Is it actually selfish to stock pile?

[Orange89]

Now I haven’t gone crazy with the whole loo roll situation (I currently only have 2 rolls left) and have been doing my usual shops (average of 3 small shops a week) but it’s safe to say I’m focusing my food on long life semi-healthy foods I can store in the cupboard space we have. It’s a little more than usual but nothing crazy. All I’m hearing is stockpiling is a stupid move but surely and obviously more people are doing this than letting on as the shops are emptying. But surely this is purely practical move? I know this could face backlash from people saying some people can’t afford to stockpile (I can’t really either) but I’m talking high calorie, cheap alternatives instead of the fresh foods they’d normally buy. Or that demand can’t be met but I bet there’s another baked beans / rice / powdered custard etc to last a couple months... Just in case

Stock piling as in buying a little extra with each shop over a long period of time is fine. Panic buying that leaves shelves empty because somebody has bought 8 tubs of formula and 10 bottles of hand wash is selfish.

Stockpiling by buying a bit more than usual on several shops - not selfish. Panic buying by filling your trolley with something in short supply, far more than you actually need - selfish.

Prepping when there is not a current issue is sensible and not selfish. Panic buying the last twenty toilet rolls when you have some is stupid and selfish. What you're doing is more the first than the second.

When life returns to normal just do a little prep and you won't have to buy extras in the panicky times.

An extra UHT milk, another hand soap and 2 extra tins of beans - fine

The whole fucking shelf of loo roll even though coronavirus doesn't make you shit - selfish and unnecessary and fuck you if you do it

I bet all those saying it's stupid and selfish are sitting on nicely stocked kitchens themselves.

I think it's sensible to have enough in to see you through a few weeks but going out and buying up all of everything like some people are doing is ridiculous.

1 extra bag of rice, few packets of pasta and uht milk? Ok - but 24 bags of pasta, 26 loo rolls, 2 calpols, paper napkins, 6 anti bac hand wash - utterly selfish and absolute stupid, and I mean,
Really absolutely stupid and selfish.

Yeah I guess there’s a difference between the whole panic buying thing. I mean there is a little panic there but it’s precautionary measures over the last couple of weeks incase we do face lockdowns. But I’m talking a few bags of pasta / rice & frozen veg so hoping that’s not selfish

It's selfish, the shelves of most supermarkets here are bare of baby milk as people are panic buying so they are still covered for tea and coffee if isolated. A lot of new parents can't afford to stockpile formula.

I bet all those saying it's stupid and selfish are sitting on nicely stocked kitchens themselves.

Yup. Because we're general preppers. Who get called insane and paranoid and weird and obsessed all the time. Except now. I've had no need to buy extra tins or pasta or rice or toilet paper, leaving it for those that need it.

Agree with PPs panic buying is selfish. I couldn't get nappies, beans, soap, washing up liquid or baby wipes with my online shop. Even cornflakes were sold out!
It starts a cycle because people then become worried they wont be able to get what they need and then they too will start to panic buy (stock permitting of course).

I think panic buying and clearing shelves is a bit selfish but people are frightened and reacting to the unknown. I think lots of people keep quite good stocks anyway - bulk buying, batch cooking and a housekeeping stock cupboard. I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t.

The trouble is that those who are most likely to suffer the worst are those struggling to make ends meet. I’d be surprised if food banks weren’t badly affected. It’s hard to bulk buy and fill a freezer if you haven’t got money on your prepaid electric key. If you don’t have a car or are living on a state pension, you are going to really find life tough for a few months.It’s them the selfishness of clearing shelves is going to disadvantage the most. Nobody needs four 48 packs of lavatory paper.

And no - we’re not sitting in a stocked kitchen. I buy what me and my family need, because panic buying is stupid and is causing people who really need the essentials to be in trouble. A friends daughter is very very sick (life limiting illness) , they need tissues for her and guess what - nothing. She’s on a formula, guess what, no formula. Insane. Absolutely insane. They tried to go out and buy some essentials, but everything was gone by the time they managed to get there.

@OlaEliza

I bet all those saying it's stupid and selfish are sitting on nicely stocked kitchens themselves.

