Stockpiling - post lock down

I didn't rush out and stockpile prior to the lockdown, but did have an awful lot of beans, pasta, rice and non perishables anyway...……...just because! not actually sure why maybe apropos of being a Brownie once and never forgetting the motto "be prepared" how apt that has transpired to be. I also had some flour, Just as well because that's like gold dust now, but snapped up a kilogram of plain in Marks recently.

Thus far I have secured 3 Tesco delivery slots and yes fearing I might not get another tend to overbuy like a maniac particularly on household stuff and other essentials wine and milk of course, have been having Cravendale because it lasts so long. When I do a cursory top up shop at our local Marks I can concentrate of stocking up on meat and fish for the freezer plus bread, fruit and veg, without having to waste time on searching for washing powder and the like. If I pick my times there I get in quickly, usually short queues or straight in and it's fairly quiet. As we are now allowed to venture a bit further afield on our drives out I always scan the queues outside some of the larger supermarkets, Waitrose and Sainsburys nearby on Saturday were shocking, queues snaking round the car park, but to be expected I guess. I'm sad I haven't ventured back to either Waitrose or Sainsburys yet. Once upon a time I shopped every couple of days mainly between those two in a dribs and drabs fashion,

I have a stockpile of 3 jars of coffee left, because just after lockdown started my Douwe Egberts was on offer at £3.99 so I bought 6 jars. It sounds crazy but it’s usually £6.50 at our nearest supermarket.

MamaCaz - I've got round the banana problem by ordering 1 bag of small ripe bananas + 1 bag of ripen at home bananas = 2 items.
Otherwise, I'm still working through the Brexit stockpile but may need it yet, come December.

I have always had a cupboard of emergency things, it goes back to when my kids were little and money was tight. I alway bought something extra when I could as sometimes I didn't have enough for food and bills etc. Anyway I still do it the boys are now late thirtys.

I’ve always kept a stock of staples in my food cupboard out of habit. I haven’t had to buy pasta since lockdown.
I’ve always bought items before I run out. Just wish I could get flour!!?

I have always had a good stock of food in cupboard and freezer,my husband never wanted to run out of anything.
When covid 19 started I went through the food and realised that I had the basics of 38 meals. With my neighbours doing my shopping and deliveries from Iceland every two or three weeks I still have the same.My husband always said we could live through a siege.
I do miss being able to look and choose for myself but consider I am managing quite well.

Dear kittylester I have always had a fear of having to use Izal toilet paper again so I have always for 40 years of marriage stockpiled toilet rolls. During this lockdown my anxiety has been through the roof as I have had to share with my children to ensure they have some. I have not restricted to ensure others have a chance, but am now down to my last 4 rolls and yes "toilet roll panic" is well and truly in place. Do I now restock or wait a bit? Am I being mad and unkind to restock to alleviate my over the top anxiety or do I just get hubby to buy a big pack every week for a while, yes i dont do shopping at moment. The worst thing is i also wont stick with any other brand than the doggy one. Our children have "enjoyed" watching me hand over my precious commodity to them, but they have also been grateful. Maybe I should start to stock up on kitchen roll, just incase too? Xxx

As a postscript Asda and Morrisons stores that include a bakery are bagging flour in smaller bags and selling them from the bakery.

My DH did the shopping every Thursday around 8am,he says he misses going but I can’t give in to him as he’s 79 and has borderline diabetes.
His method is one pkt/can etc in the food /household cupboard and one in the utility cupboard.When I use anything I have to put it on his list has worked well for years until now.Now we just get what We can if we have been lucky enough to get a slot.
I admit to panicking at the beginning of lock down and my DD2 was getting things for us but she is a NHS podiatrist and is still doing house visits and clinics as all their patients have
diabetes so can’t be put off.
She has been so exhausted I stopped letting her do our shopping and we have just managed.
When I haven’t got what I need I just don’t worry about it anymore.I was born near the end of the war and I keep thinking how on earth did the Mums then get on we are so spoilt now, not that I not very glad of cause.

The only reason for stocking up should be that if you get symptoms of COVID, have to stay in and have absolutely no-one else who can drop food on your doorstep. After the stupidity of people stockpiling at the beginning for reasons only known to themselves, shops have been well stocked so there shouldn't be a problem if you do have to self-isolate. The only people who should be using delivery services are those at high risk. Unlike my neighbours who have had food deliveries every week since this started, they're both fit as fiddles and walk/cycle 7-10 miles every day!

We are very fortunate our milkman delivers milk n eggs. Our local butcher delivers meat, pies and vegetables. I have managed to get an Asda slot after many weeks. Even the local garden centre delivers bread, cakes, meat and bacon. I’m grateful as my DH is at risk n shielding. Keep safe

We was buying toilet paper online for quite a while as it was cheaper to buy in bulk online. So we didn't need to get lots of toilet rolls. And well continue to buybb online when this is all over. The only thing I have trouble getting now is antibacterial spray.

I’m with you too. Shopping for multiple older people whilst being in a vulnerable category myself. I’m having deliveries and sorting them out then taking round to our parents and various frail people. Then I come to cook and find myself scratching around. Never mind as we are eating recipes we would never have dreamed off. A constant source of surprise every meal. Keep safe and as a newbie I love the letters and want to say thank you.

