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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

is panic-buying selfish?

449 replies

cherryx30x · 05/03/2020 11:05

so I'm sure this is going to be a very mixed opinion but hard hat at the ready. I'm not talking adding a few extra tins of soup to your trolley.

but to take packs and packs of nappies. and all the vitamins. all the medication like paracetomal and calpol?

someone on my facebook was unable to get calpol for her toddler who is actually ill because people had bought the lot in a blind panic. like she said her kid now has to suffer with a temperature because people have bought it over a virus they may not even get and that may only cause them a cough on the mildest end.

I think its extremely over the top to be wiping out the alcohol gel sanitizers (again I know someone with a premature baby who always has them on hand as she has to be a lot more careful who has been unable to find any anywhere), nappies, baby wipes, medications and vitamins

sorry but to me this is just selfish and takes away from people who actually need them. educate yourself and follow basic hygiene- dont wipe out the stores of stuff you probably wont even need and take away from those who currently actually need them

  • [Please note, thread title edited by MNHQ - was originally 'Is prepping selfish?']
OP posts:
Sunshinegirl82 · 07/03/2020 10:50

The prediction is not that 80% of people will get Coronavirus. That is a worst case scenario. On board the cruise ship between a fifth and a quarter of those on the boat tested positive for the virus. Of those that did test positive 50% were asymptomatic.

mindproject · 07/03/2020 10:50

Nobody is ever going to get stuck with more loo roll than they will need. It will all get used up. Hand sanitizer is a complete non-essential anyway.

RufustheLanglovingreindeer · 07/03/2020 10:55

Ive just said to dd that I was going to try and get her some hand sanitizer

Turns out i bought her one last year...

I did have a very old one in a bag...not sure if ive ditched it but I won’t worry about replacing it

sleepingpup · 07/03/2020 10:57

@mindproject

Hand sanitizer is a complete non-essential anyway.

oh bore off. Not if you're away from water for hours. And don't tell me to lug around a flask of water or whatever when I can have a mini bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket as an interim measure.

mindproject · 07/03/2020 10:59

The majority of people are not away from water for hours at a time. I don't know anyone that is. This is bullshit.

user1497207191 · 07/03/2020 10:59

I just hope that those that have cleared the shelves suddenly find we have totally turned the corner on this, and they are stuck with a great pile.

What's the problem, people will just use it up over the next few weeks - they'll just not have to buy as much as normal. Loo roll doesn't have a use by date. Most cans/packet food etc last many months.

sleepingpup · 07/03/2020 11:02

@mindproject

you've never worked on a till, driven a bus, worked on a building site etc etc obviously.
Or maybe hand to use every hand rail on public transport because you have a disability.

Grow up

Roussette · 07/03/2020 11:04

Not the woman who cleared Superdrug shelves of every bottle of antibac. Unless she's selling it on Ebay, she would be stuck with it. Good.
Because believe it or not, this will peak, if it hasn't already... then the news will move on and those who hoarded antibac gel to the detriment of me who wants just one bottle.... well... serve them right!

I'm fed up of looking for it in shops, along with antiseptic wipes. Only need it for the plane.

FourTeaFallOut · 07/03/2020 11:07

I just hope that those that have cleared the shelves suddenly find we have totally turned the corner on this, and they are stuck with a great pile.

Oh no, what will people do with all the long life, shelf stable food and freezer goods, hand wash, cleaning supplies and toiler paper do? Hmmm...I just can't think what they might do with it all

mindproject · 07/03/2020 11:07

There are lots and lots of things that last either indefinitely or a very, very long time, ignore what manufacturers tell you - they want you to throw things away and buy more. This include - loo roll, tissues, cleaning products, toiletries, unused toothbrushes, makeup. Things like rice, many dried foods, honey, salt, sugar, soya sauce last more than a lifetime. Tinned foods last well beyond their best before dates, they can last a good 5 to 20 years. Buy a lot less short-life food and buy more long-life foods for a while. It won't cost you anymore than your normal food shop does.

Roussette · 07/03/2020 11:10

Oh no, what will people do with all the long life, shelf stable food and freezer goods, hand wash, cleaning supplies and toiler paper do?

