To think people should start to stockpile a bit of food?

[Sadless]

Do you think everybody should be sticking up on long life foods now before the prices rocket. I am wondering if to get a few each bits to put away now might save me abit of money later.

What do you think is it worth it or not?

Sal

There are dozens of things I've always bought several of when they're on offer, or that we use a lot so we have a larder just for those, eg my husbands favourite whisky which I buy half a dozen bottles of when they're on offer (from £35 to £20) and lots of Method products when they're a third off - basically anything I know will have an offer on at some point. We save a lot a year that way. But I don't think I'd stock up on everything.

We have a ‘Brexit cupboard’ which was very handy during the first lockdown (when it was initially tricky to get shopping slots and when certain things were unavailable. It would also have been handy if I had got ill and couldn’t get out/shop).

No panic involved just a small stash of long life products acquired over time and rotated (when I remember).

I think it is sensible for people to do this if they can afford to. It doesn’t work so well for costs saving though as it is a one off/short term saving. Once you have eaten whatever it is, you will be back to paying current prices.

FFS.

It's unreasonable to hoard food in case the price goes up. I will say however that Covid has taught me its very handy to have enough in the house to get you through a week if necessary, should there be an emergency.

No. We’ve got a couple of weeks worth of easy food in (tins of soup and beans) and an extra pack of toilet paper because we always do in case we all go down with covid or something, but I don’t want to store years worth of food and the savings on a few weeks worth of stuff will make bugger all difference to my finances given the coming energy bills, petrol costs etc etc. Living standards are just going to fall for a lot of people, stocking up on tinned fruit and uht milk is really not going to change that.

Might be worth stockpiling some warm jumpers and buying a bicycle though…

If prices are going to go up and people will be struggling to pay energy bills then it might be better to have a little extra at a slightly lower price now. Not exactly panic buy but to be prepared if it comes that cans afford to buy food.
I haven't exactly got money now to get extra food so in a few months might be food bank for me.

Sal

Stockpiling because of price rises? No. But it is wise to have enough food for 72 hours, but you don't need to stockpile long life stuff for that, it should be food you are going to eat anyway so it doesn't go to waste, so all it requires is timing your food shopping so that there's always 3 days worth of food instead of letting the cupboards and fridge run bare before going to the shop.

I keep a months worth of food, water, medicines, toiletries at any time. I've not panic bought it and rotate it for shelf life, nothing is wasted. I've also got wind up radio, camping stove, torches, again for a month. I don't consider myself a prepper at all, but if the shit hits the proverbial it will happen very quickly, they'll be mass panic, and having enough in the house for a few weeks is basic common sense to my mind.

I always keep a lot of food stocks but no panicking is involved. Just top up tins etc when shopping so they don't dwindle.

We were drawn into all that with Brexit and Covid, still eating some of it now.
Nothing wrong with that but we are a bit sick of canned foods now

Won’t be doing that again but if you can afford to and it makes you feel better, go ahead but please don’t take the last of things (ie if there are 5, leave at least 2)

I don't stockpile anything except the only safe food my autistic child eats. That was traumatic in 2020.

If you cant afford it now how will you afford it anyway

Maintaining a larder is always a good idea in case of severe weather or illness.

That’s enough, though. No need to panic buy.

@Mumofsend

I don't stockpile anything except the only safe food my autistic child eats. That was traumatic in 2020.

Oh gosh sympathies there.

I think the shops will be more prepared if people start to panic buy again and will place limits on how much people can buy - and rightly so. Stock piling at the levels seen during Covid is selfish.

@InPraiseOfBacchus

Nope.

"Stockpiling" food in the UK is a first-world wank fantasy and nothing more.

For people actually risking or experiencing serious food poverty, they don't have the income to make a large one-off purchases, or a stable, predictable housing situation to have somewhere to put tins and bags away for months.

A lot of less disadvantaged people really are feeling the pressure of rising prices right now, for sure. But when I see middle-class people using alarmist language like "stockpiling" and "keeping my family fed", it's just embarrassing.

"Prepping" is the reserve of the privileged. For most, it's an imagination game. Go and fill your basement with beans and pasta that'll never get eaten, if you want. Hell, go buy gas masks and barbed wire if it fits your aesthetic. Just don't try to scare other people into joining your role-play.

Agree.

Always got plenty in anyway

We’ve started already here. Got some extra tins as the prices will sky rocket soon and got some long life milk.

I'm buying in some extra bags of flour, as I think shortages in that area are quite likely at some point. I will use it all - I freeze it until I'm ready to use it.

I think it's a misconception that this is panic-buying. It's the opposite - I buy a bit extra now, so that I don't have to join in the panic buying if there are shortages. But it's not 4000 cans of beans, just a decent buffer of the stuff we will definitely use.

Oh fuck off with your panic buying.

No. I'll be buying the amount I usually buy. Can't stand people who empty the shelves and stockpile stuff. Be less selfish and we'll all have enough.

Go to your nearest supermarket with help and fill your trolleys with bog rolls, bleach and pasta, OP.