Are you stockpiling?

[CravingHobnobs]

Are you stockpiling food, clothes, toys, medicines? I’ve gotten a bit worried lately with the news of price increases and limited supplies. Shelves seem fairly full where I am (London) but perhaps that’s not going to last? Can’t help but notice much of my food comes from abroad, not to mention medicines, DC clothes and toys, etc.

I’m a bit skint already but if prices will rise and I can do a bit of Christmas shopping for DC now I reckon I’d rather have it sorted.

@justasking111

But friends and do a big online shop once a month, that's prepping. My granny always had a pantry full of dried goods and tins for feeding a large family that's prepping. We have freezers these days that's prepping.

WHY is it frowned upon now?

I'm the same. People think we are selfish if we shop like this but this is how I was raised. We had a massive chest freezer growing up, mum always baked and we always had food. But then there were 6 kids so she had to be prepared!

[quote shouldbeworkingmore]@HungryHippo11 so what category is the OP as her motivation is the news of shortages? [/quote]
OP sounds like she just wants to start buying Christmas presents now, so its neither really. Its not going to cause people to go hungry if she buys her kids some toys today instead of in December.

So what am I then @HungryHippo11

@Miniroofbox

So what am I then *@HungryHippo11*

No idea. I can't see your previous comments and I'm not going back through all the pages to find it, sorry.

@HungryHippo11 but she didn't just say toys? What if she is buying food?

And what about people who can't afford to shop for toys yet & will then miss out?

Perhaps it's a generation thing, but I've always got a small stockpile in the house(weapon of mass destruction made me realise how much loo roll I have under the stairs!). I'm not panic buying, but like to think I have enough spare food for my 92 year old father and our daughter and family. Gluten free bread was in short supply at one time, so that was a bit of a challenge, but you just have to get on with it and not grumble!

[quote shouldbeworkingmore]@HungryHippo11 but she didn't just say toys? What if she is buying food?

And what about people who can't afford to shop for toys yet & will then miss out? [/quote]
Unless she is planning to buy twice as many toys it won't make any difference. There are a set number of toys of any one type, whether OP buys one lego set now or one lego set in December makes no difference.

As for food, if its a bit here and there with the weekly shop over a period of months then that's not going to have a big impact on stock levels. Buying loads in a short period of time is the issue, especially if lots of people do it.

I disagree as I find many people including myself often buy extra things that they didn't intent too, this is quite common at Christmas (I used to work in retail) eg if she ends up buying 2 sets of lego.

As for food, if its a bit here and there with the weekly shop over a period of months then that's not going to have a big impact on stock levels. Buying loads in a short period of time is the issue, especially if lots of people do it.

But what about if everyone who reads the news buys a bit here or there, then there are more empty shelves which panics more people.

intend!

Hmm 8 sq ft, you say. I'M going to stockpile 🐷

@phishy

I think a lot of people just hate preppers because preppers admit fear and do something about it, whereas in British society suppressing fear is the norm. We are all just a little scared of the zombie apocalypse really, but most push it out of their minds.

I think stockpilers here are just creating more wifework. Even non-perishable goods expire within a couple of years so you’d be constantly making sure you’re using up the older goods.

I don’t think a few extra tins would last long anyway, you’d need an American style baseman, like on Extreme Couponning.

It depends on the stuff.

I don't have to work to make sure I use up tinned tomatoes and pasta - both of those vanish pretty fast without help. Similarly tinned sweetcorn gets used whenever a meal is looking a bit low on veg. More exotic stuff (banana blossom, jackfruit) needs watching but sometimes that breaks me out of cooking doldrums.

No, but if there's something on special offer that doesn't have a use by date (eg dishwasher tablets) I'll buy more than usual of that item. But I've always done that.

I already keep a healthy stock on hand especially from previous experience with shielding and isolating so at least I can keep us fed even if I don't have access to fresh. Also, I tend to have a good stock on hand anyway due to health issues that get worse in winter and it's more difficult to get around. I also start Christmas shopping very early so I can pick up little bits much cheaper throughout the year so the kids will always have something to open. So no I haven't even thought of stockpiling for things that are going on as I don't need to worry about it we already have what we need which is the beauty of having a healthy stock, you don't have to worry so much about issues in life that may come up which can be as simple as a loss of income.

@wildchild554 what's a healthy stock?

For me, it’s enough to do 3/4 weeks (I live alone most of the time so 3/ 4 weeks for one person)

When the kids were here I didn’t have as much money and I liked to have 3 weeks. So if a big bill hit the week after pay day I could feed them til the end of the month. Boring as duck meals and not interesting but we would eat.

But some stuff I might have more of depending on offers - for example flour, or beans or such like. Washing powder I buy the enormous boxes and have one in the cupboard and one open.

When I had my accident, I was 9 weeks in, and by the time I came out we were in lockdown. I’d bought extra for the holidays.

I don’t stockpile the American extreme couponing way but i do have stock in the house.

Shampoo, conditioner, tinned food etc. I have 2 fridge freezers and one chest freezer and they are pretty full all year.

Shampoo and conditioner I always have because I buy on half price offers.

I buy crackers and wrapping paper on January.

But I thought that was normal. It’s how I was brought up.

@vinoinveritas

I laughed when I heard on radio there would be pigs in blankets shortages! Surely people have enough imagination to buy a packet a sausages and a pack of bacon & make them themselves if they are THAT desperate for them!

Luckily for us as large gatherings were banned at shirt native last year we still have 2 packs of pigs in blankets in the freezer :)

I do a big shop every few wks but I buy things like fruit, eggs & bread much more frequently as otherwise I would have to buy like 80 apples in one go

When I had my accident, I was 9 weeks in, and by the time I came out we were in lockdown.

Inside the house? So did you not need anything for 9 wks or did you need deliveries etc?

As I’ve kale wash explained, I had friends helping me out mostly, and don’t children (when home from uni) but as I couldn’t manage supermarket deliveries I was really limited to what could be got at the local shop (which is tiny and very expensive).

My
Phone has a cracked screen.

Already. 😂

Sorry too many posts to read through & I don't have the paid app function.

So did most of your shopping come from friends or what you had at home?

My friends brought mostly fresh fruit and veg some bread and occasional meat (I have explained this). Friends did top ups til my DC could do a bigger shop for me.

I had enough pasta rice loo roll - basics - that I wasn’t panicking if no one could get me a shop for a few days.

I have already explained all this