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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is it actually selfish to stock pile?

337 replies

Orange89 · 14/03/2020 22:14

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

OP posts:
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mathanxiety · 15/03/2020 05:39

I agree with Marlox.

However, I think shops should have taken formula off the shelves as soon as the panic began, and only sold it one container per customer.

My local supermarket did this several years ago when shoplifters started targeting formula to resell on the streets. (You could buy as much as you wanted but you could only get it from behind the customer service desk).

Neome · 15/03/2020 05:45

Preppers flatten the buying curve ahead of time, panic buying steepens it at times of crisis. Festina lente.

Greenpolkadot · 15/03/2020 06:03

I bet all those that are stockpiling couldn't give a toss if they are called selfish.
We saw some smug woman struggling to her car with a trolley full of loo rolls at Sainsburys. When we went in the shelves were empty so she probably got the last ones

Beautiful3 · 15/03/2020 06:05

Yes its selfish. No I dont have a pile of toilet rolls and food.nin fact I'm running out. I've ordered an online shop and have only ordered what we need. Everyone buying extra is leaving someone without.

Celerysam · 15/03/2020 06:08

I hugely resent the fact that I haven't been panic buying but now I'm nearly out of toilet roll because u can't buy it anywhere because people have stripped the shelves. I don't get the panic. It's uneducated to not realise that self isolation is only 14 days and indicative of underlying anxiety if you are so panicked you are making daft purchases.

AJPTaylor · 15/03/2020 06:15

I've spent the last week or so raising the amounts of food we have in the freezer and in the cupboard. I am used to really buying every few days so I have had to really think just to get 2 weeks worth of supplies in... by Monday I should have enough in the cupboard/freezer that if we have to shut the door for 2 weeks we will be fine. But I am lucky that we can afford it.

KatherineJaneway · 15/03/2020 06:19

*I have had an email from the CEO of Sainsbury's saying they are well stocked and guarantee to continue to be so, therefore no need to buy more than you need. That was quite reassuring.

Trouble is the restocking deliveries aren't even touching the sides due to such high demand.

KatherineJaneway · 15/03/2020 06:31

@DonkeyKong2019

I'm happy to look for pasta too if you share what you are looking for.

HappyExteriorSadInterior · 15/03/2020 06:38

Looking after your family and buying in extra is not selfish IMO. In the absence of any leadership from our government this is pretty much the only way I feel I have any control.
Shops should be restricting in demand goods anyway so that supplies go much further. If they don't restrict goods it becomes a free for all and panic is very catching.
I always have a good stock of essentials, when stuff is on offer I buy it. Lately I have been buying more yes. But in the same token I wouldn't think twice about helping out my family, friends and neighbours if they needed anything from my supply. I also regularly donate to my local food bank. If people still feel I'm selfish that's fine by me.

Mosschopz · 15/03/2020 06:39

I don’t think many people are going bonkers. Thing is, if EVERYONE buys a couple more of everything, shops are left with empty shelves pretty quickly. I did a normal shop yesterday morning and lots of things were out of stock already.

BayHorse · 15/03/2020 06:41

@DonkeyKong2019

Please do let us know what pasta your DC needs, I'm also happy to keep an eye out for you.

HappyExteriorSadInterior · 15/03/2020 06:46

@DonkeyKong2019 - Ditto, please say what pasta you need, I'd be happy to look out for it. In the meantime I hope you find a good stock somewhere.

Sirzy · 15/03/2020 06:55

I think at any point making sure you have enough stuff to keep you going for a week or two is sensible if you can. Filling a trolley with so much food you can never use it all is selfish.

As long as I have eggs and magnums which are DS safe foods at the moment in then I’m not too worried because I am lucky enough to generally have a pretty well stocked kitchen.

Luc1nda · 15/03/2020 06:57

As for stock piling...we normally spend £65/70 pw on weekly shop. Today we spent £90.

But that’s not stockpiling. Stockpiling would have been spending £73 a week, every week last Autumn.

Luc1nda · 15/03/2020 06:59

Or am I getting mixed up? Do I mean that prepping would have been spending £73 a week, every week last Autumn?

Perhaps you’re panic buying stockpiling.

FizzyLimes · 15/03/2020 07:00

Why aren’t supermarkets rationing?
Oh yes; they’re profiteering too.

