What Preps are you doing this week? Part 5.

[jansman]

Fitted a 3* lock to the door after reading a thread on here. Assessed my first attempts at growing things: strawberries are delicious but need to get there before the birds, need netting next year but am concerned about birds getting caught in it. Herbs have done well, parsley has pretty much taken over, basil died. Learned about cat faced tomatoes, the earlier ones have this but the later ones are doing well. Chillies seem to be taking ages to grow and wondering how to preserve them once they are harvested. Discovery Pixy apple tree has done really well and is currently bearing a good harvest of 33 apples (yes I counted them). Dwarf plum tree has not flowered this year so no fruit and hoping it was just too immature. Rhubarb in a tub is doing well and have harvested outer stalks. Decided that next year we will invest in a greenhouse. 4 year old grandaughter visited last week and was having a bit of a nosy around (as they do) and asked why Granny had food in the spare room when Mummy keep theirs in the kitchen cupboards. I just told her that mine were full but that she could choose a few things to take home with her which she did and was delighted with, as was Mummy who is having a bit of a tight month money wise. Provided 2nd daughter with a couple of first aid/medical items as the chemist was closed, which I will need to replace and encouraged her to increase her own supplies. Bought a trivet for the log burner for winter so that I can cook stews etc at a more controlled temperature.

The chillies do take awhile to grow,so be patient.As for preserving,you can dehydrate them ,or freeze them whole ,as I do.

[grenfell]

Fitted a 3* lock to the door after reading a thread on here. Assessed my first attempts at growing things: strawberries are delicious but need to get there before the birds, need netting next year but am concerned about birds getting caught in it. Herbs have done well, parsley has pretty much taken over, basil died.

The 3* lock you mention , is that a 3 lever? 5 is pretty much standard nowadays and 7 if you wish to spend a bit more.
I've got strrawberrries in a net cage and also outside plus fair few wild ones. I don't have trouble with the birds eating them although occasionally one will get stuck inside. Just a case of leaving the door open and they normally get out unharmed. To be honest I have more problems with the birds eating the cherries. I have a couple of cherry trees and the smaller one has fairly large cherries and the birds leave it alone. The larger tree has smaller cherries and they must be just the right size for blackbirds and pigeons . Think that tree is due a good pruning.
My herbs have done fine with the exception of the white horehound , a more medicinal herb that tastes like crap but is good for sore throats. Unfortunately it just seems to have disappeared this year.

[Yorkshire Andy]

It's the standard for euro profile locks to BS ts-007 *** star covers snap resistance along with anti drill and pick / bump

[pseudonym]

Re=packing my camping kit from the weekend just gone for another weekend away starting Friday.

This one's a working weekend, so tree felling kit, splitting kit coming too.

A lovely Oak has some widow-makers up high so it's got to come down. Doing it now will allow the dead stuff to be used in August and the remainder, split and stacked ready to start the seasoning process well before winter.

[jansman]

I have spent the afternoon cleaning and clearing our walk-in pantry.I am ashamed to say it was a total sh#t- pit! We have a dry-lined outbuilding also where we store even more stuff,which we rotate into the pantry.I have dumped a load of out of date gear- and I mean out of date!

A lot of tinned foods went ,as they are no longer part of our diet.I used to take a lot of tinned ready meals to work,but now I get fed at any time free-gratis.Also,we no longer need to store that much grub.As long as there is some form of rice,pasta or spud,herbs and spices and veg from the garden we will be good if it all went South.We keep a fair bit of tinned meat and fish,and I can always hook or shoot something!

The outbuilding will still hold bulk grub,but not as much.I want to utilise the shelves to consolidate our stores of batteries,emergency lighting,stoves etc.etc.as my workshop has become a sort of warehouse.As I have access to food grade buckets now from our bakery,I want to create an emergency shtf stash alongside a bucket of equipment.We hold so many resources,but I have ' dropped the ball' where organisation is concerned.

[SaintJimmy671]

Well after being away from this site for a very long time, my first prep was to come back

Aside from that, I was thinking about clearing out the car later on, and adding/replacing as necessary. There's a definite lack of cubbyholes in my vehicle, so I might get a few of those seat organiser things. As much as I love preps in the car, I don't handle clutter well!

[Prepping_Al]

A minor victory for us today we've cleared off all our debts apart from the mortgage using our savings.
Paid off the car loans a year early glad that is gone.
Cleared our credit cards apart from what work owes me - there is never enough in the petty cash a real bug bare that it can take up to 2 months to get it back

We still have a bit of savings left but I don't like having debt hanging over me so used what I had to get clear and she did the same. I normally like to have 2-3 months wages in my savings as a cushion for job loss or any other issues so a little worried with less than 1 now but I have reduced my out goings so not too much of a worry.
We feel skint but next month we will be loaded without all the direct debits coming out but have set up a standing order to put that money in to our savings other wise it would be too easy to spend it lol

[hobo]

A minor victory for us today we've cleared off all our debts apart from the mortgage using our savings.

Congrats! A great prep!,

[pseudonym]

A minor victory for us today we've cleared off all our debts apart from the mortgage using our savings.

Congrats! A great prep!,

Always a great feeling.

[jansman]

What they said^