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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is it reasonable to walk 2.2 miles to the supermarket

97 replies

HyperactivePineapple · 05/04/2020 12:29

When I have a small shop very close?

The nearest supermarket (Tesco) is 2.2 miles away, and the next nearest one (Lidl) is 3.5 miles away.

The nearby shop is expensive and has a limited range of products.

I haven't been to the supermarket since lockdown, but I am running out of things that I have in as standard and the local shop doesn't sell. But there is no guarantee that the supermarket would have them in stock either (although they do stock them as standard, but my list includes things like yeast and wholemeal bread flour which are hard to get just now).

I would treat it as my daily exercise too, if I was to go.

So mumsnet jury, should I stay or should I go?

OP posts:

GrolliffetheDragon · 05/04/2020 16:17

Seriously, why are people buying so much flour? It's not necessary or even essential to eat cake (though I know some would disagree).

I've been making bread to delay having to go out to the shops for more. Haven't been able to get more yeast so I've been making other kinds of bread. No cake baking at all here!

Gardening1 · 05/04/2020 17:10

Yes definitely you can go! Take a suitcase for the heavy things

cardibach · 05/04/2020 17:22

Ok confused about the posters saying it’s ok if it’s your daily exercise. It doesn’t make any difference - you can leave the house for shopping, if you don’t drive that’s going to be walking...
Though imagine nobody would want more exercise after carrying all the shopping home!

cardibach · 05/04/2020 17:23

Should say I’m confused...

BillysMyBunny · 05/04/2020 17:35

Walking is a pretty low-risk activity as it doesn’t involve getting close to others or touching things others would be likely to touch before/ after you. Shopping is a bit riskier (although still fairly low-risk) but the level of risk isn’t going to be effected by proximity to your house so I’d say walking to the bigger supermarket is no worse than going to the closer one.

purplebunny2012 · 06/04/2020 17:44

Our local shops are 2 miles away and they are both tiny, hardly of use to keep a family of 3 going. So my DH drives to the supermarket 5 miles away

Madamum18 · 06/04/2020 17:46

Ok as part of exercise.

Jack80 · 06/04/2020 18:09

I would and explain if you get stopped

FelicisNox · 06/04/2020 18:46

Neither to be honest but just be conscious that you can't count it as exercise, purely because when the government say we can go out for exercise once a day they are NOT referring to 5 mile round trips of walking/running/cycling... they mean a walk around the block or so, an hour tops.

But that's a whole other thread.

BonusMamaJ · 06/04/2020 19:04

You need shopping it is therefore an essential outing
Just make sure you have a back up plan for things like flour and yeast they are impossible to get

Holdencaulfieldshomeboy · 06/04/2020 19:55

I'm a single parent, once I'm not able to have my shopping delivered I will have to walk to the nearest supermarket but that's 2 miles away. I will have to get a taxi back as I have to buy for my mum too so will have lots, but walking there is safer than being close to taxi driver. I have no car.

Harls1969 · 06/04/2020 20:34

Just coming to say that I did a Lidl shop today and they had loads of flour 💪

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 06/04/2020 20:38

Local co-op had flour AND bread mix last week.
I have a car, but still plan to do a big supermarket shop monthly

twp miles is only 40 minutes - don't fancy the walk home laden like a pack horse though.

BubblesBuddy · 06/04/2020 20:42

My DD has very small convenience shops nearby but walks about 1 mile or so to a big one. She takes a suitcase. I would go once a week and that’s reasonable. Cyclists are going out for hours so walking is perfectly reasonable.

Fowles94 · 06/04/2020 23:38

Walk there and taxi back? We have full stock where we live so you should be fine.

PickAChew · 06/04/2020 23:42

@FelicisNox how big is your block that it takes you a whole hour? I can walk to our city centre and back from my suburb in under an hour.

PickAChew · 06/04/2020 23:45

Our markses had plain flour, all the pasta and, finally, chamomile tea, this morning! Just need more baking powder, now.

Stupid me bought a few sachets of baking powder, last month, as I rarely need to use it!

user1494182820 · 06/04/2020 23:51

@JinglingHellsBells

Not that I'm condoning hoarding it, but examples of things you can do with flour:

Bread, pizza, pasta, cake, biscuits, roux (as a base for white sauces), pastry, crumble topping, dumplings, flatbread, batter for yorkshires/pancakes/fish, crispy coating for chicken...

Flour is a basic stick cupboard ingredient and has many, many uses.

maddening · 07/04/2020 00:09

Asda today had everything in, pasta,. Kidney beans, wipes, flour etc. Etc. I didn't look for yeast as it was not on my list.

Get there around 11 so you have better chance of.things being in.

ALongHardWinter · 07/04/2020 00:48

I initially misread that as 22 miles! But no,I don't think walking 2.2 miles to a supermarket is BU. But walking back again laden with heavy bags of shopping may be.

ALongHardWinter · 07/04/2020 00:50

Also meant to say it kills 2 birds with one stone:- essential shopping AND exercise.

bemusedmoose · 07/04/2020 10:14

I got bread flour, no yeast though so I'm doing home made sour dough instead.

I walk that far to town and back (no car) regularly (before all this) it's tough going on the way back I can tell you! Make sure you use a basket not a trolley when you shop - trolleys make you think you can carry it when you cant! If you struggle with a basket then by the time you've spread it over 2 bags you will be fine.

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