The Winter of Discontent #2 Food, energy, transport, jobs, housing etc

[reCAPTCHA]

I’ve been scrolling the last thread and my action plan is as follows (fuelled by 2 glasses of red wine)

- purchase candles
- buy us all an Oodie (I’ve been gagging for an excuse)
- add more tins and long-life stuff to our weekly shop

Husband has just got a notification that I’ve spent money on Amazon and has come downstairs like “The fuck? 20 candles? Not even scented? We peasants now?”

I feel like we wouldn’t survive a real life crisis

 

[JoeBloggs]

Can someone please tell me the facts? As I’ve already stated, I’m very anxious about what is going on currently.

I am panicking badly. The articles about lack of food, industry potentially having to shut down. What can I do?

I want to be prepared now. Is there anything I should buy to be prepared? Matches, more candles, blankets, batteries, torches, tinned food, camping gas stove? Please help?


Please can you post the link to this? I’d like to read so I know exactly how bad things could potentially get.

Reading articles written by the papers is not going to help. There is no proof to any of their articles (petrol crisis is a prime example. They just drove the panicking…) all they do is write the articles to sell papers and get advertising revenue. They don’t care what truth there is in what they write.

In terms of being prepared and how bad can it get, that is all down to how prepared for something that may or may not occur your want to be. Have a few extra tins of beans in the cupboard and some matches or have enough food to last a year. Whatever makes you feel less anxious.

In terms of how bad could it get, well no food, money or electricity but let’s be honest, that is extremely unlikely. There are storages due to issues but this is being exacerbated by people panicking. You might not be able to get your normal foods, but you are not going to starve.

Take a step back, get a few extra bits in, maybe enough to last a week or so if that will make you feel better.

 

[Purrrrrrr]

I’m catching up from the previous thread and it’s good to know I’m not the only one feeling really worried about this winter. Does anyone else feel like the government are massively in denial in order to prevent us from panicking? Especially given the petrol situation?

what do we genuinely believe will happen in the next few months? I’m glad I’ve got lots of candles and warm clothes to prevent me from needing toturn on heating / as a supply in case supply is down.

I don't believe they are in denial, they know exactly what they are doing, as do the media. Every recession makes the rich richer and the poor poorer.

They have made us into a society that lives day to day, paycheck to paycheck. They made people laugh at those like me who are old school and know just how many things can go wrong, be it power cuts, fuel shortages, snowed in, strikes, anything can stop the supply chain. To make you laugh at people like me they showed you prepping programs and picked the idiots to film rather than the older generation who learnt how to get through harsh times.

Everyone get to your cheap shop ( B&M have loads, as does eBay ettc) and get the teddy bedding, get fleece onesies even dressing up fleece onesie ( should be a few in the shops due to Halloween
. As a kid we had to sit under blankets and having to come out from under the blankets was awful, but today we don't have to do that with fleece etc .. we can live normally put an oversize fleece over your clothes. I did this a few years back when I didn't have any money. I could not put my heating on and didn't have carpets etc as just moved here and the floor was concrete. fleeces made everything bearable and didn't have to be thick. So if you have some spare money go get you and the kids some fluffy bedding and fleece all in ones. If you don't have money get on the free sites and ask. loads giving away fancy dress stuff at the moment clearing out what their kids grew out of.

 

[Mimble]

Go for it, they’ll probably be back in fashion soon…

View attachment 812552

Are you psychic I was literally just looking at that one thinking it's the least horrendous of the bunch. But look how happy and warm she looks! Protected by the noble fleece wolf. Sod it I'm gonna get one and just never leave house again except for Woodbines and lard and to get my blue rinse done

 

[Onetwofour]

You may not agree.

However there are an awful lot of hypocrites out there.

They'll take to Facebook and Twitter on their Apple products (all active tax avoiders) to protest about tax avoidance.

They'll also do their shopping on Amazon (another tax avoider), be seen drink pricey coffees from Starbucks and Caffè Nero (both tax avoiders).

This is where the hypocrisy lies. You can't bang on about tax avoidance, if you willingly purchase products and services from the companies guilty of it.

Are you also never giving any money to any of those? I don't have an iphone - but a mac because I often have to transport my laptop with me. Haven't put my feet in Starbucks and other coffee chains for years - I support independent cafés or I have my own coffee. Bought three things on Amazon my entire life - but I know I am privileged to have time to shop or spend a bit more money on stuff I am looking for. Same for clothes - second hand or produced in Europe those last years - but again I have the means for that so won't spit at people buying their clothes at Primark and supporting the fast fashion industry.

I live in a city so I don't have a car and use my bike but my family lives in the countryside and completely get why they have two cars. Can locally source my meat because of my relatives in the countryside but I understand people living in cities cannot necessarily do that. I have time - and an involved husband to cook my own food and avoid processed food to not give too much money to the food industry. But I get people who are very busy for many reasons cannot do that.

