Only on mumsnet do people prep.

[Notlong20]

There is not one person I know in real life that is prepping for a coronavirus outbreak. In fact, no one I speak to even mentions the threat of the virus.

Of course we know of it as the hysteria surrounding it is all over the news / social media, but aibu to think preppers only exist on mumsnet?

I think the only situation where you'd actually NEED to be selfish is if sharing your supplies meant your own life was at risk. In other words, if all the food the preppers had saved was not enough to feed everyone in need. If it was enough but people don't share anyway, that would undeniably be selfish, wouldn't it?

But if it wasn't enough, and the prepper had to keep it to their own family just to survive, then we'd have to really be in an apocalypse scenario, wouldn't we? That would only happen if the world really had collapsed, in which case does it matter anyway? What would you do when your own food ran out anyway?

Why do you think that Preppers or any other random person who happens to have more than one meal in the house should be responsible for feeding you if something does happen?

What do you do for them that makes you so special?

All you are saying is if you want it, people who have it should give it.

It can't be because you care about other people going hungry or you would be stocking up yourself so that YOU can share it with them.

It can't be because you care about other people going hungry or you would be stocking up yourself so that YOU can share it with them

Who said I wasn't? You sound very defensive.

Here's what I said:

"if all the food the preppers had saved was enough to feed everyone, but people didn't share it anyway, that would undeniably be selfish, wouldn't it?"

Do you disagree?

There’s panic buying that clears supermarket shelves of basics and people who buy water purification tablets. That’s a tad OTT. Making sure you have paracetamol, whatever your consider store cupboard essentials and a stocked freezer (if you’re in a position to do so) seems sensible. People are already being asked to self isolate. I’d need a supply of biscuits for that. I also don’t want to be forced to eat the jar of sauerkraut I bought on a whim that’s been sitting in the cupboard for at least 6 months.

I think most parents try to teach children to think independently to reflect that change is part of life and life is not always fair, thus we should seek alternative options where these exist if we personally want more options.

Then preppers prep as this gives more options for the "what if" scenarios. It is fine for others not to, but they cannot expect to play a victim role later. We all have internet access and we all have choices. I am choosing to make sure that I have pain relief for my family, but I cannot purchase enough for my street in case my neighbours have decided not to. I really hope that they do have essentials in and that they are well, but I am not their parent.

I have never seen so much deliveries from tesco, asda and ocado in my neighbourhood. I haven't seen paracetamol in weeks in my local shop. I had a call from Italy yesterday, one friend of mine told me to prep, she went to the shop and almost every shelf was empty. She just had an operation, not very mobile, going to the shop was an ordeal already, all for nothing. It is sensible if you think that you might be ill, that you might have to self isolate (medical staff, any staff in contact with a lot of potentially ill people etc) to get yourself proper comfort food, and a few necessities, just in case. Shopping trip when you are ill is not funny, prepping to avoid it is sensible. It's flu and bug season anyway. If you already have a medical condition, or one of your loved ones, you are used to "prepping". Perhaps the word in itself is off-putting, people see it as good house management, nothing to fuss about.

Of course I disagree.
I don't feel defensive, I'm just tired of hearing people who think that preppers should happily give up what they may have made a lot of effort to stock to random people who could have afforded to buy a couple of tins of sausage & beans to stick in the cupboard but couldn't be bothered who seem to think they are entitled to a handout.
That food costs money.
I never hear people saying Preppers should SELL the food (at the price it will cost them to replace it, not the price they paid for it)
It's always suddenly about 'sharing'.

I don't stock food to sell, I just have food for my family to eat.
I don't let random strangers help themselves to the contents of my purse either.

I will not risk my son going hungry tomorrow to stop a stranger going hungry today.

If I feed some stranger from my preps on day 1 of the shops being closed, they will be back at my door with their friends or family before the next meal time.
They will tell the people they care about because they don't care about me, they only want to help the people they care about.
Then those people will see the source of what they want & next thing you know everyone & their dog will be at my door looking for me 'not to be selfish'.

A years worth of food for my family wouldn't last a day in my neighbourhood.

I am not a government or a foodbank, I am an individual.
Feeding you is not my responsibility.
I have to put my child first & he wouldn't just need food for 1 day.
He would need food for the next day too.

I think anyone who wants me to put their needs before my childs needs is selfish frankly.

There may be people I would choose to help, but that would be ME choosing to help those particular individuals because I wanted to & you would never know.

Of course I disagree

But everything you wrote in that huge post shows you didn't even read the one-line statement you just said you disagreed with. Good job.

@Sofonisba a good job is Snugglepumpkin keeping options open for her DC.

If you think you are going to ask for handouts later, it would be better to pop to the shops yourself as that way you are thinking about you and yours.

If you think you are going to ask for handouts later, it would be better to pop to the shops yourself as that way you are thinking about you and yours.

Why are people responding with complete nonsense that has no relation to things I said in my posts?

To those who don’t prep and mock those who do.

When going on holiday do you simply turn up at the airport, without any luggage and expect to be able to travel and stay abroad even though you haven’t booked any flights or accommodation?

Do you tell those with tickets and reservations that they’re selfish for not budging up to share their seat on the plane and hotel room with you?

After all, they’ve prepped, as in prepared, by thinking ahead, and making sure they have what they need.

