the stress from worrying about what you SHOULD have, and concentrate on getting the recommended provisions to manage in a crisis. Extra cans in a shop etc. Very useful tips in this thread. Do not panic buy !
A full freezer will not serve if there is a power cut, like the ones being hacked on the continent, or the massive grid failure in Spain last year.
My niece had to reassure her youngest that UK is not going "to war" but there are so many moving parts in the technology we rely on and a fragile food supply chain easily disrupted. And I'll see everyone else down the pub 😉

This site has a list of the amount of food an adult would need for 1 week: https://www.martat.fi/in-english/food-and-nutrition/stockpile/

This German website has great tips of things people may forget in their concern over stockpiling sufficient food/water (e.g. important paperwork, what a home medicine cabinet should contain etc): https://www.bbk.bund.de/EN/Prepare-for-disasters/Personal-Preparedness/Stockpiling/stockpiling_node.html

Exactly. I think if most people can fend for themselves for a few days, the government can focus on getting other things restored or just talking care of the vulnerable/those who are in need (say have been affected by a hurricane as an example), not those who are too lazy to do some prep.

As Scout Leaders we have quite a lot of the stuff suggested - camping stoves, warm sleeping bags, first aid stuff, lanterns etc. As a woman who likes to have a fully stocked cupboard we have plenty of food that can be eaten out of the tin/packet or cooked on the log burner or camp stoves.

When Covid was being whispered about, I started stocking up. DH mocked me but when we had to self isolate for a week (before the lockdowns started) he had to reluctantly agree that I was right! Obviously in that scenario we had power and water.

I’ve bought extra nappies, tinned tuna, tinned tomatoes, rice and pasta, coconut milk and some packets of jelly and tinned fruit. There’s not much you can keep long term that doesn’t require cooking, and I decided against tins of spam and corned beef as nobody in the house likes them and odds on the apocalypse doesn’t come and it’s wasted.

I basically bought extra of things we use and like anyway so I can rotate tins and replace as I get nearer the sell by date.