Prepping amidst Pandemic - Thread 17

[Sprayitall]

Hi all, starting this thread to continue from preppers thread 16. Because we are amidst a pandemic now, I have changed the title to prepping amidst pandemic than “for pandemic”. I hope all of you keep well amidst this and get all the help, support and hope needed to cope during this challenging times. Feel free to add your thoughts, preps and ideas here.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss the date on the mix is December 2021 ☺️

I have a moon cup but on the first day I like to re stabilise it and I need a pad at night. I'm the wrong side of 40 so keep thinking I wont get my money's worth out of reusable. But I'm ten odd years off menopause going by my mums age

I'm getting twitchy with what's going on in Spain. I might check my paracetamol and pasta stash. Bought yet more hand gel today.

Panasonic breadmakers back in stock at Currys online! They keep selling out and are getting a bit hard to find. Just thought I'd give you all a heads up.

Thanks Rhubarb bought a few toiletries y/day and want to start in earnest, as there is atm too much uncertainty in the world.

Ah, looks like breadmakers are sold out again but keep checking back.
Yes I know what you mean about the uncertainty, @MarshmallowManiac - it feels impossible to accurately imagine 2, 3 or 6 months ahead at the moment. It's really tough.

My new fridge freezer arrived today, I've been waiting about 5 years to finally get a proper size one! Sounds silly but I'm so excited about a fridge

I got some Sainsburys vouchers through the post. There are four vouchers with £10 off each one. My plan for the £40 is to use it to build up my stash a little. Every time I leave stuff in my basket vouchers appear as if by magic. You should all give it a try

I followed the threads from early on but never posted. DH and I were really grateful for all the prep I had done prior to it going crazy in March. I’m now actively working on replenishing the stocks and not letting anything get to low now.

I’ve noticed that in my local supermarket (I live in France) there are random things that go out of stock for some time and I don’t have enough time to go round multiple shops. Frozen peas disappeared for a while. Washing up gloves in large seem to have disappeared!

We have an excellent bakery in my village which was a brilliant back up especially during the strict lockdown period. They even sold bread flour if you brought your own container.

I’ve started introducing the idea of getting another freezer to DH. It will take some time for him to come round! However, I’ve already progressed from a straight “no” to thinking about it.

Other things on my list is to think about winter and Christmas. I won’t delay on getting winter clothes for the DC and getting some Christmas presents ready.

Other thing I learned was to try and anticipate what will be useful to have in case of being stuck at home a while (what’s going to be the winter equivalent to the compost hunt we had in April?)

Think it is wise to prep for this Winter, what with Covid/Flu/Floods and of course Brexit to look forward to. A little each week will make a big difference when the time comes.

I'm getting a little each time I shop and have also started buying next size up clothes for my younger two kids and strayed looking at wellies and boots for winter

Good plan Chips we'll be well prepared.

@GalOopNorth thank you for letting us know about the Krusteaz, it was a life saver last time. Have reordered :)

No problem. For us too, it was things like that that helped us to feel in control a bit - Saturday pancakes are a bit of an institution in this house - seemed more important than ever when the weeks were all blurring into one with us all at home etc.

Also I had stashed away a tin of Christmas chocs - really brightened a low rainy day to bring them out and play a long board game with the kids while noshing on them.

Aaaah and I was saved twice by the temporary filling kit I bought - our dentist is still closed!

Thanks for the reminder about clothes! Have just ordered pants for my DS which I have been forgetting to do for ages

GalOopNorth, we had left over Christmas tubs too and they were great. Plan to buy more once they hit the shops as unlikely to get many as gifts this year as people cut back.

What does everyone stock up on medicine cupboard wise bar the obvious paracetamol etc,

If you have kids then a few bottles of calpol is good as it was out of stock everywhere for ages. Also a good first aid kit, decent thermometer, we had stacks of lemsip type stuff as me and DH like that if we are ill. Temporary filling stuff was really useful. Piriton, Ovex worm stuff (gross but we always have it in stock) and Hedrin (ditto)

We also had vitamins but didn’t use them

Sudocrem, Vicks products, throat lozenges, plasters, bandages, cough med. Optrex, Lemsip, vitamins, Bonjela, throat spray, Day/Night nurse, and also make sure you have enough of your normal medications just in case you can't get out. HTH

Sterivstrips too as you want to avoid A&E.

Blood oxygen monitor. Thermometer and batteries.

Also I couldn't get hold of a hair dye brush for months! But I have invested in some thick handbands to truly embrace my inner slob if numbers go up in winter.

If you can offord to buy kids size up have a look on FB market place for bundles of used clothes. That has also saved some stress while the shops where mainly shut and there decided to have a growth spurt at once. I have just bought a carrier bag of pre loved clothes for £10

Thermometers, cough syrup and of course paracetamol/lemsip etc were all out of stock everywhere for months, it seemed. I've got them all now.

I bought some sambuccol extra defense with added zinc (the stuff in a bottle) as it was the one thing that helped when we had a winter of back to back colds a few years back. Also vitamin C and vitamin D, rehydration sachets, cold sore cream, canesten cream and throat lozenges.

Thank you all for the medicine cupboard items, placed a huge order and will have to keep adding the lemsip etc to the weekly online shop as it doesn’t let you buy more than 2 paracetamol products. Also bought the pancake mix from Amazon along with a few other bulk items.

Not really prepped before so all the tips are very helpful.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss - what online pharmacy did you use? I've not used one before.

hello all, can I join you? I have always been a bit of a prepper - just never realised it! I love to be plan ahead though and be organised and it really, really stresses me out if I dont feel prepared for something. I have been reading the threads on here and already have got some wonderful tips.
I am prepping ahead for whatever winter may bring and for Christmas.
My biggest issue currently is storage. We are a family of 8 all together, me and dh and 6 dc ranging form 12 to 22. Oldest 2 were at uni but landed back here during lockdown! Oldest has now finished uni though and moved to a new country to start a new job so not likely he will bounce back! Hopinng second oldest gets back to uni in the autmumn and third youngest also due to start in Oct but who knows! So basically my avaerage weekly shop is already huge, and finding space to store any sort of meaningful stash of food for us all proving challenging - any tips gratefully received! We do have an integral garage so have some stuff in there but need to get some plastic boxes to keep it in and organise it I think. Trouble is garage already has a drum kit, piano, double bass amp and treadmil in it so again limited space!
I am hoping to get ahead over the next few weeks as I have a very slightly quiter time at work for Aug before moving to a new team in Sept so now is the perfect time for me to get planning and prepping!

oh, and what I have done so far, lots of it thanks to tips on this thread:

ordered paracetamol etc (used simple online pharmacy)
started building spare supply of tins and packets
bought spares of things we struggled to get last time - flour, yeast, baking powder etc
bought some linglife christmas food bits such as shloer and orange and lemon slices!
got most of the christmas stockings done
bought batteries and a couple more torches
started to add to small toiletry stash: toothpaste, sanitary products, shower gel etc
signed up for who gives a crap - great tip from this thread - thanks
signed up for local milkman
signed up for a weekly fruit/veg box

also planning on starting a small veg patch in the garden (love gardening, very excited about this!) but need to move greenhouse first

still need to:
buy spare pet food and litter - need to find somewhere to store it first!
stock up on printer ink - still stuggling to get this
make a start on main christmas present buying - waiting for bargains and another payday!

what else do I need to do????

sorry, should add veg patch will be no use in winter - I do realise this I have just always wanted one LOL

so you see, this is why I never thought of myself as a prepper - I just googled preppers uk to see if there were another good websites with tips and it took me to a sight that tried to sell me a crossbow!!