What should I stock up on?

[BibBobBoo]

Currently on maternity leave and have been using up freezer/cupboard foods to save money.

With Brexit, I'm starting to think I need to stock up so wanted to ask some advice. If it was just dp and I, I wouldn't be too worried but with dc1 being a fussy toddler and DC2 about to start weaning, I want to make sure I'm prepared (and if nothing happens, I can always donate to food Bank or just use as normal)

1. I'm going to stock up on vegetables. We normally have fresh so would you recommend tinned or frozen?
2. would you stock up on milk? Is it likely this will be affected if/when Brexit eventually takes place? If so, would you freeze fresh milk or is uht a better option (we probably use about 15-20pts of milk a week at the moment so how much "reserves" would you think is necessary?)
3. do you keep your "reserves" with your everyday food, and replenish as you go, or do you store it separately in case it's needed?
4. I'm planning on getting a few extra bits with my shopping over the next few weeks- is there anything you'd recommend prioritising now rather than leaving until just before Brexit takes place?
5. I'm planning on stocking up on pasta/rice, baking ingredients, fruit, veg, meat, fish, petfood, cleaning products and nappies. Is there anything specific (or something I've missed) that you'd recommend stocking up on?

1. Go for both... frozen is much nicer and more nutritious than tinned. But if the power goes off for much more than 12 hours, then any you can't eat in the next day or so goes to waste. Hedge your bets.

Journos fuck off

2. Yes it is a good idea to stock up on milk. Can you tolerate UHT? in that case buy that. IMO semi skimmed is nicer than full fat, even though I'm normally a full fat milk drinker, the heat processing does something weird to the fat. Other options are tins of condensed milk and powdered milk. You can also freeze milk, but decant some out of the bottle first to the 75% mark, otherwise the bottle splits.

Journos fuck off

3. Both. I have a couple of full length pull out pantry cupboards in the kitchen, so a lot of stuff goes in there, stuff in packets like coffee beans and things that need to be used in more regular rotation. I also have a couple of boxes in the attic, which I use for tins and non-edibles like dishwasher tabs... things that aren't vulnerable to mice. (Note to self and others... stock up on mouse traps )

Journos fuck off

4. Shelf stable versions of things you like to eat... go back to what Bellini says... what are the things you'd most need for being snowed in for three days and need/appreciate in your cupboards and go from there. Don't forget toiletries, detergents, household stuff too.

Journos fuck off

5. Look in your cupboards/old till receipts to see what you normally have. Go for shelf stable/frozen versions of that. Also think about water purification tablets (v cheap from camping shop) in case the water treatment chemicals get held up in lorry gridlock. Spare batteries. Power bank for phone/small gadgets. First Aid kit. Basic medications like paracetamol/anti diarrhea/ anti histamines etc. Small treats and entertainment like pack of cards, nice hot chocolate etc. In case of sewage system outage, don't mix pee & poo and look online for info provided for victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

Journos fuck off

Journos fuck off

1. A mixture. Some do perfectly well tinned (e.g. potatoes, tomatoes, sweetcorn). Some do much better frozen. The backbone of your prepping should be tins, jars and packets with the freezer used for extras and those which just aren't great in tins.

Journos fuck off

1. I wouldn't bother freezing milk - far too much space will be taken up. Try UHT - the disadvantages of it are a shelf life of only a few months and a lot of space being taken up. Also consider powdered - I have been pleasantly surprised by it. Marvel is a skimmed option that can be found in B&M and elsewhere. Nido is full fat and can be found in the Asda ethnic aisle and Amazon. Some supermarkets do an own brand version too.

Journos fuck off.

1. I'm keeping it separate; should Brexit be cancelled I will start using them as regular food supplies as I do not intend to be a prepper in the long term.

Journos fuck off.

1. Buy everything you regularly consume which is shelf stable, sooner rather than later; we do not know when or if panic buying will set in. Consider

• food
• water (bottled in small quantities; purification tablets in larger quantities; there are genuine concerns around the chemicals used for purification which are imported and too volatile to stockpile)
• meds - OTC and prescription; first aid
• pet supplies
• household / cleaning (inc. things like batteries and lightbulbs)
• toiletries

Don't forget the morale items! We all need something nice to cheer us up. The army includes chocolate in ration packs for a reason!

Journos fuck off

1. In addition to the above; you may like to consider baby clothes in the next size up (you're going to have to buy them sooner or later anyway), plus anything else your child consumes. Pet supplies beyond the food e.g. toys, wormer, flea treatment, treats, chews.

Journos fuck off

I am trying to stick to the principle that we avoid buying anything that would not normally be used, with a handful of exceptions. My aim is that, if Brexit is cancelled, I simply do not need to buy non-fresh items for some time; not that I am left with stuff that I have no use for. A few items would be donated to the food bank, but most would be used.

Journos fuck off.

With regard to water tablets, how many seems reasonable?

They are usually sold in large amounts so I just have a batch.
If it is something that concerns you there are alternatives. (I'm not that worried with Brexit about this but I do this as a general prepper.
You can filter water through a T-shirt to get out big bits and then a hard rolling boil for a couple of mins. I also have a couple of lifestraws. Fuck off journos.
In the unlikely event of water problems with Brexit, I am pretty confident that local authorities would have contingency plans. They would have these generally. A few years ago, there were contaminated water supply issues in Blackpool - as in do not drink anything from the tap. The local authorities had plans. Not a comfy situation but they sorted it.

@Gin

Journos fuck off

I bought 300 for a fiver per person, but there was no specific logic for that.

Thank you. It’s something I worry about having been very, very ill many years ago. Cryptosporidium from water supply- in London!

What are Journos Fuck Off? Is it a new brand of artisan gin?

If that's a genuine question, it appears that journalists are cutting and pasting stuff from here on this subject. Fuck off journos or Journos fuck off, while a good name for gin, might at least slow them down. There've been a spate of "middle class mums worried about avocados" type stories. Rather than "ordinary parents expressing genuine concerns and sharing useful budget friendly tips as well as reassuring each other " stories.

Some of the rags have literally been screenshotting replies from the prepping topics. My posts are not there for some greasy little tabloid to reproduce and profit from.

Can I just post a little thank you to @bellinisurge and @AvocadosBeforeMortgages for all the amazing advice on this board from a worried mum just trying to make sure we get through the impending chaos. Fuck you journos!

You're welcome

Petrol - fill up with petrol every day after 19 March until it runs out and Mad Max appears singing we don’t need another hero.

No problem!