To be fed up with shop shamers on here

[MonaLisaDoesntSmile]

Firstly, please dont think I encourage people going out three times a day to get some chocolate or ice cream or whatever. The guidance is clear to go as infrequently as possible (although unlike some people think, it's NOT to go shopping once a week or fortnight). However, the amount of people saying stuff along the lines - your shopping is not essential/ we did it, therefore everyone else can do it/you don't need this or that/ you can make your own bread* (whatever other item) is a bit shocking. In times when empathy is particularly important too.

So just to say, the reason while some people cannot just go out to shop once a month like you:

• some people have multiple food allergies and/or have limited diet, making shopping and finding the items needed more difficult.
• some shops around are not well stocked as those in other areas and essentials are not always available the time they go shopping
• not everyone has an industrial size fridge and freezer. I for one have no space to freeze 4 gallons of milk or 2 loafs of bread
• not everything people may need freezes well
• some delivery shops offer fresh produce which expire quickly. Our only delivery which we managed to sort out over the last two weeks had everything expiring within 2/3 days, with the bread expiring the next day, not a week like we hoped, we were not able to freeze all the stuff we wanted either. My two local small shops are notorious for selling fruit and veg which lasts 2-3 days is we're lucky
• not everyone had an amazingly stocked pantry before, nor space to buy a lot of items with long shelf life
• one's person essentials are not the same as other people- the fact someone do not consider something as essential does not mean it is also not essential for other people and the other way round
• not everyone has a car and can do a huge shop infrequently
• not everyone has an amazing support network
• not everyone is lucky to have enough money to make one big shop a fortnight
• not everyone has local shops which deliver to your doorstep- we have nothing in our area, no butchers, no corner shops do home deliveries so we depend on ourselves having to go out and actually hope we can buy what we need
• not everyone has equipment, know how and/or ingredients to make lets say bread or whatever else people think you can magically whip up on the spot.
• some people do not have a great support network, and asking strangers to do a huge shop is not always possible

I'm sure there are other reasons too, we all have different needs.

I think isntead of shouting at others that they dare to go out shopping, maybe lets just accept that without knowing the circumstances it may be best not to judge? Everyone is doing their best with what we have.

I ventured to our local supermarket yesterday evening to buy a gammon, pasta and some bread flour. I got the gammon - I intend to cook it, slice it and freeze in portions as it works out cheaper than buying ham and lots of things have gone up in price as special offers are off at the moment. There was no bread flour and a very small amount of plain and SR flour being put out when I was there. No pasta at all, dry or fresh. I ended up buying crap because it was pretty much all they had, there were so many gaps on the shelves. I know that is bonkers, but it somehow made up for not getting what we wanted.

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe yes because that's just what us retail workers want to see, your mock fake horror when refused a scratch card ...don't waste your time we are too knackered to even give a shit

@midwesteaster I have seen multiple comments on this forum screaming at people for not doing one shop a fortnight, some think that once a week only to get the most essential essentials (according to those posters) is more than enough. So it definitely is a thing.

Oh well I guess the upside of using the self-service till is that you can buy what you like if you don't buy age-restricted items.

nottoday, just ask to be moved from the counter to somewhere more 'essential' in the shop perhaps? Or just ask the manager to move the scratchcards away from sale?

Having them up for sale and then pulling faces at the customers wanting them, isn't ok.

I did a shop for my mum and had to go to the kiosk for her lottery ticket as forgot to ask for it at the till. The girl behind the kiosk didn't recoil in horror, she asked me how I was and looked pleased with the little interaction she got from me.

I put a bottle of fucking champagne in with my click and collect order today because:

A. It was on offer
B. I'm still alive
C. I'm supporting the French economy

So there.

I think some people are lonely and using the shop as their daily interaction with the outside world. Obviously selfish of them though, it just is. I don’t think anyone needs to go to the shop every day or really more than twice a week max.

Oh well I guess the upside of using the self-service till is that you can buy what you like if you don't buy age-restricted items.

I would have expected the system would refuse to sell you extra items? The self-service tills will not sell you more than 3 packets of paracetamol for example.