So, you don't think it's selfish?? I am not talking about sensible prepping, if that's your thing, I am talking about those who cleared shelves of handgel actually.

mindproject · 07/03/2020 11:10

And I can't be bothered to argue the fact that most people are not bus drivers or work on a building site. I assume those workers are allowed to go to the toilet, get a drink and wash their hands during the day like everyone else can.

sleepingpup · 07/03/2020 11:13

@mindproject

know anyone who works on a till? Know anyone who uses a hand rail?

Seems like you assume a lot.

FourTeaFallOut · 07/03/2020 11:14

Well, yeah, people who clear the shelves like supermarket sweep and bring home 100 bottles of handgel, 1000 rolls of loo paper and one jar of stuffed olives are the problem. That's just madness.

sleepingpup · 07/03/2020 11:16

@mindproject

I can't be bothered to argue numbers either but I know there are plenty of other jobs out there too .

But from your position of great privilege you have not much of a clue.

The majority of people are not away from water for hours at a time. I don't know anyone that is. This is bullshit.

bumblingbovine49 · 07/03/2020 11:17

How.do you know.it is t just many many more people all buying one of two extra but all in a very short space of time ?

The effect of that is the same as a few people buying loads at a time

Roussette · 07/03/2020 11:19

How.do you know.it is t just many many more people all buying one of two extra but all in a very short space of time

I don't.
I am only quoting the Superdrug guy who told me a while back that one woman (who was obviously ahead of the game) cleared the shelves of all the anti bac, before it became a thing.

From that moment on, they limited the number that could be purchased.

mindproject · 07/03/2020 11:22

I do not have a position of privilege, check my earlier posts if you don't believe me.

I don't know anyone that works in a shop or on a building site. Most people I know are either working very low-paid office jobs or are working in the NHS. Bus driver and building site workers are allowed to use the toilet and wash their hands. The shop workers I have seen lately are all wearing gloves, which is a much better protection than hand gel.

TheMemoryLingers · 07/03/2020 11:26

I'm not worrying about loo roll. If the worst comes to the worst, I have some old sheets and duvet covers I kept to cover furniture with when decorating - they could easily be cut up to use as emergency bum-wiping material.

Ohffs66 · 07/03/2020 11:26

fourteafallout your jar of stuffed olives made me laugh!

I did a bigger shop than usual yesterday but nothing crazy; a few more cans of soup and baked beans, some tinned fruit and custard, a couple of packets of pasta, noodles and rice and a bit more freezer stuff than I usually buy. I'm not at all panicked about the virus but I want to be prepared in case we end up in isolation for some reason; DH travels abroad quite a bit for work, and I work in an office where a lot of people also travel regularly. It's all stuff we will use anyway at some point and there was plenty left on the shelves of all the things I bought, although there were some really noticeable gaps in a few sections.

I was chatting to the chap in Sainsbury's and he said they couldn't get the toilet roll on the shelf fast enough! A lot of people's trolleys were quite loaded up probably more than usual but I didn't see anyone bulk buying lots of the same thing.

mindproject · 07/03/2020 11:28

There is lots and lots of hand sanitizer on eBay at less than £2 a bottle, I've just checked, so I'm not sure which version of eBay you are using? I'm going into town later. I'm going to see how many shops are still selling it. I will report back later. I'm not going to buy any, I've never used the awful sticky stuff, I've always just washed my hands well.

sleepingpup · 07/03/2020 11:30

@mindproject

Not interested in checking anything about you thanks.

But since you don't know any of those people from those working groups. How come you are SO SURE that you know better? incredible.

'that's bullshit'

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 07/03/2020 11:31

I've just checked eBay,nothing on there less than £2 Confused

mindproject · 07/03/2020 11:34

MrsPelling - maybe you don't know how to use eBay properly? You can order things so the lowest price comes up first.

Roussette · 07/03/2020 11:35

There is lots and lots of hand sanitizer on eBay at less than £2 a bottle, I've just checked, so I'm not sure which version of eBay you are using?

Ebay UK. What did you put in to search? There is nothing like that on Ebay for me. The cheapest is 50ml for £4.36. (that is tiny, half the size of what you can take on a plane!)
And the price goes up for 50ml from there...

200ml is £41.10.