Hercwasonaroll · 15/03/2020 07:03

Peridot you've just added to the problem. People who have done what you are doing have cleared the shelves. Stop being so selfish.

We're going away tomorrow for a few days. Taking nothing with us and hoping to God that we can buy stuff when we get there. Major city so hopefully we can get something.

Findawaytobehappy · 15/03/2020 07:20

Leaving no food or supplies on the shelf for others is extremely selfish.
Food banks around the country are being negatively affected too so that those who are genuinely in need, and will probably be amongst the hardest hit by the virus and any self solution measures, will get less.

I’m beyond disgusted by people’s attitudes at the minute.

Gothamgirl1970 · 15/03/2020 07:21

I think we all have to stockpile to some degree (not 1400 loo rolls)

-Elderly and immuno suppressed vulnerable folks who will have to self isolate shortly.

  • any of those groups with D.C. because they are saying whole families should self isolate if a family member becomes sick

I’m not elderly but I have had cancer in the past, take heart medication and don’t work in a job where I can work from home and am not sitting on thousands in Savings.

I do have 3 different pensions and I am considering cashing in the smallest one (at a 40% tax hit) which will leave me enough money to pay my mortgage if I must self isolate. Being sick AND losing my house/ being homeless is keeping me up almost all night worrying.

Potentialmadcatlady · 15/03/2020 07:31

I have ‘prepped’ in that I have bought extra over the last few weeks because I knew we would have to go into isolation early. I also sorted my Dad out as much as I could. I have enough for us to not have to go out for at least a month and possibly two.
Was that selfish? Is it now selfish for me to stay in isolation with my very high risk child to try and keep him from catching Covid-19 because he would be v unlikely to survive. Is it selfish that I’m not letting anyone into my house? Is it selfish that because I got myself a little bit organised by ‘stock piling’ I don’t have to ask other people to take any risks to help us?
Personally I feel very selfish that I won’t be able to go out to help elderly and disabled people who need support in lockdown because their families can’t get to them.
But I won’t accept that it is selfish because I got off my ass and got myself slowly prepared to protect my child as best I can...

AxisOfDick · 15/03/2020 07:34

We had about 6 weeks warning, plenty time to build up reserves.

Panic buyer are the problem, people like me who started with a brexit cupboard and gradually added to it are not the problem here.

I have about 7 weeks of food here bought over the past 18 months.

cyclingmad · 15/03/2020 07:36

I usually buy fresh food and make it kn the day as a single person it's easier for that way and I prefer it. I low carb so stocking up is easier for me as I wont be going for pasta and rice, it's been a few extra tins of mackeral that I would have bought along the way anyway.

KatherineJaneway · 15/03/2020 07:38

Why aren’t supermarkets rationing?

They are online anyway. Limiting some items so you cannot order loads.

Thetigeronthewobbelboard · 15/03/2020 07:39

I saw someone chuck the last four boxes of tissues in her trolley yesterday and laugh. I doubt she needed them. She just took them because they were there, despite the other four people behind her looking. That’s selfish.

Adding to your shop isn’t in my opinion. I try to shop weekly but am notoriously bad at it so end up doing a top up. Instead I have bought for a fortnight and will still probably need to top up on certain things. I also have enough meat in the freezer for about an extra weeks worth of meals.

I’m also pregnant however and struggle to get to the supermarket at the moment because of a couple of issues with my pregnancy. It’s a bit of a pain that I couldn’t get rice, any frozen stuff, toilet rolls or a a few other bits, despite going round five different shops. I can’t get out easily at the moment and will have to go out again to try.

FudgeBrownie2019 · 15/03/2020 07:42

I generally have supplies in the garage because we go to Costco once a month to buy the longer-life stuff. It means that when I went to Aldi yesterday I didn't buy anything above and beyond my usual stuff, which flattens the curve. I bought supplies for a friend locally who has a broken leg, and did a bread and milk drop for a neighbour who is isolating herself. If everyone took a similar steady attitude the shelves wouldn't be bare (however the lady on the checkout asked if all three loaves were mine and assumed I was a mad stockpiler).

Panic buying is nuts, but is an inevitable byproduct of this kind of scary situation. It's fine acknowledging how nuts it it, but it's not going to stop.