Prepping for a Pandemic - Thread 16

[Sprayitall]

I don’t know why another thread hasn’t been created yet , so here you go. Now as we prep ourselves to the peak of this pandemic, let’s all face it together and appreciate how fragile our lives are and how we need each other to survive and flourish.

It's really hit people hard not being able to get out and about. Especially those with kids and small dogs in apartments.

This inventorying is driving me crazy. The more I inventory the more I have the feeling of “not prepped enough” Have anyone else got the same feeling?

@Sprayitall

I wish I had 6 months plus of everything in. 6 months of food is a huge quantity and I would need an entire room with freezers to store it so it's not possible physically or financially for us. I'm definately north of a month but no idea beyond that. My teenagers eat for England and two are mid growth spurt. I genuinely don't know how to feed them.

@VenetoResident That's really tough. But locally here lots of kids are meeting up in parks in big groups. I suspect we will have to tighten restrictions in the UK quickly with fines for non compliance.

I like the idea of escalting fines - first time £250 then £2500. Shoudl teach people quickly. I have no time for parents who are still organising playdates and letting their teens hang round in large groups.

@AlohaMolly have you seen that public health Wales have changed their reporting format. The figures are organised by health board only and not county. How annoying

@ginghamstarfish I would be pissed off too but you can't win here. How frustrating.

I thought if a good tip today. I used to do this when I was a single parent and very very poor. Now I'm just very poor (currently losing £820 a month through now working) so may start again.

When I cook any thing I keep the tops and tails from veg and onion skins etc and keep in a pot in the fridge. When I have a decent amount I make stock for gravy it for soup.

@Yourstun I can’t plan for 6 months either. I have a month worth of food max. I can stretch it for couple of weeks more I think with few more boring meals but I’m saying even for a month I am like may be I should have bought this or bought that .. and will this be enough thought gets more and more .. when I see dh using up all the easy meals that I had frozen for the days if we fall ill, it’s making me so upset. He says “don’t worry..I will make some more to freeze” (that just means it’s not going to happen ) 😂

We're in a flat but back onto the school playing field where all the teenagers congregate at the evenings/weekends. The police just drove by. Stopped. Drove down to the end to check there were only 5 of them (now illegal to have groups of more than 5) There were, so they drove off. People seem to be sticking to the rules here.

We're in a flat, but the field is within 200m if they bring that rule here too. DD is missing her friends, but they're a bit young for messaging. DS doesn't really have any so is delighted to constantly have DD to play with.

The situation in Italy March 21st

Numbers / change / % increase

POSITIVE 42681 / 4821 / 12.7
DECEASED 4825 / 793 / 19.7
NOW TESTING NEGATIVE 6072 / 943 / 18.4

Cases to date: 53,578 / 6557 / 13.9

Among the current positives:

home isolation 22116 / 2931 / 15.3
hospitalised not ICU 17708 / 1688 / 10.5
in ICU 2857 / 202 / 7.6
total hospitalised 20565 / 1890 / 10.1

http://www.salute.gov.it/imgs/C177pagineAree5351126_file.pdf

Look at the number of deaths compared to tests. Emilia Romagna untested positive numbers must be massive.

Good day to you all (it's never good morning from me because of my stupid sleep issues and by the time I've caught up on thread it's at least after noon )

Downloading nest egg app now - having just gone through stocks and discovered some frightening items! Almost weeping at what I’ve had to throw out (touch of gagging too it must be said)

Would it be ok to ask about some of what I’ve labelled “questionable” items? They are packaged/tinned/jarred products with recent dates of expiry (but more best before than use by on them, it’s just I’m normally a stickler for dates) I’ve separated them from the stuff that’s still well in date.

@tryingtoprep I think I missed a few posts re books but the books you’re talking about sound a bit like the “flowers in the attic” series by Virginia Andrews?

I’m trying not to “twitch” but I am tempted to order that blender from Argos plus some tu clothing from them to make up order amount but I’m conscious I’m spending a LOT more than usual at the moment. Not a problem at the moment but with not knowing how long this might go on for I’m wary of leaving myself stuck!

Sent mum Mother’s Day card but not a gift as I’m really not wanting to expose her and dad more than absolutely necessary. I’ll not forget and will send her something when all this is a little more relaxed.

@CVRD bless you for kindly giving us that info. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Luciey - how are they monitoring/policing people shopping more than once a day or husband and wife both shopping separately? Are they?

Wish they could get a grip on the supermarket issues me too!

“The more I inventory the more I have the feeling of “not prepped enough” Have anyone else got the same feeling?” Yes me! Which is ridiculous as I have plenty in food wise. Too much probably.

But the ocd (which includes hoarding tics but not normally on groceries) is probably what’s causing it for me.

“I have no time for parents who are still organising playdates and letting their teens hang round in large groups.” My local Facebook pages blew up last night with people pissed off how many teens were STILL out in groups drinking and generally behaving badly when they should bloody well be home!

Ok starting to use nest egg app.

Quick question:

Is it best to enter as (eg)

Name: shower gel
Description: size and "flavour"

So that I can get an overview of ALL shower gel but also see exactly what size and flavour I have left?

