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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:
Tradams · 08/03/2020 12:34

Yes, but that's the current British character. Me first. None of that 'one for all and all for one' shit for the Brits these days, it's every man for himself.

itsgettingweird · 08/03/2020 12:35

Yes it's selfish.

I have a cold and had to go to 3 shops yesterday just to get a packet of ibuprofen. Therefore infecting more of the population than necessary!

Ds has a muscular condition and requires frequent pain relief. He's going to be in pain for a virus someone may get. But I'll admit I keep spare bottles when down to half and I managed to get another bottle of each yesterday so do have extra. (2 spare of each and half open). I'd be happy to give to someone in immediate though.

I tried to do my ASDA order online today. I have a saved basics list which I add to, remove as necessary and order whatever meats I need for meals that week. Nearly half my usual basics shop was out of stock. I've had to order more expensive alternatives.

I saw a fantastic post earlier on FB pointing out buying it all won't protect you (tissues, sanitiser and hand wash) because you've left people who may need it without - therefore increasing your risk.

StatisticallyChallenged · 08/03/2020 12:37

We are revising plans naturally, buy we can't lose the day to day stuff unfortunately. We have to collect the children, walk them back (often holding hands with staff or each other)... few coughs and splutters on the way...

And even with places with good facilities (obviously this kind of thing is part of the pre visit risk assessments we do) that could change at any time, especially just now with shortages. It's also being pragmatic; you might be at a park/museum/whatever with great loos but they're maybe a few minutes away from the main area. If we catch a kid picking their nose, or they cough/sneeze, then marching that kid to the loo takes a fair bit of time and with a big group you're doing it non-stop. Vom. The ability to instantly clean hands is pretty useful.

We do manage this stuff carefully but the assumption that everyone using gels is just a numpty who has never heard of soap and water has been grating over the last few days. We're taking our responsibilities seriously, that's all.

tallah · 08/03/2020 12:41

I think people are getting the wrong idea about this panic buying. I went out and bought a few extra bits. Like one extra packet of toilet roll and nappies and some extra tins. I don't think people are filling sheds full of the stuff like everyone thinks. It's just of EVERYONE buys a tad more then that adds up. There is nothing wrong in wanting to prepare for being potentially locked away, especially if you have small children and are not buying trollies full

tallah · 08/03/2020 12:48

Also, it's clear some people (not necessarily you) are just pissed off that they started out saying it's all a storm in a teacup and now realise there is actually a high chance of being locked away! I'm slightly smug that I prepared AGES ago so don't have to get annoyed with those who brushed it off until it's too late!

Roussette · 08/03/2020 13:15

Why then did I see people wheeling two trollies instead of one round Tesco Extra piled high like it was Christmas?

That's not an extra packet of pasta and 3 tins of beans. The supply chain can cope with that. It can't cope with hoarding and panic buying in quantity.

I'm not sure there's a 'high chance' that everyone is going to be locked away... I do feel that's scaremongering. Italy has closed down the northern towns, but they have 6,000 cases. We have 211, very small in comparison so I'm not seeing the high chance of being locked away.

woodchuck99 · 08/03/2020 13:21

Italy has closed down the northern towns, but they have 6,000 cases. We have 211, very small in comparison so I'm not seeing the high chance of being locked away.

They had less than 200 cases a couple of weeks ago. It doesn't take long for the numbers to go up.

Random18 · 08/03/2020 13:27

People are being selfish.

I actually have loads of loo rolls and hand wash etc, but that's because we do a lot of shopping I'M costco so buy in bulk anyway.

I have not bought a single loo roll since panic buying started.

But yeah, others need some stuff more than me.

And stealing things from hospitals - well there is only one way to describe people who do this - scum

LouQoo · 08/03/2020 13:33

Asking for a friend:

If we run out of hand soap, can we wash our hands in fairy liquid (we’ve got loads of that stuff in the garage)?

woodchuck99 · 08/03/2020 13:35

If we run out of hand soap, can we wash our hands in fairy liquid (we’ve got loads of that stuff in the garage)?

Of course but it will make your hands quite dry.