And I know I am not perfect - sometimes I take a flight to visit my family abroad, my running shoes are from nike because they are the most comfortable for me, I sometimes splurge on things I don't need and I spend time on website heberged by amazon. And other many things. But I don't beat up myself with and don't beat up other people with it. We are in a system and apart from living completely cut from the world we are contributing to make those big companies richer - often we don't have the choice.

Guilt is not the answer. We should more try to help each other and share tips than playing this divisive game. We might not agree on everything but most people have similar goals - living a good life in a decent environment and having some kind of social justice. We should remember that instead of letting culture wars destroying any sense of community.

 

[GobShyte64]

It just makes me realise how fortunate we are to live in this era. I'm 33 and never experienced the hard times that a person the same age as me would have experienced 50 years ago. My dad (75) told me about the family having to wash in the sink or heat up the water and put in a bucket to wash.

My aunt's husband mentioned how he used to often take cold showers. I feel fortunate to have only ever known warm showers and baths. My nan would have washed her clothes with soap and water, scrub them down, then just hang out to dry. Nowadays we have washing machines, dryers, heated dryer, all those fancy detergents etc. I feel sad thinking about how my ancestors lived.

That isnt an ancestral thing. People live like that now. People who can't afford their electric - or they'v ran out of emergency and don't get any money for another 2 weeks so have to make do. People's washing machines break and they can't afford a new one so they handwash their clothes and put them on the airer. Or the gas has gone so they can't have a hot bath or shower so boil the kettle a million times to fill a small bath.

 

[Warpaint]

I’m catching up from the previous thread and it’s good to know I’m not the only one feeling really worried about this winter. Does anyone else feel like the government are massively in denial in order to prevent us from panicking? Especially given the petrol situation?

what do we genuinely believe will happen in the next few months? I’m glad I’ve got lots of candles and warm clothes to prevent me from needing toturn on heating / as a supply in case supply is down.

Well this is the government that advised us to sing happy birthday whilst washing our hands to deal with the initial outbreak of Coronavirus. Meanwhile, the rest of the world was going into complete lockdown. So wouldn't put it past them to be in some sort of denial.

 

[IngressUK]

It appears that most people who become MP’s in the Tory party (although the Labour Party is not immune to this either) have either a silver-spoon background, went to private school, have friends in very high places and have no connection to a world outside of their inner circle. I think the majority of them should never become Members of Parliament, never mind becoming the PM! They simply do not have an idea of how people are forced to live. Forget all of the trotting round nursing homes and council estates for photo opportunities, we can all see through that shite. For the most part, they are patronising and in my opinion, very few have any brains at all. Most of them certainly lack compassion.

Yes, we know there are people who take the piss in life, don’t pay any tax and work on the side of their benefits, but most of them do it to make up the shortfall, to feed their families. It’s the same piss-taking, on a smaller scale, that the wealthy company directors do to avoid paying huge sums of tax. They are able to dress it up better, to make it look as though they are not at fault.

When Tony Blair was PM, he was on his own gravy train. He amassed a wealthy property portfolio, so anyone saying he was a socialist, well, that’s a load of shite. He feathered his own nest and played a blinder really. His Government built very few council houses, yet he seemed to accrue quite a few houses of his own, whilst raking in his salary and enjoying all the benefits of being a PM.

Frankly, they are all as bad as each other. I don’t vote for any of them, they’re all shite. The only one I possibly would vote for is Keir Starmer, or Angela Rayner.

This country is corrupt.

Labour are no better than the Conservatives.

About time people woke up to this fact (no pun intended with the 'woke' comment').

The party was once the party of the poor and working class, however that is no longer true. It is about appeasing those well off people in North London and other well off metropolitan areas, with their faux trendy leftie ideals, not helped by the likes of Momentum.

What should of happened is these bunch of numpties should have started their own political party, rather than hijack an existing one.

It is a sad state of affairs when Labour now care more about Trans rights, than the day to day struggles of the genuinely poor.

I also used to work for Sainsbury's in the 90's, in the era of Labour party donor David Sainsbury. The man was a tight arse when it came to paying his staff a decent wage, even when pressed on the issue and highlighted the opposition paid substantially more. A supposedly socialist person. I think not.

 

[under the ivy]

Royally fucked off this morning with Bulb. Changed my DD by an extra £50 without consent - they want £190! I’m in credit by a fair amount but yet they’ve increased it due to wholesale prices and so I don’t go into debt. Fair enough… if I could afford it

I was on hold for over 30 minutes and stated my case. Got the DD reduced to the original amount and the difference refunded, but still. The cheek of them just authorising a different amount!

 

[WilmaHun]

Why is the uk having a shortage of crisps???

I always knew I ate a lot of crisps, but I didn't realise I was eating that many

 

[YellowLadybird]

I know I'm luckier than a lot of people, and don't worry about being able to afford the basics - but I really feel like between these Economic/Brexit woes and Corona Lockdowns (which I appreciate are all deeply interrelated) that I'm left wondering when/if I will be able to actually get a life and not feel like I'm waiting for things to start.