Yeah I bet this is true and people are not doing it will regret it if we do face lockdowns - I can’t imagine going to the shops will be any fun and defeating the point of isolation not to mention the poor people who will have to remain working in close contact with all those people who didn’t prepare

Yes and no, clearing the shelves for things you dont need or that significantly deprive others isnt okay.

We have a duty to look after ourselves as well as others. Part of that is to make sure i think that we have enough food etc that we can self isolate as needed, thus not put others at risk if we run out of food while contagious.

My facebook seems to be full of people who seem to think they are superior to those that have bought extra, however are now complaining that they are running out of things.

@shinyredbus

The formula is an issue as no alternatives .

Sorry i mean we have a responsibility to meet our own needs where possible eg not to have to call in others or have contact with others due to being illprepared.

I'm getting annoyed I cant get hold of my regular toilet roll, handwash etc. I only want 1/2 at a time.
I've noticed a few of my Facebook friends are struggling to get baby milk and nappies.
I noticed pasta was running low in lidl so I brought 1.
I have a stock in at home but its because I've built it up over time. Not brought 600 toilet rolls all at once.

Stockpiling and panic buying - two different things.

Stockpiling over the course of your normal shopping, adding an extra packet of rice and pasta, a carton of UHT milk? Stockpiling. Smart.

Clearing an entire shelf of eggs/toilet roll/flour/soap? Panic buying. Stupid.

I bet all those saying it's stupid and selfish are sitting on nicely stocked kitchens themselves.

Or they have family who will share with them.

I'm a lone parent with no other family. I have to prep because I am the one responsible for keeping them fed and clean

I'm very sorry to hear that you can't find formula and nappies. I hope that you find some soon

@Orange89 exactly.

It’s selfish to panic buy like a loon and end up with all the milk, fresh veg/meat, bread and un-needed items because god forbid you haven’t got a baby wipe to take off your make up on day 600 of the apocalypse.

It’s not selfish to grab an extra packet of something here and there. In all likelihood unless you’re on the absolute bones of your arse we’ve all bought something extra that’s either living in the cupboard or gone off.. but the difference is one tin of peaches randomly isn’t going to leave someone without.

We are semi lucky, but not because of corona prep crap, recently (preparing for having 2 under 1) we bought a small chest freezer and have switched to frozen options and filled it gradually so that I’ve got ding meals for the hard days and I don’t need to reliably trail out every x amount of days with two in the pram until I’m recovered enough to want to. But it’s not a prepper style hold up just enough to feed us without walking miles.

We have a 3 month old DD and it's lucky we have formula and nappies for now because there was no formula in our local supermarkets and no nappies in her size! Panic buying is selfish, if things don't change in the next couple of weeks then I have no idea what we're going to do. I get that people who are vulnerable may want to buy extra bits but if you're perfectly healthy and you're buying 40 toilet rolls, enough formula to last until the end of the year and sanitiser that could disinfect an entire hospital, you're ridiculous.

I have bought extra things over the course of a month so I don’t think I have been selfish. I wanted to make sure that if I had to stay at home I would have enough food and other supplies for me and my dd (lone parent with no family in the UK).

The past few weeks I have generally been buying my usual shop with an extra few tins and a couple of bits for the freezer. My real concern is my 5 year old has SEN and part of that is likely AFRID..She only eats a certain type of pasta for both her lunch and dinner. She gets through half a bag day. Tomorrow morning myself and my mum are going to different stores at opening and if either have it we will be buying plenty of it. If I can't get it I will be stocking up on milk that we have spent two years weaning her off because otherwise she won't eat or have anything of substance. I don't know if that's panic buying or not

Of course it is. I live rurally, so like many people I usually have supplies in, do a big shop every 4-6 weeks and then just top up with fresh and the odd bit. Luckily I'd done my usual big shop a few days before everyone started stockpiling, Luckier still I'm not on a tight budget, so if I had needed to do a big shop after the panic buying started, the extra fuel and cost to do multiple trips and buy expensive alternatives wouldn't be the end of the world.

Unfortunately not everyone in the area is that lucky. Many people are only able to factor in the fuel and cost of one trip to Aldi. Like others that drive further afield for work, I'm already regularly popping in various supermarkets on my commute to try and pick up home brand everyday items in normal quantities for people that weren't able to get them with their regular shop.