People panicking because of snow

[Cuffi]

When snow is forecasted in the weather, people go mad, panic buy.

If you are planning to stay at home regardless of the weather, you are not going to eat more as it’s snowing! Maybe 2-4 extra cups of tea or coffee? It doesn’t warrant the need to clear the shelves of tinned soups and UHT milk!

Besides where I live the snow would be melted by mid Sunday and temps are going up to 9c.

These people need to look at themselves as they look soft

I remember when all the shops were closed on Sundays and half days on Saturday and Wednesdays. I think we have all become much more accustomed to ‘just in time’ purchasing and being able to pop out for things we forgot even if we don’t actually do so that often. We don’t have to plan specifically to be unable to buy stuff for a day and a half every week.

I just think of the bloating epidemic buying bread in such quantities- who needs that 🫣

Plenty of bread in our Sainsbury's local, this morning. More than usual for a Saturday morning, in fact.

You're right of course. I wouldn't actually die. But he's still not back so as I'm very very hungry, I will look to the Christmas stuff we have left:

• cheese and biscuits
• mince pies
• luxury chocolate biscuits
• Swedish ginger thins
• Sensations Sweet Chilli crisps
• all the weird shit that came with a hamper
• gallons of alcohol (don't usually drink indoors)
• oh and Rice Krispies

☹️

maybe carrots are for snowmen or women

My dm always says to me get extra bread and milk in for when it's going to snow. We have 2 supermarkets a 5 min walk from us and DP works in a different supermarket and live in a big city.

However, for my DM, although she lives on a regular bus route, same city, she also lives on a hill, which keeps the snow and ice for days. So because of this, she is afraid of going out in the snow and ice, she might not get out for 4 or 5 days so needs the extra bread and milk

It makes sense for elderly and disabled people to get extra in. I know people who do not go out if the pavements are icy.

Is that why there were huge queues of people with full trolleys this morning in Tesco? It was bonkers!
I just thought it was the end of Christmas holidays fridge is empty / start of month shops.
I love snow. As long as I can get to my freezer in the garage I'm happy to have a week of snow.

@itispersonal this is what I am curious about though. Why does she "need" bread and milk.
If you're going to snowed in I would have thought the priority would be non perishable tinned foods or things like pasta/rice, porridge that can be made with water.
Rather than bread surely crackers would be better because they don't go off as quickly as bread.
Bottled water would also be better incase the pipes freeze.

I just went to the biggish Lidl at Merry Hill of all places. It was fine, hardly anyone in there, shelves full, no one with heaving trollies.

She would already have a pantry/ cupboard full of tins - like soup and porridge, is that more an older person thing?? Bread and milk are the fresh items. Agree maybe water bottles are better.

Also it's the only going to be a couple of days, not weeks! Bread and milk will last for the time needed.

@itispersonal if it's just a couple of days I wouldn't make a big effort to go out just to make sure I had bread and milk - as long as I had other food (ie the tinned stuff) I'd go without 🙂

YABU... I say this because it's not happening where I live. I border 'The North,' and live in a village near a market town near lots of woodlands, farmlands, and fields. We are used to isolation, power cuts, loss of internet, and being snowed in for several days up here, so we're not easily fazed. We also stockpile - not panic buy - stockpile, and are always prepped, and ready for any inclement weather. No-one here ever panic-buys, or goes batshit when snow is due.

We have a local shop but I am pregnant so won't be walking there in the slush/snow/ice. Less likely to drive. Not everyone is in the position to go out in the colder weather OP, especially those who are elderly, disabled or have small children.

FYI - I haven't panic bought anything. Just the usual shop here and we will make it work if we're home bound for a few days

Curious your thoughts on this.
im in Canada, so we were a few weeks behind the UK on covid infections, although I believe we shut down at the same time. In January and February I probably bought an extra 10% each grocery order. Because I saw what was coming and how other places were running out of things.

was I panic buying or was I being sensible and stocking up?

During the worst of our shortages, I was not out buying anything extra as we had everything in house already. The only things we didn’t eat from the foods I’d bought were some dried beans.

What’s this fascination with bloody bread? You are not going to die if you don’t eat bread for a few days!

@Cuffi exactly !
That's what I've been saying since the start of the thread 😂😂😂

Bread to make a sandwich or toast is an easy food to consume.

@MerryMaker yes but if you don't have any for a couple of days it's not exactly a nutritional disaster.

Think you were entirely sensible! I like my cupboards to be apocalypse ready at all times ideally. It benefits everyone, as if there is a shortage I'm not fighting the 'shop every day' people for it!
I'm my book panic buying is mainly what people call it when Other People are doing it 😅. I personally would call it panic buying if you are buying things you never normally use, and more than you could use in the next few weeks just because you needed SOMETHING.
But honestly- if people wanted to buy double in the weeks before lockdown, that's not panic , that's a totally logical reaction. It's just that our 'just in time' food production and shopping habits mean our suppliers can't handle that kind of fluctuation in demand.
Storage space is at a premium, supermarkets vet deliveries multiple times a week, they won't pay for bigger warehouses on site to have double or triple rhe stock in hand purely to future proof against supply issues, its not cost effective.
So it's up to the individual to store a sensible amount of long life goods at home if they are able and don't want to risk running out ever.

I hear Jaffa cake distribution has been severly disrupted, you have been warned LOL

Hardly had any snow here. A brief fall about 10-11am Saturday night that was slush by the morning. Did the weekly shop on Friday as usual but didn’t buy more than usual.

So we are on the same page :) thank you