How much of the extra 16 pints of milk and 5 loaves of bread bought just in case are actually consumed

I tend to buy lots of cream and part baked baguettes rather than milk and sliced loaves. It doesn't get wasted.

(We actually use less milk and sliced bread over the Christmas period, as we only have day guests not stopovers, and regular breakfast (which is our biggest user of milk and sliced bread) tends to be replaced with something more special).

Milk lasts for ages and bread could go in the freezer – why on earth would it go in the bin?

We regularly buy 16 pints of milk, DH has half a pint on cereal every day for starters. The only thing we ever wasted was one year the soft cheese had a very short date and as I had food poisoning from Brie when young I didn’t want to risk it. DS drinks huge amounts of milk as did his ex GF and juice, I used to joke they were like toddlers. I have 6 for a day and down to 5 for almost a week.

Right, but lots of people host their friends and family at Christmas, so they need extras of all the basics. Milk for tea, coffee and hot chocolate, plus cereal/porridge. Bread for stuffing, bread sauce, toast, sandwiches (for leftovers).

DH and I don't host anyone but we still buy more than normal because a) neither of us want to go to the shops unless necessary and b) we're both off work for a fortnight so we're using more as we're home more.

Nothing goes to waste.

I think most people have an eye on their budget - they aren't buying stuff willy nilly just to throw it away. The only reason I can think of for throwing stuff out is that half the expected visitors didn't turn up, the fridge and freezer (and shed and garden store and spare bedroom) were full and there was no space to stock any more and there are vulnerable family members so you absolutely dare not risk using anything even slightly out of date.

None of us are chucking stuff out voluntarily. It's too expensive.

I buy two or three 4 pint bottles of milk every week, but don't buy extra for Christmas. I don't buy extra bread either, but I will probably make a loaf at some point over the holidays (which I do quite often so not particularly odd). I probably buy more bits and pieces, like crisps and nibbles, breakfast pastries and some ready prepared things for a bit of a buffet. Otherwise it's pretty standard shopping, plus a turkey and maybe a ham.

I’ve done similar. 14 people for almost a week 😳. The amount of loo roll and butter was crazy!

Reading the title of your post OP, then seeing a Sainsbury's ad, "Stock up at Sainsbury's"
😅

I don't buy that much of specific items for a day long visit from family members.

This thread makes me feel better about my husband’s milk (alternative) consumption! He gets through 1L in 2 days! That’s before anyone else has some!

Well we don't have a local shop.... So we have to drive to a local town, and I don't want to be doing that over Xmas, it's a nightmare to get in and park etc. We are only four, but as pps it's the not wanting to faff around in shops over Xmas that's the motivator to get extra stuff in.

We will definitely eat more than normal, being off school and work. It's also likely to involve more cooking and baking, and less convenience foods, so more ingredients needed.

But more than that, we will have plans that mean going to the supermarket would be inconvenient. It's a 45min drive each way to the supermarket from here, and I don't want to do that if I can help it. We won't be at work to pick things up in town, and will avoid the busy city centre like the plague.

The things with bread & milk is that you think you have enough but then everyone wants cereal & toast & sandwiches & tea and it’s gone in minutes!

I don’t want to go to the shops on Xmas day or Boxiing so I need enough to cater for 10. I don’t think it’s unusual to spend time with family & friends or not want to go to the shops. Plus you can freeze bread & milk.

I really hate the “but the shops are only shut for one day” brigade. I don’t want to go to Morrison’s on Boxing Day or any of the lovely, lazy days after to get more milk and bread. I want to sit on my sofa all day and watch telly like normal people.

We get through gallons of milk a week thanks to my teens who may as well just have bloody milk IV’s fitted. Now it’s the school holidays, an extra 16 pints probably won’t even touch the sides.

Regarding a “Christmas shop” I do have to repeat the mantra to myself that’s it’s “just one day so how much can we realistically eat?” whist trying not to be dragged into temptation by all the shiny delicious looking treats that Sainsburys have at the moment!

I routinely have 12 pints of milk in my fridge and another 12 in my freezer, plus 2 loaves in the bread bin and another 2-4 in my freezer. If I have used my freezer stash, I could easily be buying 18 pints and 4 loaves.
With young adult boys home full time none of it lasts long.

You are beat running it past op

Also, I look like I'm stockpiling kitten food atm
but those little monsters eat A LOT

All of it. And any other household with a teenage boy probably

We shop 4-5 times a week to keep him fed.

(Walks 5 miles a day, exercises 2 hours a day 5x a week plus more on Saturday)

I go through probably 6 pints of milk a day in my house. And a loaf of bread. So if I didnt want to repeatedly go to the shops then my trolley would be full of bread and milk.

We had the same during covid. Large family buying their normal shop, having people frown upon why I had 'excessive amounts'

We're not even hosting apart from the odd drop-in for drinks.
it's just that we're all at home for a few days and I don't enjoy grocery shopping.

We get through 24 pints of milk in a week in our house.

I won’t be buying any extra for Christmas but if I had a lot of guests coming I might need to.

Bread freezes so never goes to waste.

I don’t understand why it’s hard to understand that people need more essentials like milk and bread when they are hosting. I imagine most people are perfectly capable of planning what they think they’ll need, and aren’t just haphazardly buying 16 pints of milk just to throw it all away!

Now I'm worried that people are keeping a record of how much food I usually buy.

I save my irritation to those who stockpile dozens and dozens of loo rolls. Dh and I nearly ran out in lockdown, we were down to a few squares once thanks to the stockpilers