AIBU to think people will be less tolerant of those who are unprepared next time?

[NoSoapAndGory]

In mid March, as the shop stock plummeted just before lockdown was announced, our local parent FaceBook groups etc were full of "I've tried all shops with no luck - where can I get Calpol / Paracetamol / Nappies / Tampax / pasta / toilet roll' etc.

For every post, there was at least one person offered to help or share - usually more.

Are people now expected to behave differently as supplies are stabilising? Do you think people will be so accommodating the next time we have an emergency, or will you be considered foolish not to have prepared in some way if you were able to?*

*Obviously not including people who can't afford to buy spares or basics.

I've always kept a full larder, and always had extra toilet roll, toiletries etc. It's just how I was brought up. I'm not stripping any shelves as I'm never buying excessive amounts, I'm just replenishing what I have.

I've dedicated a utility room cupboard to additional supplies and I've been a bit worried about how I love to look at and add to it.When I had all the additional food in my kitchen it really annoyed me because I couldn't find anything but now I really am getting some strange joy from it and I think this is how I'll continue. Covid-19 had brought home to me that there are no certainties and you need, if possible, to be able to look after your family. I've done some work in food banks over the past few weeks and it's really brought home to me how precariously some people have to live, through no fault of their own but I won't do it myself if I can avoid it.

Stock piling and prepping are opposites.

One is buying in bulk, in panic, when everyone else is. The other is careful, sustained regularly purchased smaller supplies.

Totally hope people will be more thoughtful and keep small basic supplies in

I disagree. People have become so used to what I call the Amazon model that planning ahead or for the unexpected is not something many people do. There are of course too many people on low incomes who live from hand to mouth in any case.

I was quite surprised to find that so many of my friends and neighbours literally buy food only for a couple days ahead. Shortages or not, I could probably live and feed the family for a month or two only from my freezer / larder stock.

During lockdown clear out, I have cleared some space in a cupboard and I will be making sure I use it to keep some loo roll, shop bought medications (I have only just managed to get paracetamol), pasta, tomato’s, tomato purée, some tinned veg and tinned pies, flour, yeast, sugar, dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, washing pods etc. I will make sure I swap it out every now and again cos of best before dates but if we need to do lockdown at short notice again it will save some of the stress of the first few weeks this time. I will continue to use the local milk delivery service as I have done for years now and that paid dividends in that he has struggled to meet demand and he prioritised loyal customers so he has been a source of bread and eggs several times a week. I am now more aware of local business offering fruit and veg boxes and meat delivery and will continue to use these. It is also my intention to keep the cupboards and freezer fuller than they were in March but financially that may take some time. Slow but sure I want a small store so I can ride out any initial shortages without having to go out - I am on my own with a high risk child so that is important to me. Learnt so much this time.

I gave birth in the middle of March. It felt like going into hospital things were relatively normal and coming out the world had gone crazy (I was only in 3 days)!

Luckily my MIL was out scouting local boots/supermarkets/chemists for the items I/baby needed but it was a very scary time. We had bought stuff beforehand but hadn’t stockpiled. It’s made me much more cautious and I’ve been buying much more in our weekly deliveries since, incase I can’t get one for the next week. It seems much better now though.

Howaboutanewname, that sounds like a very sensible plan and you’ve got some really good items there, but as a prepper, the one thing I didn’t think to get, was temporary fillings! Never, ever, ever, have I lost a filling UNTIL shut down kicked in. 😭 I suggest you add that to your list.

And you can never have too many mixers and alcohol. 😳

Who is going to be one of those nasty intolerant people? There could be any number of reasons why people won't be able to be permanently stocked up. Have you got a crystal ball? Do you know when the next time will be? Do you know what your finances will be by then? Might you have used up your hoarded pile in the run up?

Madness to be so smug and if you find yourself in that position how do you want people to behave towards you?

