Hello

[Robpott1]

Hello.

My name us Rob and I live in Worcestershire.
I am interested in starting to prep some stuff. I have been worried with the general state of affairs the last few years, with covid shortages, increasing prices and extreme weather.
Any help on where to start (on a budget) would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Rob

[jennyjj01]

Hello.

My name us Rob and I live in Worcestershire.
I am interested in starting to prep some stuff. I have been worried with the general state of affairs the last few years, with covid shortages, increasing prices and extreme weather.
Any help on where to start (on a budget) would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Rob

Hi Rob,
And Welcome.

We all prep for different eventualities and it might be anything between having £100 set aside for a surprise bill to having a whole lifestyle change living on a Croft in the Hebrides.

So, consider what eventualities might realistically cause you problems and think of solutions that might cut across them to help.

Many of us are concerned about societal breakdown or supply chain or utilities disruption, either sudden or slow burn. Along the way we get inflation, and maybe lifestyle disruption, like unemployment. Or things like Covid Lockdown which was a dress rehearsal for many of us,

A well stocked reserve pantry plus a few pounds squirreled away covers a multitude of problems. And that's where many of us start. Alongside that, come bits of preparedness like maybe a reserve of lamps and a few ways of cooking if utilities were to fail.

Having a few tins and other food reserves is but a buffer, so we can knuckle down and not go hungry in the first few months of any situation, while all our neighbours are in a mad panic. I doubt any of us have stashed a lifetime's tins of beans

Some of us look beyond the first few months of shortages towards how we can be more self sufficient, long term, in food and energy. So you'll find lots of good ideas here. We have a few experts on living 'The Good Life' and growing food, and there are go-to guys that can teach you all you never knew you didn't know about torches and off grid cooking.

This post might help you navigate... viewtopic.php?p=204636&hilit=logo#p204636

Take a look in the 'Lists' subforum for ideas about how to get max bang for your buck when buying stuff for reserves.

It gets going at about Para 7.

[Zedsdead]

Welcome Rob, from the same county as you

[ForgeCorvus]

Hiya Rob.
First of all, don't go out and buy a pre-made BOB and a cheap tent.....

Theres lots of useful stuff to read on here and a lot of the threads go into more then enough detail, the only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.

But for absolute basics on a budget.
Imagine the commonest 'Bumps in the road' then take steps to make your life easier should those things happen.
For example, mine are Power cut and Emergency evacuation.

For a Power cut, I'll need lighting, a way to cook and (because the water pumps are off) a supply of water. So I've got a battery lamp or two, a bistro stove (because I can use my normal pans on it) and a few bottles of water.
If the power cut lasts longer then a day or so I'll need food that needs no refrigeration (or a way of cooling the stuff in the fridge) and a lot more water (although, I don't need drinkable water to flush toilets). So, I've got a stash of cans, bottles and packets and some UHT milk, a 12v coolbox, a jerry can or two for drinking water and a bucket to dip into the fish pond or water butt for other use water.
I've also got blankets and non-mains powered heating if its cold out and some insulation to wrap my freezers in if its warm.

You've probably got at least some of this stuff already.

For an Emergency evacuation, I'll need a change of clothes, toiletries and medications, a book or kindle, a phone charger, copies of any documents I'll need (the folks in Pripyat were not allowed back for a long time) and depending if I'm going to an organised refuge or if I'm sorting myself out, a list of suitable hotels (Travel lodge and the like) and the contact details of friends or family I can stay with for a little while.

You've probably got at least some of this stuff already.

[GillyBee]

Hi Rob and welcome,

Another simple one for getting started is to think about what you might need if you were to be too unwell to leave the house for a week. Would you have enough food to eat and basic meds (paracetamol/ibuprofen etc) plus tiisues, loo roll etc to cope with a week of flu, covid or another bug?

If your income is variable or at risk of benefit sanctions then slowly putting by enough money/food etc to cope with a sudden loss of income would also be very wise. No matter how small your income is, if you are able to operate on 90% of it then the 10% saved starts to give you options when trouble strikes.

[Robpott1]

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

I am going to start by planning for the short term stuff, like not being able to get to the shops for a couple of weeks and see how I get on. Thinking about it already, I don't have enough stuff to cover that and I didn't even think about the water side of things.

Regards

Rob

[jennyjj01]

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

I am going to start by planning for the short term stuff, like not being able to get to the shops for a couple of weeks and see how I get on. Thinking about it already, I don't have enough stuff to cover that and I didn't even think about the water side of things.

Regards

Rob

.
Water is an odd one. It's an absolute essential, but has been so reliably on tap for so long that it's tricky to justify stockpiling.

Consider gearing your buying approach to buying 'White carbs' like Rice/Pasta/ Dried mash as one category, Then Meal Makers like Tinned tomatoes, baked beans, cooking sauces etc. Then Augment with niceties like Tea, Powdered Milk, Tinned meat and fish. Tend towards buying what you might normally eat, but subbing out a few fresh things like milk, butter, meat for acceptable longer life alternatives.
Pretty soon, you will treat your 'stockpile' as your local shop and you'll treat your supermarket runs as Wholesaler trips. Work it right and the cost savings you will make will make it a low cost exercise.

[pseudonym]

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

[bobble]

Welcome from Merseyside!

[Frnc]

Hi, welcome. I think most of the basics have been covered. Regarding water, you want at least two 10 liter containers full of clean water. Change the water every 6 months to a year, and keep light off the containers.

Also think about first aid kit, smoke alarms, insurance, basic stuff first. Maybe fire escape ladder.

Always have clothes, wallet, keys, shoes by the door, ready to go at any time. I also keep my passport, copy of house insurance, birth cert, and copy of bank details.

I do have a bugout bag, but that takes years and a lot of money. It's not top priority. If you want to think about getting one together, start with a simple spreadsheet and a lot of research. Look at the weight of everything. It all needs to be the lightest you can afford. Which doesn't always mean particularly expensive. My rucksack is 50 litres, lots of features, weight only 1.5 kg, but was only mid-price.