Hell is ever closer - part 2

[SistemaAddict]

Following on from the previous thread.

Hell is ever closer-how's your stash looking? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/eureferendumm2016/3646002-hell-is-ever-closer-how-s-your-stash-looking

oh shit.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49487770 flu vaccine is likely to be delayed and not in sufficient quantities.

@flouncyfanny , we often have a big ant problem and its success is patchy. But the bastards got deaded in my beautiful compost bin.

@OhYouBadBadKitten , I have MS and dh has asthma, we both get it offered automatically. I'll keep my eye on it.

@flouncyfanny thank you. PM'd back. X

I'm on immunosupressants, so also get offered it. Will see what happens.

And a big thank you to @OhYouBadBadKitten . And best wishes to everyone who needs a flu jab.

I was wrestling with my conscience with that, I didn't want to hasten any shortages for others, but I guess I do fall into a vulnerable group as my gp makes sure I know on a regular basis.

RE Yoghurt, I have an old flask I use. Just throw in a couple of tbsp of yoghurt and couple of tbsp of dried milk powder, a carton of UHT all into a smaller container (I use an old open neck drink bottle from the kids). Then place the drink bottle/container into the flask filled with boiled kettle water. Close flask. Leave overnight and you get fresh yoghurt in the morning.

I am too lazy to faff with boiling etc!

I'm feeling a bit stressed out. I had a stash for March, but obviously Brexit never happened then.

I've recently had to move for a new job (NQT job so everything had to be planned months ahead), so I ate my last stash, lived with my parents over the summer (to save money) and just moved into my new flat. I did a small shop today and bought a few extras (e.g. pasta, sauce, tins) and have just done a big shop online including store cupboard staples and big packs of toilet roll etc.

But I have limited time to build up my stash and limited money- I do have savings but I'm not willing to touch them for this, so essentially I've had no income since 1st July and won't get paid until end September. I have enough to live on for a "normal" month, and do have access to credit should things get really problematic, so that's ok. I also need to buy some new household stuff (e.g. microwave).

I also have limited freezer space and no way to expand this between now and October.

I will try to add a few extra bits onto my shops between now and October, but I'm not sure how much I will be able to build up in the next month.

At the moment, I have or have ordered:

Pasta x1 pack
Sauce x1 large jar
Baked beans, x 2 tins
Jam x 1 Jar
Honey x 1 Jar
Rice x 1 pack
Frozen Veg x 1kg
Curry Sauce x 1 Jar
Peanut Butter x 2 Jars
Sugar x 500g
Flour x 1.5kg
Olive Oil
Toilet Roll
Kitchen Towel
Some other random tins of stuff that might be awful but will probably be better than starving.

I think in my next shop I will get some UHT milk and cereal as well as some more spices for cooking anyway. In the last week of October I'll try and buy some bread to freeze- I don't know if this is leaving it too late.

Realistically with a demanding job I won't have time to search around everywhere for food, and I live in a part of the UK that I reckon could be a low priority for food delivery as we're pretty rural and not on the way to anywhere. I probably won't have time to cook loads from scratch either- although I can bake. I don't know what a realistic amount of food is to aim for.

I don't think I will be able to stock up on stuff like make-up and shampoo, so I will have to make do with what (if anything) is available.

I'm also a bit worried about there being power-cuts and not being able to cook anything- do people have ideas for shelf stable stuff that can be eaten without heating?

I will admit that I am basically properly panicking right now, and I don't really know what to buy/do!

It terms of power cuts, the only things we have are a charcoal bbq and a camping stove - not ideal for winter!

I'm hoping to get extra charcoal just in case, but fingers crossed power won't be a problem.

ideas for shelf stable stuff that can be eaten without heating?

Deep breaths, don't panic! I know how you feel, this can seem pretty overwhelming. There are still a lot of choices even if not that appetising, if you're in an emergency.

Tinned fruit (yes I know only so much of that one can eat)
Tinned fish like sardines, mackerel, salmon, tuna
Tinned veg (yes not that nice but in an emergency...)
Cold baked beans
Biscuits, chocolate, cereal

However there's another angle to that because preppers often have other ways of generating heat, such as BBQs, wood burners, etc. as alternatives. I myself do not have any of those things so it would be cold tinned veg for me!

As for how much to get in, think about what you eat each day and try to draw up a list of items for a week. Then multiply that by how ever many weeks you want to stock up for. Start with just a couple of weeks, just by doing that you'll feel more in control and organised.

If you have limited power/ means of boiling water outside couscous or mug shots will work for a quick warm meal made with boiling water.

Focus on likely problems not unlikely ones. Power cuts are not likely unless you are in NI (the grid is set up differently) . Don't panic about the slim possibility of power cuts.
There are such things as MREs which stands for something that I can't remember. They are self heating meals and are really really expensive.
If you have access to a garden you can think about getting a little camping stove - only to be used outside. But I don't think that is necessary and may just wind you up.

@CrunchyCarrot

Thank you for the reply! I'd probably eat more tinned fruit than tinned fish- tinned fish is one of the few things I might actually starve before eating! For some reason I didn't know that tinned mixed veg could be eaten raw, so that's useful to know.

I'm trying not to buy things like biscuits yet, as if I have them in the house then I'll probably eat them- but biscuits and crackers are a good idea.

Unfortunately, I live in a flat so don't have the option to BBQ!

A lot of the stuff I usually eat would be fresh and kept in the fridge e.g. meat, cheese, salads, then cooked with pasta/rice/as a stir fry, eggs in an omelette and so on. So I'm trying to find ways to replicate this without having much freezer space :(

Hopefully, though, any power cuts will be short lived enough that I won't have to eat cold baked beans, cold tinned veg, and peanut butter from the jar!

Thanks for the other suggestions too, sorry I cross posted!

WRT power outages though, I'm also on a key meter (not my choice, but I think it'll be too much hassle to try and get it removed). There aren't many places I can walk to and top it up, so if for any reason I don't want to walk through town, or the shops which do top ups close for any reason, then I could end up with no power.

I know these scenarios probably aren't hugely likely, but it's good to think I could survive for a day or two if they did happen!

If you're new to the property it shouldn't be too much hassle to change the meter. Ring your supplier and ask sooner rather than later.

For some reason I didn't know that tinned mixed veg could be eaten raw, so that's useful to know.

The tinned veg I have here (carrots, peas, sweetcorn, beans) aren't raw, they have been cooked prior to canning and so are rather droopy.

I do think power cuts are less likely but it's always good to think through what one would do.

Perhaps prepare with solar/ windup lantern or torch or head torch and use your power to heat the kettle, put in a flask and use for cupshots/ couscous/ coffee with powdered milk so you don't need to open the fridge.

Work out how you can wash. ( Wet flannel with hot water, top to tail, dry shampoo,etc) washing hands and face in cold water is ok but anything else is too far.

Think about a wonderbag or hay box for finishing cooking. Hot water bottles to keep you warm. Fleecy blankets/ duvet for sofa.

I'll give that a go! I think having the key meter will be a hassle anyway, so if it can be removed easily then I'll be happy with that.