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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:
HungryHippo11 · 02/09/2021 08:22

I have a decent stock of stuff in the cupboard and under the stairs - things like the teabags we like, cereal, tinned goods, pasta. Built up over a while. We also have two full freezers. So if there are temporary shortages we would be OK.

I haven't been panic buying, but just have a good stock at all times. It was great during lockdown when the shelves were empty, we always had enough and weren't contributing to the shortages as it was stuff we had bought months previously.

After lockdown I have been gradually building it back up- an extra bag of sugar or few tins of soup here and there - so if it were to happen again we would have an easy ride.

AtlasPine · 02/09/2021 08:22

There was a programme on R4 which suggested it would be worth buying any wanted toys and gifts with microchips soon as they may be in short supply towards Christmas due to brexit importing issues. There are virtually no UK toy makers who make that kind of toy.

Otherwise I think it’s always wise to have a few extra bits of your non-perishable favourites circulating your store cupboard in case of anything which may keep you from shops/keep products from shops - but always, not just now, and not too many that you lose sight of use-by dates. And only what you’d buy and eat anyway.

DeathMetalMum · 02/09/2021 08:26

Stockpiling - no.

Preparing for Christmas yes, but I always start at this time of year. As soon as the kids go back I get little bits each week of presents/non perishables meaning I only have fresh stuff to get just before.

Dartsplayer · 02/09/2021 08:27

@DucksFlyTogether

No.

Stop it. It's not necessary, what are you really going to do with the £50 of extra tins in your cupboard in 6 months time...

Buy what you need, when you need it. Don't be selfish. Some low income families can literally only afford their weekly shop and can't buy extra. They need that food on the shelves, not in your Armageddon pantry....

This 100%
HungryHippo11 · 02/09/2021 08:28

@Marchitectmummy

No way, there really is no need and let's face it stock piling last time didn't exactly go well for thr UK did it. I'm sure all of these stock piling people must end up creating food waste and that is maddening.
If everyone had a good stock pile already in place in Feb 2020, it would have mitigated the shortages massively. The problem was people suddenly trying to build a stockpile one week before lockdown. That's not stockpiling, its panic buying.
Gothichouse40 · 02/09/2021 08:28

There is a big difference between preparedness and hoarding (which is a mental health problem). Also, no food in my house is wasted as everything I buy is used. Having a few extra tins in meant I was not at the shops 'panic buying'. That is pointless. I'm certainly not panicking over Christmas gifts. If it's there it's there. Christmas has just got ridiculous anyway. Different if you have children, I can understand you may want to make sure they have a gift. I only shop once per month, so not out stripping shelves. Last winter was a nightmare as I could not get out. GF food was certainly missing and there are still things I cannot get now, but, I make do with what I can get. Prices going up and some shortages are certainly not the fault of people being prepared. It's the panic buying that causes shortages.

wonkylegs · 02/09/2021 08:28

I grew up in a house which never had any food in the cupboards so I tend to live with full cupboards out of habit. It also helps when I am unwell (I have a chronic disability/illness which can flare up) and shopping is hard, we have enough to always scrap a few meals together from the freezer / dry stuff.
My DH laughs at me but he knows it's seen us out of a few awkward times.
I don't stockpile but we are always well stocked.

shesellsseacats · 02/09/2021 08:29

A lot of confusion here between stockpiling (sensible, over time) and panic buying.

Keeping a well stocked larder is sensible.

I'm on a low income and don't live in a big city. The options when the shelves were bare last time were much more limited to me than someone with money to spare who could afford to pay the local farm shops who started selling online - very lovely but ££££ - or the trades delivery companies who started selling to the public. My mum lives in a major city and that worked for her when the supermarkets stopped delivering. They don't cover my area though.

Keeping a decent stock of food in the cupboard is sensible and if you build it up over time it's not panic buying but should see you in good stead for all sorts of unexpected eventualities.

