What will you do to prepare for any future lockdown?

[AwkwardAsAllGetout]

I’m assuming that even when this one is eased, we’ll be locked down again at some point in the next year. I’m wondering what I can do to make that easier and avoid the inevitable second round of panic buying. I was well prepared for this one as I’ve been a long time reader of the prepper threads and could see what was coming, so I had plenty of nappies, toiletries, loo roll and groceries long before we needed them. What I hadn’t anticipated was how much I’d long for some decent outside play equipment for the dc, which seems sold out everywhere. I’d thought ahead to my 2 dcs birthdays in April, and had all presents bought and wrapped, and made sure I had enough for their birthday cakes and party teas. Can’t say the same for the two I’ve got coming up in summer! Will you be preparing early for Christmas? What things are you likely to keep in stock now? I totally underestimated how much my dc would eat with us all being at home all day, so while I have plenty of staples like pasta and flour, my teen could eat super noodles for every meal and the amount of biscuits they’ve eaten is unreal. I think I’m going to keep up our local veg delivery as I’ve been really impressed by that. I think the thing I’m struggling with is how to plan to keep them all occupied over a possible winter lockdown, the weather is gorgeous at the minute which has made the whole thing a lot easier.

[happydays00]

It was totally unnecessary to stock up on pasta and flour. There was no issue with supply at all until all the so-called "preppers" decided to stock pile them!! I'm sorry, but this is just infuriating that people are going to consider doing the same for Christmas!!

[BriefDisaster]

Get a bloody desk and chair to work at, I wfh a lot anyway but usually just use the dining table. The dining room is now school room/nursery craft room so for peace to work I am sitting on my bed which is giving me a bad back.

There are no space saving and reasonably priced desks to buy now.

[booboo24]

I'll deal with it when and if it happens, I'd drive myself nuts if I thought about it too much beforehand! I struggled to get any loo roll but luckily we didn't actually run out as I had plenty beforehand (not stock piling, it's just that my partner has a costco account so i've always bought loo roll in bulk from there anyway) but apart from the initial couple of weeks i've managed to feed us all, I've ordered presents online for my mum's birthday today and would have to do the same for my daughter's birthday if we happen to be in another lockdown in November, so no I won't overly prepare (only mentally!)

[AwkwardAsAllGetout]

I think you’ve misunderstood me. I’ve made sure to have enough staple food for my family so I didn’t add to any of the panic buying. These are things we use a lot of and I always make sure we have enough to not run out of them at the best of times. I’m sorry if you think that was somehow irresponsible. You’re confusing people who ‘prepped’ which I did over the month of January before any of this kicked off, with panic buyers who then went on to empty the shelves. By prepping for any future lockdown I’m again not contributing to any panic buying, doing the responsible thing as far as I see it rather than waiting for the last minute when things hit and fan and losing my mind piling my trolley high with loo roll.

[Devlesko]

happyday

Why would a prepper want to stockpile, that's a contradiction in terms.
Preppers spend months/years buying one extra pack every now and then.
They certainly were nowhere to be seen when the panic started.
I haven't bought a loo roll in about 3 months.
It's people like you giving preppers a bad name, just stop it.

[TJH130]

If idiots dont go stockpiling again then there'll be no need to be a "prepper" for a future lock down.

It was selfishness that caused the shortages the week after the preppers ignorant stockpilers had stripped the shelves of anything they could pick up.

I hope if these idiots start their silly game again then their entire trolleys are taken off of them in the supermarket and they are told to get lost without anything

[booboo24]

Well that reads like we didn't eat for the first two weeks! We did.....I meant that some of the things (beans, eggs, pasta etc) were impossible to buy but everything else was ok

[AwkwardAsAllGetout]

Good call on the desk and chair, dh has only had one work from home day so far but was so uncomfortable perched on our bed.

[LaneBoy]

Keeping up to date with more regular appointments etc while I have the chance - stuff like dentists, eye tests etc but also other things that need maintenance - for example I’d procrastinated over getting the piano tuned and I’m really regretting it now as I have so much more time to play but a couple of the keys are sticking and it’s annoying that I can’t do anything about it

We have done ok for food despite not being well stocked before this - but it’s definitely come at a price because DH has had to go shopping very often, we don’t have a car and both of us have health issues. So in future I’ll make sure we always have more non-perishable stuff in.

I definitely want the house to be more organised but I’m trying to use this time to achieve that... we shall see

[booboo24]

I've got myself, my 18 year old and my 12 year old all round the dining room table working! I've got files spread out all over the floor and have contemplated going up to my room to work, but then I can't make sure the youngest is actually working and not playing Roblox!!!

[Devlesko]

I started prepping for shortages due to brexit, so about a year ago now.
I'm still prepping now, I buy an extra tin of beans or pasta or rice or flour every now and then.
Then if we ever need them they are there, it makes sense and far better than having to cope with panic buyers, or worst still, joining them.

[LidlDonkey]

I'm going to make sure I have accounts with all online supermarkets and local suppliers, as some of them weren't accepting new customers.

I usually have a good stock of tinned stuff, lentils etc anyway.

Also, will make sure I have plenty of veg seeds, as at least we can have fresh veggies whatever happens.

[Marmite27]

Paper rolls and ready mix paint for the kids. Out of stock or extortionate everywhere.

[EdithWeston]

"until all the so-called "preppers" decided to stock pile them!!"

