Looking at the 'stockpiling' threads..

[EinsteinaGogo]

Is there genuinely ANYONE who could afford to get a couple of weeks shopping into the house, who hasn't?

And if so, WHY?

@Pumpkinsarepurple bloody hell! We aren't THAT elderly!

It's never crossed my mind to buy extra or stockpile.
Seems excessive to me.
Shops are delivering and open. Amazon too.
Easy to cobble meals together out of very little if needs be.

I happened to have an online delivery 2 days before the lockdown so had my usual 2 wk supply of pasta, rice & obviously somethings lasted longer than that as Im quite a spontaneous shopper/cook. I also took delivery of my usual 2 month toilet roll subscription that week. Was that ok? If someone had tried to do the same in the week after lockdown is that panic buying?

@Poppinjay does a klaxon go off so you knew the numbers of doing it has reached a certain level?

What is a short time frame? The preppers who started stocking up again in the Summer is that a suitable time frame?

Yes me! I’m not falling in to the panic trap and running around like a look trying to buy 10 bags of pasta.... because........ like last time proved, the food won’t run out!!!

looney

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Aren't preppers people who prepare for certain events? Hence the name. Otherwise it's just... Common sense to have a bit of extra? So common sensers?

Some preppers prepare for certain events like Brexit. Others are general preppers - or as you say - common sensers. They recognise there are any number of reasons why a stockpile may be useful - things like ill health or snow as well as specific events like Brexit or a pandemic.

You’re absolutely right. Prepping, if you can afford it, is common sense. It helps you and it helps others. Some governments advice all citizens to keep several weeks worth of supplies in at all times.

I always kept a certain amount extra food in the house. Then I started prepping specifically for Brexit pretty much as soon as the referendum result was announced. The stockpile I built up turned out to be invaluable during March and April. I didn’t need to be out buying loo roll and pasta, leaving more for people whose were not able to buy in advance.

I think one problem is that a lot of people have got so used to being able to rely on the ‘just in time‘ delivery system that old style preparedness is now seen as something weird or unacceptable rather than, as you say, common sense.

That’s common sense and there over the top!!!

[quote Wheneverwhereve]@CrappleUmble I do understand the difference but this thread is not talking about “prepping”/stock piling in the normal sense is it? It’s clearly aimed at Covid times. And honestly if I had a buffer then I would be using that at the moment rather than buying from the shops as people are already struggling, yet again, to buy the basics. For example toilet rolls, I bought enough this weekend for a week, I could have gently stock piled to last two weeks but the shelves had barely any on them so why would I stock pile when someone could come in after me who desperately needed them? Also buying two lots is not my normal shopping. Panic buying doesn't need to be buying hundreds of items if everyone gently increased their shopping the same pressures would happen.

In terms of why I don’t have a stock pile, I don’t live rurally and can easily reach a shop every week therefore I don’t feel the need to stock pile either.[/quote]
You evidently don't though. You were conflating panic buying and stockpiling.

I could but don't as dont need too. It isnt fair to stockpile if self isolation threatened I'd have enough to get by, you can still get supermarket deliveries here and if the worst came to it I'm sure my neighbours would drop some essentials.

Because I worry about food waste and I live close to 3 supermarkets so feel I have options if needed.

@Yesthesearemymonkeys I think my confusion came from that what I know as preppers are the American style ones👀 They are... Concerning... Sometimes...

i have a huge box of toilet roll coming tmw. Today I've read about shortages & I know the service I use couldn't take on new members in the Spring. Does that make me a panic buyer & should I self flagellate or do I rest assured that I'm a prepper?

@SchrodingersImmigrant now that's an understatement!

Sorry if this comes across dense but I live in London and there are shops everywhere so instead of the op’s question can someone tell me why the need to stockpile???

@Butterfly3105 so you don't cause food shortages & contribute to panic buying, apparently.

What a strange question! I could afford to, but where would I put it all? And wouldn't all your fruit and veg rot before you got to use it?

I could probably survive for a week or two on the food in my cupboards, not because of any deliberate hoarding or over-preparedness. In fact the opposite. I'm usually too disorganised to write a list before shopping, rarely remember what we've got in and buy one "just in case" only to find I didn't need to after all. I also often buy things when they are on offer so probably have various jars of sauces in the cupboard, cans of beans/tomatoes/pulses and whatnot so we'd probably be alright.

I think location also plays a big part. I live quite rurally and there are seldom huge queues in the village shop like there are in city supermarkets.

@CrappleUmble why? because I believe that if you suddenly start stockpiling now it is the same as panic buying? Of course it’s the same if you suddenly start increasing your shop now as that’s not the norm and if everyone did it then you do have the same problem as people who panic buy. As I say if this was about people who always stockpile I couldn’t care a less, but what does annoy me is people who start “stockpiling” now. This thread is clearly aimed at Covid and in my opinion an awful lot more people stockpile now than they did in December.

When you know how empty the supermarkets are when they reopen after Christmas, all 48 hours of it , I call bullshit the people who pretend never to buy extra to last them a few days, or who use their freezer exclusively to store their sweaters or whatever you use a freezer if you don't store food in it
😂

@Wheneverwhereve don't bring logic into it!

@EinsteinaGogo If I start adding 4 items a week to my shop from now in preparation of Brexit is that ok, am I just prepping?

@Butterfly3105 because with minimal notice you may have to self isolate for 14 days. Its ok if you have a regular delivery slot and lots of friends but its also not hugely strange to suggest planning what you would do if you got a tempreature in the next hour. We just had 7 days isolating with no notice. Day before no one was ill. We couldnt get a deliver slot until day 8.

ghostee

“I happened to have an online delivery 2 days before the lockdown so had my usual 2 wk supply of pasta, rice & obviously somethings lasted longer than that as Im quite a spontaneous shopper/cook. I also took delivery of my usual 2 month toilet roll subscription that week. Was that ok? If someone had tried to do the same in the week after lockdown is that panic buying?”

In my opinion that is ok whether it was pre or post lockdown as that’s your norm.... now if I did that it would definitely be panic buying...

[quote Wheneverwhereve]@CrappleUmble why? because I believe that if you suddenly start stockpiling now it is the same as panic buying? Of course it’s the same if you suddenly start increasing your shop now as that’s not the norm and if everyone did it then you do have the same problem as people who panic buy. As I say if this was about people who always stockpile I couldn’t care a less, but what does annoy me is people who start “stockpiling” now. This thread is clearly aimed at Covid and in my opinion an awful lot more people stockpile now than they did in December.[/quote]
Where exactly did you read that this thread isn't about longer term stockpilers?

The preppers who started stocking up again in the Summer is that a suitable time frame?

They didn't appear to have any negative impact on the supply chain so I guess it was fine. Do you need the security of a klaxon and a defined timeframe to help you with these decisions?