Prepping for No Deal

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

Its looking increasingly likely that we will be leaving the EU with no deal. Last year when I was prepping for this eventuality seems a lifetime away so I'm trying to think what I need going forward.

I think the early days of Covid shows that, even when there are no shortages, rumours and fear trigger panic buying so I'm trying to get ahead of the game now.

I've got good supplies (3 weeks at least) of pasta, flour, rice, tinned veg and sauces. I've also got toiletries and household stuff. However I'm now worried it's not enough.

Unlike with C19 where supermarket shelves went back to normal in a couple of weeks when it was obvious that the supply chain wasnt affected, No Deal might lead to proper shortages over months.

How long are people prepping for in case of No Deal? We could find more space if necessary as dh could move his car out of the garage, but I dont want to go overboard.

I don't know if I have the energy this time...

Buy flour, freeze flour, defrost flour. It kills the things that grow in flour and it can be stored longer (years) in a cool dark place.

I also haven't go the energy. But I'm prioritising medicine, toilet roll, tooth paste and basic staples.

I don't have a huge amount of space so I've been focusing on things that there might be runs on again

• pasta
• rice
• cooking oil
• toilet paper

My biggest worry is my DS with autism and a very limited diet. Trying to get him to expand it but as other parents in this position know, fighting against rigid thinking abd sensory issues isn't easy.

The tricky thing is that the things that are likely to be in shortest supply is fresh produce. I have a planter on my windowsill for cut and come again lettuce (sow thickly and keep snipping), and have been wondering about sprouting seeds and pulses. Freezer is well stocked but I need to review my dry supplies.

My biggest issue is always meat. Dh and ds don't eat cheese so protein is an issue. I'm putting a lot of mince and chicken fillets in the freezer as well as fish to get maximum protein in minimum space. I've bought some tinned ham as that is useful for chopping up and putting in salads or in a pasta sauce.

I was wondering about some corned beef to use in corned beef hash with Idahoan mash as the potato element.

It's horrible to think we might end up with food shortages but at least Covid gave us a chance to test out how our supplies hold out

I think I would stock up on the must haves, eg the food your autistic children will eat. The food needed for allergies, baby food etc.

Then think about other things, like:
food for when you are ill.

Two weeks worth of food for if you are quarantined
Things that may go short, like pasta and loo roll.
Things that come from Europe
Those things that make life more bearable.

I am still having difficulty getting macaroni for ds.

I'm going to get a new freezer before the end of the month & fill it with frozen fruit & vegetables - as others have said, the things that are likely to be in short supply.

Something that seems to keep coming up in the news is that it's been a poor harvest for some crops (potatoes, if memory serves) so will get frozen versions of those, as well as packet mash.

I've also got ahead of myself and am halfway through Christmas prep. I think no-deal and potential rolling lockdowns are going to mean times are really tough and I want at least to have Christmas to look forward to. Sorry to be a pessimist!

I've been replenishing my stocks - similar to pps with basics and toiletries. Also lots of tinned tomatoes and pasata as we eat loads of these normally and it's a good replacement for fresh veg. DC love nuts and dried fruit, and again these are an alternative to fresh.

I am also worried about the poor harvests compounding issues (worst grain harvest for 30 years or something?) Seems like a perfect storm. Our local Aldi had 10kg bags of flour reduced to £1 (!!!!) last week so got one of those stashed away.

I was caught out by the shortage of seeds etc in March. So I've been doing an audit of my seed tin and buying seeds now in case there is a rush on them next Spring. Does anyone know if you can pre-order or reserve seed potatoes and onion sets?

blackeyedsusan have you tried Morrison’s for macaroni?

It's not just food. A LOT of medications, including OTC ones, and supplements (the VitD we're told to take for C19) come from Europe, as well as a lot of 'stuff', like replacement parts for sewing machines, bicycles, electronic equipment, appliances, etc.

You can pre order seed potatoes from Marshalls but I haven’t seen onion sets yet. I’ve just ordered a load of seeds too just incase so will order my seed potatoes at the end of the month. I have got onion seeds incase which actually done really well this year.
Just hoping an allotment comes up next year so I can grow a lot more

@Batshitbeautycosmeticsltd

It's not just food. A LOT of medications, including OTC ones, and supplements (the VitD we're told to take for C19) come from Europe, as well as a lot of 'stuff', like replacement parts for sewing machines, bicycles, electronic equipment, appliances, etc.

I know but it's too difficult to prep for every eventuality. I do have basic OTC meds but hadn't thought about bicycle inner tubes. I'll add that to my list

I’ve started my Brexit prepping this weekend, thanks to MN. How many weeks should I aim to cover for food? 2 weeks? A month? Our chest freezer arrived yesterday so we can freeze a lot.

Morrison's here had macaroni yesterday

@LadyCatStark I have enough for one month. We are short on milk but if necessary can manage without. Also quite short on protein as dh and ds dont eat cheese. However we have a butcher in the village who sources all his meat locally so I'm hoping that we can still get that - he was operating as usual in lockdown.

@LadyCatStark I would make sure the freezer and larder are full.
I also think that it's not just produce from abroad that we need to be concerned about. We saw clearly in March that when buying patterns change, supermarkets in particular empty very quickly of all the things.
So if you could get it in March this year, you definitely won't be able to get it if supply chains are disrupted - at least not until things level out again (I've no idea what that would look like, but it's well worth being able to stay out of shops at a time when stocks are low and people are panicking) How much better to prepare early in whatever way you can afford.
My heart bled sometimes for the people posting on our local fb page, having run out of essential baby supplies for example.
Makes me think that anyone who can afford to have a stash of essentials really should, even if say one bottle of calpol in use and another spare.
It did annoy me when people posted evidently 'desperate' for baby wipes, or turned down offers of help because things were the wrong brand though.
I know it's very difficult for those with disabilities, but in a difficult time I imagine that most people could use or eat something they don't really like.
Sorry that was a bit of a rant but that is the one time when I agree with my mother people who talk about the blitz spirit!

If you *couldn't get it in March. A ranty lack of proof reading

Thanks! We can definitely stock up for a months worth before we start to run out of space! We could also reduce portion sizes to eek it out even further.

@BlackeyedSusan my local medium sized Sainsbury's had plenty of macaroni when I hit it Monday afternoon this week.