Question for the preppers

[ShiftyOwl]

Hi preppers, I commend you for not being part of the current stockpiling crisis because you have plenty of stock.

Have any of you asked your elderly friends and neighbours if they need anything and are you offering them some of your stock?

This isn’t meant to be an aggressive question but just one that I hope I get a positive response to in terms of us helping one another.

My contribution is that I’ve got a food shop delivery next week and have asked my neighbours if they need me to add anything for them.

Apologies if this has already been asked.

My understanding is proper peppers let very few people, if anyone, in real life know they are one. Exactly to stop the demands of every far flu relative and friend you haven't heard from in a year.

Far flung* not flu. Covid on the brain!

Ive got ocd and my cupboards have been overflowing for 24 years! Ive helped out some elderly neighbours and my grown up DCs and their families, with essentials.

I'm a prepper and have a 91 year old neighbour I'm very fond of, and I would and will most certainly give her anything that she needs and can't get and that I happen to have. In fact I've had her in mind all the time I've been prepping.

And every time I talk to her I ask her if she needs anything.

Yes. I've offered loo roll to someone in my village fb group. I've also texted a friend of a friend in the village who I know is skint and unlikely to be able to stock up and told her to let me know if she needs anything.

Haven't got to that stage here atm but we offered our well water wich we had already boiled and cooled to al local neighbours last time we had an electricity an water shut off for afew days. I've brought bleach and have a few cardboard boxes in case we need ot drop off to our elderly neighbours, but have no idea if that will be needed yet.

We aren't real preppers in the UK sense but live remotely so I guess there is a bit more of a help each other feeling here anyway.

In my experience a lot of elderly people are preppers too, as they dont like waste.

I’m a low scale prepper... I’ve got enough to maybe survive on for a month. just. Which is standard.
I’ve been offering stuff to friends that have said they are running low.

I started prepping in January for myself and my elderly parents who have been in denial until this week. My nearest neighbours are abroad for the winter but I have been along to an elderly couple who live down my lane and have given them our phone numbers incase they need anything. Dh would pop out for anything they would want. I do not plan on sharing what I have prepped, we have a disabled dc, we are isolating as much as we can. We have enough to keep the 3 of us and my parents fed for around 2 months.

Yes. Not that I thought the extra bag of pasta, a few tins of soup and a packet of spare porridge we generally keep in the cupboard would ever come to count as "prepping". But then I watch an awful lot of Netflix, and pretty much all of the preppers featured are in the US, and they have the space to prep properly. Plus, you know, guns. (And no, I don't support guns, before I get jumped on.)

Yes I have high risk neighbours and I've given them a couple of packs of white bread mix, so they can make a couple of loaves when they need, as they were quite upset at the lack of bread in our local shops.

Just got a flyer through the door, three of my closest roads are setting up a WhatsApp group to help out and I'll volunteer. If it comes to it, yes I will share my supplies/time with those in need.

We do have guns and ammo, but not the end of the world kind more the we live in the wild kind

Nope
That's the whole point
I told everyone about 3 or 4 weeks ago what was coming and what to do to prepare
That's my effort done. Up to them what they did with the info.
This next stage is more focussed. I'll help. I'm volunteering, my kids will be volunteering, but I'm not sharing (family and very close friends excepted)

Wouldn’t call my self a prepper but I guess I always make sure I have enough in my house to last a couple of weeks (maybe a month) incase we are stuck at home due to weather mainly.

I haven’t been to a supermarket for weeks other than to get a loaf of bread. I get online shopping for fresh food, mainly meat and fruit. I grow my own veg and freeze it throughout the summer, at the moment I have rhubarb, leaks and broccoli available in the garden.

Of course if someone needed something that I have I would offer it. I have a few bags of pasta in the cupboard that I’m happy to gift to those who can’t find any in the shops (we don’t eat pasta often), I don’t have a massive pile of toilet rolls, probably enough for 2 weeks 😂.

I’m sure most people are willing to help others if they can. I’m just pleased that I haven’t had to go to a supermarket and panic buy. We use what we have, eat what we have in the cupboards and freezer even if it’s not recognisable 😂.

I think I come from a family of preppers, older people are good at it, I remember my nans store cupboard full of tins of ham, dry goods and tins of beans.

I don't prep properly but we have enough for about 3 weeks only needing to get milk in that time.
I do have some powdered milk for emergencies.

Just my neighbour, as we are good friends, she's a great person but never stocks up anything! However she is always there for us and we are similarly there for her if she needs anything. Other neighbours seem to be fine for the moment.

It's slightly annoying when people are prepared and use common sense to put stuff away, then those that dont bother expect you to give stuff to them. Like all the people who suddenly dont have any calpol. Isnt calpol or other liquid paracetamol, something you make sure you have in when you have small children?

Of course I've given stuff away. I prepped with various people in mind, including three elderly/vulnerable near-neighbours, and some entirely oblivious members of the big semi-blended extended family I am part of who have young DC. They thought I was a bit bonkers but now they don't.

But being 'right' gives me absolutely zero pleasure, and giving away some bog rolls and some beans and Dettol does not a care package make.

We are donating some items to a local group who will be making care packages. We don't have months and months worth but we have enough. You imagine being prepared will feel nice and safe but it doesn't.

not a hard core prepper but well stocked.
none of my friends or neighbors have said they were low on anything, i'm not good with "sharing" with non family but would happily shop for anyone unable to venture out.

One thing I guess all preppers are doing is shopping thoughtfully.

We (2 adults, 2 kids, 3 bug dogs) eat at least 3 bags of pasta week, This week when the anic started in my area I didn't buy any at all, I'll let it cal down a little first. Similary I skipped other things off my normall weekly list becase they were low in the shop, and bough other thins (esp frest veg and fruit) that were going off.

I hope it goes a little way to helping.

Also never thought of myself as a prepper and haven't bought anything in the last week or so that I wouldn't normally and/or that don't need.

But I've always been a stocker - someone who finds buying shampoo boring so used a 3 for 2 deal to buy 9 and be done with it. That kind of thing. The result is that we have plenty food and other things to last a few weeks if we had to.

Same with dog food. It's dull to buy so every few months I spend £££ and buy loads then work through it. Luck was that I had to buy some about 3 weeks ago so have enough for a few months.

The result is that I've had bits I can and have shared with others as needed. Though my bog roll cupboard looks a little bare now!

(sorry I seem to have some sticky keys . hope you got all that!)

Ps I can also make soap and have plenty of ingredient stocks so have been sharing soap with anyone who'll take it.