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.

morning all
lexloofah thanks for winter veg patch tips. I have sown some spinach, and will get some sewde - good tip. Our gorund is quite stony and carrots dont do well, but my get some in one of those big bak/container things at some point. Tell me about late potatoes? I had assumed they would have to wait until next spring?

Had a fiarly good prepping weekend. First delivery of milk arrived which was very exciting! Did a bit of a sort out of the garage and managed to take over an old Kalax unit in there for some stash storage! Have made an inventory of what I've got and will gradually add the remaining bits I need over coming weeks. Also trying to prep ahead some stationary bits in case of need for home schooling again (hopefully not !!)
Sorted out the wellies and need to get a few mote pairs , although teenage dds mostly refuse to wear them now - snow boots would be better actually....
I also ventured up to the loft to get the camping stuff down as we are camping next weeknd and I realised if I tidied and sorted up there that would help with my storage issues (some stuff from garage could move to loft making more garage space for prep stuff) That will be a fairly massive job though so will have to wait till the next time I have some annual leave I think!
right...off for more coffee before work. Happy prepping all.

aloha yes, recent events have made me really glad I have deicided to start getitng things organised! It is indeed the speed with which things happen and the unpredicatability at the minute I think that is worrying.

mosscarpet first year of me trying late potatoes to get a second harvest and I know it is a novelty but want to try for own spuds for Christmas dinner

Seed potatoes should be available to order soon for planting out end of the month

I will do mine in sacks so I can drag into greenhouse if we get frosts, info on the link

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=593]

Hello all, can I join in? I am a small scale prepper (thanks to the advice on this board!). I prepped a little for Brexit, and was very glad of my stash when the Covid panic buying started. Over the past few weeks I have built up my supplies again and probably have about six weeks worth of tinned tomatoes , pasta, rice, pulses and loo roll all of which were hard to get in my area for a while.

I now get eggs, fruit and veg delivered and can also order meat and fish from the same company if needed. I also have signed up for milk deliveries, I love getting milk in glass bottles! They also deliver all sorts of other useful things such as compost.

I feel very fortunate that I can afford to do all this as it is more expensive than the supermarket, but at least I am supporting local businesses.

I have some late potatoes planted already, hopefully they will work, never tried growing potatoes before. I am going to try perpetual spinach, but am a bit afraid the slugs will scoff it all!

Hello bibbity . Let me know how you get on with the perpetual spinach- I have the opposite of green fingers but ds1 (the child who refuses any food that might have a hint of a vitamin in) has suddenly announced he likes spinach so I might give it a go if it isn't too difficult.

Children are now kitted out for winter, bar 1 winter coat for DD. The hunt there continues for something deemed appropriate by the school and dd

morning all
bibbity I have also just signed up for milk deliveries from a local farm. It is more expensive than a supermarket but it gives me peace of mind, and as you said I also like that it is supporting a local business, plus the glass bottles help reduce our plastic output.

busy work day today so limited time for any prepping... do need to try and find some snowboots to order for dc though at some point....

I really hope that the come-back of milk deliveries carries on after covid, which hopefully will also make it more affordable . We have switched quite a few things to local businesses that we always liked but rarely got to go to (half-way across town, etc) and who are delivering now. I really hope at least some of them keep the delivery option, it has been really nice!

DH agreed to help me plant some berry plants when time is right for bare root planting (so still a couple of months off). We don't have enough space for a proper garden but enough to fit some containers. Quite excited now. We live too close to major roads to plant any leafy greens outside but berries, mini apple trees, etc. should be fine.

I also sent off my second-to-last Brexit stash order. There are some things that we need to get later and/or build up over time but most bulk buy items are ready. Before anyone starts, stocks here are fully replenished and plenty of delivery slots available. Thought I better get this out of the way now, before a potential second wave and the shortages that come with it.

With Covid, I find the process of putting things away rather depressive because I really can't estimate how bad things will really get. I constantly find myself second-guessing how much dog food we'll need - I can't exactly explain to them that we are going to ration it if worst comes to worst! Plus, I'm tired of the whole Brexit debacle. I know their goal was always to drag it out until people are so emotionally tired that they don't care anymore how badly things are managed but I hate that it is working on me.

