AIBU to think my friend is overdoing emergency stockpiling?

[bagpuss90]

I get that we have been advised to stock up on essentials, though I think it will encourage panic buying. I will probably get a few days worth of stuff at some point . My friend however has, at least in my opinion gone ott about it. She’s stocking up a six month supply of food. She’s bought head torches, a camping gas stove and various other stuff. She thinks I’m being naive …Am I missing something here ?

that reminds me to buy matches, and sardines

Well what I've learnt from covid is to prepare as best I can and have faith in my own critical thinking abilities.

I can remember being at work at a lunch table where people insisted that schools would not shut and exams would not be cancelled. Unthinkable.

I think sometimes people don't want to believe that bad times are coming, so deny it. Also people who disagree with how covid was handled aren't receptive to more government advice. Fingers in ears.

This article is incredibly good. I appreciate it is the Telegraph but it's a really good summary of what it calls the 4 horseman of the apocalypse arriving at once for the global economy.

https://x.com/Telegraph/status/2100087344082624808

This isn't right wing bullshit of an article. It's factual in stating where things are rather than what we need to do or what it thinks we should do.

This is fine.

Have to admit I was trying to deny the idea of a bad winter. Just this last week I have realised that things do seem to be unravelling. Bond markets doing horrible things and interest rates on the up. So inflation looking to be worse. That's of course if there is food to buy. With the oil crisis deepening in the last few days disruption to food supplies is looking more likely. Not to mention shortages from failed crops due to the heatwave and the shortage of fertiliser begining to kick in.

I feel there has been too many 'casual' warnings recently from the govt. Buy water, food, radio, power bank etc. I know we were behind the other european countries on this and so I would like to think it was just a catch up. However I am not convinced.
Power cuts are looking inevitable rather than a maybe with Saudi cancelling oil orders.

It's funny how my memories of the seventies are starting to creep back in. Power cuts, food prices going up weekly, freezing weather and most houses didn't have central heating. Well we do now but will it be on. No miner strikes this time, just much bigger problems. Funny how the miner strikes almost seem 'quaint' now in this era of cyberattacks.

I would have said stocking up for 6 months was over the top but with all the bad news on several fronts this last week to 10 days I am starting to think it wouldn't be the worst plan. The water I ordered in my Tesco shop was out of stock so are shortages starting already? They gave me a substitution but still. Made me uneasy.

Best case scenario - food prices go up but no shortages. Worst case - shortages and more 'covid fighting' for resources and prices going up dramatically.
Best case scenario - irregular power cuts or scheduled cuts we can prepare for. Worst case - days (weeks) with power down and a flippin nightmare.

I've spent £700 in Tesco this week. In fairness some of the things I buy were on special so stocking up for that reason as well. Toilet rolls, tinned food, water, pet food, first aid kit cos can you imagine A&E if this all kicks off.

I remember fuel shortages about 20 years ago. I think there were strikes and blockades. Milk and bread was hoovered up within hours and that was a very short term thing. Shelves were literally bare. And that of course was before our population ballooned. Even beast from the east a few years ago - I lived in the centre of Edinburgh at that time and everwhere was out of milk as deliveries couldn't get through. Shops everywhere but no milk.

I can honestly see us with another PM within the year and it's a timebomb for whoever is juggling it.

I mean we are struggling to pay our interest bills just now (on govt debt) so what happens when they have to repay that debt and refinance it at higher rates.

Scary times ahead.

I am so so glad you have said this out loud. Along with the Telegraph article this morning, I at least feel like I'm not going completely mental in addition to all this shit incoming.

Some of the MN threads this morning just read like a begone age of innocence and out of touch with reality. It's starting to really get to me. I want to shake people and go 'wake up' whilst knowing most of them currently think I've completely lost the plot and have gone full tin foil.

Anyone else had an email from UK Power network telling you what their services are and what to do in a power cut?

@ASpoonfullOfPuppies and @RedToothBrush I'm always a bit on the doom and gloom side of things but I'm not sure I've ever been so convinced that the shit's about to hit the fan.
It's the combination of climate change having so obviously ramped up, all the wars and conflicts, so many people over the planet displaced and on the move or with their living situations just demolished (wonder how the people in Nepal are faring?) and the fact that we have a greed obsessed prize idiot in charge of the so-called free world. And a few other bits and bobs. Add in an El Niño and voila!

I haven't read the Telegraph article yet but I think I can guess what it says...
I'm very grateful for these kind of threads, I feel less alone and mad.
#TinfoilhatsRus 😂

I am now absolutely convinced prepping for power cuts at least is a very good idea!

