Stocking up?

Seems like there is a difference between 'stocking up' and 'panic buying' is this just semantics ?

No plans to stock anything. Will wing it. However..... I am extremely grateful that cows limit their supply to daily. Less chance of that running out, I hope. Milk I would really miss big time. Oh, like everyone else, I'd survive but survival is just another trial. And who needs them?!

I have bought some extra diet drinks (they were on a special multi-buy offer) and some bags of frozen fruit just in case I can't get fresh which I have daily for breakfast. I already had an order booked for Thursday and I am quite happy to play things by ear. I doubt we'll starve. We might actually get to the bottom of the freezer which I haven't seen for years. Hope I don't get food poisoning in order to avoid Covid!

I'm another who's got a large wool stash, gathered over the years though, not ' panic bought'.I've got one ' extra ' of a number of cleaning items, but no more than that. Also have the usual tins in the cupboard. Like others, we'll make do with what we can get.

I don't stock up on anything. I didn't last time and I will not this time. As for stocking up for Brexit...throws arms in air for that one. I learnt to manage with what I could get. People really do need to learn how to adapt to changing circumstances If people don't they will end up being stressed and that will affect not only their health but also the lives of those they care about.

Rabbitgran

I agree with those who have been stocked up for months, sensibly realising that we may be living in uncertain times. Those people who are intelligently aware of human history and that the privileged life that many of us have had in recent decades in the west is unprecedented. Those people who are not sticking their heads in the sand. What is selfish is not stocking up before an emergency if you have the means to do so. As other posters have commented, it is efficient and caring. And I don't like being preached at by lynch mob idiots.

Totally agree, always carry xtra, habit of a lifetime. And been adding as 2nd wave was inevitable, 3rd wave after Xmas too.
Not selfish as was able to help out my son and family. We are in our 70's with multiple diseases, also son with medication that suppresses his immune system.

We stocked up over a period of time in 2019 due to concerns over Brexit. Our freezers and cupboards are fairly full and we have just bought normally to replace the things we use up since then. Our concern was largely for our 5 children and 8 grandchildren, and we wanted to have some stocks to share with them should goods become unavailable for a while due to the UK's lack of preparation re Brexit. At the very least, prices will rise dramatically and we want to ease things for them as far as we're able. I agree sudden panic buying over Covid probably left shelves bare and disproportionally impacted those who could least afford to shop around and pay higher prices for things. Oh - and I bought a wee stock of hair dye that has now run out so need to go and buy a couple more. I don't bother much with make-up, but really don't suit grey/white hair!

Just returned from my normal, usual weekly Sainsbury shop. I am perplexed at what I saw there. Would someone explain to me why the aisle with toilet rolls was nearly empty - last week it was as full as normal, and will almost definitely be so by next Monday.

Is it that someone panic buys - and other people are so silly and sheep like that they then have to follow suit -often without thought of whether or not they need those items and.or have space to stock it.

Surprisingly, the items that are more likely to be in short supply with Brexit, etc. fresh food, vegetables and fruit - those aisled were all absolutely normal, no panic buying, plenty of everything.

I always (except when I moved), keep a reasonably good supply of tins and dried foods. There is, of course, only me. I just do not understand it. Supermarkets will remain open throughout this new 'lockdown' period, and after what happened earlier this year are far more au fait with coping with distribution.

So, I will continue as I have done all year with going for my weekly shop on Monday mornings. Nothing kept under my bed, except clean linen and nightwear.

Rabbitgran

I agree with those who have been stocked up for months, sensibly realising that we may be living in uncertain times. Those people who are intelligently aware of human history and that the privileged life that many of us have had in recent decades in the west is unprecedented. Those people who are not sticking their heads in the sand. What is selfish is not stocking up before an emergency if you have the means to do so. As other posters have commented, it is efficient and caring. And I don't like being preached at by lynch mob idiots.

I must be one of the lynch mob idiots then !

Some 'confuse' stock piling with panic buying. I presume then rabbitgan that you've not rushed out to the shops to buy more to stock up your stockpile.

My shopping will continue as it always has. No stockpiling. I remember how some suffered in the last lockdown with panic buying when they couldn't get essentials. Only difference being I did on-line shop due to self isolating. I only ran out of fresh items but then found a local store who brought them out to me that day (after a phone call).

I've also considered now, as last time, that the hoards of people in the supermarket is promoting the spread of the virus.

I regard it ethical wrong to stockpile. Consider those who cannot afford to stockpile. Hoarding makes it more difficult for those who are less privileged to get what they need when they do shop. How is this a caring attitude?

My head is way above the sand so I can see the suffering brought to others by panic buying.

What is selfish is not stocking up before an emergency if you have the means to do so. Sorry rabbitgran but lockdown restriction not an emergency. The supermarkets are staying open. They are still getting deliveries.

Have to rely on Sainsburys online shopping permanently so usually have enough. Their delivery once a week will again be the ‘highlight’ of my Lockdown. A couple of minutes quick chat with the courier & thats it for another week. Back to Meows & grumpy tortoise hisses. Better than nothing i guess ?

