is panic-buying selfish?

[cherryx30x]

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?']

As a moderate prepper I was done with the extra prepping by the first week of february. I now only buy what I need for the next three days (as I always do).

We also have these threads daily now. People panic buy in these situations. They always have done as well so no use in telling people not to. Maybe you should look into prepping a bit? It's totally normal to have some paracwtamol and other over the counter medicin in the house before someone is in pain or ill. Most of us gave a little medicin cabinet or box somewhere. Same goes for having a little stock at home in case of emergency/illness/ getting snowed in/ chernobyl/ corona et cetera. You don't have to panic buy, just get a little extra with each shop. That way if the panic buying starts you don't have to feel selfish for buying something that could go to the more needy.

@KahlanRahl didnt tell people not to, I questioned how selfish it is when parents with premature babies and ill toddlers have to go without calpol and sanitizer because of it

I'll add that preppers are fine. They buy small amounts normally. They don't clear the shelves. Growing up in the country, mum used to do a monthly shop, so I've always got about 2 weeks (or more) of ingredients for meals, just having to buy fruit and vege more regularly.

The day after the referendum I started prepping non-perishables, enough to last years. I haven't needed to buy any of these things for 3 years, so I'm actually helping the situation now. Looking after my family, making sure I don't become a panic buyer or dependent on public funds and services is the opposite of selfish.

I also keep a small stock of perishables. Rotation is a way of life. I don't buy anything in bulk now, I just do a normal shop once a week.

I only have 2 hand gels and I am not planning on buying anymore. We just wash our hands a lot and use a bit of bleach when cleaning at home.

I don't know anyone with a small child that doesn't always have at least one bottle of Calpol in the cupboard? And anyway, you can only buy 2 at a time all year round so people can't be buying all of it surely.

All of my local supermarkets look fully stocked to me. I couldn't see anything missing from any shelves. I think hand gel is the only exception.

I'm not lying lol........the shelves in my local sainsburys are definitley stripped and from what I've seen on my social media I'm not the only one.

user im not suggesting it's only one person taking it........

To my mind the selfish people are the one's flying around the world willy nilly or driving their cars all over the place, knowing they're destroying the environment; and recently knowing they are bringing the virus into the country too.

@mindproject I'm not sure what that has to do with what I asked

Where I am the shelves in most
Shops have been cleared of all handwash, antibacterial gel, antibacterial wipes and spray. There is a shortage of basic medicines and painkillers in most local shops too.

It's absolutely ridiculous and selfish. And unnecessary.

I usually stock up on things as they are due to run out or have one thing open and another ready for when the opened item is empty.

I don't stockpile things 'just Incase' I've never felt the need to.

Everybody just needs to calm the fuck down. Wash your hands regularly. Cover your mouth with a tissue if you cough or sneeze then bin it straight away, and generally do all the things we are advised to do to stay healthy.

@mindproject how is that relevant to the OP?

YABU. That's panic buying, not prepping.

No, prepping is not selfish. Surely it's sensible to have a couple of bottles of calpol in the house if you have a toddler?

@KahlanRahl didnt tell people not to, I questioned how selfish it is when parents with premature babies and ill toddlers have to go without calpol and sanitizer because of it

Parents should be prepared for illness and should have basic medicin in the house at all times if you ask me.

Nobody needs sanitizer, soap works fine.

pleaseeee read my updates I've said I meant panic buying and I've requested the title to be changed. whether or not she should have had bottles of calpol alresdy surely doesnt excuse the fact she is not able to get any now because people in a blind (unnecessary imo) panic have cleared the medicines aisle

I don't stockpile things 'just Incase' I've never felt the need to.

That's you choice but don''t complain when thing run out and you suddenly do feel the need to buy something.!

My comment is relevant because she asked if prepping is selfish. Prepping months or years ago is not at all selfish and is helping the situation now. Panic buying is a little bit selfish, but I can see why people are doing it, they just want to protect their family. But, the worst offenders by far are the people spreading the virus around the world; they saw what was happening in China and yet still thought their unnecessary holiday was more important than spreading it all over the world. So, have a go at those people instead.

@mindproject protect their family from a virus they may never get and in all likelihood will probably only get mild symptoms. what about those who are already unwell who need these things now? and havent thought about the knock on effect it will have on others who dont educate themselves either and will follow suit leaving those who actually need these things without? it's a sad world we live in, everyone for themselves

mind, in the UK the initial cases started from someone who went to Singapore for a business conference, recently a lot have been in northern Italy....how could the possibly have known?

Prepping in itself is not selfish if you know where to draw the line.

The formula milk powder is selling out pretty quickly here, so I bought 2 extra packages.
I don’t want DS to miss out on his milk because of shortages in supply.

I could have bought the 3 other packages left in the shelf too but I didn’t because I didn’t want bring inconvenience to another mum with her baby.

Panic buyers should really give their heads a wobble. Anything sets them off.

Prepping is awesome. Been doing it for generations in my family. They lived in remote areas and when I was growing up, it was often the case the roads weren’t accessible, and shops weren’t open 7 days like they are now.

I went to Tesco today to do a top up shop (I was prepped weeks ago ) and there were hardly any eggs left and none in cartons of 12, all of the liquid hand soap had been ransacked and obviously there was no hand gel.

The world has been 'everyone for themselves' for a very long time, why are people only just realising that?

Why is it more selfish to buy extra beans and loo roll for your family, than it is to hoard thousands or millions of pounds in your bank account when people are sleeping on the streets?

And people are criticising others for buying cheap hand gel then selling it on eBay for £20; when most businesses employ these tactics all the time. Big pharma make billions in profit all the time from people getting sick. Energy companies put their prices up to make billions more in profit, meanwhile the little people can't afford to turn their heating on. Then people call them selfish for selling a hand gel for £20 to pay their gas bill.

Sorry, but I'm not jumping on that bandwagon.

Nobody needs sanitizer, soap works fine.
This is getting tired now...

I am impressed that you can carry a sink, soap , water supply and a towel around with you all day.

For the mere mortals like me who cant so I will use sanitizer thanks.

I thought you could only buy two bottles of calpol at a time?

It may have run out because of:

1. Parents of prem/small babies toddlers buying 1 bottle just in case their child gets ill, teething etc.

1. 1 bottle in case of quarantine.

1. There have been med supply issues for a while, they haven’t gone away. Plus stock shortages due to China shutdown had and will affect supply lines inc some meds.

It’s possible that supplies are just low rather than panic buying.