Preparing for troubled times ahead - Advice on what is needed.....

[Woody girl]

Well, let's be honest, if I had said three years ago, that we would be where we are now, I'd have been shouted down and called a tin foil hat alarmist.
Not so now, I still think we should be prudent and make a few changes to lax property security, and store some food and fuel.
If we have a hard winter, it will be a real problem for everyone, even those that think that everything will be alright.
I often get cut off with snow, or flooding, so I'm used to making sure that I have enough of everything for several months, which means I'm not worrying or rationing if the fuel lorry can't get through...that's only happened twice in over twenty years, but it does happen.
The local shop runs out of milk and bread etc quickly, so there was always things like flour, and yeast(not nowadays as I no longer eat bread) powdered milk etc.
It always gets used, even if we don't have a bad winter.
Better to have and not need, than need, and not have. Not that I advocate 50 toilet rolls in the cupboard, but three months worth of not needing to shop, held me in good stead over lockdown when others were scrambling for tesco delivery slots.

 

[Wander]

Well, let's be honest, if I had said three years ago, that we would be where we are now, I'd have been shouted down and called a tin foil hat alarmist.

Quite the opposite.
Three years ago it wasn't just you who would have been making those claims.
In the wake of Brexit, everyone who voted Remain was saying this is exactly what would happen.*

Locking your front door and having home insurance isn't alarmist - that's a perfectly reasonable response to realistic events that could happen.
However, pumping yourself up to prepare for armed gangs roaming over a post-apocalyptic landscape is unreasonable and not good for your mental health.
And you jolly well know it.

*Ever so sorry for the politics, but it was entirely apposite on this occasion.

 

[swyn]

On the slightly simpler side of my winter preparations;
I need my trailer tomorrow so had to find a spot to tip the firewood that I cut in July. (See my earlier post)
I’m pleasantly surprised at how much there is.

 

[Paul_B]

Seriously chaps, this is starting to sound like you are just winding yourselves up for no good reason, just creating drama and crises that don't actually exist, purely for the sake of getting despondent for the sake of it.
Get a bit of proportion. It's easy to tell yourselves these things might happen but putting 2 and 2 together and making 5 is not a constructive use of one's time.

My partner told me about a forum where they asked who the JAM were. That's Just About Managing, a new class of people in the UK from a year or more ago. One person came on saying it's them with a joint income of £75k. After a bit of to and fro some no nonsense but came on and tore them a new one for that ridiculous claim.

I only mentioned this because I feel there's an element of those above average earners trying to claim things are hard for the when it's likely that they're just struggling with having to just reduce their former comfortable lifestyle and start watching their expenditure a bit more.

It seems to me that there's a few people on here like that or who already have a lifestyle that's capable of coping with "hard times" anyway. However there's still the doomsday talk that's not likely to happen. Do we need to prep for a zombie apocalypse too? Surprised that's not been discussed yet.

One final point. I've heard it said that if something is talked up too much it can cause it. Not sure we've got that power but I find the idea of talking down our economy and society isn't helpful at times. I know we'll cope purely because we'll reduce expenditure if things ever got truly bad. I'm sure others will do the same.

 

[TeeDee]

Locking your front door and having home insurance isn't alarmist - that's a perfectly reasonable response to realistic events that could happen.
However, pumping yourself up to prepare for armed gangs roaming over a post-apocalyptic landscape is unreasonable and not good for your mental health.
And you jolly well know it.

*Ever so sorry for the politics, but it was entirely apposite on this occasion.

Not sure who has suggested that? if you can please state where?

But I do think as times get harder we will see more criminal behaviour - be that Theft of Fuel to having your Catalytic convertor nicked.

 

[Paul_B]

Criminal behaviour is also related to where you live. I'm fortunate in that people can still safely leave their doors unlocked, even open when they go out. My partner often leaves our under house garage door open and there's a good deal of easily nickable stuff in there. I very much doubt a bit of inflation will change that.

I am very lucky now, but even before I moved here we were in a community and despite not being as nice an area shall we politely say, it was still a low crime area. Plenty of not very well off people but a community where on the rare occasion of a burglary it is considered big news that spreads like wildfire. Then we carry on as usual safe in the knowledge that the next burglary is likely in about 5 years on based on experience.

I think the doomsday prepping types don't need periods of high inflation to get hot over prepping but it certainly gets others caught up in that hobby. I think people need to chill and simply do the same budgeting that is wise even in good times. Know your spends and what can be dropped or made cheaper should times become hard.

Having said that I've probably put another two years of life in my jeans through a very simple repair. For me that's not prepping or anything like that but me being a bit too tight to buy new jeans. I've been always been doing that in good and bad times.

 

[Scottieoutdoors]

Well @Paul_B if it does all go Pete tong in the world you could always go and score yourself some brand new jeans anyway

 

[John Fenna]

The secret of happiness is to reduce your expectations.
Simplify, reduce, create rather than buy and then all your resources go further.....

 

[Woody girl]

Today, my new neighbour and I, are going into town with her car to go to b and m, to get things like batteries and mashed potatoes tinned fruit and meat, among other stuff.