Blinky21 · 02/09/2021 08:30

Nope, it's selfish

Beautiful3 · 02/09/2021 08:32

No I'm not. No need to stockpile, otherwise it triggers others into doing it. Don't do it.

Bluesheep8 · 02/09/2021 08:34

Armageddon Pantry

🤣

StrangeLookingParasite · 02/09/2021 08:34

@anappleadaykeeps

Yes - Diet Coke, mayonnaise and Becks Blue 0% beer.
Well I don't like the sound of that smoothie.
Icannever · 02/09/2021 08:38

I’ve always bought things like kids clothes and gifts ahead of time when I find a good deal or something I like. It’s less stressful. I buy summer stuff for next year in the sale and same with winter clothes. Or I buy winter boots/outdoor stuff from ebay in the summer when there is no demand.

Food shopping I usually buy extra stuff like mayonnaise or tuna or crisps if it’s on a good offer. Planning ahead is not an evil plan, it’s just sensible

MagpiePi · 02/09/2021 08:38

Here we go - you are a selfish, grabby, hoarding stockpiler; I'm buying extra to be sensibly prepared.

muddyford · 02/09/2021 08:39

No. It causes the very problem you are trying to avoid.

ApplesAreTheBaneOfMyLife · 02/09/2021 08:39

I think there is quite a difference in how many on this thread define stockpiling. I’ve admitted to having done it, but it was at the sensible planning end of the scale not stashing pasta and loo roll under beds.

For me it was having a spare packet of my favourite cereal and coffee in a cupboard in case shops were out of stock next time I ran out. Little things that made lockdown less miserable.

OoglyMoogly · 02/09/2021 08:41

@Goldbar
I have also bought up the entire online stock of Fortnum and Mason's Rose and Violet creams in case things get really bad...

Sad There aren't words for the type of person you are Wink

FreekStar2 · 02/09/2021 08:41

Stockpiling is silly- nobody is ever going to starve in the UK!

Ocado had no frozen stuff left when I was trying to shop yesterday! Nobheads filling up their chest freezers in their garages, no doubt!

AtlasPine · 02/09/2021 08:43

‘I don’t like the sound of that smoothie.’

Grin
Topseyt · 02/09/2021 08:46

Yes, my house is so stuffed with pasta and bog roll that we can't get into it any more. We live in a couple of tents outside on the street.

Seriously though, I can't abide this ridiculousness. Buy what you need when you need to. Simple enough.

AtlasPine · 02/09/2021 08:46

One other point worth mentioning - if you donate blood or would like to, please do get an appointment now. That’s on thing which is harder to collect when cases go up. We need to keep that flow going.

NovemberWitch · 02/09/2021 08:49

@EdithWeston

I think shopping ahead might be a good idea.

I was brought up by wartime thrift parents, so have always kept a good store cupboard, and think it's a good idea right now for everyone - if they can - to have about a week's worth because the call to isolate could come at any time (used to say 10 days to cover it all, but online delivery slots are pretty normal, plus there's much more on deliveroo groceries)

You don't buy tins of stuff you never touch and let them go out of date. You have some tins, and use in date order and replace. It's nothing like panic buying, because you're not suddenly going out and buying 50! You add an extra tin every now and again (eg from BOGOFs) and after you have your preferrred domestic level, you then are buying in your normal consumption pattern, not stripping the shelves

Exactly. But one of the reasons there’s a Preppers board on MN is because so many people can’t tell the difference between prepping and stockpiling, however many times preppers politely try and explain. Yes, I have stores. No, I haven’t rushed out and cleared shelves.
IAmBeatrixKiddo · 02/09/2021 08:50

The only downside is having to crawl over the multi packs of loo roll, sacks of flour and frozen turkeys to get into bed...

gogohm · 02/09/2021 08:51

There's no shortages, very called issues are occurring due to lorry driver issues (lack of crisps at Lidl for instance) but no one is going hungry, stop scaremongering

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 02/09/2021 08:54

Someone's been watching The Walking Dead.