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Original poster

Do you regularly run out of milk, bread, cereal etc?

207 replies

losenotloose · 16/09/2022 07:38

Strange question but we get our shopping weekly and at some point we run out of these things before replacing them. As far as I'm concerned this is normal life but 16 year old ds1 gets moody and annoyed about this. Are me and dh idiots for not getting 'on top' of this problem or is he just a moody teen? I know this seems very petty but he's driving me mad at the moment🙄

OP posts:
RoseMartha · 16/09/2022 08:05

I think you need to send him to the shop when you run out as his attitude is so bad. Or tell him his new household job is to keep an eye on when it is running low then he makes a trip to the shops to replenish stocks.

kmbegs · 16/09/2022 08:08

Think there's a bigger issue than running out of milk and cereal but you could always keep some long life oat or soy milk in the cupboards in case you run out. Or even better make your DS in charge of milk and cereal stores!

Schoolchoicesucks · 16/09/2022 08:09

Yes, often. But rarely run out of both at the same time - so can usually have either cereal or toast for breakfast before having to do a top up shop.
Don't have the freezer space to keep bread and milk in the freezer, doesn't always stay fresh and last the week and shops are close by so it's fine to do a top up shop. Plus some weeks we use more bread/milk than others, buying enough to be sure we didn't run out it would often end up being wasted.

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Nonibaloni · 16/09/2022 08:09

We used too, until Dh said he’d had enough an upped the total we bought. There was a readjustment period to find the balance but now there’s a small cross over and rarely anything goes bad.
honeslty I was back staying with my mum for a while who lets things run out and it was needless stress and annoyance which I hadn’t realised.

GreenEyedDevil · 16/09/2022 08:10

No never

SuperCamp · 16/09/2022 08:12

i made it clear:
If the cereal / milk / bread is running low after your 9th bowl or slice of toast of the day it is your responsibility to say so and either run to the corner shop or put it in the shopping list in the kitchen.

But we didn’t really run out.

Bread made overnight in the bread maker, live in London so each family member walks past a shop on the way back from bus stop / station / school.

isthismylifenow · 16/09/2022 08:12

No, but then I always have a back up as in long life milk (which you can keep in the cupboard so wont take up fridge space).

Bread into the freezer.

Cereal, I buy more oats that anything else now. Cheaper and better for you and lasts longer as its a bit more time consuming to make. Perhaps overnight oats would be a good idea, he has to assemble it the night before. (you don't have to put chia seeds and all that jazz into it)

I don't go to the shops unnecessarily anymore as it just costs too much, I never come out with just one milk or whatever is needed, so its best to buy a little extra and make do imo.

cookiecreammmpie · 16/09/2022 08:12

I do top up shops for this type of thing. I just buy more when I see we're running low, so we never completely run out.

SallyWD · 16/09/2022 08:12

No we don't run out. I do a weekly shop but need to buy extra bread and milk mid-week. We make sure we do so before it runs out.

rainbowandglitter · 16/09/2022 08:15

I've never run out of anything. Surely someone just goes to buy more when it's running low?

yikesanotherbooboo · 16/09/2022 08:16

I freeze bread and buy more milk on way home from work if we are into last carton.

isthismylifenow · 16/09/2022 08:17

Oh and another 'rule' I have is that if something is running low, the person noticing this has to put it on the list on fridge.

Due to ibs there a lot of things I don't eat that the dc do, so I don't notice if some things are low. So, when I do a shop, I go by the list on the fridge for things the dc know I don't eat. If one of them finishes the tomato sauce for eg, I wouldn't notice tbh as I never have it. So when its not been put on the list, it doesn't get added in. They have learnt quite sharp to use the list.

PeasInOurTime · 16/09/2022 08:18

Blimey, I’m left feeling inadequate!

Yes, we regularly run out of all 3. Various reasons, the main ones being I don’t really use milk or eat cereal.

The youngest member of our household is 13 so they are all capable of writing what is low on the shopping list so that I make sure I replace it. If it isn’t on the list, I don’t add it to the food shop 🤷‍♀️

YingMei · 16/09/2022 08:19

No, but we use UHT milk so have tons of it in the cupboard. Bread-wise I always keep a loaf in the freezer

TwinGirlsOnTheWay · 16/09/2022 08:21

We do. If your son is annoyed, he can pop to the shop of an evening when he notices it's running low

KangarooKenny · 16/09/2022 08:23

I get a mid week top up, so no, I never run out.

EfficientDynamics · 16/09/2022 08:24

No, never

If you're running out regularly then somebody should buy more before you run out. Not run out and then decide to replace

starrynight21 · 16/09/2022 08:25

No, never. I always buy sufficient for the week when I shop. And I keep a printed shopping list in the kitchen, and anyone who starts to use the last of something, writes it on the list so I know what is needed.

BertieBotts · 16/09/2022 08:26

You maybe haven't adjusted the amount you buy to accommodate your teenagers larger appetite as he's grown? I overbuy a little bit and let it overflow into the next week.

bigbluebus · 16/09/2022 08:28

I only shop weekly too. Bread is frozen in 1/2 loaves to avoid waste. Cereal is only eaten for breakfast in this house so ease to gauge quantities. Milk was fine until DH switched to eating muesli with milk on instead of porridge made with water for breakfast. So I now need to buy milk mid week - but we have 2 village shops open 7 days a week so not a problem. I did freeze milk during Covid just in case we had to isolate.

mrsm43s · 16/09/2022 08:28

No, we don't run out. We buy adequate when we shop, and for things where storage is an issue we buy before it runs out. It's simple organisation. However now your son is 16, there's no reason he can't be responsible for the top up shops.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 16/09/2022 08:29

Yeah we run out or it goes off. Never get the balance right.

We don't have much storage for extra stuff and the shop is at the bottom of the road so it's no hardship to pop over and get one

Cinnabomb · 16/09/2022 08:32

I would be murderous if there was no milk for tea/ coffee first thing. However I don’t have a teenager so haven’t had that eating every thing in sight stage.

ChicCroissant · 16/09/2022 08:33

No, we have bread in the freezer and milk is delivered twice a week - if we get low on milk we buy more from the supermarket. My teen probably wouldn't shop for the stuff herself but just goes straight to the freezer to get more bread!

Do you run out every week OP?

SquigglePigs · 16/09/2022 08:33

We don't usually run out of milk because one of us will pop to the shop on the way to/from nursery or anywhere else to top up once we open the last 4 pint bottle. No way me or DH would risk running out of milk for tea!!

Cereal is checked when doing the weekly online order so the only time we run out is if Tesco suddenly decide there are no Shreddies available (every other week at the mo!!). There will still be porridge, Weetabix and Cheerios though so other options are available.

Bread is a bit different in that we don't eat a lot of it so I don't consider it something we must have in at all times so there will be times where there's no bread but it wouldn't be something to comment on. Having said that there's usually half a small loaf and some pittas in the freezer so there'd be something.

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