Single Parent prepping on a low income

[moggins]

Hi everyone

I'm a single mum who is getting concerned about the way the world is going. I've been fairly old style all my life, growing my own food, repairing things when they break but have only just started prepping. I'm on a fairly low income so I'm trying to do as much as I can with what I have and googled for people who may have some words of wisdom.

So then I found myself here!

[pseudonym]

Hello and welcome to the Forum.

[Covert]

Welcome , what sort of things are you prepping for?

[moggins]

The tension between the US and pretty much everybody Tango Trump can tick off is worrying me, even if we don't get drawn into it I believe that if the US does go to war with another country we will be affected in some way. So I'm trying to focus on having a good supply of food, fresh water and power.

[Deeps]

Another welcome from me. I hope you find the place useful, I have.

[Yorkshire Andy]

Welcome

Start with a list of what your prepping for

Then line off that with what you need eg:

.
................./ torch
Power cut - gas stove
.................\ candles + matches



And go from there

But start small and slowly

Add a extra bag of pasta and a couple of bottles if water
Next week get a extra bag of rice and some tinned chillie and bolognase
Week after a big pack of mash potato and a few tins of casserole

In 3 weeks for about £2 a week you will have 3 extra meals and still have pasta , rice and mash left for another few meals. And a stock of water slowly building up

Slowly add to your "pantry" but rotate it eat some evert now and then and replace it so it doesn't go out of date..

Buy what you eat, eat what you store..

Shop smartly look in home bargains or scope out buy one get one free offers at the super market...

Eg^ the kids are currently "enjoying" these expire Dec this year so not even short dated!




to your weekly shop It won't break the bank and leave you skint

Same goes for "kit". Don't rush out wait for offers and specials (I saved 20% last weekend due to a bank holiday on line offer )


What sort of age are your children? As this will be a big sway on your resources / kit you need a 13 year old will be a different kettle of fish to a 6 month old for prepping

[moggins]

Thanks for the welcome and thank you Andy for the advice.

The kids are 16 and 7, unfortunately the 7 year old is also high functioning autistic so power is a big issue, we had floods here a few years ago and lost power, he was fine with living with candles but when his tablet died he went into meltdown.

[Brambles]

Thanks for the welcome and thank you Andy for the advice.

The kids are 16 and 7, unfortunately the 7 year old is also high functioning autistic so power is a big issue, we had floods here a few years ago and lost power, he was fine with living with candles but when his tablet died he went into meltdown.

Welcome

An external power bank and solar panel would sort the tablet problem, in fact have 2 or three and you can have propper and safe lights too.
To give you some idea.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Cell-Phone-P ... bank&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KINGSOLAR-Fold ... ar+charger

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COOLEAD-CE-Cer ... usb+lights

I've got a couple of the Aukey 20,000mah power banks and they're great. I've also got a couple of the light too. Andy or Deeps should be able to recommend a small solar charger, but don't go lower than 15W or so. I took one camping and it provided light, charged the phone a couple of times and kindle and still had plenty of juice.

[Arzosah]

Welcome moggins, and some great advice from Andy there. Water, in supermarket own-brand 2 litre bottles (imagine a break in the water main that serves your house!), and tinned food that's more or less what you eat - baked beans? - and go from there. You've already had experience of using candles in a powercut ... do you have enough matches? did you replace the candles?

I know you mention Trump and war, but this kind of basic prep is good for low-level events as well.

[moggins]

Thank you for the links, that will be the next on my list.

Over the last couple of weeks I have stored 40 litres of bottled water. Aldi does a bottled still spring water for 17p for 2 litres so I've been buying that up. I'm just clearing out my junk room of a cellar to provide extra storage space and am returning to vegetable gardening after a long break as I have a very long garden. I've got camping equipment already so have pulled together all the things I think might come in useful in any situation and have 3 underbed storage boxes filled with tinned and dried foods, including rice and pasta.

I have one rain barrel and have just ordered some water purification tablets but mostly planned on using the water from the barrel for non drinking/cooking purposes, I have a firepit and a barbecue. I have a huge open fireplace in the house but unfortunately I have been told by the chimney sweep that this will need lining before it could be used again. I'm up for tackling most things but I don't do heights so getting on my roof to install a flue liner isn't in the cards for the time being!