Being prepared in case of shortages

[GoldStarAngel]

We have an artificial tree. I have wrapping paper and sellotape and stocking gifts all sorted plus some potential big gifts just in case that I will roll over for birthdays if we can get what they ask Santa for nearer the time. I also have bought crackers and tree chocolates. Not concerned re Turkey as any roast dinner would do. What else haven’t I thought of that I might be sad not to have if there are shortages?
(Caveat - I know of the shelves are bare then Christmas is the least important thing, and o know that we are lucky to be able to afford this in advance)

Candy canes. We got ours really early last year but other family members couldn’t get them anywhere once we got into December.

I spread the cost every year. I dont worry too much about food, as we are vegetarian and we tend to eat xmas dinner with my parents! Lazy I know!
But I have been getting presents. I've nearly finished my kids! I get a lot of their stuff second hand as they are still young, but my daughter wanted this dragon toy, I looked it up and it was out of stock already in loads of places. I thought just to be safe I'll pick it up. I can always exchange if she changes her mind. I love buying them presents so much I get so carried away!! But I've got a budget this year, and I've been on fb market place a lot! I got my other daughter a baby Annabel for free yesterday! Very proud of myself.

I'm not worried about presents, nieces and nephews can have gift cards if necessary and DD wants cash as her main present. As long as there's a few bits to open on Christmas morning it'll be fine.

@DiamondBright

I'm not worried about presents, nieces and nephews can have gift cards if necessary and DD wants cash as her main present. As long as there's a few bits to open on Christmas morning it'll be fine.

Ive all but done DS. Nieces all done. They are the important ones. Santa has nearly done. Its just DH really and he doesn't actually want or need anything and we were both already more or less weren't going to bother with each other.

So yeah. Im laughing really. It is a massive weight off shoulders.

I normally aim to be done by 1st December at the latest and I'm well into it by start of November so I think I'm probably about a month ahead of where I'd normally be.

I can not stand the crowds at Christmas in normal times. The prospect of it this winter is not something im interested in...

@NigelSlatersXmasTaters

"There are more likely to be shortages if people start stockpiling mince pies in September"

That's not how it works.

Anyway, I'm heading to Aldi tomorrow for florentines and Christmas tree pretzels

😂 I've been trying to stockpile enough Aldi florentines to last the year since 2016.

I am so far behind on my planning this year.

But in relation to shortages etc, well, most of Christmas decorating etc is reusing what we always have. I have a fair stash of paper from last year (I tend to buy some in January sales if possible). I bought a couple of packs of cards last week (I thought I'd write some while travelling - but it was too busy a trip).

I have no ideas on what to buy most people on my list. But I start back to the office this week, so will have some lunchbreaks in the city centre to start gathering ideas and purchases again.

And we are not as badly affected by shortages yet - so while we have a couple of things we want (DH is talking about a new iPad for me as my old one is dying and keeps crashing), and there are some holes in supermarket shelves, they are not bad. So I will keep my usual level of stocks here and continue to buy local.

While we usually have a turkey as we actually like it, we can make a special meal from lots of other things instead if we can't get one. And the few things that are special christmas treats can be forgotten for a year if need be. The most important part of the Christmas season (literally, 24th Dec to about 2nd Jan - advent throughout December is different) is about being off work, slowing down, and spending time with family.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot it still doesn't work like that, prepping is not the same panic buying.

Anyway, stop ruining my florentine vibe.

Luckily my fantastic MIL takes care of the food as she does every year and I’m reliably informed everything had already been purchased, prepped and frozen. Present wise we haven’t done anything yet as I have no idea what to get, but we try to be a bit more organised this year. The only thing we did try and get early was our usual tub of Quality Street, which predictably has already been eaten. It’s impossible to buy treats early in this house!

[quote NigelSlatersXmasTaters]@RockingMyFiftiesNot it still doesn't work like that, prepping is not the same panic buying.

Anyway, stop ruining my florentine vibe. [/quote]
Sorry, I don't want to ruin your Florentine vibe! I have no issue with sensible prepping, it's the idiots who buy way more than they can ever need while others have to go without as a result that really gets to me.

BTW I do still enjoy a number of treats around Christmas, (like eating Mince Pies at my office desk from early September onwards - which I didn't do last year WFH as M&S was not so convenient...).

I love a glass of amaretto with some amaretti biscuits - but the bottle lasts me years as it is only me who drinks it. So while I need to restock the biscuits this year, I don't need the bottle.

