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Original poster

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:
lannistunut · 02/09/2021 06:46

@makingmyway10

No Angry you are the reason shortages happen. Stop it please .
This is simply not true. There are lots of reasons shortages are happening:
  • Brexit and Covid have affected border processes and business decisions
  • Brexit and Covid have affected our labour force - in agriculture, food production and delivery
  • Brexit and Covid have affected global supply chains

There are shortages in products that no one is stockpiling - such as fresh produce. If the only shortages were in toilet rolls, pasta, tinned goods - as out the outset of the pandemic - then it would be possible to blame it all on purchasing activity.

Blaming it all on purchasing activity now is incorrect. We have supply chain problems, exacerbated by purchasing behaviour.

pilates · 02/09/2021 06:48
Hmm
speakout · 02/09/2021 06:50

I don't stockpile as such, and don''t have young children of my own , so toys are not needed at christmas.
I have lived in a rural community for much of my life and used to roads being closed for days or sometimes weeks at a time in bad weather, so I like to keep decent supplies- but I have done that for decades.
I have shelving in my garage and a chest freezer and keep frozen stuff, but also quantities of canned food, tomaties, sweetcorn, tuna, cat food, paper goods like toilet roll, jars of pickles, jam, flour, dried beans, a huge sack of rice pasta, detergent, shampoo, wash up liquid etc.
I keep an eye on dates and rotate stock. It saves money as if I see a bargain I will buy in quantity.
If illness hits the family or we can;t get out due to weather or quarantine hen we could survive for a few weeks. It's also handy if I am too busy and haven't planned dinner.
My daughter loves it- she is a student living in the city, but will descend on my supplies with a big bag and top up wih what she needs.
It makes for easier living to keep good house and food supplies.

Neverrains · 02/09/2021 06:51

No, I don’t have the space to keep things. I’d like to get Christmas shopping done a bit earlier this year but again, no space to keep things and also don’t have the money yet, I need to try and find a casual second job to pay for Christmas.

speakout · 02/09/2021 06:53

To put a positive in this thread, can everyone who has a larder/ pantry/'stockpile' go through it in the next couple of dates and donate anything they're unlikely to use to the food bank, and only keep what your own family likes and eats.

This thread has inspired me to do just that.
OH and I have a few days off work, I have noticed my deep provision storgage could do with a sort out- I will do just that, and yes I will donate anything that is not getting used to a food bank.

FreeBritnee · 02/09/2021 06:54

I might have stockpiled some Stella Artois for DP recently 😳

EdithWeston · 02/09/2021 06:57

To put a positive in this thread, can everyone who has a larder/ pantry/'stockpile' go through it in the next couple of dates and donate anything they're unlikely to use to the food bank, and only keep what your own family likes and eats

This is a normal part of housekeeping. And no-one who plans ahead gets in stuff they don't like or won't use. It's the antithesis of panic buying.

GreatEelRun · 02/09/2021 06:59

Defo not panicking here.

There are shortages already. There are never any berries. But guess what? I just pick some other fruit. Not a biggie.

DancesWithTortoises · 02/09/2021 07:00

I wasn't but had so many items unavailable in last Tesco delivery that I am going to start adding extras when available.

CraftyGin · 02/09/2021 07:00

No stockpiling here.

I shop every day for what we are going to eat that day.

Booknooks · 02/09/2021 07:03

No, the one exception being my friends son will only eat one type of pasta (as part of a very limited diet anyway) so we all keep an eye out and buy a pack or 2 if we see it in the shop in case stocks run low.

myrtilles · 02/09/2021 07:03

If I were planning to host Christmas I would put an order in for Turkey and veg at the local farm shop. I would recommend “who gives a crap” for loo roll. I think it would be sensible to buy Christmas gifts on the early side particularly if one has young children. I will not be stockpiling food.

Standrewsschool · 02/09/2021 07:03

Nothing extra, although I always like to keep a bit of extra food in over winter in case we get snowed in.

lannistunut · 02/09/2021 07:05

@GreatEelRun

Defo not panicking here.