QueSera · 08/03/2020 13:40

Your friend also wouldn't be in that situation if she had prepped to have Calpol and other basics already in her medicine cabinet. You can't just blame everyone else.

PandaAtTheZoo · 08/03/2020 13:42

I was in tesco on Friday and there was no ibuprofen, paracetamol or cold and flu tablets left. Not a single packet left. There was an elderly women probably in her late 70s/ early 80s saying she can't find the paracetamol. Very selfish to panic buy as it could mean people who really need it can't get it

DameXanaduBramble · 08/03/2020 13:43

Tesco is imposing limits now.

Roussette · 08/03/2020 13:44

Tesco is imposing limits now

Good.

They should've done this a while ago though

DameXanaduBramble · 08/03/2020 13:45

Agreed! I think Waitrose are too according to the beeb

IndecentFeminist · 08/03/2020 13:52

Depends on the shop round here. Aldi still fully stocked (didn't see hand sanitizer, but didn't look very hard) but Asda a bit ransacked.

woodchuck99 · 08/03/2020 13:54

I was in tesco on Friday and there was no ibuprofen, paracetamol or cold and flu tablets left. Not a single packet left. There was an elderly women probably in her late 70s/ early 80s saying she can't find the paracetamol. Very selfish to panic buy as it could mean people who really need it can't get it

You can't buy more than two packets anyway so really it's just people buying ibuprofen or paracetamol because they might needed which seems sensible rather than an example of panic.

FudgeBrownie2019 · 08/03/2020 13:56

We're usually pretty well stocked as I pop to Costco once a month to bulk buy teabags and pasta and stuff that can last. Our local shops haven't run out of anything yet, not even hand sanitiser, but I've not bulk bought anything like that because a good wash with soap is by far the best thing to use.

It's not selfish to stock up, it's selfish to stock up and resell the products at a massively inflated price, and even more selfish to stock up on stuff you wouldn't ordinarily use or need (like years worth of vitamins).

user1497207191 · 08/03/2020 13:59

And stealing things from hospitals - well there is only one way to describe people who do this - scum

Do you also mean the staff who do it too or just patients?

TabbyMumz · 08/03/2020 14:03

"If we run out of hand soap, can we wash our hands in fairy liquid (we’ve got loads of that stuff in the garage)?"

"Of course but it will make your hands quite dry."
No it wont. I use it all the time.

user1497207191 · 08/03/2020 14:05

They should've done this a while ago though

Exactly this. Can't understand why the supermarkets/shops havn't been rationing, and many still aren't.

When we had a corner shop in the 70s, we would "ration" whenever we had short supplies, which happened a lot more back then - some suppliers only delivered weekly or even monthly, so if items were missing, there was every chance it would be a while until we were restocked. There'd always be something we'd have "in the back" or "under the counter" and restrict customers to just 1 or 2.

Same with newspapers - we had the shop in the era of all those years of militant printer strikes. We could be short of papers by half easily. Other shops would come around doing the circuit trying to buy them for their customers, so whenever it happened, all we had was under the counter and we'd only sell one to any customer - even regular customers who usually bought 2 different ones would only get offered one - that way we tried our best to keep everyone content.

TabbyMumz · 08/03/2020 14:05

I've been to a city this morning and most shops had loads of paracetamol, hand wash etc. No shortage at all.

ClientQueen · 08/03/2020 14:35

Lots of painkillers here. No soap (and I mean no liquid hand soap, no bars, none) and of course no hand gel. That was Superdrug, boots and Wilko

beckywiththeshithair39 · 08/03/2020 14:40

Panic buying is incredibly selfish. It's taking for the sake of it and showing no care or consideration for anyone else who might need things. It's a 'every man for himself' mentality which isn't even necessary at the moment. You only have to look at the cretins fighting over toilet roll to see what sort of people they are. Inherently selfish and all about themselves.

I really feel for elderly vulnerable people or any others who simply can't get to the shops often who are struggling to get their everyday bits. It's a sad reflection of our society.

woodchuck99 · 08/03/2020 14:47

No it wont. I use it all the time.

I use it quite often too and it is much more drying than handsoap.