Talking yesterday, she (not being used to living here) was a bit worried to learn how it can be round here in the winter, and worried about possible power outages.
She showed me her food supplies and I was shocked, even her freezer was all but empty.
So we will remedy that today.... at least a bit.
Some people are utterly unprepared. I worry about how they will cope. They are, compared to me, comfortable moneywise, but I can see how things can easily go belly up if you don't have the most of the basics covered.
As has been said, most of us have good lighting options and alternative cooking due to being campers of one sort or another, so we at least have transferable skills. Many don't.

 

[TLM]

so we at least have transferable skills

A good point and if your neighbor is willing to learn and listen that is a point for her. But don't worry if it all goes wrong, you'll meet the ones that demand ...

 

[slowworm]

Locking your front door and having home insurance isn't alarmist - that's a perfectly reasonable response to realistic events that could happen.

Indeed, but as we are looking to buy a couple of electric bikes suddenly looking at good locks and other security measures on outbuildings is also important, especially as some insurances don't cover such costs.

I'm not sure if the current crisis will change much directly but I can't see rural policing increasing or burglaries being taken more seriously in the future so it's up to us to sort something.

Probably treat them like motorbikes, so decent chains and ground anchors.

 

[nigelp]

Indeed, but as we are looking to buy a couple of electric bikes suddenly looking at good locks and other security measures on outbuildings is also important, especially as some insurances don't cover such costs.

I'm not sure if the current crisis will change much directly but I can't see rural policing increasing or burglaries being taken more seriously in the future so it's up to us to sort something.

Probably treat them like motorbikes, so decent chains and ground anchors.

I would also be very careful when you are using them out and about. Worth investing in gold standard D Locks at a minimum - lifting E Bikes is a very lucrative ’business’ for a couple of chaps in a hire van on a weekend.

 

[Paul_B]

Well @Paul_B if it does all go Pete tong in the world you could always go and score yourself some brand new jeans anyway

Better than hiding in a bunker with tins of spam and beans!

But my point is the whole world going Pete tong attitude is an excessive overplaying of a period of difficulty in personal finances for a larger proportion of the population than is usual. Times like this do end up with a more positive correction. Until then a period of belt tightening, cutting out excessive or unnecessary expenditure and yes repairing things to make them last longer.

 

[swyn]

Not sure who has suggested that? if you can please state where?

But I do think as times get harder we will see more criminal behaviour - be that Theft of Fuel to having your Catalytic convertor nicked.

My youngest daughter had a lovely little Honda civic, anonymous vehicle, covered in city dents but sailed through the MOT each year as we both kept on top of the maintenance.
In July the catalytic converter was cut from underneath as it was parked overnight. I have now discovered Honda cats are worth silly money. The cost to replace with a new one and fix the ripped out wiring and other damage resulted in a cost that was way in excess of the worth of the car. Meh!
It went to the scrappie for £250.
Mmmm, only positive is that she and her brother now share his car as he's now working in London and doesn't need one there.
I have to present my passport/driving licence if I want to sell metal & etc to the scrappie so all that hoo-ha doesn't mean much if you are a T-leaf as they seem to still be able to get £'s from stolen cats!
Rant over!
S

 

[TeeDee]

Better than hiding in a bunker with tins of spam and beans!

But my point is the whole world going Pete tong attitude is an excessive overplaying of a period of difficulty in personal finances for a larger proportion of the population than is usual. Times like this do end up with a more positive correction. Until then a period of belt tightening, cutting out excessive or unnecessary expenditure and yes repairing things to make them last longer.

But no one is suggesting that, are they.

Conflating things to fit a narrative isn't good.

 

[slowworm]

I would also be very careful when you are using them out and about. Worth investing in gold standard D Locks at a minimum - lifting E Bikes is a very lucrative ’business’ for a couple of chaps in a hire van on a weekend.

Yep, something else to think about although I'd mostly ride it to and fro a safe place. Thankfully we live in a low crime area but have had the odd instance of long distance 'man with a van' criminals so making life as difficult as possible helps.

 

[Broch]

I must re-set the bear traps!

 

[slowworm]

Times like this do end up with a more positive correction. Until then a period of belt tightening, cutting out excessive or unnecessary expenditure and yes repairing things to make them last longer.

Do they? If things improved I would happily accept some of the downsides but I doubt they will. With covid it seems everyone and his newly acquired dog took up veg gardening causing a shortage of seeds etc. However, as someone who likes to encourage others to grow some of their own food I've not actually seen much sign of people doing this. I've offered free seeds and plants to people and I mostly get a bit of a blank look back. I foresee another round of government handouts until something really serious happens.

 

[nigelp]

Yep, something else to think about although I'd mostly ride it to and fro a safe place. Thankfully we live in a low crime area but have had the odd instance of long distance 'man with a van' criminals so making life as difficult as possible helps.

They usually drive around the popular areas like the New Forest and the bikes disappear up country.

I bought a gold standard D lock for less than £40 for my push bike. The bike is not worth anything but it stops some low life taking it.

 

[Paul_B]

But no one is suggesting that, are they.

Conflating things to fit a narrative isn't good.

And noone is suggesting the solution to the troubled financial times is to buy or not buy a pair of jeans. But we still make these jokey comments. Why is that?