for you its loo rolls, for me its kitkats

Agree with the poster, l think we all calculate the future shopping restrictions with a bit of a jaundiced eye.
But l think it was only the panic buyers that have done this to us. So l don't feel bad about keeping a certain level of goods that l cannot contemplate doing without.
And no: l do not panic buy. I only have a push bike, so that stops any grandiose dreams in their tracks, as there is only so much one can sling over ones handlebars!

I had a Gone With The Wind moment the other day, I have always tried to keep a good store cupboard inspired by my Mum, but the other day talking to my husband about the shortages and how when this situation was over I wasn't going to be short of anything again I realised I had my hand raised with a clenched fist and it reminded me of Scarlet O'Hara declaring " As God is my witness I will never be hungry again", it amused us at the time.

Yes, any major supermarket shop now includes chocolate, chocolate biscuits, etc., simply because we are no longer regularly passing shops where we can buy such things when the urge takes us.
Which was not all that often. Now we’re getting the chocolate urge just about every night!

Olives.Gotta have olives.Green,black,with stones,without stones,stuffed with thyme and garlic? Bring 'em on.

Thinking of my mother and her relatives who lived through war time rationing reminded me of something else. When we gave them gifts for special occasions the gifts were put in the cupboard and left unused. When my gran died we found boxes of bath cube/talc sets. These were deemed too good to use. Same when her sister died. Rationing must have a profound effect. We feel we're rationed now so our behaviour is out of our control.

We're doing shopping for 2 neighbours also and it's interesting to see what they consider essentials. So, for one, these include 3 x multi-bags of crisps, and kit kats; for the other it's been red wine and ground coffee. Yes, more chocolate for us too - whatever gets you through the night ...

For me it’s eggs and bread, the thought of not having my toasty soldiers with a runny boiled egg, would tip me over the edge

well I was a young child during the war and rationing, so I have always kept a reasonably well stocked pantry

seems to me, that no one actually thought out, that closing restuarants, coffee shops etc. would push the demand to the supermarkets.. going to work also... shows how much food , t.rolls etc are consumed outside of the home

and one shop a week? also pushes us to buy perhaps a little more than we ought? I used to pop to the local shop ever other day or so.. particularly fresh stuff... it is a whole new ball game ....

I'm glad I'm not alone in this conundrum. Normally I avoid the worse of my cravings by not buying the stuff. I'm less likely to eat biscuits if I have to make a special journey. So now I'm buying, just in case, they call me.

I hear, “Hey, Petunia, here I am, all crunchy and chocolatey. I'm perfect with a cup of coffee on the patio. Come on, you know you want to. You've cleaned everything in sight, sorted out things for the charity shop, reorganised every cupboard, go on, you deserve it.. “ And sadly, I give in.

Petunia Your thread is so true. I never bought many biscuits before but now I keep us well stocked.

Have also noticed that in my well-stocked supermarket (am in Italy), the one section that seems to get bare quickest is the biscuit section, yet I had never thought Italians to be half the biscuit eaters we Brits are!

It’s not just food. We always laugh at DH and his well stocked DIY supplies, plus random wood.

He’s now getting messages from DSs and friends for a variety of special bits and pieces. All safely left on the drive.

Same here There’s 5 of us under the same roof again and the DC are clamouring for snacks together them through the tedium - which of course means I’m eating them too. I’m looking at it as a temporary thing - at least, that’s what I keep telling myself to justify it.

Coffee and tea for us! Can't imagine starting the day without a black coffee and having a nice cup of tea with a biscuit through the day. We finished all the potatoes we bought and eat the last bread crumb before we renewed them.

DD was laughing at her friend recently. This friend's husband does the shopping for essentials and gets exactly those - no treats at all. It's very disappointing apparently.

My DD does a supermarket shop for me each week. Most items on my list are for meals, but I have been adding crisps and salted cashew nuts. They are now the things I would be most disappointed not to receive. It is a good thing that flour is still not available, as I have a great urge to keep baking sweet stuff, which I wouldn't normally do.

I could have written that first post. It's exactly what I've found myself doing.
It's so dangerous though. All these extra Kitkats and crisps call to me from the cupboard as I'm innocently trying to watch TV.
I do find myself menu planning for the day before I'm even out of bed in the morning.

I think its the same feeling as when our washing machine or other device breaks, we go into panic mode when we really know we can cope.

We have always kept a well stocked pantry and freezer so will always cope and find something. It would never be KitKat or any other Nestle product for me though. My neighbour brought me some 'emergency Malteesers' a couple of weeks ago and I haven't opened them yet, shame there isn't a smug emoji

As long as i have tea bags i will cope, and just to make life a little better a huge stash of white twix but sadly my huge stash is just 3 packs

Definitely not petunia

Teabags for me! I would go mad if I ran out and all I seem to do these days is make a cup of tea. My son who lives with us is working from home and he has so many cups of tea but normally doesn’t drink much on a normal time?

oh dear, sodapop. im so sorry. i hope that thought doesnt go round and round your head. sometimes, when it comes to chocolate, broccoli doesnt do the trick does it?

I think for most of us its a knee jerk reaction to try and make sure we have enough supplies.
Then common sense and kindness take over and for most people they realise its no use storing perishable and that other people need supplies too. There will always be those people who are not very bright or just plain selfish.

petunia I love the plain chocolate Kitkats but can't get them here, you made me think of them

I completely agree with everything you have said Petunia - I remember taking the mickey out of my mother who always had a fully stocked pantry with spares and she said that this was a direct result of rationing during the War and so, when she could afford it, and it was there, she made sure she wasn't going to be without again Makes sense now