Being prepared in the case of an emergency...

Whether it be a national food shortage, power cuts, contaminated water supply, we all have a responsibility to ourselves and our family to be prepared for the worst.

It was upon reading a particular thread on the Money Saving Expert forum that got me thinking about starting a store cupboard and gathering equipment in the event of an emergency. Living in this day and age, we never think of anything bad happening...we don't really suffer with catastrophic weather, our homes are fully equipped to receive gas, water and electric. But, what if the worst did happen, how long would we be able to stay comfortable inside our own homes??

I've already starting writing a list of things I need to buy:

• Camp stove and extra gas cannisters
• Battery-operated radio
• Batteries
• Candles/matches
• Extra blankets
• Torches

Along with supplies I can pick up as extra along with my weekly shopping to start a store cupboard:

• Long life milk
• Tinned goods
• Bottled water
• Tea-bags and sugar
• First Aid items
• Paper plates and cups (easy to throw out after use instead of using valuable water to wash)
• Rice/pasta
• Biscuits
• Squash

 Any item from the above list costs a few pence alongside your normal weekly shop and is well worth investing in to stock up.

I wonder how many households would be in serious trouble if anything happened? I know mine would be! But I'm on track to being fully prepared.

Here are a few links if anyone is interested:

http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Preparing-for-disasters/How-to-prepare-for-emergencies/Ready-for-winter/Prepare-your-emergency-kit

Plus here is the link to the MSE thread for those that are interested.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4065593