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?']

Of course panic buying is selfish- unless you’re distributing items to other people who need them and not charging an inflated price. Limit of 2 hand gels per person in Morrisons today I noticed when buying soap.

@mindproject I really think you need to start your own thread, you clearly have many issues with the current world. whilst I may not disagree with you on some of the points you make it is still nothing to do with what I'm asking. I'm not asking is one behaviour more selfish then the other, I'm asking is panic buying medication and baby supplies so that people who need them go without selfish.

the Ebay thing is hideous btw and just because you say it has always been like this doesnt mean I agree with it.

lash I find that highly unlikely considering the shelves in my sainsbury were not bare even this time last week

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

Although I agree with that in principle I reckon lots of first time parents wouldn't think to have it in 'just in case'. Also until the past few days that parent would, reasonably, have expected they could just pop to the shop and buy it. Plus - not everyone is in the same financial situation, some people can't afford to have a stock of things so only buy what they need.

@cherryx30x Someone mentioned further upthread that your friend should talk to a pharmacist as they may well be able to offer her something for her baby. I don't know if she's already tried that but it's definitely worth a shot for a poorly baby.

I also feel for the person with the premature baby. My baby was a 33 weeker and so we stocked up on anti bacs and were scrupulous with hygiene for a long time. Can she ask around in some local parenting groups? My baby is 6 months old now and I still have a decent stock of antibac stuff, if I saw a post where someone was saying they had a premature baby and couldn't find any in stores I'd happily sell them some of mine for cost price so I'd imagine there are others that would too.

Do chemists still sell generic childrens paracetamol from the pharmacy? I used to get it from there as it was cheaper than calpol. Failing that you can break a paracetamol tablet in half, crush it between 2 spoons and mix with yogurt, jam etc. I've done this when stuck indoors with a poorly child.

I saw an old lady asking for tuna in the co op yesterday. The employee told her they had sold out as people were clearing the shelves of tinned food. It makes my blood boil. If you must panic buy, go to the big out of town stores and leave the small community stores stocked for those that rely on them. Not everyone can afford to buy a trolley load at a time

Yes it's selfish. I can understand people getting an extra bottle of calpol in. Not going from shop to shop buying tons of it. I usually have a pack of 39 nappies on the go and a 39 pack unopened. I did go to boots Saturday and buy 100 nappies (4 small packs) purely because I know we've got enough for the next six weeks if people go bananas. Buying hundreds of nappies is over the top.

What could be done is supermarkets should be capping what people can buy. The government should provide hand gel to households if it's actually a good preventive.

I think people panic because they know when it goes bad (If it goes bad) then everything will be gone. It's a first time panic for many people. I don't recall a threat like this before now and I'm 31 next month. I've not got loads. But I've got a week's worth of extra meals and tins this week so if places start running out we can manage. I don't want my children without IF things go bad. I don't actually think we need to hugely panic about the virus. 3000 people In Italy have it. China makes up 7% of the population and not even a million cases have been recorded. Yes there have been a large number of deaths. Yes thousands have had it. But millions and millions have not.

I think the elderly and vunerble need to make sure they have medicine, extra tins and water in the house. Anything else though is not needed. I mean toilet roll. Yes it would be a bit grim if you ran out. But what would you do in a crises if you didn't have toilet roll? I would personally go straight in the shower or keep a pot of water near the loo so you can freshen up.

Same with babies. If you run out of wetwipes you would use flannels and warm water or cotton wool.

People need to keep level headed but have abit spare in without being selfish.

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

Feeling quite ashamed now to admit that I didn’t know I should have paracetamol for babies in stock at all times until a mum friend pointed that out when DS was 7 months old (to my defense he wasn’t teething yet and pharmacies are opened nearly 24/7 here).

There’s a massive difference between prep and panic.

Panic buyers have done my head in already this week. We had to drive 20miles for nappies that won’t irritate ds.. thankfully I managed a lift, I don’t drive, or it’d have been 2 hours of buses and 5miles of walking at 38weeks pregnant. Neither shop had hand san or liquid soap or spray milton... plenty of actual milton tablets and liquids. No dettol sprays or wipe type stuff either. Pain in the arse end as I take wipes everywhere with me for the sake of ds’s allergies when it comes to changing tables and high chairs.. I know personally a few chains where it’s one cloth and one bucket of sanitising solution per day constantly redipped so I don’t trust it.

The hand soap gives me the heave.. hopefully it’s people buying multiples not peoples new found interest in hand washing or surely there’d be atleast some left.

Fortunately loo roll wasn’t hit yet so I’m not scrunching up newspaper yet.

Preppers won’t need to make a dent in shops since they’re well already prepped

Panic buying is selfish. The thing is, if your only evidence is empty shelves, you don't actually know whether it's because individuals have gone in and cleared shelves or because everyone has bought one extra thing. The former is obviously wrong, the latter, well, they've as much right to it as you have. People aren't going to take others lack of preparedness into consideration.

Preppers do not Panic Buy! We tend to plan well in advance and buy things over time.