The preppers are the ones who maintain a stockpile at all times. They are not the ones who started shopping for extra in March

So I think the change is that more of us will become preppers. We'll have learned what staples our family likes to have and will, over weeks/months, buy in a reserve of those things. The 'just in time' model doesn't work for households any more than it does for shops when there are changes to supply and demand.

People will also think about what they might really need or badly want for working from home and for home-based leisure.

And generally - for a little while at least - people will think and plan on the basis of not everything being immediately available

As recession will follow, the thrifty habits learned from supply/delivery outages might become even more firmly embedded.

When I was luttle, there was even a Brownie badge for 'thrift'

[Eeyoresstickhouse]

Try and move house so we have a garden. It's going to mean a massive long commute for us, but will be worth it for a quality of home life.

[BearSoFair]

Keep a good stock of sanitary towels! Usually just have one or 2 packs in the bathroom and buy another couple when me or DD come on, very nearly caught short last month as I couldn't get pads anywhere locally and ended up having to pay £30 for a bulk pack on Amazon! Will definitely keep an extra few packs in the cupboard going forward.

[Northernlass99]

I agree that we are likely to see another lockdown in the autumn when flu season hits, and was thinking about how I might better prepare.
I might get a Costco account and gradually buy a stock of essentials. I might try and source some face masks as I think they will become a more common thing to see in future. I will be cancelling my Sainsburys online delivery pass (useless) in favour of Tesco. Get a stack of birthday and Christmas cards and stamps. We already work from home so that was all set up already, but colleagues have been crying out for headsets (for zoom calls) and proper office chairs.

[NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite]

Now my freezer and cupboards are stocked, I will just make sure I keep them topped up.

I might buy a treadmill in case it is difficult to go out (or in case we have a stricter lockdown on exercise in future like they've had in other countries).

I might, when this lockdown is relaxed, buy all I think I need for any home projects we were thinking of doing in the future. (Boards for the loft, new tiles for the bathroom, paint, wallpaper etc).

Maybe buy some artificial flowers for my family's headstones in the Gardens of Remembrance in case they close again.

Buy family and friends birthday cards and lots of postage stamps ready for the next 12 months. (A 60th later this year plus 3 X 65th birthdays early next year).

[HeffalumpsCantDance]

Sort out the fruit and vegetable production in my garden.
I’m a prepper, so I’m using this time to consider what worked well, what was unnecessary and what could be improved. One thing I now have time to realise, now I’m not working, is how many local small businesses are doing an amazing job. I’m going to build in supporting them.
I’m much more familiar with the OS map for my local area now, I’ve been exploring within 3 miles and enjoying it. I agree with a PP, I’ll have to find winter activities to do, including looking at how to make my garden useable for more of the year. Fire pit, shelter, lights...

[TheFlis12345]

Some people just don’t want to understand the difference between peepers and panic buyers OP! Those people who mocked us and called us crazy paranoid loons on the Brexit prepping threads last year are no doubt the ones who either stockpiled yeast (they don’t even know how to use) in March or are now freaking out that they don’t have enough in the cupboards. Apparently it is the fault of people like us that some shelves in Tesco are empty this week because I bought extra tinned tomatoes and pasta in early 2019!

[Reginabambina]

We had no difficulty buying anything. The only thing I’d do differently is make DH get ridiculous of all his crap which is cluttering up our house and maybe set aside a little diy fund for projects around the house.

[PicsInRed]

There was no issue with supply at all until all the so-called "preppers" decided to stock pile them!!

Preppers dont panic buy. Preppers are already prepared ("prepped", if you will 😂) and understand good housekeeping and stock rotation with minimal wastage.

It's non-preppers who panic buy and strip the shelves clean, then let it expire and throw it all away.

[ifonly4]

OP, another prepper here. I prepped during February by buying a few extras every time I shopped while items were in plentiful supply. My aim was to have enough packets, cans, longlife milk, toilet rolls, pet food, toriletries to avoid the rush of panic buying and then for two weeks isolation. Also, medication.

I tend to be topped up with toilet rolls, cat food, pasta and canned tomatoes as these are the items I don't want to run out of. I've learnt we soon get through cereal and longlife milk as well. DD likes making bread, so bread flour and yeast if you're like to use it. Lidl have good sell by dates on their wraps and part baked bread so I make sure I don't run out of those either. A few treats area always nice. I'm going to reassess which foods to keep topped up, and look at exactly what meals I can do with what I've got.

Also, if a second wave does come, chances are it'll be autumn/winter, so think what you've got in the way of indoor items, crafts/ things/games for the children, books/jigsaws/diy for adults.

Regarding Christmas I'm not worrying about it too much as I don't have young children. If needs be I'll just buy for us and my Mum and it'll be things like chocolates, nice toiletries which I can assess at work.

One thing I didn't do was defrost the freezer beforehand, it's absolutely desperate now but I don't want to run it down quite yet.

[RufustheLanglovingreindeer]

We always had good stock levels in the house, but cos popping to the shops was so easy i allowed these to fall...I won’t be doing that again

Going to try and ensure i have a spare of my makeup as well moving forward

If we think of doing diy but have no time...going to buy the supplies to save when we have the time!

We only have a small freezer so I’m really going to have to think of what to do if it’s likely we will have lockdown at Christmas...and presents and crackers etc

[Devlesko]

TheFlis

I've never prepped before the Brexit prep, it was reading a thread that made me think, then why not? If they are all wrong and there's no need to prep then I'll have a surplus of non perishables and won't have to shop much.
Luckily, it paid off and a prepper from now on, is who i'll be.
Those that can't tell the difference must be pretty thick, it's hardly rocket science.