BREXIT Stash - how long will your stash last?

[daphine2004]

So I started prepping lightly for Brexit, a box of medicines (calpol, piriton, paracetamol, plasters etc.) I am now investigating the other threads for what people are prepping in terms of food, but I am struggling to decide how long the food will need to last.

How long will your food stash last you? Thanks.

Not entirely sure how long our current stash would last. In terms of calories, quite a bit, but not necessarily in terms of making actual interesting, nice and balanced meals. Currently there'd be a lot of tuna and rice, which is nice enough with small additions, but quickly boring.

We're just two adults, so I'm calculating for us to have a breakfast OR lunch, a snack and a hot meal a day, were we to rely on what we have stored. That's more or less what we default to on holidays and weekends, so seems reasonable.

I started out planning for three days, and then extended that to two weeks. I'm now past that point, but haven't been as methodical. We're definitely lacking in nutritional snacks, preserved fruit (tins, juices, preserves) and veg.

I've not really stockpiled hygiene things, but have adopted a system where I always have a spare of everything in the cupboards, and a second spare in storage, and these get rotated when I finish something and buy more. We have a good amount of OTC meds, first aid stuff etc, but not to any kinds of stockpile levels - just so it's handy if it's ever needed - and it will all get rotated too as and when used and extras replaced.

Amazon have the idahoan instant mash on offer currently along with the packets of potato dauphinoise and potato gratin. Working out at just over £1 a pack for the dauphinoise and gratin and £1 for the mash which is a decent price. In a food shortage situation, useful to bung on top of some tinned chicken, peas and carrots to make a chicken and potato pie type thing.

Thanks @user187656748 - good ideas there.

Are we thinking food shortage and costly food because of Brexit trade deal or no deal???

Hadn't thought about building a food stash🤔

Supply chain issues leading to shortages and prices hikes if we have a hard brexit. Increased prices going forward either way.

I have been curious as to how many people in RL are making a food stockpile and raised it on a night out last week. Out of 7 of us three had already started putting things aside. Two thought it was a good idea and would be doing it. One just laughed and the final one said she could easily afford price rises anyway and so wasn't going to worry too much about it.

That's really interesting, @user187656748 . I've not actually asked anyone although I'm trying to encourage close family.
@WheelyCote
Starting to build up a buffer of food in your stores now is a sensible idea. Doesn't need to be mad spending. Just some extras on top of your normal shop over the coming weeks.
E.g. think about powdered milk or nut milk/soya milk or uht- shorter shelf life on that. Generally look at shelf stable alternatives to things you like- no one needs to waste money on food nobody eats. Freezer is good but just because Sod's law can apply if you put all your eggs in one basket so to speak you might lose it- I had a freezer break down and lost all my lovely pre-baby meals. A workman tripped the power and another freezer load was lost in the new freezer. And then another freezer related problem a couple of years later made me twitchy about relying absolutely on them.

I didn't reveal during the discussion the fact that I already had a reasonably large stockpile. Just said that I would be putting some stuff aside in case we had a few weeks of problems...

@user187656748 - good approach

I'd say we probably have about a 2 month supply, but at the moment that's just things that I currently use anyway for meals such as pasta, rice, tinned toms, lentils, beans, chickpeas etc (we're vegetarian), flour, yeast, peanut butter, jam etc. As it's stuff we use every week then it all gets rotated. I also have things like oil, stock, herbs & spices, tea, coffee, sugar, hot choc, raisins, tinned fruit and custard, tinned soups etc. Again, all stuff we use anyway, so it will get used one way or the other.

Nearer the time I shall stock up on things with a shorter shelf life such as cereals, UHT milk, juice, cereal bars, biscuits, oatcakes etc. I'm aiming to have a 3 month supply of stuff, maybe eaking things out longer if need be, but to be honest, if we're needing more than a 6 month supply then it's time to get out!

I'll also have the freezer stocked with lots of frozen veg because I'm anticipating that it will be fresh fruit & veg and dairy that there will be shortages of. However, be mindful of power supply disruptions etc (especially Northern Ireland going by yesterday's no deal govt notices!). I've got a gas camping hob thingy and some spare gas cylinders for emergency use.

Also think about storing some water. Everyone thinks that won't be affected, but if things truly go tits up, people can't get to work, there's no fuel or power for pumping stations, or the chemicals for water treatment plants can't get delivered, then it's entirely conceivable that there could be problems with the water supply, so it would be prudent to at least have enough for a few days. I don't know where I'm going to store all of this though!

