Prepping and inflation

[QuantumHypothesis]

How are we all getting on?

I still have good stocks of tins and pasta that are ongoing from Brexit/Covid. This means I can replenish when there are offers as no need to buy weekly.

I’ve cut down our shopping cost over the last year by at least 50%. Prices are still rising. At some point we may end up permanently reducing my stores due to cost.

Any advice in this climate?

Similar to you re replenishing when items are on offer. Food shopping has sky rocketed - and only going to get worse.
Coffee is due to increase by 50+% over the coming weeks/years.
I have definitely changed my shopping habits and only buying things we will definitely need and eat.

I've started buying the things on offer that can be kept again. I've still got a lot of stuff in cupboards but had started using them. So restocking now with things on offer. All stuff we use regularly so pasta, pasata, rice etc and making sure I try not to waste in the fresh stuff

I also try and buy teabags and various other things on Amazon repeat shopping thing so a bit cheaper too

I’ll have to add a couple of jars of instant coffee to my stash then if it’s increasing that much! I work in the NHS and I’m studying for a Masters course atm, so my blood volume is at least 60% coffee and will be remaining so for another 18 months!!!

There was a report on the world service about a frost in Brazil that wiped out a lot of the coffee harvest. We have lots of jars of coffee stashed as I have an equally large proportion of my blood volume made up of coffee.

If you have enough money, you can buy what is on offer and store it. and try to make food from cheaper range of foods. (some veggies are cheaper per kilo than others)

try not to waste things. Use up what you have. (my milk has gone off so I will make cheese the whey can go in the compost)

cut back on what you can that is not essential. Reassess what is essential.

empty the car of everything you don't need. use the car less. drive more smoothly, travel at 60 on the motorway.

I'm also mainly stocking up when things are on offer. I've got so many food allergies now that my diet exists of mainly pasta, potatoes, rice, porridge and chicken. The freezer is rammed with chicken breast and I've got 30 packets of pasta which like I say I buy on offer. Usually get 3 to 4 packs if my favourite ones are reduced.

Noticed this week that my lactose free Sainsbury's brand milk has jumped from £1 to £1.20 I may need to shop around as i can always buy 6 cartons at a time.

As it's almost seed time, I'm going to have a really good think about what to plant. What I really use mostly is potatoes and a few herbs.

Cat food is still seeming to be problematic. But I often find it cheaper in Herons (when they have it in)

I make my own soaps and household cleaners. I'm wondering if I can come up with a cheap dishwasher type detergent (eg white vinegar and lemon) as the dishwasher tabs are stupid. Even when on offer.

I'm using the draught excluders at the minute, and thinking ahead to next Winter. What I can do to prepare / conserve energy.

@Blackeyedsusan good tips about the car! Mine is full of loads of rubbish that I haven't managed to take to the tip as yet. I need to get it sorted!

Also wondering whether investing in a new front door would be more cost effective as ours is a really poor fit and lets loads of cold draughts through so we end up cranking our heating up!

Funnily, I was getting a ready made coffee at lunch and bought some beans as I need a new bag - they had a 200g or 1kg bag, at €10 or €35, so I went for the larger one on economies of scale alone. But our household is also a similar proportion of coffee:blood, and worse now teen DD has discovered ice coffees (she's going through sleeves of pods for the nespresso like they are water!). I am sticking to 1 full cafetiere per morning.

Mum2Jakie while you're getting sorted with a new door, you could get a roll of the rubber insulation tape to put along the frame and reduce the amount of draught in the existing door. We did that in the attic (poor fit of doors from bedroom to uninsulated storage space) and it made a HUGE difference to the levels of comfort up there.