I'm still busy working out how I'm supposed to shop for my family for a fortnight with a basket while simultaneously caring for my children elsewhere as I can't possibly take them anywhere near a supermarket but DH is working 7 days a week in his Emergency role, to worry about whether someone bought an Easter egg, newspaper or a bottle of wine.

Well one one hand we have everyone moaning about the terrible effect on the economy then on the other hand, people are getting het up about people buying newspapers Z, easter eggs and paint.

Imo buying a few non essentials in amongst your essentisls is fine...if it keeps you sane .

There is a virus that could kill you. You catch it from other people. The places you're most likely to meet people are in shops. Why is everyone so desperate to justify their shopping frequency?

Picking up a few nice bits as you whizz round buying your regular shopping - why not, fill your boots.
Potentially exposing yourself to the virus because there isn't a rule that says you shouldn't - that's stupidity.

The expression 'it's your funeral' springs to mind, but actually it's not. It's the funeral of the person you unwittingly gave the virus to whilst standing in the queue to pay for your single chocolate bar, or the person they then took it home to, etc. That's the whole point if social distancing. What's so hard to understand?

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman

Absolutely - so true. Am amazed at all the selfish attitudes here.

Balhammom it's not just common or garden selfishness though, we're talking about life or death here, it's frightening that this doesn't seem to matter

Grumpiest most of us are going to catch it at some point, the measures are to slow the spread not eradicate it.

the measures are to slow the spread not eradicate it.

Yes, to slow it so that when you catch it, and if you need a ventilator, there will be one for you. We're slowing it to save lives.

Surely the risk is just being in the supermarket, around other people and touching stuff? So why would it matter if you stick a few hot cross buns in your trolley? or a bottle of whisky

not everyone has an industrial size fridge and freezer

That’s right, that’s why people panic bought extra freezers and I can’t get a Curry’s delivery now mine is broke :/

Shits

There is a virus that could kill you. You catch it from other people. The places you're most likely to meet people are in shops. Why is everyone so desperate to justify their shopping frequency?

I agree with this though...

@GrumpiestOldWoman 100%
Yes there are a myriad of circumstances.
No people don't have to keep on hysterically justifying themselves.
No you're not banned from buying non-essentials, just be sensible and get them WITH your essentials.
Yes there are every day people out shopping in teams, letting their kids pick things up and put them back, elderly couples when only one of them needs to come in, people popping in for a bottle of wine on it's own after work, people visiting four shops because god forbid they don't have that great British staple pasta bake every tuesday.

So pointing it out is not unreasonable. You should know if you're doing the reasonable thing or not.
It's really the rebellious few arseholes who 'don't like being told what to do' that are spoiling it for everyone else.

@Lying apparently we are still awaiting word from head office to see what's happening with them . See we've gone card only (cash accepted in self scan) yet we are expected to give the winner £2.30 back in winnings therefore handling cash it's utter madness- sorry for my attitude earlier 😓

Why is everyone so desperate to justify their shopping frequency?

I don’t know. It’s baffling. Same with people justifying older people (ones who don’t need to go shopping) going out all the time ‘oh well, quality not quantity, don’t want a ventilator blah blah blah’ it’s so selfish.

We don’t all have to live on gruel but use some common sense people!

@GrumpiestOldWoman I'm sure everyone would love to just shop from home and get deliveries. But most people can't and are therefore forced to expose themselves to the virus while shopping. And some need to do it more often than others because of more frequent need to shop, and it's not really fair they have to justify it because someone else can spend 3 weeks in a cave eating raw pasta and oatmeal.

@BlackandWhiteCat0 Not just fridge/freezers, breadmakers are all cleard from shelves, I was thinking who the hell started baking their own bread as no flour anywhere, but now I know!

@Boulshired sod the lot of them. I'm sorry you're having even more of a hard time than usual.

@NewYearNewJob123 I wish I could give you an enormous cuddle. Hang on in there, m'dear.

Perhaps if people did not buy those in your shop you would be out of a job .