Hi would be inclined to do each shower gel type as a separate item - I think this is what you mean. You can find them all by searching shower gel

@CVRD - amazing advice.

I'd only add to keep medicines in your bedside drawer with emergency small bottles of water in case you feel ill unexpectedly.

I also have emergency snacks (for taking NSAIDs).

I keep a thermometer and pulse oximeter in my bedside drawer too.

@MrsFezziwig - no shortages at all here. Just massive queues to get in due to limited numbers at one time.

@Graphista - you could shop multiple times a day here. That's really annoying locals. People going 4 times a day. Someone I know wasn't allowed in the shop with a child (1 person per household).

@Graphista is the nest egg app any good? I tried the lite version and found it not very good. I am currently using no waste which looks ok

I gave up with lite - I like the paid for one though. It’s quite good especially if you have a lot of branded items as the barcode reader enters the details for you

@Onceuponatimethen yes that's what I'm thinking. I don't care about brands but I do need a record of sizes and types - eg flavours as especially with food I need to be able to create some meal ideas

@VenetoResident see I think shopping multiple times a day needs clamped down on here at least to get a handle on the panic buying

Op - I've only entered a few items so far seems to be ok I'll keep you all updated

@Graphista that’s what I’ve done too - eg soups I’ve entered the different flavours as I have to know what we have

I had a very odd experience this morning. Randomly tapped on Ocado and it let me straight in - somehow the site must not have been properly off like they said it was and I managed to edit my order allegedly coming tomorrow. If it turns up as last week’s didn’t! And if it actually has the items in it!

I’ve also got a meat and fruit box coming from an organic supplier on Friday. Not Abel & Cole but a similar box scheme not too far away. I’m really hoping it turns up as I want to keep my stores going

Ok yea not finding the nest egg app works quite as I'd like.

I need eg all biscuits grouped together which it doesn't seem to do.

But the no waste app only seems to do food?

And I want to inventory non food items too

So will it work for that? Or is there another app people would recommend?

I went to my local independent garden centre today. It was also stripped bear. Lots of people in there. Presumably like me who are worried non essential shops will close soon. At least I have some flowers for my garden and a few bits for the kids to grow.

Had someone on FB I dont know ( friend of MIL) really RIP into me today. Said I'm.also nasty because I said history wont look back kindly on Bojo. She has lived through a war and 80 implying I'm stupid. I said I left school with no gcses, I was wrong, so sorry, it will blow over soon. ( all untrue but let her win and maked myself look like a fuckwit so she can feel vindicated)
She is in for one major shock. Not my problem.

I am going avoid FB. Twice in two days i have seen people being nasty.

Crisis brings out the best of some and worse of others. But I just think for mental health and safety its head down and concentrate on my loved ones.

Why are people so nasty.

@CVRD just caught up with your post. Very helpful. Thank you.

For anyone thinking of prepping a room - move everything that can be kept away from the room except for bed and bare essentials. Have few sets of clothes for everyone ready in named individual bags. Have a laundry basket and a dust bin inside with liners.Have separate flask, mugs, set of plate and cutlery that you can wash yourselves or have disposable foil packs and cutleries inside the room. Have two sets of towels inside along with wipes. Have separate spray/dettol wipes/handsoap/wiping paper for bathroom. Keep handgel in the side table. Remember to keep open the window for ventilation. Have a fan, bell, lots of books, pens, colouring books, crosswords, little stash of snacks, entertainment devices and spare charger inside. Make individual small boxes for all daily medicines and paracetamol, cough syrups, lozenges, inhalers, vitamins and everything everyone might need including Thermometer, pulse oxymeter, BP / glucose monitor (their battery replacements, lancets or anything for that matter). Again Have a bell nearby (I am sure people won’t hear you if you are stuck upstairs or in a separate room and you need help) Have enough water (bottled water helps as it’s easy to prepare ahead and have nearby) When you have recovered - make sure to clean/laundry everything including the bedding, curtains and steam clean the carpets. I don’t know if I have left anything but this is what I have thought of now before prepping the room. Please feel free to add to the list. With homes having little ones it’s going to be difficult if someone catches it. When have you all decided to stop buying anything from outside? I am not going out but expecting few deliveries (grocery and missed part of my hospital bag order from elsewhere, and dd’s stuff but hoping it should all be sorted by Wednesday max.- after which I am stopping buying anything) I am very wary to go and buy fresh veg even now.

Ps : I also asked that friend directly why she lied to me about the hoarding she had done which is despicable at this time (I am sure it’s panic bought as she never freely spends) but she says it’s not her place but another friends house where they met for a coffee (I am sure she is lying because the pic has her family photo in the background. I just said “well I think either you are lying or have a new bestie who hangs your family pic in their lounge then” for which there was just a sheepish giggle 🙄 and she tried to change the topic and didn’t even bother to apologise or return my stuffs back, hung up as if nothing has happened. I learnt my lesson the hard way - the friendship is over from my side and I will be more careful in future before I lend my helping hand)

Sorry your friend is a lying twat.

Sorry to hear about your friend @Sprayitall what an absolute bitch.
I don’t know about anyone else but I’m still planning on getting deliveries from outside. I don’t think I’ll ever stop tbh as this is going to go on for a long time and I definitely haven’t got enough food to last that long.