I was starting to spiral into a 'doomed! We're all doomed!' mindset and then I had a word with myself. I've got some bottled water in the shed, enough food to see me though a fortnight and I'm keeping the car at least half full of fuel.

Any emergency that goes on for longer than a fortnight is going to involve full-on government intervention, and if that's impossible then law and order will have broken down so far that I probably would have to decamp to one of my kids' houses, where we could share the load, but I doubt that having a stockpile of food and water would help much at all.

So I ended up using that familyprep site calculator and what we need as a family of 3 for 7 days isn’t awful - I like I can select veggie too. I’ve printed off the checklist and going to gradually get the food (already have some of the bits like torches and spare batteries recommended because we have lots of powercuts).

I don’t think that level of preparedness is silly or doomsday! Or is it?!

@WoesFromAuntFlo not silly at all and thanks for posting about that website, I hadn't seen it and it looks extremely useful. 💐

For those getting concerned about "doom and gloom" spiralling - there are a couple of linked but separate issues.

1. It's sensible to have at least a few days supplies of food and water to hand in case of adverse weather, supply chain issues (as per Co-Op, M&S, Jaguar Land Rover etc), payment issues - so shortish term issues which eg an increased threat of cyber attacks makes more real. Keeping a small amount of cash may be helpful too if you can.

1. Avoiding shortages and food inflation. Things are going to go up, poor harvests were already an issue. A global oil shortage, longer shipping routes etc are going to make that worse. How much worse we'll have to wait and see. If you can stock up on things you know you'll consume then prices now are likely to be lower than that will be in 3 months time (or even next week looking at diesel...).

If you have no way of doing 2, then at least do what you can of 1.

If you think it's all rubbish and scaremongering then do your own thing - the store cupboard police aren't going to arrive any time soon!

Absolutely 100% agree 👍

https://auchem.ae/petrochemical-products/

I have stocked up on flour, pasta, rice, coffee, peanut butter, olive and coconut oils, and tins of all beans and dried lentils.
We will use them one way or the other.
I have a couple of solar radios too.
I have definitely recommended to close friends to think about it, but it really is their own business.
I believe shortages will be coming so am doing this for my peace of mind.

BBCR4 lunchtime news is edging towards catching up with us...
Shit must be in vicinity of fan...

What was said please?

Well I missed the beginning and I wasn't exactly concentrating but there was a lot about inflation, increasing fuel costs and causes (middle east shitstorm), rising costs might rise more (no shit Sherlock), markets braced for more rises (shit all round). Etc. Canada in cahoots with the EU (because everything's shit).

Everything is more expensive (No, really?).
Someone said things are very very serious and global and they hope we have a plan (this is an expert!)
Someone else is outraged and worried (this is an ordinary person).
Citizen's Advice says this shit is no longer temporary it's baked in to life.
The overall picture conveyed was one of suppressed fear that it's all bloody kicking off and it's not getting any better for anyone anytime soon (my interpretation).

One thing that can be good to stock up on if you’re into that is dried yeast. Takes no room at all and easy to make flatbread, pan pizza, pita bread etc.

Hmmm. Geopolitical issues.

So since Yanbu via the big pipe on the Red Sea is a no go, in an effort to not have a complete meltdown is now focusing on trying to get oil out via Oman. This is going to Asian markets not European ones.

Some speculation that the cancellation of the European orders and the decision to ship to Asia is because the Saudis are pissed at Europe for not answering requests to protect it because they are too lazy to fight for themselves.

This is not a good sign.

If nothing else the ordinary person will be stretched beyond their means.
Obviously not the MN high earners ( gloaters) but the rest of us.
How the hell can we absorb 9-10% increases on eating and heating?

No holidays.
No tech.
No fancy clothes.
No coffees.

Anyone who couldn't afford that already. No benefits. Just food and energy vouchers. That's it. It will be vouchers that can't be spent on anything but essentials. And this will still force over crowding and people to take in relatives or lodgers.

Oh and pensions are going to get hit. Hard. If you are above the protected threshold in one bank, you may be at risk of losing it.

Yes and all I can remember is being told we were not going to lock down and just develop natural immunity. Then like the next day it was lock your door and stay inside. They must have known that was coming but kept us in the dark.

I ordered a solar/windup/battery radio from Amazon last night. It said more than 5000 of them had been sold in the last month. Was very glad when mine arrived although I haven't tried it yet.
Since we have Amazon UK I was assuming that was just people in the UK. Of course they had dozens of radios so I am only talking about the one I bought.
Sounds like I might have been just in time......