Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Are you stockpiling?

581 replies

CravingHobnobs · 01/09/2021 23:22

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.

OP posts:
Miniroofbox · 04/09/2021 09:02

@YetAnotherSpartacus

What are preppers prepping for with a couple of years worth of tinned food?

Who said this? Most people on this thread who prep do so for a few weeks only, or, in many cases, as has been explained again and again, are simply in the long-time habit of buying items when discounted and having a good store of these in order to save money.

Exactly.
YetAnotherSpartacus · 04/09/2021 09:06

Miniroofbox - so sorry you got so much shit for perfectly reasonable posts earlier and I do hope that you are making some improvement with your condition Flowers.

Miniroofbox · 04/09/2021 09:09

Thank you @YetAnotherSpartacus

AfternoonToffee · 04/09/2021 10:01

@Forserious

And this is WHY prices go up. As someone who can barely afford food shopping as it is, never mind treats or stuff for Xmas, it knocks me sick when I see people buying extra stuff for absolutely no reason other than panic meaning supplies get low and prices increase. Embarrassment.

Oh and I'm not in any benefits whatsoever, just about over the cap and literally scraping by.
Dreading the tax and NI hikes that are coming up.

How do you know people are buying "extra stuff for absolutely no reason other than panic"? Maybe that is just their usual shop.
phishy · 04/09/2021 10:20

@YetAnotherSpartacus

What are preppers prepping for with a couple of years worth of tinned food?

Who said this? Most people on this thread who prep do so for a few weeks only, or, in many cases, as has been explained again and again, are simply in the long-time habit of buying items when discounted and having a good store of these in order to save money.

I don’t think that’s ‘prepping’, if you say it’s buying discounted goods as a habit. Prepping implies you’re preparing for something. You just have a larder.
YetAnotherSpartacus · 04/09/2021 10:22

So it's the motive that is suspect (paging Kant!).

If you have a year's supply of the basics because you are frugal and like having a larder as well as appreciate a good bargain you are OK.

If you do the above because you are 'prepping' or anticipating some emergency you are 'bad'.

But surely the effect on the supply chain is the same?

LynetteScavo · 04/09/2021 10:43

Well this year I'm making sure I get the Christmas supplies in early- they stopped stocking my favourite shortbread shapes a week before Christmas last year, but they're back in stock now.

I did get in extra loo rolls before brexit so had no panic when they all sold out in lockdown. I have a good stock of food in now all the time. It came in handy when we had to SI in July.

It's good to be prepared with a spare of everything in, if you can afford to and have the storage space.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 04/09/2021 10:49

There's a scene in Derry Girls where the girls eat the Christmas cupboard ... reminds me of when I was little and my mum would start stocking probably from around now if not earlier - even if it was just the ingredients for the pudding, cake and pies.

TooBigForMyBoots · 04/09/2021 11:13

I havent been stockpiling. I am concerned now as M&S have said they will not be doing Christmas Food to Order in Northern ireland this year.😬

pollymere · 04/09/2021 11:21

I always start Christmas shopping now to spread the cost.

Nat6999 · 04/09/2021 11:58

We started a stockpile after struggling to get supermarket slots during the first lockdown, my mum has always had a good pantry full of tins, bottles & packets, we have just duplicated things like Olive oil, tinned soup, Tomatoes, Custard, Rice pudding, Salmon, Pilchards, Sardines, jars of jam, marmalade, lemon curd, pickles, flour, cornflour, teabags, herbal teabags, lemon tea, coffee, sugar, sweetners, cans of pop, Condiments, salt, pepper, vinegar, tomato ketchup, HP sauce, salad cream, salad dressing, cooking oil, toiletries, foil, freezer bags, kitchen roll, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, soap, shower gel, toothpaste, tooth brushes, mouthwash, toilet rolls, bleach, washing up liquid, dishwasher powder, washing powder, fabric conditioner, oven cleaner, antibacterial spray, kitchen roll, air freshener. We also have a full freezer but are trying to make enough room for a frozen turkey, things like parsnips, sprouts etc plus a Christmas pudding, cranberry sauce etc on the shelf. We have also got some batteries, dried milk, candles, matches in case of threatened power cuts, we each have a couple of power banks for devices which we check & recharge if necessary every couple of weeks & a MiFi for when the broadband packs up so we can still watch things on devices or laptops. A lot of this is just how my mum has always run her stock in her pantry, she has always had some extra stock but since Covid we have just increased quantities of items, I have priority shopping as I'm ECV but that isn't much good if there is nothing on the shelves.

BarbaraofSeville · 04/09/2021 12:00

But you don't have to start buying things now to spread the cost. You just save the money all year and spend that money nearer to Christmas.

I'd only buy anything earlier than mid November if I wanted something that was likely to sell out.

