Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

How are you preparing
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8734
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

WELL where do you start,?
  • utilities / fuel increase
    Possibilities of utility shortages
    Cost of living going skyward
    Won't be long until they forecast the worst winter in living memory :lol:
Started slowly

Putting £30 a month aside in the new year doesn't sound much but so far it's £180 in a spare bank account that if have probably spent on torches or other stuff I don't need :lol: by Christmas it'll be £360 which won't harm .


Looking at upgrading my solar system to provide a decent back up supply in the event of rota cuts / blackouts

Glad I filled the jerry cans in the spring i winced at £28 for 20l of unleaded :lol:

The house I'm starting to look at thermal blackout blinds to supplement the curtains both from a heat loss point of view and should the poo hit the fan I can mask any light leakage

The loft insulation is a mess thanks to the roofers that needs straightening up not a job I'm looking forward to :lol: but I can't put it off much longer I've put if off for a few years

The cupboards are fortunately full and even Mrs a has been stashing shelf stable grub

The allotment is ticking over ok sticking to growing what we eat Vs posh stuff that no one will touch ..

Got eggs in the incubator for next year's flock a few birds are getting past it .. unfortunately if they are not laying they are no good to me just another hungry mouth to feed ..

Wife's car needs a minor service but that's a DIY job

Started getting kids winter clothes before they sky rocket


Oh and planning a BBQ tomorrow afternoon 😀
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Vitamin c
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Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 1:16 pm

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by Vitamin c »

Been getting as much fire wood as possible more than I need ,I'm expecting more people going for free scrap wood in the near future.
I'm also looking into cooking in the garden on a large hobo stove (radio 4 reported that a average oven costs 40p for 20mins) .
Fill er up jacko...
jansman
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Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by jansman »

I don’t see what more I can do. Firewood is coming in at a nice manageable rate. We have plenty,and there’s enough for 23/24 too. There’s a chap at the end of the road who does a lot of woodwork,and he has a lot of waste. I take it from him.There was another chap,but he was picky- I take the lot, so he looks after me. I am picking up coal each week too.It’s as fair a price as you can get right now,so I just trickle it in. We use an average of 30kg per week during the coldest times,although I guess it could be close to double if not out working.

Animal feed we are keeping on top of. Poultry and rabbit feed has gone into orbit. My cockatiel feed is the same. It contains a lot of sunflower seed. :(

The other thing will be over the counter remedies,and checking the first aid kits.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
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diamond lil
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Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:42 pm
Location: Scotland.

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by diamond lil »

The only thing I've thought of so far is to try and window quilts made, we lose a lot of heat from the 3 long windows in the livingroom. No sure who would do them, and bet it will cost the earth :evil:
izzy_mack
Posts: 562
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 12:35 pm

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by izzy_mack »

Working on wood supply, have a lot of felled trees but they need chopped up and stored, are already pretty well dried out. Thank god for the wood burner. Have upped food supplies (more tins and dried as unsure of freezer if power goes and fuel for gennie hard to get) and will continue to add to stash. Bought a load of knitting wool for projects over winter and have a reasonable supply to make candles but must get some more wick just in case. trying to save for coming electric bill, maybe if we get a lot of power cuts at least the bills should be less. Oh and must try to get to the charity shop and find some books for when there's no telly!
GillyBee
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:46 am

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by GillyBee »

diamond lil wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:12 am The only thing I've thought of so far is to try and window quilts made, we lose a lot of heat from the 3 long windows in the livingroom. No sure who would do them, and bet it will cost the earth :evil:
Could you do knitted ones instead of sewn quilts? I know you are happier knitting than sewing. Otherwise it might need to be Andy's thermal blinds.
WomanOfTheWoods
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Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2022 5:55 pm
Location: A Scottish Glen Overlooking the Moray Firth

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by WomanOfTheWoods »

I've got stacks of well seasoned wood. It's been logged, but now needs splitting. I'm on the list for my turn of the hydraulic log splitter. We share it between 10 households! A log shed near the house would be a good idea rather than walk across a field to the shed. Then, that was a plan for last Winter, but " best laid plans,,,,,"

I also plan to stockpile dog food. YES, I did say "stockpile".
A sack of Harringtons was £14.99 in B&M. It's now out of stock there and the same sack at my local feed store country in Inverness is £33.60.
The dogs will be paying for their keep this Winter. They will be on Central Heating Duty as I just put another dog on the bed to keep me warm.

Winter is my slow time for income. Most of my income comes from supplying companies like the RHS and Heritage visitor type centres which are mainly seasonal. The remainder to speciality retailers. If money is tight, then I expect my income to drop dramatically. So I will be doing simple frugal living.
WomanOfTheWoods
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Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2022 5:55 pm
Location: A Scottish Glen Overlooking the Moray Firth

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by WomanOfTheWoods »

diamond lil wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 6:12 am The only thing I've thought of so far is to try and window quilts made, we lose a lot of heat from the 3 long windows in the livingroom. No sure who would do them, and bet it will cost the earth :evil:
@diamond lil , there's a place near Wooler, on the main road at Powburn next to the filling station. It's been there for years , a shop at the tea rooms. They sell amazing very heavy fabric and also bump for interlining.
You'll be able to pick up fabric and sewing stuff very cheaply. I've bought fabric there for £5 per metre which would be well over £100 per metre. It's slight seconds, but looks perfect. Curtains are easy to make and simple to sew by hand.
Arzosah
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by Arzosah »

WomanOfTheWoods wrote: Fri Jun 17, 2022 1:18 pmCurtains are easy to make and simple to sew by hand.
That's true. When I got rid of my venetian blinds (dust traps) I hand-sewed lengths of what I can only describe as very thin self-patterned cheesecloth, to become a privacy/net curtain. Years ago, I also sewed some thermal blind material onto my bedroom curtains, and I hand sewed that too.

I'm also wondering about blackout material or fleece or both and sticking it up with velcro. I'm definitely using velcro for insect screening - shame I haven't got it done yet, but I'll use a fan tonight. Lowest temperature here overnight is expected to be 17 degrees, and of course it will be hotter in the house.
GeeGee
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Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2015 3:35 pm

Re: Winter 2022 what are you doing to get ready

Post by GeeGee »

Same as Arzosah ..put up a blackout blind in the kitchen today took down venetian ..fits better cool in summer keeps heat in winter
Have doubled up on curtains in living room and bedroom ( 2 lots of same pair on each window )
Windows are oversized so extra room to let draughs in etc
Looking for decent blankets without the itching from them now to put away for the winter months
Since January this year I seem to have been preparing for winter 22
Have bought some of those light bulbs that are battery operated
Theyll be going up at the end of summer