I mainly buy fresh food every couple of days but my baking cupboard is full...F*ck if this happens I’ll be able to feed my family on cake but little else after a few days! I do make a good brownie though, anyone want to trade 😂

I don't know how many Mormons there are in UK, but Mormons are suppose to stockpile a years worth of food. They don't generally talk about it with others but they have it.

It’s really difficult isn’t it, we can’t tell what we should have done (ie loads or not much) until at least a couple of weeks later.

A lot of the time it seems quite unreal that COVID19 is causing dreadful illness and death in other places. I guess it takes a while to get my head round it.

If you want to think kindly of people with a different view non preppers could think of preppers as providing extra storage space for shops which is going to be good for the economy and preppers could think of non preppers as wanting to help everyone stay optimistic and follow official guidelines which will be good for social order.

If you want to be unkind to people who have different views or priorities why not have laugh instead
COVID19 viral humour

Sofonisba apologies in advance if I have misunderstood you.

What you are saying reminds me of the WW2 rules about rationing, hoarding etc which were designed to make sure everyone was ok as far as possible.

If there were shortages, but not complete apocalyptic breakdown, would you prefer a scenario where people sorted out amongst themselves how to redistribute food preppers had stored or would you hope the authorities would collect and redistribute it based on need?

Obviously most people, sadly, don’t automatically make sure everyone in their street/town/city has enough to eat on an informal basis but luckily for them most people who don’t have enough to eat are held back by social rules from turning up at other people’s doors asking for a share of their meals. Personally I wish the authorities were a bit more active and effective about ensuring everyone had food and shelter. I guess it might mean that they will expect us to be fairly self reliant if there are shortages rather than organising things centrally.

I used to live in a small village half way up a mountain in a country where it snowed from Nov to April. We had a good stock of most things in case we got snowed in.

DH still shops that way. Or buys things on offer.

I would never have called it ‘prepping’. Just being sensible.

We have a shopping list on the go all the time and as we open the last bottle of ketchup for instance we write ketchup on the list so it gets replaced and we always have a spare.

Always have a well stocked medicine cupboard too.

I did however ‘prep’ for Brexit. Have been running that down as thankfully it wasn’t needed. Then. So we have been gradually using stuff up.

I’m now ‘prepping’ again. If you want to call it that. I think I’m just being sensible. Have a big on line shop being delivered tomorrow. Some extra cold and flu stuff. Basics. Treats. Cupboards will be full.

My thinking is that IF Coronavirus does become a big issue here we can stay home for a few weeks and hopefully avoid it. Not because I am afraid we will all die but because I don’t want any of us to put extra strain on the NHS which will buckle if it spreads here.

We are lucky that DH and I don’t need to go out to work and DS is on a gap year and currently home so we can just stay in.

So me being sensible (or ‘prepping’) will just mean that we will be leaving more stuff in the shops for those of you who don’t or won’t stock up. And we will hopefully not need to bother the NHS.

I’m not panicking or hysterical. I’m just sensible and organised. I haven’t bought masks for instance as I don’t think we will need them as we won’t need to go out. I have bought disinfectant and hand sanitizer. Just in case.

I love the prepping threads they make me feel organised.
After having our water unexpectedly off, then all having a bout of norovirus and another time a horrible viral infection, I have learned the hard way to be stocked up.
I don’t see it as prepping for the apocolypse more so having full cupboards Incase this happens again - plus I tend to buy in bulk when things are on offer or when I go to Costco as we have the storage space and it works out much cheaper!

Now I have baby DS I also hate running out of anything and having to go out to get it even if he’s having a day of meltdowns. Having a fully stocked house just makes things easier and more efficient all round.

I’m not into wind up radios, water bobs and solar chargers etc but I think having plenty of food, medicine, toiletries is just common sense if you can afford it

Ok maybe we need groups to join together to share food/water and repel the (zombies) diseased. 😂

If you’re lucky enough to be able to afford and store extra food for 6 weeks or so then you should. It will lead to less demand and therefore less price hikes for those who have to live more week by week if there is an issue around weather, illness etc. That’s not selfish, that’s sensible.

And if it helps people feel more in control of their lives then that’s got to be good too.

Adding a few extra bits to the food shop - little and often to avoid emptying shelves - why is that selfish?

A single parent making sure her children are provided with food if she gets too ill to go out - at any time, in anyone’s world that is sensible, not selfish.

And if the organisation of it becomes a hobby then why not spend spare time on that rather than watching tv or flicking between sites online? Hardly selfish.

@fredafrogspawn so we’re not sharing? You’re missing out on good brownies...

Ha! I don’t have much really nice stuff - but I can bung you a few tins of beans, some cereal and a jar of jam if you are hungry. I’m sure someone else will need your brownies more than me.

Call yourselves preppers?? Amateurs!!! I've dug a tunnel to the local Co-op!!!

I love reading the prepper threads. Good for a laugh.

Take a look around your home, take a note of everything that is made in China or Asia. Also Where is your pasta and olive oil coming from?

Countries under strict lockdown have factories closed. It’s a fact that there are ships that are not going into China, and supply chains globally are already disrupted. This is the area my dh works in.

Until this is under control the next year or two we are going to see what life is like making do and buying second hand.

If there’s something you really need, nows the time to buy it!

We of course went through supply chain disruptions in ww2. The government brought in rationing, in part to stop stockpiling/profiteering and to level the playing field between those who can afford inflated prices and those who can’t.

@Snugglepumpkin are they rhetorical questions?

If not, who are you asking? I haven’t said anything about wanting to use anyone’s stash!