Nat6999 · 04/09/2021 12:24

I've found that if things are out of stock at the supermarket, I can often find them in stock at Fresh on Amazon & things like their pastries & cakes are delicious, sometimes it is worth having the odd £40 order instead of spending hundreds in the supermarket online shop.

LoisLane66 · 04/09/2021 13:09

NO, definitely not. I don't eat meat, fowl, shellfish, Christmas cake, Christmas pud, mince pies, stollen, pretzels, glacé cherries
/raisins/sultanas/mixed peel/almond paste, pineapple, anchovies, olives (among many other foods) nor do I drink alcohol or fizzy drinks.
I'm cheap to feed at Christmas and any other time of year and no, I don't eat veggie specific food either.
Not doing anything but normal shopping for presents. Panic buying is what causes shelves to be emptied unnecessarily and I didn't do it over any previous lockdown either. It's 2 days fgs.

Insidelaurashead · 04/09/2021 13:09

I always have an extra washing liquid in, a couple of washing up liquids and shower gel etc. I also have approx 4 tins of peas, carrots, Tuna etc. I use maybe 2 a week of these tins. And I always have the pasta I'm on plus an unopened one. I have fibromyalgia so if I have a flare up, I might have a week or two I can't shop. So I don't stockpile but I am organised

LoisLane66 · 04/09/2021 13:13

@Nat6999
I think you've lost the plot. Toilet paper is made in the UK anyway. Sardines, pilchards ..??
We aren't in the middle of a war zone.
Good grief. Let's hope the rest of Mumsnet aren't like you. 'Mad' doesn't describe it.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 04/09/2021 13:16

Not doing anything but normal shopping for presents. Panic buying is what causes shelves to be emptied unnecessarily and I didn't do it over any previous lockdown either. It's 2 days fgs

Wash, rinse and repeat with an explanation of the difference between stockpiling and panic buying ...

NotMyCat · 04/09/2021 13:32

I think people who live day to day and don't have a larder/pantry see being stocked up as stock piling
I've lived this way ever since I moved out!
Ignore the mess but this is a "normal" cupboard for me after a food shop so having nothing in the cupboard wouldn't be normal for me

Are you stockpiling?
CovidCrow · 04/09/2021 13:33

@FfrothiCoffi

It is by far one of the most innocent, non controversial posts I have made on here and I’m still getting shit for it Grin.

It's ok @FfrothiCoffi I got what you were saying. Some posters take things too personally, things that weren't even directed at them.

Nat6999 · 04/09/2021 13:38

LoisLane no we haven't lost the plot, my mum has always kept stock, we aren't keeping hundreds of toilet rolls, just 3 packs, we just keep a list of what we use downstairs, replace it from upstairs stock & then put it on the shopping list, my mum always buys things for Christmas as soon as they come in the shops.

AfternoonToffee · 04/09/2021 13:39

[quote LoisLane66]@Nat6999
I think you've lost the plot. Toilet paper is made in the UK anyway. Sardines, pilchards ..??
We aren't in the middle of a war zone.
Good grief. Let's hope the rest of Mumsnet aren't like you. 'Mad' doesn't describe it.[/quote]
Isn't Nat's food cupboard just a big standard one? (Bar the pilchards, because no one eats them)

We have also got some batteries, dried milk, candles, matches in case of threatened power cuts,

I have been emptying my MIL's house, she must have had well over 100 candles from the 70's blackouts, just sat unused.

Nat6999 · 04/09/2021 13:40

My mum is 83, I'm severely disabled & housebound, ds is disabled & at school, we need to prep & plan because there are times we are unable to shop.

IStoppedWatchingTheWalkingDead · 04/09/2021 13:46

@BadLad

I'm not stockpiling, but if something I usually buy which has a long expiry date is on offer, then I buy a shitload of it before it goes back up in price. That saves me quite a lot.

A chain near me offered Coke and Coke Zero at about half the usual price last weekend, so my wife and I pretty much cleared the local area out of Coke Zero.

That sounds like stockpiling though, except you're not just getting a couple extra of something on offer and get shitloads at once.

We like our cola and get and do get an extra couple of packs but taking them all not only from one store but going to other chains in your local area and clearing those out too sounds really selfish.

LemonViolet · 04/09/2021 13:48

Nat I thought your list was just a sensible well stocked larder (assuming you actually eat sardines and pilchards). LoisLanes post was very rude.

I just unpacked and put away my monthly order of pet food, laundry/cleaning supplies and toiletries. Feels so very comforting and reassuring to have the supplies topped up.

LynetteScavo · 04/09/2021 13:57

There's a scene in Derry Girls where the girls eat the Christmas cupboard...
@YetAnotherSpartacus
My DC are to scared to take anything from "The Corona Cupboard" Last year I told them it was for emergencies only. However, I eat my own Christmas trees early Blush