Time to think about new underwear and winter coats now, I guess.

Hi all, haven't been in for a while but have been steadily adding to preps as and when we can afford it.

Have bought a chest freezer for the garage and am slowly filling that.

Bought extra cheddar and Parmesan and used new food processor to grate extras and have frozen several portions.

Ordered mince, shin, diced stewing steak, and bones for broth from a local beef farm.

Ordered 9 bottles of wine from majestic clearance section , some for Christmas

Added to gaps in first aid kit, cleaning products, household bits and pieces, secondhand books and games, seeds for autumn and winter crops as well as next spring.

Have also cleared out clothing that is worn/too small etc to reuse in craft projects with DD.

Yes @CrepuscularCritter Voakes pies!! I've got a planned order but at holding back due to cost... all the prepping does get expensive when you are trying to do it all during a short period. Still, I am not a pastry type so would never usually make a pie... will be very glad to have them. Do they freeze well?

I think so @TiddleTaddleTat, but it's been a while since I've had any. I used to go to the Free From shows and stock up there, so I must have frozen some before. Can I just say that the team are lovely too, so I'm keen to get back ordering from them.

What else is in your gluten free stash? Apart from pasta, flour and cereal, I'm thinking to freeze some treats. In addition to Voakes, there are Clive's pies and Baked to Taste do a fine Cornish Pasty (available online, but only in a box of 12 sadly, although I've just spotted that they do a mixed box...there goes my prepping diet). I'm also allergic to lactose, so some stuff is out for me, like the feta and roasted veg tart which I would be all over.

Has anyone with food allergies noticed ranges are contracting? I know that's a general thing on most food lines and not unexpected, but I am missing Stilton, cottage cheese and feta in lactose free form. Glad to still have brie and cheddar though. I might give making my own cottage cheese a go using lactose free milk. Better order some muslin.

I have been adding small amounts of related things to our weekly shop to spread the cost. Each list of extras covers a category of things we might need. This week I have ordered thread, some needles, a stitch ripper and that stuff you fix hems with, whatever its technical term might be. I'm going for a different set each week (next up is baking ware so a couple of new baking sheets). I'm trying to think what might need replacing or will help with repairs over the next 6 months or so.

Getting mighty tempted by a second freezer too. We are near a couple of places where a big stock up is feasible at a decent price.

I'm taking the approach of a theme for each week as well. What I tend to do is reserve the click and collect slot each week and then fill the basket with stuff from that category plus any regularly used stash stuff. I add the proper weekly shop to the basket at a later date.
This week is teeth and mouth so I'm adding to our stash of toothpaste, tooth brushes, mouthwash, mouth ulcer stuff. Already have emergency fillings.

@CrepuscularCritter thanks for those tips, didn't know of them before . I'm only a few years into this coeliac lark so still picking up tips. In my stash I've got several bags of Tesco GF macaroni (this is the best low cost GF pasta I've found), a few Scharr whole grain sliced breads, doves farm GF plain, self raising, bread and buckwheat flours, and then various general bits like nut bars, nuts, some dried fruit, etc. Definitely need to up my GF snack stash though, I always find snacking and breakfast the hardest

Impressed with the organisation of having categories for prepping. I'm doing this to an extent but in a very panic stricken scattergun manner. I think I need a book of prepping lists, that will help.

I've been doing the panicked scattergun approach for a while. This is my attempt at bringing order to chaos!

I’m going for a theme per delivery too. Need to concentrate on pets next then really it’s just food and more paracetamol as can only add two boxes on a shop so taking a while to build up a stock of that.

afternoon all.
Very impressed with all the organised prepping happening! I still feel a bit random in my efforts!
I did a bit more sorting in the garage last night and slightly re-organised my stash storage (again!) I have also been through all the kitchen cupboards now and made sure they are all well stocked and tidy.
I have set up a running list in my bullet journal to help me keep track of everything. Also sorted out my battery box and lightbulb box today and made a note to buy some more light bulbs.
Have re-purpused the old slightly damaged gigantic tub that had the wellies in and am planning to use it to grow carrots in next spring (our ground is very stoney so they don't normally do well)
Loving having my milk deliveries and had my fist fruit and veg box delivered today too.
We're off camping at the weekend so I need to now focus on sorting the camping stuff for the next couple of days though LOL!