But for people who really enjoy their bottle of Baileys as a special Christmas treat, that is important to them. Or a specific kind of beer or wine, or just having plenty in to relax and enjoy over the season. Or the one time you get to sit with a good cup of tea and large box of chocs and a book. Or eating pringles or twiglets or cheese straws or whatever, and having a beer with friends/family as you catch up on the news.

I suspect that there will be a lot of things that will be specifically not available, some everywhere and some in regional blackspots, this year. Some may be generic that you can find an alternative option (regular sharing bags of crisps, make cheese straws with puff pastry at home...etc). But there may well be issues with things like ready meals and sides and party food etc - M&S have already announced they are not doing food to order in Ireland this Christmas, and we already had a much reduced range compared to the UK range in previous years. I have noticed that ready meals in a number of supermarkets have much shorter "use by" dates on them than in the past - so I suspect that we are seeing delivery issues here as well.

But there are a lot of newer suppliers emerging, so it is nice to get different things for a change.

Where are you getting crackers and Christmas chocolates from? Are you getting them online and just lumping the delivery/out of season premium or is there some place someone could go and get this stuff already?

We're going away for Christmas, elsewhere in Britain. I have to keep reminding myself not to get caught up in Christmas prep madness !

Or should we take a flask of coffee and some sandwiches just in case ?

Half a dozen crackers from B and M

Chocolate - TK Maxx and M and S, for £3, £4 and £5 (Baci, florentines and after dinner mints)

Aldi had some liebkuchen/ mini stollen (mind you it might have been Lidl)

TK Maxx and M and S have panettone

Not bought anything really expensive, but it's nice to have some little bits with long dates. Also they are useful for presents.

We will make a Xmas cake/ mince pies/ sausage rolls like last year, as the festive cooking is Christmassy in itself.

"Sorry, I don't want to ruin your Florentine vibe! I have no issue with sensible prepping, it's the idiots who buy way more than they can ever need while others have to go without as a result that really gets to me."

Yes it is irritating although I'm now the proud owner of 4 packs of florentines and 4 packs of Christmas star pretzels!

Safely in the loft ready for our December board games sessions and Christmas films. Wouldn't be the same without them!

M&S had some Christmas stock a couple of week ago (pretezel sticks, first few chocs) etc.

Lidl and Aldi are starting to get theirs in.

Hotel Chocolat certainly have some of theirs available online, I haven't been in person recently.

I haven;t seen any crackers yet, but I know the large Department Store in the City has opened their Christmas dept and that usually has some very posh types in early on.

Just bought crackers from TK Maxx and some cute stocking fillers for DCs. They had some nice beauty bits too

Oh brill, I'll check out tkmaxx, b&m and m&s. Thanks. I'm determined to be organised this year and not let the whole of December feel like a festive assault course.

Morrison’s have mince pies, Christmas cake bars, Christmas puddings, tubs of chocolates, Christmas character chocolates, chocolate advent calendars, drink gift sets (craft beers, Baileys with a glass, Jack Daniels miniatures with glasses etc.)., & also some beauty gifts too.

Did not see any Christmas wrapping paper or cards in Morrison’s.

I've hidden a pack of peas at the bottom of the freezer.

Can't think of anything else - local butcher v reliable and uses local produce.

I've placed my Cook order for Christmas Day for collection on 23rd December. Hoping that'll reserve my 16 pigs in blankets well in advance 😂

Actually that's 17th December collection, as their Christmas week dates are available yet!

I like to be prepared early for christmas every year anyway, it's just how I do it because I don't have the time and don't need the stress in December, super busy time at work. I buy gifts throughout the year as ideas come to mind or I see an offer and from Sept onwards pop a few bits in my trolley each time to put in the cupboards/freezer. For the second year I've just pre ordered food from M&S to pick up at 9am on the 23rd, I'll finish my shift at 8am, straight to M&S to pick it up then straight to bed. The only thing I'm getting earlier this year (just incase) is rechargeable batteries and sellotape, they're usually my last minute bits.

Batteries!! Great suggestion, thank you

Booze!
Will never forget the horror of going to Sainsbury’s in lockdown one and the wine aisle being empty.

@WhyOhWhyOhWhyyyy

Booze! Will never forget the horror of going to Sainsbury’s in lockdown one and the wine aisle being empty.

😂😂😂 it's all about priorities