We think the "head in the sand types" who selfishly prioritized their holidays over everyone's lives and bought the virus to the UK are the selfish ones.

Reports about the virus started in mid December. I got masks, filters and equipment in late December. Hand sanitizer, soap, bleach etc in Early January.
I still need food etc now, but couldn't buy previously as best before dates etc

Unfortunately I think that most of the British Public seem in denial that the virus is here and presents a danger. People are too busy saying things like "its just the flu, or cold", "media scaremongering".
Even now the "its just the flu" lot are still bleating!

I don't know if it is selfish. But we have all been told we might have to self isolate and that there is a chance of a lot of people having the bug at the same time. This to me says that in a few weeks time it might not be possible to shop in the normal way. I'm 47. I've never prepped or panic bought but this time I have. I've batch cooked, filled the freezer, got enough to eat for 2 weeks and bought a big pack of toilet rolls and 6 packs of paracetamol. I also bought 4 small hand sanitizers because there are 4 of us. I've already done this so I guess in a way I won't be putting any pressure on the supply chain now.

Yes and it’s utterly pointless and pathetic.

Extreme prepping (hoarding) and panic buying are inherently selfish activities. The naïveté of some thinking they can hunker down in their semi while hungry society roams around is laughable. Someone would break in and nick it all. Better not to contribute to the problem in the first place by taking only what you need.

@cherryx30x no need to dismiss me out of hand. I know you are angry but it’s a rational argument.

For example corona is being blamed for ibruprofen shortages but actually the shortage started about Sept/Oct last year.

Your supermarket may get daily deliveries of something. If the supply line is interrupted there will be an empty shelf even if sales haven’t greatly increased.

I always have a spare bottle of calpol. I think I worked out once that at full dose age a bottle only lasts two days (not that I get through much, it’s just a precaution).

Yes , I think it is. What about people who can not afford to mass buy ? Then they go to buy 2 toilet rolls and there aren't any ?

There are some people who are posting on social media who I find somewhat unsavoury.

A case in point - a lady posted a picture of 40 small bottles of hand sanitizer which she had bought from Aldi in one go. When questioned by the press, she said (whether rightly or wrongly) it's "for me and my family".

It's things like that where I think prepping is better because it's bought gradually over time. Supermarkets should not in theory be allowing people to walk out with the actual boxes that the product came shipped in, buying box-loads like that is a bit of a two fingers to anyone else, as if a dozen people did it, you could clear the shelves in an hour (and many have).

Btw - some supermarkets are keeping extra stock of things like calpol behind the pharmacy desk so that they can prioritise people.

IF IF there’s a need, speak to the pharmacist.

@cherryx30x

I'll see if I can get the title changed but yes panic buying - selfish or no

We've edited the title now - so sorry for the delay.

well you can't panic buy paracetamol etc as it's limited already

I don't need to start a whole new thread, this one is fine, it's open to the public. If I want to talk about related side issues and things which influence why I have come to my decisions then I can.

Why don't you start another thread where everyone can only reply in robot fashion "Yes, I agree with every word you say. You are wonderful for bringing to our attention that people buying extra beans are selfish".

YABU. I don’t think it’s selfish. People are well aware others will panic buy in these situations so if you want to make sure you have enough of what you want, be prepared.

If you’re worried about running out of nappies or vitamins in a few weeks, stock up. Problem solved.

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.

Things like calpol are restricted in terms of how many you can buy so the likelihood is that lots and lots of people have added a bottle or two (maximum amount) to their trolley and purchased them.

I have calpol on my shopping list. We don’t have any in the house and don’t currently have a need for it, but I’d rather have a bottle in than have poorly children and not be able to go to a pharmacy to pick some up which means they suffer. So in a way perhaps it is panic buying but also perhaps it’s just being prepared for the inevitable because coronavirus is likely to infect lots of us. You can think I’m selfish but I’d rather you do that than my children need medication and cannot have it.

Yeah I think it is. Preppers are different, they don’t need to panic buy do they?

I have an epileptic child still in night nappies at 10 who will be struggling if she gets ill/temps (it’ll just send her straight to hospital as she can’t get out of fits without assistance).

My job in the fitness industry is becoming a struggle because it’s a sweaty class of ten. Antibac isn’t an option anymore.

I’m heading to Sainsbury’s now and it was on Sunday I managed to get one hand gel, the Wet wipes were significantly cleared out though. I wonder how different it looks now

If you’re worried about running out of nappies or vitamins in a few weeks, stock up. Problem solved

I’m not criticising this poster, but some people cannot afford to advance purchase.

For those who might find it a bit tight, don’t forget to check your club/nectar/advantage cards to see if there is any ‘cash’ on it for a few extra supplies.

Do you know what I think is selfish - seeing as we are waving the pointy finger? That all those people who were in a position to buy all this stuff weeks and weeks ago were too busy sticking their head in the sand and repeating their mantra "it's just flu" and calling people hysterical idiots for putting aside essential food and medicine and now they are raiding the shelves leaving vulnerable people to make do with the leftovers.