New to this!

[motheroftinydragons]

Ok I've been reading these threads with interest over the last few weeks and thought it was prudent to stock up on a few things mainly because I have two small children (one baby).

So far I've got stashed:

8 tubs of baby formula (enough for about six weeks)
Brown and white rice
Pasta
Toilet roll
San pro
Toddlers snacks (things like oat bars and fruit pots etc)
Beans
Soup
Coconut milk
Jars (things like pasta and curry, stuff that could be cooked on a gas hob)
Passata
Water (10L)
Nappies (again enough for six weeks)
Wipes
Frozen veg
Whole milk in freezer (only 4 pints though)
Batteries

What am I missing? And how much bottled water is sensible (two adults, one toddler, one baby)

Can't really post elsewhere, and DH is no help he thinks I've gone crazy.

I've only got a small under counter freezer so can't freeze too much although I am buying extra chicken, fish & mince etc so that it's kept full and have batch cooked a load of nutrition packed veggie soup so I've got 12 good portions of that.

Think about what meals your stuff will make. You don't seem to have any bread making stuff (flour and yeast) or any bread substitutes like crackers.
What will you eat for breakfast?

Also butter cheese etc I'd also buy some long life milk.
coffee/tea?

Have a look on some of the other threads where people have posted their lists for lots of ideas.

Oh, I also already bulk buy cleaning products from Costco so I have enough of all that kind of thing to last me six months anyway.

I've also got a spare bottle of my baby's prescription medication unopened (which is a months worth) along with extra calpol, baby nurofen, and adult paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Coffee and tea already come in bulk from Costco anyway so I'm good for those.

Good idea re bread substitutes, I actually don't know how to make bread. My gran would be ashamed! I need to look it up.

Could get additional porridge and weetabix for breakfasts, they're all long dated so would get used eventually regardless.

What exactly are we expecting to happen? Actual shortages or just panic buying causing them?

I shoved a load of part baked rolls in the trolley, some cous cous, jams, san pro, pasta (we're eating it more!), beans, tinned tomatoes weetabix and soups. I've previously got loads of frozen veg, multi vitamins, uht milk, marmite, flour and batteries. Pretty much whatever you usually eat that is long life or you can freeze. I'm aiming for 6 weeks worth and and pretty much done. If nothing else I'm stocked up and paying less than the shops will be charging in 30 days time!

Part baked rolls! Fab idea thanks.

Watch the dates on part baked bread. Unless you're freezing it you might want to wait a couple of weeks.

If there is a hard brexit I am anticipating supple chain problems (so actual shortages of certain items) causing shortages across the board as people switch to eating what is available and thus increase the demand for those products.

I'd sit down and do some meal planning - what can you actually make using what you've prepped? First thoughts looking at your list are

• Ditch frozen milk for UHT or powdered. Powdered has the advantage of being longer life and less space hungry.
• Desserts eg long life sponge puddings are missing
• tea / coffee / sugar
• fruit - tinned or dried

I would recommend prepping everything you consume on a regular basis; exactly what that is will differ for each household. Consider

• food - jars, tins and packets. Replacements for fresh items (eg powdered milk instead of fresh). A freezer for extras, bearing in mind the small risk of significant power cuts.
• water - purification tablets / LifeStraw / other filter / water butt. No more than a modest quantity of bottled as it's space hungry and environmentally disastrous.
• toiletries and cosmetics inc Ioo roll
• household and cleaning supplies
• pet supplies - food, toys, litter, wormer, flea treatment etc
• baby / child supplies - nappies (consider reusable), formula, clothes in the next size up.
• elderly / disabled relatives, including those that don't live with you, especially those not capable of prepping. What specialist stuff do they need?
• meds - prescription where possible, over the counter and basic first aid.
• morale items - there's a good reason why the army includes chocolate in ration packs!
• transport - rarely discussed, but fuel shortages cannot be ruled out and petrol cannot be safely stockpiled. Consider available public transport routes, and cycling (remember - if there are fuel shortages there will be few cars on the road).
• cash - in case electronic payment systems failed.
• other - some basic tech such as a phone battery pack, rechargeable batteries, wind up torch, spare tin opener etc.

Consider prepping extra of those things you consider vital but the government will not prioritise at the ports; for instance, I consider good quality dog food to be vital but the government will not, so I've stocked up more dog food than I have human food.

As much as possible, the aim should be that you purchase only things you use anyway. If Brexit is cancelled, you don't want to be left with significant quantities of stuff you'll never use. That way, you're buying early not buying extra.

Re bread substitutes you can get pitta and tortilla with a decent shelf life.

Also consider cheese - hard cheese like cheddar and parmesan can be frozen. Halloumi lasts many months in the fridge.

what are you stock piling for

Most people on this board atm are stockpiling for supply chain issues caused by a hard brexit or weather problems.

I have just come on to post the same thing! How long do I need to plan for a heard Brexit? I know the problem is we don’t really know.

If you have three days to a week's worth of food you will avoid having to go to the shops when people may well be descending in their masses. Many people will have this in their kitchens anyway.

If you have space and the money available for more then I think three weeks is a good amount.

We could survive a week easily off the cupboards but I would need to stock up on milk, bread and tinned fruit.

I was thinking 6 weeks worth of food but perhaps that overkill?

I think that's it for me @cloudtree. I'm not planning on prepping for a zombie apocalypse. I just want to make sure my family are sorted for essentials in the event of supply issues/panic buying or ridiculous price hikes. I really don't want to have to be dealing with rammed supermarkets full of stressed out people with a baby and toddler in tow.

It might come to nothing (I hope it does). I'm not buying anything that I won't use anyway. I see it as buying early rather than buying extra really.

Well I personally don't think that's overkill at all but others will (fuck off DM).

It is like preparing for the big summer holidays when I avoid taking autistic children to the supermarket. Just adding an extra of long life milk and bread.

This thread is so useful, your circumstances sound so similar to mine OP, have a 3 year old and 1 year old and only an undercounter freezer so can’t do much in the way of bulking up in there. Am planning on doing a huge declutter downstairs and thinking about possibly putting a small chest freezer somewhere.

Will also be freeing up space under our bed and in the bottom of our wardrobe, and I get annoyed at the kids toys ending up under the sofa all the time because of the large gap so will probably get some nice under bed boxes and have a few bits stashed in there too, as long as it’s it visible.

In terms of food I’m just getting stuff we like anyway and treats for the kids, as well as plenty of UHT and powdered milk. My 14 month old is still on formula so plan to stock up on that too