I feel a little random in my efforts too Moss but am taking all the tips on board to order one theme per shop, thank you Critter

@CoffeeAndWhisky

I really hope that the come-back of milk deliveries carries on after covid, which hopefully will also make it more affordable . We have switched quite a few things to local businesses that we always liked but rarely got to go to (half-way across town, etc) and who are delivering now. I really hope at least some of them keep the delivery option, it has been really nice!

DH agreed to help me plant some berry plants when time is right for bare root planting (so still a couple of months off). We don't have enough space for a proper garden but enough to fit some containers. Quite excited now. We live too close to major roads to plant any leafy greens outside but berries, mini apple trees, etc. should be fine.

I also sent off my second-to-last Brexit stash order. There are some things that we need to get later and/or build up over time but most bulk buy items are ready. Before anyone starts, stocks here are fully replenished and plenty of delivery slots available. Thought I better get this out of the way now, before a potential second wave and the shortages that come with it.

With Covid, I find the process of putting things away rather depressive because I really can't estimate how bad things will really get. I constantly find myself second-guessing how much dog food we'll need - I can't exactly explain to them that we are going to ration it if worst comes to worst! Plus, I'm tired of the whole Brexit debacle. I know their goal was always to drag it out until people are so emotionally tired that they don't care anymore how badly things are managed but I hate that it is working on me.

Time to think about new underwear and winter coats now, I guess.

What bulk stuff did you get? What are you still waiting on?

I love seeing what others are thinking

We just opened up our 20 kg bag of flour, but I’m wondering if I can convince my husband to get a 10 kg bag come early fall Lol

My plan is “no plan” as well

I think I have enough

But what if I don’t? I have massive food anxiety.

I certainly have enough non-perishables to last us for three weeks. It would be a matter of getting the fresh stuff in

Boots order done - toothpaste , first aid bits, moisturiser etc.
Scheduled a delivery in 2 weeks and clock and collect for the weekend, will add extras on to those.
Bunch of cheap household things delivered by Wilko, also got a few perfectly good but past best before cupboard staples from Approved Food.
Need to sit on my hands for a bit now...!!

Wow Tiddle you're really on it, will have to get my finger out.

I'm sure you all know but you can buy large bags of flour/sugar/coffee/ choc chips all online which does really help. I try to buy as much as I can in the shops, but sometimes when I have ordered from the supermarket choc chips have always been out of stock, so that is when I looked online.
Also these are good
www.bakerybits.co.uk/bakery-ingredients.html

@LovePoppy

Probably should have put bulk buy in quotation marks for some of these but the actual bulk buy stuff was:

• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Face wash
• Body spray
• Soap
• Distilled White Vinegar (great as fabric conditioner, good to preserve food and worst case, works as a cleaner)
• Oil
• Dishwasher "stuff"
• Cleaning Products
• Dog food + treats + poop bags
• Sweets
• Batteries
• Used board game collection from marketplace
• Hankies (we had quite a few already but both of us down with covid and self-isolating in friggin March was not ideal, so got more)

Well, and wine but my self-restraint failed me in the end. Will re-order for Christmas.

Stuff that I bought in large quantities but that probably don't usually count as bulk buy:

• Nutella
• Jams
• Honey
• Mustard
• Ketchup
• Canned soup
• Variety of vinegars
• Backing ingredients (leaving flour for later)
• Lemon and Lime Juice
• Lazy Ginger/Garlic/Chillies
• All cleaning stuff we use around the house

We use a lot of 'zero waste' type stuff, so washable make-up remover pads, cloths to wipe up spills, travel bidet, safety razor, re-usable period products,... If you don't already have these, looking into what you could replace with re-usable options might be a good idea. It is costly upfront but tends to balance out in the long term. For example, I don't expect my pack of 100 razor blades to run out anytime soon and I opened it a year ago.

Backing = baking - sorry for all of the errors, that is what I get for sending this right before running off to a meeting!

@CoffeeAndWhisky

Backing = baking - sorry for all of the errors, that is what I get for sending this right before running off to a meeting!

Thank you!!

I appreciate the thoughtful list.

I’ve got most of that either “in house” or on the list