I dont drive and would have to get a bus to nearest shops so I always shop online or get a taxi back. Knowing it's a nuisance if run out of an essential I'm used to thinking ahead,especially with heavy items like tins or cat litter. During February I did begin to add a few items to weekly shop,mainly staples that could be used for meals and 4 packets of bread mix. I have become a big fan of Long Life milk as i have find tastes fine and doesnt take up room in freezer. I tend to use frozen veg and fruit anyway as I live on my own and it's less wasteful. I remember thinking that if I needed anything else was always home delivery so didnt go to OTT. Of course delivery slots like winning the lottery. I have a daughter nearby and offers of help from friends and neighbours so I'm very lucky. That said I havent desperately been short of any essentials and would not want anyone else to put themselves at risk doing a larger weekly shop on my behalf. My daughter did bring me some eggs she got along with her shop. It has made me think sensibly about the future,especially autumn winter when may have second wave. I will make sure have a supply of long life items which I will use any way at some stage.

grannie7 I’ve too have long used your husband’s system . We call it ‘one in use, one in store’. As you say we have to put up with gaps in reprovisioning. I understand anxiety leading to stockpiling though.

I think what I’ve noticed most is that I’m sticking to old faithful recipes. I just don’t risk ordering special ingredients in case I don’t get all that’s needed. Really reinforcing everything’s a bit back to basics, isn’t it? I actually love checking out UK wartime recipes the1940sexperiment.com/100-wartime-recipes/

Never stockpiled but have a storecupboard has to take the biscuiit!! Theyre the same thing!!

And we didnt have much of a storecupboard/stockpile before but are building one up. Plus anything we use is replaced on the next shop rather than waiting until we need it.

A few years back DH had the norovirus caught from DS and family. Luckily I did not catch it. Since then I have a house full of hand sanitizer and loo rolls. Also DH and I have been obsessed with scrubbing hands when coming back in the house for fear of that norovirus so we have had good training so to speak. So yes I do stockpile some things as I always feel you should keep supplies in just in case. One good thing from the lock down I now order veg boxes which are supplied by local farmers with the added bonus you can always get their eggs. I will carry on with that so if the shops shut tomorrow I am well stocked.

They are not quite the same thing! Having a storecupboard is regularly buying/growing and keeping enough supplies for the immediate future, and it is something that prudent housewives have always done. At least, they used to, before there was a supermarket on every corner and preserving crops was the only way to survive a bad winter.

Stockpiling is buying up vast amounts, more than you are likely to use, because it is there with the result that others have empty storecupboards. It is done by those who are NOT prudent, but are panicking at the realisation that they are unprepared for even a short siege.

Not stockpiling as such but have always ensured we have a supply of what would see us through if weather was awful or illness struck. Suppose it follows from the old days of a pantry. Had people not gone overboard with the stockpiling there wouldn't have been many shortages especially of items produced in this country. Pity we didn't think about hoarding PPE equipment before the lockdown, we could have made a tidy profit. Brexit, haven't given it a thought.

Missiseff, you have very fixed ideas about what others ‘should’ do, don’t you?

Grocery delivery existed long before the virus. Did you want to impose restrictions on it then? I have used it for decades and will continue to do so. I feel zero guilt about this, and nor do I feel the need to explain my motives to the morality police. If people hadn’t used it regularly for years it would not be available now for anyone - supermarkets are not public services, but businesses after all.

As for ‘stockpiling’ - in a free society people can choose a lifestyle, and some choose to shop in bulk, to save money or to cut down on shopping trips. In time of crisis, I agree that panic buying is selfish, but the rest of the time having well-stocked cupboards is a lifestyle choice that suits some and not others.

I can’t imagine feeling the need to criticise other people’s shopping habits - I’d have to be very bored before they even crossed my mind .

No chance of stockpiling with Asda - half the time they don't have what I want, or miss out my "amended" shop!! Something I have always kept a good supply of - like toilet rolls, so OK with them. Have had loads of presents of "smellies" so am slowly working my way through them. I did buy some extras in anticipation of Brexit, but that's about it.

Fruit/veg /eggs /meat arrive every week by bike or van. Wine and beer available by delivery too. I live in London. All from local shops who need support.

I've always had a delivery of tins / ,oo paper / catfood etc once a month or so . and that continues I buy bread and milk on my way home from my morning walk.
I'm all about small flexible shops and they all had cheese, flour and soap when the big shops did not. Sure they charge a little more because they xont get the same discounts but having them right there is great. I no longer shop for a family so ...... Go on ! Get yourselves a shopping bag and some comfy shoes.

No not stockpiling, as others have mentioned mother always taught me have a store cupboard for when times were lean and yes I've been lucky with priority slots but at no time have I stockpiled and wouldn't.

Stockpiling makes me angry and frustrated. Provided we buy just what we need (not want) there will be enough to go around.

Selfish people make it hard for everybody.

Absolutely not. I haven't done any stock piling. I have managed on what I can get the whole time. I now shop via click and collect...plenty of slots available. I get fresh produce locally once a week. Stock piling is so wrong. Look what happened before when shelves were stripped. I will never forget the face of that nurse crying in her car because she could not get basics.