Sneaky prepping and prepping by stealth.

This week we are going to wander off track a little bit.  Cath just started a Facebook group called Cheapskates Prepare.   Her timing is impeccable!  Even people who called us nuts for having well stocked pantries are wanting to learn and be better prepared now.   In the last few years we have have seen things no one would ever have believed.  No one.  Now many of us feel the sense of urgency to get things well and truly squared away in our households.  If you have that feeling,  no,  you are not crazy! 

I will tell you some things I have experienced personally in the last three years.   During this time Dad died as well.  Two babies were born.  My Uncle also passed away. 

We had to evacuate due to a massive wildfire.  A house down the road burned down and thousands of hectares around us.  It was terrifying and we had five minutes to leave.

We had another fire close by and were ready to leave again.

We have had massive shortages and empty supermarket shelves.  Like... some entire isles completely empty.  In my life I have never seen that.

We had rationing in the form of store limits. ie one loaf of bread per customer, two milk... many times this affected twenty or more different staple products.  If you were a single person household or a twelve person household you got the same. 

We had a new way of shopping that was patchy... sometimes you could get things and sometimes not.

To get to my daughters house I had to pass through police and army checkpoints. 

To get home again I had to do the same.  One time they didn't think I was allowed to go home.  After an hour they let me but I had to go to a dr first to have tests for covid.  

My daughter had a baby in hospital and went home with her newborn.  The dr wanted the baby to come back each day to be weighted and checked.  There were some issues.  Lucy was not allowed to take the baby back.  The specialist wrote an urgent letter to the government saying he must see this baby and the government answer was too bad. 

People began to hide in boots of cars and trucks to cross from one state to another. 

People were not allowed to attend their parents funeral,  visit a dying relative,  check on the elderly and well you know all of that. 

We were told not to sing,  attend church or speak to our neighbours.  

Through this my Dad was no longer here.   Sometimes I was thankful as he would have been very distressed.  The police visited our house and demanded to know why I had not had my covid test at the doctors.  They drove an HOUR to get here..   I had done all the right things and had to convince them when, what time and where.   

Still today the overall availability and quality of food has dramatically plummeted and what is there is many many times the price it used to be. 

Many medicines are in short supply.  Many things such as tires, parts, vehicles etc are very hard to get.

(For anyone new we are in SE of South Australia.) 

If anyone tells me there is no need to be prepared all I can say is 🙄 !

Quite a few people we know decided to try and be more independent from the shops and help each other out.  This is good and has helped us build up a bit of a network.    Some family members are really well set up and prepared and some less so.   This leads me to my subject...  how to quietly help others be better prepared.  

I do not like to give useless gifts.  I want to give gifts that are helpful or useful or may even safe the day or a life.   In the last few years some of the things I have given my son in laws,  brothers and daughters include:   first aid kits,  blackout kits with candles,  torches,  (flashlights) matches, lighters etc.,  snake bite kits,  a Berkey water filter,  stainless steel water bottles,  Mosquito zappers and good torches.   I gave Chloe a dehydrator also.  Giant beautiful candles.  This is a good one as they are so lovely,  decorative but alternative lighting for many, many hours! 

My Dad gave myself, Chloe and Lucy each a dozen fruit trees.   That was a wonderful gift.   

Other ideas I have up my sleeve are padlocks,  security signs, thick socks, good boots,  cold packs, wool blankets or underlays,  eye glass repair kits, solar phone chargers, solar torches, battery operated radios.   Good work gloves,  good tarpaulins, tools,  

What else?  A BBQ as then there is an alternative way of cooking and heating water.  Camping gear. 

My Grandkids are little but if I live to see them through the teenage years they will be getting:  good tools,  sewing machine,  (Harper already wants one) sewing scissors, sewing kits,  cookware and so on.

When they have cars they will be getting:  strong torches,  first aid kits, pure wool blankets...

If you are asked what you might like for Christmas or a Birthday have some handy dandy suggestions ready to go!  

Some ideas:

Jars!  Canning jars, lids...

Labels. 

A vacuum sealer.

Vac sealer bags.

Mylar bags. 

A dehydrator.

Seeds.

A load of compost. 

A worm farm.

A compost bin.

Chickens!

A chicken coop.

A food processor.

Essential oils.

Reference books/homesteading/preserving books.

Water bath canning equipment.

A pressure canner.

Pantry shelves.

A first aid course. 

Garden tools.

Cast iron cookware.

A pizza oven. 

A load of firewood. 

A mushroom grow kit. 

A sprouting kit.

Growing pots.

A seed starting kit.

A mini green house.

A wheel barrow. 

I think a family gift can be great and some of the larger items like a BBQ can be more feasible this way.   Or several families get together for one gift.

Our Easter falls in Autumn.   Mum and I conspire and give all the kids warm coats, pyjamas, dressing gowns,  slippers,  hats, scarves, socks... some combination of warm things.  We also buy a whole season ahead.  We include an Easter egg but that is not where the money is spent at all.  I have heard of people spending hundreds on Easter eggs etc which I just don't understand. 

For someone elderly, or who lives alone,  I think some individual home cooked meals for the freezer are a wonderful gift.   Little chicken pot pies,  some soup, muffins... a whole roast dinner.  If you are not sure what to give it might be an idea to ask if they need help with their power bill.   It is not the time to waste money on dumb stuff.  

What else can we add to the list?   We can make an impact with our gifts and have everyone a little bit better prepared without them even noticing.  😊   xxx