What Preps are you doing this week

[jansman]

I am actually downsizing my stores and kit. Getting rid of all sorts of stuff at boot sales. This is to make it all more manageable. I do not need 3 generators for example.Bonkers!

Since my personal dramatic economic downturn, I have drifted toward a more self-sufficiency based philosophy. It is interesting that my land and livestock has made me a calmer person. The World News saddens me, but I do not get alarmed like I used to.

Is there a trading zone on here?

I'm sure there are some of us near to you who are interested in buying your surplus

Sorry to be slow to reply. Most of the surplus is gone. I have sold locally for cash. Gennies and compressors to local builders. Other stuff at boot sales. Thanks for asking though.

[slugboy]

@nickdutch. iv made paper mache brickettes before. biggest things are good compression and lengthy drying.

the more compressed they are the longer they burn for, plus they are like wood in many respects. and need seasoning to let them dry out sufficiently to burn in an efficient way.

[nickdutch]

@nickdutch. iv made paper mache brickettes before. biggest things are good compression and lengthy drying.

the more compressed they are the longer they burn for, plus they are like wood in many respects. and need seasoning to let them dry out sufficiently to burn in an efficient way.

Ok, will bare that in mind

[nickdutch]

Purchased the cheap chimnea that I have been lusting after, £29.99 from B+M, a cast iron garden jobby. Quite nice. using it inside to make bioethanol burning safer.
As I felt bad after one burning (not sure if its because of some gaseous poisoning from the burning alcohol due to types of yeast or nutrient or "heads" or "tails" from the distillation run, because I didn't sleep well and went to bed late and got up early, because of health or the fact that the weather is in fact quite nice and warm and I am unused to feeling this cozy) so I have ordered a carbon monoxide detector so that I can eliminate possible causes and can make a good diagnosis. in reality I should have got myself one before I started this track of playing around with combustion of anything, but what the heck, we live and learn.

[jansman]

This week I am dealing with yet more free firewood. No hardship, but I have to set-to and get it cut and stacked. Now I am topside of my food store I shall be stacking in more pasta (something we eat a lot of)and tinned foods we like. I have found more space! I am back into homebrewing now,a hobby I had waaay back(before I got rich!),but now I am 'poor'again, so it is back on the agenda. It is a nice way of using foraged and grown fruit and veg. Only trouble is the end result needs storing somewhere too. What a problem!
This prepping lark is a Godsend really for us. My lovely Wife is now on 90 days redundancy notice. Forget all the tinfoil hat /zombies/NWO/EMP/sunspots blah blah. Economic survival is where it is at.
Aah well, another glass of vino and I will throw another free log in the stove.

[nickdutch]

Economic survival is where it is at.

agreed, he said as he munched on some home made oatcakes that probably cost less in terms of ingredients than 30p to make for the whole batch, being one days worth of snacks.

[Ferricks]

FINALLY !

It's been warm enough to get some stuff in up here! So last night I got all my spuds and onions in, I'm soooo happy because it always makes me feel that wee bit "safer" when I start getting something in the ground! I have many, many more seeds to plant and will be getting on with it over the coming weeks - hallelujah!

Last nights exertions have also had the effect of reminding me to stock up on ibuprofen and heat packs

[loreal1968]

Hi , just recieved my order from approved foods, tinned margarine, tins grapefruit secments, packets of cous cous, and 3 kg of coffee whitener for £1.
Also waiting delivery for my 6x6 shed, which is freeing up my congrete shed adjoining the front of the house, which im store food preps in 4 large plastic lidded boxes.
After reading an article on here about fire safety, feels better having my supplies easier to reach from outside incase we have to load the car and leave, will have family bug out bag and document s stored for a quick grab. Also got gas mask and fire blanket in there and starting a supply of 5ltr bottles of water in there too.
Would like to find a 20kg bag of cat biscuits if ones available that size, oh and 2 cat basket stored there too. cats loose in the car would be a nightmare.

[jansman]

FINALLY !

It's been warm enough to get some stuff in up here! So last night I got all my spuds and onions in, I'm soooo happy because it always makes me feel that wee bit "safer" when I start getting something in the ground! I have many, many more seeds to plant and will be getting on with it over the coming weeks - hallelujah!

Last nights exertions have also had the effect of reminding me to stock up on ibuprofen and heat packs

I know that feeling. The staple crops are important, and it does make you feel better when they are set.

[nickdutch]

Have checked my credit rating and I am no longer "very poor", I am just "poor" which shows progress! YAY ! I have still got another three years before the bankruptcy is wiped off my record (it takes six years and my order was in March 2010) and so I have applied for a second sub prime credit card so that I can have a more efficient progress in my credit history over the coming few years so that hopefully I can try and become a home owner in the spring of 2016, money / interest rates and all that jazz permitting naturally.

The way that I use the sub prime credit cards is to not use them when I need the money, but to use them when I don't need the money and then to pay off the amount that I have borrowed on time or early (such as even on the same day that I have spent the money) and to only use the thing for small amounts that I know that I can handle. This way I demonstrate to the credit agencies that I have the ability to handle credit even if the transaction amounts are just £25 each month.

I am hoping that with a second sub prime credit card card I can make the progress from "poor" to "good" a little quicker and then to, as a result of having three years of history behind me so that when my six years are up, I will see enough of an increase to permit the gaining of a mortgage for a one up - one down, ideally with a south facing roof (rain water and solar!) a fireplace with working chimney (fire ! ) and a garden (food!).

All I need to do is to stick to the plan of credit repair, keep working and I should be fine.

If I don't work, I don't use credit, its that simple.