No panic sensible prepping for second lockdown

[Etinox]

This is not an alarmist thread, I hope there’s not a second lockdown & I’m not planning anything which will involve waste or depriving others. It’s more an accountability and planning thread. Whatever happens I’m very likely to woh and live in central London with 2 adults (last time 2 more adults returned- this is unlikely to happen this time until christmas). Lots of what others are doing (basics like milk pasta loo roll, I don’t need) not navigating school closures, nappies & baby milk etc. Last time bumbling DH accompanied me, standing too close to other people in busy town centre and buying a big bag of smelly rice which were still working through. Today I’m leaving him at home and planning on getting the following in, I’m not going to queue for anything- I’ll do without.
Clear out freezer, we have a tiny one but I reckon I could make space for better supplies. We also have garage space- buy another freezer?
Coal it’s cold this time round and having a warm fire/ glowing ritual will make the evenings better
Cash out particularly lots of £2 coins to tip amazon delivery
Eyebrows/ pedicure not sure whether this is justifiable but I want to support my local traders and it’d be a treat
Baking cook up last of windfalls for crumble for next door and fil who we’ll visit tomorrow and sit in his garden.
Find and wash all the lovely reusable
masks I bought a month ago and have 2 left
Spend £20 in Poundland if there’s not a queue last lockdown I was visiting fortnightly for £5 of materials for work needs but I could get ahead.
Buy solpadeine not for covid but I get through a packet a fortnight
Check household goods we’re running low on. Nothing obvious, I’d like to get a big bag of potatoes in but that would involve asking fil to get them as village shop shut tomorrow- keep an eye out for stores locally with big bags outside
Other prep I've done is car full of petrol, we have food in, but maybe book supermarket delivery for 10 days time? Have stamps.
Please add your own suggestions and/ or use this as your accountability thread.

@pilort I really am trying to avoid panic buying- the thread is about prepping more generally.
For eg. from this thread I realised I can do Poundland Online which means I will do the order for work+ some postage bags. Last time I spent too long in post offices queuing for bags and boxes then going outside to pack then queuing again, this time round I’ll pack at home then just drop.
Ditto the realisation that it’s best to go into town on Monday after seeing aged p’s tomorrow, not today.
I don’t have little dcs but H&M snowsuits and waterproofs are great and cheap. I’d definitely be getting those + wellies if I was facing an outside winter with small dc

But what is the difference? You say you are looking at buying another freezer to fill presumably with food. I'm genuinely confused. There was a thread last week & people said preppers started last year or after Brexit.

If I fill my freezer up with food today when I wasn't necessarily planning too am I panic buying?

I've just made sure we have plenty of frozen and tinned stuff in, a couple of pints of milk and a loaf of bread in the freezer and a couple of boxes of paracetamol in the drawer at all times. There's just me and DH and we don't have family or close friends local (we are in local lockdown already) so I want to make sure if we need to isolate at any point and ask neighbours to pick up stuff for us we are not troubling them too much and can just ask them to pick up milk/bread rather than a full shopping list!

Although we are in lockdown here and have been for a few weeks I've had absolutely no issue with being able to get stuff, shops are totally normal apart from one day the other week where Tesco had run out of paracetamol. I'm trying to just shop once a week again at the moment, we had gone back to shopping several times a week but with covid rates rising locally it's an easy thing to cut back on for us to reduce contact/spread.

I've already stocked up on wine for Christmas with an offer from Laithwaites, and have gone through my Christmas cupboard and worked out I won't need to buy wrapping paper etc this year as I bought some in the JL sale last year for next to nothing, very pleased about that!

Half of my tooth has cracked off, and no chance of an appointment here unfortunately!

I generally keep things topped up, so have kept on top of those items, especially ones that emptied the shelves at lockdown, so I won't need to join the panic buyers.

I've reviewed our first aid and flu/cold remedy items.

Gone through my clothes and decided there's nothing I can't do without until spring. Others might need items soon and want to avoid shopping if numbers increase more.

I don't normally worry about xmas until mid November. Numbers are relatively low here, but creeping up and I really don't want to be shopping if we've got high numbers, so I've decided to get prepared. Luckily I have cards and wrapping paper from last year. I raided Boots at 9am this morning and bought lots of gifts on 3for2 for family and friends. Aiming to buy any extras like wine, chocolate in the week. That'll just leave cards and presents for DH, DM, DD, as well as some M&S clothes for my elderly Uncle and Aunt (we won't be seeing them this xmas, so needs to go in post).

Our freezer needs defrosting, so I'm running it down in the hope it can be refilled end October. During November, I'll make sure I've got turkey crown, salmon, pizza and sauage rolls in there for xmas. Also, starting to buy items like pickle, crisps as I can't face the one way system with a massive shop to do.

I've got plenty of books to read, have bought spring bulbs for the garden as I love seeing them and DH and I are both trying out new recipes regularly. Bikes have just been serviced and we're prepared for cold winter walks.

