When will shelves start going bare?

[BrieAndChilli]

I don’t have loads of spare cash but have managed to build up a decent size amount but it’s mainly stuff we currently use alsthohgh have stocked up on some bits we don’t.
I need to stock up on things like UHT milk and stuff we don’t normally have in
When do you think these sorts of things are going to disappear from the shelves? Can it wait until next month after payday or do I need to prioritise this weekend before Tuesday when things may become more publicised?
Also I’ve convinced DH to buy a small cheat freezer as we currently have a 3 drawer on its last legs small freezer. This won’t be until pay day so will I still be able to stock it then with meat/frozen veg/butter etc??

[Parker231]

I don’t think anything is going to become scarce yet as the supply chain will still continue up to Brexit date. Some news reports yesterday were saying if the vote doesn’t get passed on Tuesday, there may be no Brexit.

[rabbitfoodadvocate]

I'm finding this all really odd and silly. It's not the sodding apocalypse! Oh no, how will I survive without fifteen jars of marmite??

Just be sensible and buy what is available. We are not going to starve!

[SalrycLuxx]

Assuming there is an issue with getting goods over the border, and no panic buying beforehand, shelves would only start being bare after about 1 April.

It’s looking increasingly like if the WA doesn’t go through, there will be no Brexit on 29 March as at the very least the UK will ask for an extension (and I expect would get it).

So I wouldn’t worry for now.

There may w a blip next week as the government website telling ordinary people what to do is due to come online. If that says to stock up, some people will panic buy all in one go. You can wait that blip out and resume stocking up sensibly afterwards.

[cloudtree]

If you already have some bits put aside then I wouldn't rush out to stock up before Tuesday. I do think that there is likely to be surge of people who haven't really thought about the issues yet, bulk buying stuff next week. I do also think its likely that prices will increase a bit over the next couple of weeks.

I bought a carton of UHT milk last week which had a May date on it btw so no need to wait until the last minute for milk.

If you didn't have anything at all put aside yet then I'd have been saying yes get a few bits before Tuesday if you can.

Fingers crossed we are at the point where the politicians realise that the country is no longer screaming to leave at all costs and is now getting quite worried about the prospect of crashing out without a deal. If the threat of no deal passes then just use up what you had put aside (or keep it just in case of any other issues arising - cold weather, sickness, job loss etc)

[bellinisurge]

You should have started to put extra away slowly and sensibly and within your budget months ago. But if you didn't, start now. Just look at being snowed in for three days. What would you actually eat. Don't forget things like toothpaste and soap - hygiene stuff. Don't forget treats and snacks. Don't forget your pets. Don't forget entertainment because it's dull hunkering down.
With three days worth you can make sensible plans and suss out your local situation without worrying about shopping. Do more if you want but start with 3 days.
Sorry if that is boring to people who have read it loads. Happy for others to put in suggestions.
And if you are an FT journalist, mumsnet is not full of people worried about fucking frozen grapes and avocados.

[bellinisurge]

Also watch for Tuesday. The vote on WA is due and the government is publishing its advice to consumers. This means quite apart from it all being important that journalists will be furiously preparing angles and looking for bylines about articles on panic and hysteria. Chaos makes money for people. Doing it calmly and sensibly is the way forward. And if, after Tuesdays vote, you don't think it's necessary that is your call.

[bellinisurge]

In answer to the op, if it suits your purse to wait till after Tuesday, then wait till after Tuesday.

[tellmewhenthespaceshiplands]

Slight derail, apologies. So I'm fairly new to the Preppers board and I've observed two things:

1. So many sensible people giving sensible advice. I'm thinking of all of this as useful preparations for protecting against some price rises, extremes of weather affecting the supply chain, that kind of thing. Slight bonus in a taste test last night we discovered hotdogs in jars were actually a perfectly acceptable tea (DD announced she'd like them every day, please).

1. On every board I've read there's is always one (waves at Rabbit) who makes a point of popping along just to say we're all overreacting. It's like bloody Bingo. If your not interested jog on.

