Over the last few weeks I’ve been running a little experiment. Simply put it is monitoring what items we get through the most. Basically, what do I need to go out and replace. I have a multitude of items that I have put aside for preps and basically we have been guessing as to how many I need to put aside.
I know already we go through toilet rolls at lot. The wimmen seem to eat it as a snack or something as it just disappears. I go through a lot of honey. I’ll drink it as a sweetner in my tea or just alone in hot water. The two kids like it as well and so I use quite a lot. One of the kids has a sweet tooth so chocolate goes while the other likes fruit. One is going to be upset after an event.
So far I’ve identified the toilet roll, which I already knew, as well as bread and milk. These items needed regular replacement while almost everything else lasted much longer.
As I said I’d already identified toilet rolls previously and made an attempt, a vain one, to put a large stash away. It is nowhere near enough and there is going to have to be some behaviour changes or reallocation of space. It has made me reconsider my storage strategy and I’m still thinking about it. Do we split them evenly, do we ration them or do we just allow them to be used at will? It should be easy but it isn’t. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Bread we are going to have to learn how to make and clearly we are going to have to become friendly with one of the local farmers fpr diary produce. I’m also considering a goat as a substitute and I like the sound of that. Investigations will have to be made.
I’m now looking at continuing the test and seeing what runs out next. Fruit juices at a guess, possibly sauces, followed by sugar. Can’t do much about any of those long term but I have enough for a long time yet.
Once I have the high use items I’ll look at what I need to do to increase my stock and how I can provide long term.
Might be worth you considering your high turnover items. You might have a few surprises.
We too use lots of loo roll and kitchen roll, equally we get through gallons of fruit juice each week usually Apple, Mango, Orange or tropical fruits, Fabric conditioner and laundry detergent and washing up liquid we also use in large amounts, so now we wait til its on offer in Makro then bulk buy enough to last at least a year.
You can add Coffee and Coffee Mate, Tea bags, Sugar etc to the list as well.
We too use too much loo paper, shop regularly for bread, milk and potatoes. We have to shop at least three times per week. I like honey as well and consume a lot. Veggies and salads are consumed regularly. I used to have secret gardens, but the last five years the weather being so wet, everything rotted. Not having a garden of my own is a problem. Tea, coffee, sugar, peanut butter, jam, cheese are items that seem to disappear so quickly. Storage space is becoming a problem. Alcohol for tinctures and fluid extracts is also a problem. Kenneth Eames.
We tried to supplement use of toilet rolls with torn up old newspapers, found it a bit rough but again it is the problem of storage space and that assumes you have the money to purchase massive stocks of toilet paper.
Other items post SHTF will be problematic. You may be able to get milk from local cows, if any left and bread, well grow your own wheat and grind to flour to make your own.
Life post SHTF is going to be very different to what we have now and I wonder how many will actually survive, say after a year, even preppers.
toilet rolls are a problem due to a lack of space, we keep enough to last 3 months but that’s about it,mind you we have a big stock of newspapers! we drink UHT milk and keep enough in stock for about 2 months once that’s gone we’re onto the dried milk. as for cows, all dairy cattle will die post shtf if they are not milked.
Making bread is really easy and enjoyable. Post shtf the flour source is going to be the biggest headache. I want to try flour substitutes like ground acorns but that will have to wait til autumn.
PSHTF I guess you would not allow such a high turn over of these items, as you have now while we are in the times of excess..
dint the Romans used to use a sponge for this purpose?
Kind of in Bison’s vein, I really see the benifet to 3gen households. Why pay all that money for separate houses and electric/water bills? We’ve taken over the house my wife grew up in, and my in laws have moved into an apartment that the FIL built inside his huge shop. We’re happy, they’re happy. My kids have ready access to grandparents. They get all that extra attention and guidance. You can’t put a price on that. I look around (at myself too) at all the idiots who know so little of this world, and I think they didn’t get much from their parents. I’m learning gardening, chicken-keeping, carpentry, badassery- you name it, my FIL is teaching me. Got an emergency? Need a gas can brought to you? Need someone to have your back when a prowler is on the property? I don’t see how people can be comfortable NOT having a second group living with them. I do give up some privacy, and I have to accept a shared decision making process, in as far as ‘compound’ issues are concerned. But I wouldn’t trade it. And when it’s time for them to go to the rest home… well that doesn’t need to happen, does it? Maybe my kids will do the same for me. But back to the Dakin tie-in, If you can save money, you can put it into so many other necessary things. Remember your cooking for two post, Ryan? We usually will cook for seven. I’m digging it.
Just a thought, already discussed this with GG. You get those blue rolls for use in hospitals, factories etc. The really big ones. They would give you around 450 sheets 1ft long per roll. They come in packs of 6, blue or white, 2ply. 150m long by 195mm. Thats 2700 1ft wipes. say you use 6 times a day, would last you approx over a year. These can be purchased at http://www.janitorialdirect.co.uk. Some of us could even bulk buy if they dont do small orders. These cost 12.99 plus vat for the 6 pack. Jewsons also sell them singly but I dont remember the price. These would have a good dual purpose for post shtf as toilet roll/kitchen roll.