2019 Brexit Preps

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I thought it would be useful to have a thread as we head into the new year where we can discuss our Brexit preps.

Today I picked up all gift wrap and cards I will need for next Christmas which I would normally do anyway but I added some neutral gift wrap which could be used for birthdays. I also stashed a few toys in the sale which can be used for birthdays. The thought of the DC going without birthday presents is too sad.

I’ve also just stashed some lightbulbs, candles, lights and matches.

Going into 2019 I’m focusing on:
Solar chargers
Camping gas
Protein
Medicines
Box hair dye
Skincare
Loo roll and tissues + hankies
Cleaning products
Home brew kits
Books on self reliance

I’m immediately suspicious of anyone who has a chest freezer in the garage. We need some Brexit power cuts to smoke these people out. Call the cold case unit immediately (pun intended).

Oh that annoying buzzing noise is back...

Thanks
I was thinking: bags and bags of grated cheese, a few blocks of butter, lots of frozen fruit like raspberries and strawberries for DS- smoothies if nothing else. Frozen veg like spinach, peppers, peas, broad beans, cauliflower cheese bags.
Meat- mince, chicken, few steaks and gammon steaks for treats plus bacon, lots of sausages for picky DS, packs of sliced chorizo, lardons etc. Fish - lots of fillet packs, breaded, fingers.
This is our third freezer as we have a 4 drawer integrated plus the old under counter which is still functioning at present. We have one with batch cooked stuff which I am putting lots of veg into. The other has stuff like ice cream, oven chips etc.
No chest freezer though!

First proper bit of stockpiling today. I did have a great general stockpile but that had to be used up during January due to unexpected repair bills and the freezer broke so that stash is gone.

Invested £25 in Lidl on a few bits to start replenishing the stash and will build up weekly. It’s all in a separate cupboard so can’t get eaten by accidental hungry ds

It's quite interesting psychologically for me. I live in an area that's been badly affected by snow with many local roads blocked.

I clearly have enough supplies in for this week (and next as we can't go shopping next weekend either) I can also walk to the shops and see what they have in but there is mild anxiety around my lack of being able to do a proper shop for two weeks.

I'm a bit anxious, because I don't like changing course in plans and I've got several heavy things on today's list to put aside for next month. I They will have to wait for two weeks now. This gives rise to a very stupid tiny little thought that says 'well what if they don't have them then!' Even though I absolutely know logically that washing powder and chickpeas are not going to vanish in two weeks time.

Im also very irrationally feeling a little anxious about whether the local shops will have things like bread and milk. Even though I don't actually need bread. Yesterday I was able to make my own with our supplies.

This isn't a confession, rather, it provides an interesting insight into a little of the psychology that happens into how panic buying, rather than forward planning happens.

I'm using it as an opportunity to practise being resourceful and to eat up the scary unlabelled things in the freezer.

Do you think it's worth buying a chest freezer? Or will the costs of that ruin any food savings over time?

I'm debating how I could make the space in our flat. It's doable but only just!

I bought another freezer in the sales but I will use it anyway since I grow quite a lot of stuff and batch cook. Also DSs are at that ‘consume everything in sight’ stage..

I do think it will eat into food price savings. Depends on whether your primary concern is longer term price rises or short term supply issues I guess.

Mind if I join in?

Can I ask PPs who have stored frozen peppers if they’ve had any issues with them tainting other food. I remember (many, many years ago!) when I was a child and my parents got their first freezer. Everything was fine for a while and then we noticed all the food we were eating from it had a weird taste. We finally worked out it was the frozen peppers tainting everything else. I remember it had a particularly unpleasant effect on ice cream. I’d forgotten all about it and ghenabout a year ago I was eating an ice cream and got the exact same taste. I’d bought a pack of mixed Mediterranean veg - including peppers. Everything was wrapped properly.

Has anyone else experienced this? I’d love to get some frozen peppers in - I’ll really miss not being able to buy fresh.