As you were

[RomanyRoots]

They aren't going to go bare, unless of course people panic buy and then I suppose it will be towards March.

[SingleDadReally]

Er.....the problem is all the stockpiling will itself cause shortages well before March 29th, so all you “preppers” are creating a self fulfilling prophecy. This is why in world war 2 there were laws against stockpiling, famously disobeyed by Margaret Roberts (later Thatcher) and her family. I advise building up a massive stash of English sparkling wine to celebrate the journey to once again being a self-governing democratic country that Britain is on!

[KatyMac]

Currently supermarkets can restock what they sell long may this continue

If brexit or a super-snowstorm or any other apocalypse doesn't happen everytime I finish a box/pack/tin of biscuits/tea/soup I will buy another one and put it behind the ones I bought before....then I'll use the oldest one I have

This works whether there are 2 box/pack/tin of biscuits/tea/soup on my shelf or 200

I'm not worried about stocking up right not any more - more about refining amounts kept and looking at gaps or missing things we like

[RosemarysBush]

SingleDadReally I can’t see how me buying 6 tins of beans last month instead of 3 will cause shelves to be bare? As KatyMac says, at the moment what we buy is then replenished in the next day or so so it won’t cause a shortage. The problem comes when the supply chain is broken or slows down- that’s when it’s unfair to be buying more than you need.

[SingleDadReally]

RosemarysBush-ah yes, but when several million people get their paranoia cranked up to buy 3 extra tins of beans suddenly the supply chain has to provide tens of millions extra tins of beans. Everybody on here should read about the 1972-4 period when people did think 🤔 there’d be social breakdown-I recommend “The Golden Age of Paranoia” by Francis Wheen.

[bellinisurge]

The food supply and distribution system is very different to 1972. We have bar codes to aid Just in Time for one thing. I'm old. I used to food shop in 1972 with my Mum. Barely any supermarkets. Little local shops. Yes all very sweet but not how we do things now and not very efficient.

[Omgineedanamechange]

As soon as mumsnet has managed to whip up enough hysteria

[bellinisurge]

And another one blaming consumers for supply problems, 8 weeks before Brexit.
Supermarkets are pretty shit and inflexible if they can't cope at this point.
Maybe we should add "it's all MN fault " to Brexit Bingo.

[SalrycLuxx]

Interestingly, I’m starting to see posts on Facebook by friends asking if stockpiling is a good idea.

[bellinisurge]

Don't tell people online in real life. They will factor "popping over to @SalrycLuxx " as part of their preparations. Or someone they tell will do that.

[SalrycLuxx]

Don’t worry - I don’t. I just have airy fairy and vague discussions about “do you think we are suffering normality bias though?” “But everyone says its ok and he government hasn’t said to stock up”.

[bellinisurge]

I had a similarly vague conversation with a few colleagues. All people I would have thought were thoughtful people in jobs that require a great deal of careful planning. Unless they were all brilliant actors, it simply didn't appear to have occurred to any of them.

[anniehm]

There won't be a major problem. The only items likely to be short in supply if our politicians don't get their fingers out are things from the eu - milk is mostly U.K.

I've bought 6 litres of olive oil and 24 cans of tomatoes plus lots of pasta (all from Italy) not bothering with anything else!

[SalrycLuxx]

I’m just going to guard my stocking Milka carefully. 🍫

[SalrycLuxx]

*stock of

[cloudtree]

I am telling people that I am putting my enough for a week or possibly two. Fuck off Daily Mail. If we can normalise that by talking about it then it's a very good thing.

Not enough for them to think its worth coming to me and begging for food. In reality I have more than that but the only people who know that are my immediate family (although I do have a slight concern about my cleaner having Fuck off Daily Mail noticed)

[bellinisurge]

@anniehm , it's also about being able to steer clear of the shops for a few days until things calm down. If they get a bit bumpy and unprepared people panic at tbe last minute