Preps for a personal future event

How are you preparing
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PreppingPingu
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Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:10 pm
Location: Surrey/Hampshire

Preps for a personal future event

Post by PreppingPingu »

We often talk about prepping for unforeseen things or things that look possible to happen in the future such as economic issues, job losses, weather events etc. But sometimes we need to be prepared for planned events in our own lives. Generally our way of living a sustainable life or the general daily preps we do are pretty good to keep us ticking over and copping with a variety of unforeseen events but its always good when you have a heads up.

Last year I had a foot op, this year my daughter had major spinal surgery and I have just had a hysterectomy. As I am the main dog walker and household manager (for want of a better word) who works part time, I have needed to be prepared for my being out of action and for any long term repercussions that would have. From the loss of income, as statutory sick pay isn't enough to cover your wages, to silly things. Silly things such as I tend to do most of the clothes washing, due to myself being the only one home in the afternoons, and while the rest of my family are capable for operating a washing machine, its things like "use programme X as it saves water and money"," if you are going to use the dishwasher, use program Y else that other one lasts 3 hours!" Food shopping: my husband tends to buy branded products if left to his own devices so its communicating what and how things are to be done. The reason that this is prepping, is that otherwise we would soon be short on money or eating into the actual emergency preps when it's not an emergency! Before my op, I ensured the freezer was full of single portions of dishes that I had made over the last month so there would always be something for someone to eat with out any major preparation. (Again my hubby, bless him, if I hadn't filled the freezer, would probably grab a take out if it meant cooking a shepherd's pie from scratch he'd do the take out option!)

My hubby and I balance each other perfectly in our relationship and what we each contribute to running the household but until one person is out of action, you don't always realise what they do. So What I am trying to highlight is that although you may think that you are prepared for various things, when you have a planned event to prep for, it can show up areas where you are vulnerable. It's best never to assume that your partner/family etc knows something or thinks in the same manner as yourself, even if they are aware of your prepping/lifestyle activities.
"Today is the tomorrow that you worrried about yesterday" - unknown
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Deeps
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Re: Preps for a personal future event

Post by Deeps »

Hope you're healing Su and things are bubbling along nicely while you have your feet up.
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Brambles
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Location: West Midlands

Re: Preps for a personal future event

Post by Brambles »

Yep, prepping isn't just for the end of the world :mrgreen: The more realistic stuff, though not sexy is what most of us will encounter. Glad you got yourself organised first and hope you're getting better and doing what the doc says! :P
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain~anon
Arzosah
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Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Preps for a personal future event

Post by Arzosah »

Hope you're healing well, Pingu. Absolutely agree with what you're saying - not only about preparing for *known* events - I had a minor day op, all went well, but they want someone to stay with you overnight, and they ring the next day to check you're not dead ... So I cooked for my "person staying" beforehand, got lots of snacks in for me, and got my kettle upstairs, with cup and teabags, because I knew I'd wake up at 3am wanting a cuppa :D

The other thing in that, though, is accepting the reality of what each member of the household does, and making sure those jobs still get covered if someone's out of action. And covered in a way that doesn't bankrupt you: when I had flu one time, before I identified as "prepper", a friend went down to the local chemist to buy some aspirin - but instead of the pack costing 30p or whatever, it cost £4. Crazy. On a larger scale, that would have been really destructive of my financial coping.
jansman
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Re: Preps for a personal future event

Post by jansman »

I'll echo the others.Get well soon.Regarding running the house,I get it.Years ago when our girls were very little,my wife had surgery on her ankles.It disabled her for 3 months.I ran myself ragged,running the house and holding down work ( for a boss with zero compassion) and I realised very soon who ran our house!

On the flip side,I had a serious workplace accident not long after that,and I watched the house and garden dropping to pieces through lack of maintenance.

The biggest issue from my point of view,is heating with wood.Its our primary system,but it means splitting and stacking etc. So I make sure there is a whole Winter's worth ready to go at all times.
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.
katilea
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Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:14 pm

Re: Preps for a personal future event

Post by katilea »

I've been a wheelchair user since 2005 and deaf since childhood. I've prepping all over the last year after reading the horror stories of people getting awarded zero points and having no money unless they went to appeal, so in my case it was trying to replace larger equipment and stock up on food so I only had basic bills to pay out of the weekly ESA if the reduced ESA was my only income.

The process took 6 months due to delays at their end so managed to replace my scooter, get anything else that may need replacing and stock up food for me and the dog. I managed to get through it and much to my surprise got awarded the highest rate first time for an 'ongoing period' so have some security that I can cover my bills when the universal credit comes in as again I've heard there's no single person disability premium so I'll lose a chunk off that.

Hoping to see if I can manage to pedal one of those hybrid hand trikes (with battery support - some models have a mode where it can be used like a mobility scooter if your arms get tired) that fits on the front of a manual wheelchair as that would be a useful thing if there was going to be a shortage of fuel in the future and electricity was reduced or turned very expensive if you could afford to have some on, it would only take 4-6 hrs to charge instead of 12 hrs my old scooter took, as if I could at least mange to pedal on the flats and downhills I'd be greatly reducing the amount of battery I was using to get my dog out once a day.

I still think Brexit will cause a rise in food prices and heard meat and dairy would be very expensive after March/April 2019 with the price of meat set to double and dairy up about 50%. Not so bothered about meat now I've gone veggie but I still eat eggs and use milk and of course with reduced power bowls of cold cereal maybe a daily staple so the cost of the boxes of long life milk going up further is a worry. so I'll still be stocking up for the rest of this year incase there's a HUGE increase in food and energy bills in 2019 and switching to the UC sees my income reduced by several hundred quid a month. At least if I have all my equipment replaced, any clothes that need replacing and a good store of cupboard food, whatever income I do have can go on electric and gas. Sky TV will go if necessary though many of my favourite channels are exclusive to Sky and maybe broadband so just a bit of data on my phone to cover ordering the food shop and checking email rather than unlimited with a monthly subscription.

The dogs insurance is crucial to keep as I can see vets prices rising ever more and of course there's a chance we'll lose our NHS and have a private insurance based system for our own health in the future so I may need Insurance, given my existing conditions which I'm sure won't be covered and age by then I'd expect it would be expensive for me!