BTW OP - have I misunderstood or do you have supplies for 3600 individual meals? That’s amazing. I can’t imagine how you’re managing to store it all!

I agree oybbk. There is that niggle of a doubt about being able to get what you need or want when you want it. There is there urge to go and get more shopping just in case. This despite having adequate supplies.

Can you get an online shop Kitten?

I keep looking at my stash and wondering if I should get more. Logically I think it's enough and I don't really have space for more.
Maybe a few more packets of bread mix...

I regularly freeze peppers if we have more than we need and I also buy bags of frozen peppers (cheaper than fresh) and have never had an issue with them tainting anything. I'm not sure how they even could if wrapped. Are you sure it wasn't just freezer burn and your parents made a link which wasn't there? Ice-cream with freezer burn is grim.

I am wondering whether we will be living on only what we have in the flat or whether we will be supplementing this with food from the supermarket.

I have no garden. Ex has a garden but it is open to getting robbed. My mum has a garden 50 miles away. I could plant beans and potatoes at mums and in tubs at ex's there is no guarantee that the food will be safe or that we can get there to get them. Potatoes apples etc can be fetched in one go.

I am assuming that for a few weeks we want to be able to eat without going to a shop at all if necessary.

After that its about supplementing whatever else is available. That might be because there are things not available or because everything is generally more expensive.

I am hoping you are wrong.

I read the HoL paper the other day about expected consequences of Brexit. Experts advising them that price increases on cheese expected to be up to 38%..

I think if you are struggling with wanting more “stocks” but struggling to afford it or store it, then maybe it’s a good time to focus on the other side of prepping. Do things like look at recipes for ideas for low-cost, low-ingredients, filling meals. Consider how you can stretch the items you have. Think about what you have in your home that you don’t need and could either sell for space/money purposes, or even keep for now to consider selling/bartering with in the future if your finances become sticky. Consider if you can grow your own in your windowsill or garden, and even take a walk in your local area to try and identify goo raspberry/blackberry picking spots. There are also some good books out there for foraging: what plants (weeds) are ok to eat or are useful as natural medicines etc.

I don’t Brexit prep, I have just been a low level Prepper for years for financial/medical/weather reasons and these are all things I do when I’m short on space/cash or don’t need to physically stock up.

Good idea.

I thought about online shopping Oyster but I'm looking at dates very carefully and you can't see those online I think?

That is a good idea Ely.

I'm planting my chilli seeds tomorrow.

oh! we did get out for a bit, it was dicey in places, but we managed to go shopping.

Boots

A true prepper has sensible boots, ones you can walk miles in. Several pairs, a pair for each weather situation. Plus socks.

Unfortunately I do not have joints that can walk miles. I do have a large stash of ibuprofen and tubigrips though. I could do with getting the children new trainers though. Thanks for the reminder.

Thanks for the reply re peppers Cloudtree, definitely wasn’t freezer burn - took mum a while to identify the cause and it did trace back to the peppers and then I had the same experience just a few years ago. I instantly remembered the taste and I’d stored peppers for the first time. Mind you it could be that mum and I just had weird taste buds - I can’t use silicon bakeware as I can taste it on the food might give the peppers another go...

It makes me so angry that we’re having to do this over something entirely avoidable. I count myself lucky in that, although long term price hikes will be an issue for me, at least I have the money up-front to get supplies. For people just about coping with no spare cash to stock up it’s desperate.

Thanks to everyone on these preppier threads for the sensible and compassionate advice - especially Bellini - you are an absolute ⭐️.

Thank you SingingBabooshkaBadly . I'm learning loads from everyone and it's dead useful.

Blackeyed

Anyone with an allotment? If so what are you doing?

I'm very impressed with everyone's level of organisation. I have a disorganised buffer of tins, but no loo roll. A family member buys their choice of recycled ones in bulk so always has a huge stash, perhaps I should follow their example.

If things get seriously worrying having a store cupboard won't stop me worrying but might save a little time and money.

It's like we're all being forcibly relocated to an unknown country, I am a little envious of those who have the option of a known alternative destination.