I'm with Bustertank, I too stocked over the upcoming months for Brexit, then gradually added each week because it just seemed like the most sensible thing to do, we have just bought a tall freezer which is full although we too are hoping to move but cannot take the chance on not having enough food in store as we come into the vulnerable group and its safer to go to the freezer than go to Tesco's

I love the German word hamsterkauf (hamster shopping) for panic buying. Conjures up a perfect picture! Wonder how soon that will become another imported English word ?

We recently bought a box of toilet rolls from a company called ‘Who Gives a Cr*p’. There are 48 rolls of bamboo toilet paper in the box. It’s currently in the boot of the car. The company donates 50% of its profits to building loos and installing piped water, in the developing world, so we thought we’d give them a try.

Otherwise we are continuing with our weekly on line shop as normal. No extra stockpiling.
On our last trip to the supermarket in February before we began shielding, I saw a woman with 48 tins of tomatoes and another with 36 tins of sardines.
My partner seemed to get slightly caught up in it all and bought 4 x six packs of yoghurts = 24 yoghurts. Then we realised we were being swept along and we didn’t stockpile anything. We managed fine.

I’ve been avoiding town centres but had to go last Saturday for a pneumonia jab at Boots. So while there I did stock up on vitamins for the winter.

More by accident than design I now have enough Icelandic knitting wool to see me well into 2021 not counting the “stash” of assorted colours.

I always have well stocked cupboards and freezer but I’m not going out buying up Mountains of stuff.

I've been putting one or two extra bits in for a few weeks now but nothing excessive.

Although somehow I've ended up with 4 large jars of Colmans mustard in my store cupboard and no Mint Sauce :-) :-) And it's only me that eats it so I'm stocked up for a very long time :-)

What I bought when I've seen, since March, it is Gluten Free Flour.

Just one bag at a time. Now DD1 has 2 bags of GF SR and 4 bags of GF plain going into this lockdown. She only shops once a month and find it harder to get where she is. It's about a months supply for her as she bakes several times a week so I don't feel I've been selfish or that it's hoarding just being prepared.

I wish I'd bought biscuits but we stopped buying them, crisps and chocolate in the last lockdown as we were eating them too often .

Last year we started a "Brexit Box"; this was just one extra tin, jar, or packet, purchased week after week, until we now have a full cardboard box. We keep this going (rotating items as we check the "use-by" dates) but haven't added to it. It's simply enough to keep us going if we ran short or had to self-isolate. (No loo rolls in it, though!)

Shopping on Thursday after the rush is a good idea M0nica. Hadn't thought of that

I didn’t have a car for three weeks before the first lockdown. When I finally man to get to supermarket, the shelves for almost everything were empty, from loo paper to blueberries, wine to sugar, baked beans to flour. I sat down and cried.
I always try to keep a reasonably stocked larder, with a replacement for everything I use. So this time, at every shop, I bought two instead of one... well prepared for a siege, barring fruit and veg!

I just keep cupboards and freezers well stocked as I always do and rely on my fortnightly on-line shop to keep everything topped up. They didn't let me down in the first lockdown. My only concession to stockpiling is cat food as my cat is a very fussy eater and likes variety. If the worst came to the worst I could always open a packet of Whiskas for my lunch!

Please don’t stock up this is what causes so many problems
There will always be food and toiletries in the shops if people don’t get silly and dare I say greedy If you are worried about getting out although even in the deepest lockdown you can go to the supermarket then get set up for deliveries but please don’t start emptying the shelves again
None of us will starve do your normal shop

Went early to Sainsburys this morning 8 am ish seemed a bit busier than usual, maybe because it's a Monday and that's some peoples stocking up for the week day. I tend to shop early week and then again Thursday or Friday for the week end, I hope to continue in that mode, I always go fairly early to avoid the crowds. I've loads of non perishables from my Brexit stash and when the initial lockdown nonsense was over, flour, sugar and baking ingredients, rice and pasta became readily available so plenty of those now. I do hope lessons have been learned from the manic over buying of certain products from early lockdown days, no need to overbuy just top up with an item or two every week.

nipsmum

I'm very well stocked up with wool for my knitting. The freezers however are fairly low on stock, maybe I'll do something about that soon. I'm sure I'm unlikely to starve.

I couldn't help but laugh at you being 'well stocked up with wool' ....................... that's me too, nipsmum .

Earlier this year, I soon discovered that crochet/knitting were my personal way to keeping my sanity. My OH groans when he looks at my 'Wool Hoard'.

If everyone 'stocked up' there would be empty shelves again.
I have just continued doing my normal shop all the way through this madness & I have never been low on anything essential.
A big thank you to the staff at Sainsburys (Warlingham) who are cheerful all the time & keep shelves fully stocked.
The only good thing about these last few months is I have had loads of time to bake. The bad thing is I think we may need to diet soon!!