My mental health prepping I started during the last lock down and continued over the summer. I've now got soft lamps, cushions, rug and blankets around the house. Fluffy boot slippers and found my old giant dressing gown. I've started using Audible during my commute and to listen to books in general. I've treated myself to a weighted blanket after trying out a friend's which is amazing and helps when I'm feeling stressed and anxious. I also rediscovered puzzles this year and have built up a cache of them if I need them.

just keeping topped up and rotating what we already have. do need more lightbulbs though.

@pilort

If I fill my freezer up with food today when I wasn't necessarily planning too am I panic buying?

It’s more a mulling thread. I wasn’t sharp elbowed out first thing clearing the shelves off capol and loo roll. It’s more what more can I do to avoid having to go out and buy stuff. An example I loved my Nespresso machine and don’t buy nestle so throughout lockdown I’d regularly buy 20 packs of pods from lidl. When the machine broke I didn’t replace it and now buy one order of lavazza a month & use it in a French press One day I’ll replace the pod machine but just now I don’t want to have to go out more than I have to. Re the freezer, I often don’t buy 2/1 deals and I don’t batch cook because I don’t have space. If I’m going to get a freezer some time over the next few years it seems sensible to at least consider if now is a good time.

@ ifonly4 get some clove oil just in case.

@IamnotaStepfordHousewife

My mental health prepping I started during the last lock down and continued over the summer. I've now got soft lamps, cushions, rug and blankets around the house. Fluffy boot slippers and found my old giant dressing gown. I've started using Audible during my commute and to listen to books in general. I've treated myself to a weighted blanket after trying out a friend's which is amazing and helps when I'm feeling stressed and anxious. I also rediscovered puzzles this year and have built up a cache of them if I need them.

Do you mind me asking where you got your weighted blanket? I'm thinking of getting one.

Mela is the company I got it from. 11kg is super heavy. I got the 9kg one.

Sorry 7kg

Wait, what now? You tip the Amazon delivery drivers?

Also, won't eyebrow places shut if there's a second lockdown?

I’m making sure we all have thermals, wet weather coats and gloves. I’ve also got fingerless gloves for working at home. I’m not going to freeze but I’m not going to have the heating on all day every day either.

Food wise we’re generally stocked up, I had a plan in for brexit and I’ve never let stocks dwindle. We usually run on one open and one in the cupboard but have upped that to two since stocks recovered. We generally buy for next week with regard to wipes/ pull ups/ loo roll.

Dentist appointments are booked for half term. Biggest will get a flu shot at school, littlest I had a letter for an appointment this morning, so that’s Monday’s job.

I need to stock up on church candles for the hurricane lanterns, and we’ve got loads of wax melts.

I’ve been to home bargains/b&m for craft and sticker book type stuff once a month over the summer. I finally got yellow powder paint in my baker Ross Halloween order. I ordered some more early readers for Christmas presents but don’t think they’re suitable so the shelves have been topped up.

Halloween stuff was bought as soon as it came in the shops as I thought this was the way we were heading. The kids Christmas presents are all in the loft, along with wrapping paper from a Costco run a few weeks ago.

I’ve just had a heated throw delivered and it’s amazing! The kids were topped up on wet weather gear and wellies over the summer and when Lidl did their offers recently.

I could knock together a Christmas dinner from what’s in the freezer now, I want to pick up a couple of bake kits for the kids as they live them.

@Janevaljane

Wait, what now? You tip the Amazon delivery drivers?

Also, won't eyebrow places shut if there's a second lockdown?

If you can, do tip delivery drivers. They work under almost modern slavery conditions, often renting the vans and with unreachable targets and untenable rules More info

@Janevaljane (love the name) “ Also, won't eyebrow places shut if there's a second lockdown?” I think they might hence wondering whether to go this weekend.

Where do you order your coffee from op?

@Cheesypea Amazon 😳
Did I mention I tip the driver? 😉

Well I did not know that. Thank you.

You say you live in central London but you have a garage, windfalls, coal and a village shop?

Tbh, in central London you don’t need to prep very much as there’s an abundance of supermarkets etc. If you live in a rural village I can see the logic.. especially if we get snow this year!

Good price thx

@Stircrazyschoolmum the village shop is in elderly relatives village. Haven’t seen them for a month and visiting tomorrow as if we’re locked down soon I’d rather sit in their garden now than in November. We’re zone 2 so not super central and yes, shops are multitudinous but I’d still rather avoid daily trips.
I’ve done 2 more ‘being prepared’ avoiding the word prep as it’s like a red rag to a bull here things today. Booked a tip place for 10 days time as returning dc has created a lot of extra mess and vet trip as elderly dog feels the cold and gets quite stressed, hope to get her something calming.

Itsabeautifuldayheyhey

You tip Amazon drivers?

Yes since I watched Ken Loach film

That film was aimed at DPD and their practises. It's pretty spot on tbh.

@gamerchick

Itsabeautifuldayheyhey

You tip Amazon drivers?

Yes since I watched Ken Loach film

That film was aimed at DPD and their practises. It's pretty spot on tbh.

I’m not checking their contracts and tbh often packages are just left on the doorstep, but if I have a stash of £2 coins it’s more likely to happen.