I moved back with my parents in Feb 2020, as we were all moving to a new area and I was starting a job so it made sense to start with them and maybe save a bit to get my own place. But two years later, I'm still going to be here. Still mostly WFH and don't have many friends as it's been difficult to get out and meet people; the same with relationships. My life isn't awful, but it feels a bit constricted and disappointing sometimes. I just wish I knew when it was all going to end. I would like to have a family of my own and I just wonder how on earth I'm supposed to contemplate doing that in such a chaotic world where it's also so difficult to meet people!

I absolutely appreciate others have it worse, but you have to wonder what the long term consequences will be for lots of us - educationally, socially, romantically - that will persist long after any virus might have been conquored.

 

[Daisymai]

Radio 1 had interviews with pig farmers incredibly upset because they can't kill the animals they claim to love so much. Nah mate, you just care about your bottom line. Animal welfare has nothing to do with it.

Anyway, will get off my soapbox.



I've noticed Matalan selling fleece bedding online with 20% off. I'd be buying some myself if Mr B wasn't a portable furnace

Thats not fair- my partner is a farmer and the animals are well looked after and are killed in the most humane way possible for food. Farmers are human and killing animals for absolutely no reason is upsetting.

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

I want to share some ideas on how to keep warm, but don't laugh at me as they sound old-fashioned.
They are from my cousin who lives on an old big farm in the countryside:

- sheep-skin slippers: bought some from the farmer's market for my gran, she loved them and reported less pain from her arthritis, now the whole family wears them and they keep soooo warm
- sheep skin mattress covers: very warm and cosy beneath the bedsheet, again good for the bones (older people), good for children
- alpaca duvets: they somehow regulate the temperature?
- wollen underwear: maybe not that sexy, but makes a huge difference on colder days, especially important to cover the lower back
- wollen socks: same. natural fibres are best, polyester etc is rubbish
- wollen hat: worn around the house at all times.

Natural material seems to be best, synthetic fibres are to be avoided.

 

[jackolantern]

Lol where I live we have a grand total of one bus a week and *nothing else* and even that bus barely goes anywhere my car has a habit of breaking down at the worst possible times such as Boxing Day (!) last year when I was due at work for the next 3 days. Physically couldn’t get there because I have no other means of transport and the already ridiculous taxi fares would have near rendered me bankrupt at Christmas Took two weeks before I could get my car in anywhere, and I had to cancel all my shifts - lost £500 and spent the same on fixing the fucking car! Sad thing is, I genuinely had to say to my boss it would be genuinely cheaper for me to be fired. Taxis are atleast £50 to get to my work and a rental car is about the same per day. You’d think I live in the Arctic and hey I’m rural, but not THAT rural. In this day in age it’s utter madness that people don’t have more affordable transport options yet they bitch at us so much about not using cars.

 

[grumpy_curry]

Walkers upgraded their IT system which has reduced their output, so they say. There was a poor potato crop last year anyway.

Sure, let's blame IT have they tried turning it off and on again?

 

[jackolantern]

It's all just so depressing, thought things should be looking up by now but honestly it's just worse. We are down to our last oil dregs, just looked and 500 litres now will cost us more than 1000 litres cost us in the start of the pandemic. Nevermind the price of Diesel which is enough to make your eyes water. So many of us work paycheck to paycheck, already have debt and simply have no means for these increases. I know that's just life and you should be prepared for these situations, but pray tell how is that possible when they lock you up for the best part of a year and destroy your income? Whilst increasing the prices of near everything, so disproportionately. They keep you on your knees then are surprised when you have no give.

 

[rainbowlemon]

Poor lonely can of sausage and beans, but if you look below there's still a full shelf of Tesco beans underneath.

 

[Tatooine_legend1]

I tell you, I'm envious of the hunter gatherers still living their way of life around the world. It seems such a simple lifestyle from the outside looking in. Getting their heat from a fire, hunting for their food (keeping active), no TVs, phones, electronics, just living as we humans were always meant to and being one with nature, and living in a close knit circle, helping one another. No worries about rising food costs, gas prices, random pandemics, etc. Haha I might sound mad, but the last year and half has made me realise the shallow life we live. Oh well, I'm never gonna be a hunter gatherer, so the modern grind continues

 

[dancingqueen5678]

not entirely relevant but slightly relevant: Is anyone else bloody starving all the time at the moment? I think it's the cold weather cause it's so cold and windy where I am but all I've done today is eat and be hungry

 

[Mark81]

I grew up in the 80s and 90s and tbh it was normal to have a 'be prepared' kit. Nothing major but just candles, batteries, torch, some tinned food. Power outtages are rare but they do happen so it's wise to be a little prepared....without going into full pepper mode