There are shortages already. There are never any berries. But guess what? I just pick some other fruit. Not a biggie.

It is a 'biggie' for the producers, who are going bust due to not having anyone to pick their crops. They are employers, it takes time and money to adjust production and packing.

The fact berries are missing is a clear sign that there are serious problems in the UK supply chain.

The government would be having crisis meetings if it wasn't related to their own failings and policy choices.

SpnBaby1967 · 02/09/2021 07:09

No, I always have extra food in anyway as growing up in poverty instilled the behaviour of buying more food when I can afford it. Might mean some interesting meals but bellies full is the main thing.

As for xmas, I have always started that early to spread the cost.

speakout · 02/09/2021 07:10

*t is a 'biggie' for the producers, who are going bust due to not having anyone to pick their crops. They are employers, it takes time and money to adjust production and packing.

The fact berries are missing is a clear sign that there are serious problems in the UK supply chain.*

I agree- it is a "biggie" I live near areas that grow large quantities of soft fruit. It is rotting due to supply network breaking down and businesses are failing with it. The same is true of the fishing industry.
We can't afford to be so blaze about this. A "let them eat cake" mentality is not helpful.

borntobequiet · 02/09/2021 07:10

@seaandsandcastles

No, and it’s people who do stockpile that create the empty shelves for the rest of us.
You’re confusing stockpiling with panic buying. Proper stockpiling (prepping) reduces the need to panic buy.
onelittlefrog · 02/09/2021 07:14

No.

And I think it's incredibly irresponsible to start threads like this on Mumsnet.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 02/09/2021 07:15

@MissCruellaDeVil

No because I'm not a selfish arse who drives the prices up.
This ^

I think there will be enough food.

We may not have the choice - it may just be turnips - but there will be something.

I have a couple of tins of tuna , soup and corned beef, but I always did.

I suspect that there are people who are still chewing their way through the rusting tins of their previous stockpile - the pictures on FB showing garages crammed with stuff, when there were people unable to even get enough food to feed their kids because the ones with a boot of coin had bought up everything they could lay their hands on, were obscene!

TheVanguardSix · 02/09/2021 07:15

Nope.
I don’t have a pathological need to stuff my face with out of date fray bentos and glorify hoarding by renaming it ‘stockpiling’.

Maybe you could stop needing shit.
Nobody needs 3 Christmas turkeys in the freezer from August. That’s just nasty.

WhyOhWhyOhWhyyyy · 02/09/2021 07:16

I’m not planning to stockpile at all, but I sort of get why someone might stock up on food and medicine if concerned, but why would you stockpile toys and clothes?!

lannistunut · 02/09/2021 07:17

I never understand the view that it is 'irresponsible' to discuss what is happening in the real world.

It is more irresponsible for the government to continue to ignore it to protect themselves politically! People's jobs are being lost - what we see in the shops is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of disruption.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 02/09/2021 07:18

@FindingMeno

I'm all in favour of keeping a larder. I do. So many reasons to. But it should be a lifestyle not a sudden knee jerk bulk buy. To put a positive in this thread, can everyone who has a larder/ pantry/'stockpile' go through it in the next couple of dates and donate anything they're unlikely to use to the food bank, and only keep what your own family likes and eats. And can everyone in the situation of having a small stock be prepared to help out neighbours and friends. The hgv driver problem is the end result of shite conditions and pay for years, which has resulted in it losing its appeal because its expensive to pass your hgv and often hard work and not very family- friendly. Anyone who is into preparedness should also perhaps also take political interest in making sure that those people who keep the basics of our comfortable life running are rewarded fairly, if they don't already.
Excellent post.
lannistunut · 02/09/2021 07:18

We may not have the choice - it may just be turnips - but there will be something. Well that is reassuring Grin

Twentypast · 02/09/2021 07:18

Not stockpiling but I have a few extra bags of bread flour and packets of yeast. I've always made ny own bread. During lockdown people were buying these in case bread was sometimes not available and months later throwing them out as out of date and they had no intention or inclination to make bread.

Such a waste and so selfish when those of us who use them regularly couldn't get.