i bought an extra bag of cat food which is a good job because now my regular supplier on amazon has ran out anyone who has cats will know this is a disaster of epic proportions as cats will not eat anything you give them

next time around i will make sure i have adequate supplies of cat food tinned spaghetti gluten free flour and a decent fresh fruit supplier the rest we haven't had to stress about surprisingly

although i wont be converted into total prepping i'm not going to let my supplies run so low that i'm desperate for food so i'm going to be more aware shop smarter keep a loaf in the freezer ensure my medical supplies are up to date and not run low on basics because as this has shown as someone with gluten intolerance i'm more at risk of having no food than other people

depends how long should we prep for and what about storage

I’m not going to be nasty or intolerant, but I must admit I won’t be giving so much of my prep pile away to the same people, if it all goes to shit again. I’ve advised those who I’ve given stuff to, to make sure they stock up when they get a chance in future. Don’t worry, I wasn’t crowing about it, just played down how much I had by saying I was used to keeping a few extra, because I grew up in a rural area. It’s been such a relief to have it, but I much still admit, I’m embarrassed by how quickly I’m going through it. They’re going to have to hoist me out of the bloody house, when this is over. 🍫 🍷 🍬 😳

I don't think there was anything I couldn't get from somewhere except hand gel and I wasn't especially bothered about that.
We've always bought a lot in bulk since having DC4 so often have a lot of basics in stock. I also prefer to have one on the go and one ready to go for other items as it tends to cut down on top up shops.

I stopped going to the big supermarkets as frequently when the panic buying was going in and got what I needed from smaller shops. Still doing that as much as possible now in lockdown as I hate how the supermarkets are now.

As a family of 5 we neither have the room or money to store 6+ weeks worth of loo roll or food so I will be no more 'prepared' if this happens again.

@LalalalalaLlama. Nope. Not going to be using reusable toilet paper. Nope.

unprepared implies choice as well. Some people won't have the means or the luxury of choice. Some people used food banks pre lockdown. Have you all forgotten? Christ this is an ugly thread.

I agree with others. I always help and share where I can. But to be honest I do feel a bit more wary now. Not because I am judging people without but because of how long it is taking for things to get back to normal. Eg I wouldn’t want to give away my last packet of paracetamol and then find out I couldn’t get any more and be ill myself a couple of weeks later. Having said that, maybe ‘next time’ it will be climate change and we will all just have to get used to having less and hopefully we share better what we do have.

I don’t prep or stockpile but I do buy certain things in bulk.
I would never buy a 4 pack of TP as it is much cheaper to buy a bulk pack.
Once ever 3 months I will go to either Aldi or Lidl and buy All my cleaning stuff, bin bags, foil, kitchen roll, laundry stuff for the next quarter.
I don’t see this as stock piling or prepping as it is just one shop of what I will use in the next quarter. I don’t top up with extra when I food shop.
I just prefer to buy all the heavy and bulky stuff in one go usually when I can twist one of my sons arms to come and do the heavy lifting.

I was contemplating using DD's Cheeky Wipes for wees to eek out toilet roll if we needed, although we had plenty and things seem back to normal on that front now. But I still might!

We were prepared and DH said he has never been more grateful of my maniacal need to be organised We've not been short of anything, and had our usual online deliveries etc. as well as a full freezer and stocked cupboards and non-perishables in the garage. So I will just keep on doing the same as I find it comforting. Particularly stuff like Calpol, I always make sure we have several bottles, as well as stuff like paracetamol.

I feel for those who would like to have been/be prepared but were unable due to finances though Being prepared is something of a privilege and luxury that we were fortunate to have.

Not really struggled to get anything where I live. Love having a weekly veg box delivery. No toilet roll shortage. I use a small local supermarket about 10 minutes walk away. I can't face the bigger ones. I can put up with less choice for a while.

We have a little neighbourhood collective where anyone with a supermarket delivery offers everyone else the chance to add a couple of bits.

I'm lucky. And I wouldn't panic next time although I really hope there isn't one.

I had an inkling that there were tough times ahead at the end of January. I’m certainly not judging those who didn’t see it coming as early as I did

What an unnecessary brag. You didn't have an "inkling" you followed the news, don't try and make out like you are special and had some sort of sense for the future. You did not predict people would rush out and clear the shelves as soon as a virus hit China, you literally just followed media like most of the world did

There was an article in our local paper in early April showing all the bins that were overflowing with unopened bread, rotten fruit and veg - loads of different foods.

Next to it was an appeal to donate to the local food banks, because they were in crisis and didn't have enough stocks to help the growing numbers who who relying on them.
Speaks volumes, doesn't it?

SophieB100

Some of the pictures weren't exactly honest.

Some were taken in university cities where students didn't have a huge amount of time to leave the properties that they had rented to go home.

The great stock piling scandal. The average person spent an extra £15, supply chains are delicate things. Luckily the UK supermarkets has been preparing for a no deal brexit and used these reserves to get us back to normal ahead of much of Europe.
Role on end of June