My own personal shtf.

[TOF]

It's been coming a while, but today has finally seen me admit defeat. My income has been going down, bills have been going up. I've been living out of my stores for a while and will continue to do so for some time to come. It's no one thing that's the cause, but I can honestly say thank god I had prepared. I got debt free a few years ago so even though I am broke, I have no debt to worry about. I do have to move asap or that situation will change. Looks like TOF jnr will have a lodger for a while.
My reason for posting is it's not just for big events you may think about prepping for. If I had just stuck to them, well maybe I wouldn't be able to ride out this bump in the road as easily. Don't lose sight of the details when looking at the big picture!

[Scythe13]

Thanks for posting this. Writing about income is a huge thing for many people, so the fact you wrote this shows your integrity and honesty.

You're spot on about prepping. It's not just for the 'big one'. It's also for all those smaller events that turn life upside down.

I posted a little while ago about having to pay 3 lots of rent at the same time. That ripped off all my finances before payday. I now have about £35 to last me until the end of the month. Thankfully I'll be putting an expenses claim through in work for about £300ish, so that'll be a nice buffer until the end of the month.

My preps are the reason I'm still eating well. Granted I seem to be getting loads of parcels of equipment, but that was all budgeted for. However, my situation changed suddenly (had 1.5 weeks notice) and then everything changed in a very uncool way.

Glad you have TOF Jr to be with.

[TOF]

Much as I'm a bit down about it. I have to locate new BOL's and the such, it will give me the opportunity to sort out things. I have used some kit and food wise I have noticed there are a few things I have used far more of than I estimated and others that have sat there languishing in the bottom of the box because I can't think of anything to do with them. There are also things I didn't think I needed but do. Rather than get all miserable and negative, there are many positives that have come out of this.

[bowdrill]

sorry to hear about your situation and i hope things work out for you but like you said you now have a real insight to what you use in your preps i admire the fact that you are debt free that takes a strong focused will and determination

b/d

[Prep Girl]

Good luck with it all

[Scythe13]

(19 March 2012, 14:04)TOF Wrote: Much as I'm a bit down about it. I have to locate new BOL's and the such, it will give me the opportunity to sort out things. I have used some kit and food wise I have noticed there are a few things I have used far more of than I estimated and others that have sat there languishing in the bottom of the box because I can't think of anything to do with them. There are also things I didn't think I needed but do. Rather than get all miserable and negative, there are many positives that have come out of this.

Loving the optimistic side!!! It's awesome that you can see it like this! You're a really stong person and I'm massively impressed. Most people crumble in the same situation. WTSHTF, your attitude and spirit will carry you though brilliantly. The rule of 3 (3 minutes without air, 3 hours without shelter.......3 months without hope) will not be applying to people like you and I. We'll always have that hope that some others don't. Great work TOF!

If it's not too personal, what items have you found most important, which have you needed more of, and which have you not used?

[TOF]

Nope not personal at all.

Flour. I had 24lbs stored. Because I'm making the more expensive foods go further, I'm using far more and I'm making filleruppers(plain scones etc).
Baking powder. Because of above. I don't store self raising flour because it raising agent goes off too quickly.
Dehydrated veg. Again I can't believe how much I'm using.
Cake ingredients. dried fruit, dessicated coconut ground almonds
Dried full fat milk.
Home canned fruit.
Home canned meat.
Stock cubes.
And worst of all...... I RAN OUT OF BOVRIL!!!!!!
I was aware of the shortcomings in home preserved produce. That is something I hope to sort once my situation improves and I can start building up reserves again. I ate my last jars of pickled beetroot, pickled cucumber, home canned cherries, apples, and sauerkraut.
It has been a real moral booster to have some nice stuff in the stores.

Stuff that I will find a new home for. It's mostly canned stuff.

Cheap Hotdogs(bleughhhh!)
Sardines.
Green beans
peas & carrots.

I've also found there has been much less wastage. This has pretty much been a subconscious thing. If I haven't eaten it the chickens have. Both the chickens and the attack cat have been on short rations. Something else I need to do is put more animal food by.

[Scythe13]

(20 March 2012, 10:14)TOF Wrote: Nope not personal at all.

Flour. I had 24lbs stored. Because I'm making the more expensive foods go further, I'm using far more and I'm making filleruppers(plain scones etc).
Baking powder. Because of above. I don't store self raising flour because it raising agent goes off too quickly.
Dehydrated veg. Again I can't believe how much I'm using.
Cake ingredients. dried fruit, dessicated coconut ground almonds
Dried full fat milk.
Home canned fruit.
Home canned meat.
Stock cubes.
And worst of all...... I RAN OUT OF BOVRIL!!!!!!
I was aware of the shortcomings in home preserved produce. That is something I hope to sort once my situation improves and I can start building up reserves again. I ate my last jars of pickled beetroot, pickled cucumber, home canned cherries, apples, and sauerkraut.
It has been a real moral booster to have some nice stuff in the stores.

Stuff that I will find a new home for. It's mostly canned stuff.

Cheap Hotdogs(bleughhhh!)
Sardines.
Green beans
peas & carrots.

I've also found there has been much less wastage. This has pretty much been a subconscious thing. If I haven't eaten it the chickens have. Both the chickens and the attack cat have been on short rations. Something else I need to do is put more animal food by.

Sounds like it's all been quite an education.

I like the fact you say about how you say that having nice food in the stores is a morale booster!!! That's one of the reasons I have so much chocolate in all my bags. The stuff is heavy, but still manageable. That morale boost is important, I think. That's also why I did have some of those hard boiled sweets, but AlyBear tucked in to them. Thankfully SD said they become to sticky, so it's a good job we started on them soon enough to not find that out the hard way.....or the sticky way. I'm thinking of going down the tinned mints route instead. Something sweet, like hard boiled sweets. Any ideas?

If those hotdogs are going, I'll have them right off you. Love them (I know it's a really bad thing to admit, but I have around 10 tins of them, and I want LOADS more. What can I say, I'm still a student at heart haha.

[TOF]

I send my mate in the Paras sweets in his seige parcel. The ones that travel and last the best are Fizzers, Love hearts(he gets funny looks over those) Refreshers, Cherry drops and Toffos. The last two are tubes of individually wrapped sweets.

[Scythe13]

(20 March 2012, 11:01)TOF Wrote: I send my mate in the Paras sweets in his seige parcel. The ones that travel and last the best are Fizzers, Love hearts(he gets funny looks over those) Refreshers, Cherry drops and Toffos. The last two are tubes of individually wrapped sweets.

They've stopped making Toffos now.