I've thought about having a veg patch or getting some chickens, but I'm thinking that if things are that bad, they'd just get nicked / killed! I keep terrifying myself by reading stories from Argentina after the collapse there. People thought it couldn't happen to them either.

I actually can't believe that we're having to think like this! It's madness!

Cool name @PreppaPig . Yes, it is ghastly we even have to think about this. I'm currently focusing on winter preps because that is the first likely problem heading my way - ordinary northern suburb that gets regularly snowed in.
But, as a prepper, Brexit is just another thing. However, instead of being an unlikely thing, like an EMP, it's a likely, horrible thing that could massively impact on my family .

Thanks for cheese and cheese wax ideas. I've been sneaking bits away a little randomly.. time to take stock and see where we are.

Someone up the thread mentioned proper hankies instead of paper tissues, so I'm just de-lurking to say that I switched earlier this year and now I have no idea why I kept buying paper tissues.

Proper cotton hankies are so much softer and as a fellow hayfever sufferer, just so much nicer to deal with in every way.
No more disintegrated tissues in the washing machine is also a bonus!

I had hankies as a kid. I don't actually remember the move to tissues. I'll give the move back some thought. Nice prompt.

My parents used proper hankies when I was a child. At least I remember ironing them I now wonder what happened to them. I think I'll have a look around for them next time I go for a visit in case they're still in good condition and no longer wanted.

I have also switched to cotton handkerchiefs too. We don’t have much stashed away atm. DH is keen to start.

We're aiming for six months. We can store it in the attic and the cat litter in the garage.

Cat litter is a tricky one. Ain't no getting around it - my dad used to use shredded paper for our old lady cat. Not a path I want to go down.
Mind you, cat litter is also an option for humans.
Disclaimer alert: no I don't expect sewage problems as a result of Brexit.

Sand is always an option for cat litter. Potentially a bit more messy though

I don't know where it's produced, so stocks might run low.

I also order my cat food from Zooplus, which is based in Germany, so might have problems there, although they do have a distribution centre in this country now.

I've made sure I have a bit of buffer of supplies for my cat.
As well as a bug out bag but that is a bit off Brexit stash topic because I have no expectation that I will have a need to bug out because of Brexit.
As my cat is currently making free with my Remembrance Day poppy, I will need to factor that into my preps 

We have two cats and I’m putting aside 4 weeks worth of food for them. If it came to it they would hunt and be ok (daily squirrel catching is their favourite pastime). Chicken feed is more important for us to put aside since six eggs a day is a good start if food is in short supply. They could free range more but we have lots of foxes around.

Prep all you like, but I don't like disinformation:

All our existing treaties are based on "The UK in Europe" so post Brexit all our treaties will be void.......you know the ones with America, China, Africa, the rest of the world

Correct to a point..... but there are no trade treaties between the EU and America or China. Africa is mostly covered by WHO or subject third world free trade tariffs in order to assist those counties trade with the first world.

Anyone with babies/ young toddlers, what is worth prepping?
Have a nearly 13 month old so thinking of getting

• a few months supply of year 1 formula.
• some uht milk, not sure how much to get
• extra nappies and wipes and cotton buds
• extra calpol
• extra baby wash
• 10 plus packs baby rice cakes
• few packs baby porridge
• extra packs of baby apple puree my baby loves
• filing freezer with food he likes

Anything I'm missing? Does anyone know if its okay to give 1 year old uht long life full fat milk, is there a difference in nutrition values between uht and fresh milk?

Do you really use that many cotton buds? I still have the same pack I got when I was pregnant and my sons 18 months old - and the few I’ve used have been mainly for removing mascara splodges from the side of my nose when I’ve not been paying attention

I’d probably think about basic clothing that you know you will need (a pack of vests, socks in the next size up, maybe next winters coat and wellies etc) - I did that last year from a cost saving angle and it worked a dream!

Sudocream, snuffle baby, fever patches, bapethamnun, TCP, teething stuff, basic child first aid stuff (in addition to both children’s paracetamol and ibuprofen). Also tooth brushes and toothpaste (although they go through it quite slowly so you don’t need much).

How about those baby oat bars? More filling than rice cakes, have a long date, and cheap in Aldi etc.

Baby reins/backpack.

ElyElyOy thanks for the helpful reply.
Good point on the clothes, got a few things but I'll look in boxing day sales for next sizes up, also a good way to save money.
Will get more toothbrushes etc and get extra first aid stuff.
Thanks I'll try the aldi baby oat bars.
Need cotton buds/ pads because DH refuses to use baby wipes even when DC is now 1 year old.