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How the hell are we supposed to isolate for 14 days...
Crunchymum · 16/03/2020 21:40
When there are no supermarkets deliveries / no essentials in store?
We haven't stockpiled or panic bought so we don't have 14 days worth of supplie
Thankfully hypothetical at the moment but with 2 primary aged kids, it's a matter of time.
day1intheisolationhouse · 16/03/2020 22:37
Stop framing people who are very sensible stocking up as panic buying and go stock up some food.
Of course some people are going bonkers. But most are very sensible making sure they have enough food in.
Supermarkets are replenishing. We found Aldi to have the most stock in our town. (We usually shop around, normal behaviour for us!). Plus small shops e.g. our local pharmacy had plenty of medicines like calpol and adult paracetamol whereas the supermarkets had been stripped of them.
TK Maxx has loads of soap, I noticed.
Inkpaperstars · 16/03/2020 22:45
As of today, the PM said that if self isolating and it is essential to go out for food supplies, you can do so but keep distance from people and take precautions. That advice may/will change.
BUT needing to do that means you could infect others which could be catastrophic down the line. So it is critical that everyone try now to get into a modest amount of supplies and/or make arrangements for help. Local volunteer groups will be increasing on this front and possibly more official ones too. Also bear in mind that you may be too ill to go out for supplies even if you wanted to.
WillWinterEverEnd · 16/03/2020 22:45
Find out when your local supermarket deliveries are due. I went into mine today to grab a few bits and it was apocalyptic in there with hardly anything on the shelves. The cashier said they were having deliveries everyday (which tend to always arrive around 7pm) and they start restocking the shelves immediately so the best time to go is late in the evening to have more of a chance to get what you need. Not ideal when you have small children but needs must and it is better than queuing with all the nutters in the morning and fighting over food.
I would like to think though that in a week or two time, when people have panic spent all their wages and bought enough food for a month, the rest of us will be able to go back to shopping normally.
Rumtopf · 16/03/2020 22:48
There's a huge difference between selfishly hoarding and stockpiling and preparing a reasonable amount of food to see your family through for a few weeks.
I've found Home Bargains and Lidl well stocked with pretty much everything we need, even gluten free bits and bobs.
nonicknameseemsavailable · 16/03/2020 23:21
if you currently are NOT self isolating for 2 weeks then I agree you need to write a list of what you have, how many meals it will make and what you need. then you have to go and get it. To be honest our local shops currently seem to have a huge egg shortage, pasta shortage and a moderate toilet roll shortage. everything else is available although soap and cleaning products are difficult to get in some shops from what people have said.
Stocking up is not panic buying. panic buying is getting stuff you don't want or need but are buying because others are and buying stupid amounts of things or not leaving any for others. 2 weeks of food for a family of 4 is a lot of meals but rice, pasta, frozen chips/waffles, frozen veg, frozen fruit, fish etc can do the second week and fresh stuff the first week. If you don't have a freezer then it will have to be tinned veg and fruit, bake at home rolls to use once you have run out of fresh bread etc.
If you are already in lockdown then you still need to work out what you have and what you need and then will have to see if you can get someone to help
TheGreatWave · 16/03/2020 23:25
Having a couple of weeks worth of food in the house is not panic buying or stock piling. A lot of food works out cheaper in multipacks so that is an easy win to get a bit of a buffer then replace before it runs out. It is also product dependent, so I need more apple juice in (use 2-3 a week) then pasta sauce (1 a week)
Unless you are completely down stocking up your cupboard is unlikely to enter into stockpiling territory (and even then it wouldn't really)
(I know this advice isn't great for those with massive cash flow issues, but even the odd multipack, instead of singles or an extra item or two in each shop will make a start to a buffer. )
Crunchymum · 16/03/2020 23:30
We have people who can help. Unfortunately we've been hit heavily by panic buying here (I'm in London! But it's the same for everyone I know both locally and further afield)
I could give someone a shopping list but the stock just isn't there?
We have a fairly well stocked freezer and store cupboard ingredients
But this is what my local store looks like (I wasnt able to get pics anywhere else due to all the fucking people!!)
Rebellenny · 16/03/2020 23:46
This reply has been deleted
Message withdrawn at poster's request.
contentedsoul · 17/03/2020 07:35
Getting pissed off with posters within the public sector whining- you will still get paid.
All the poor sods in the private sector won’t
Try to be a little more sympathetic.
Our money stops when work stops.
If anything good comes out of all this I hope it’s the ridiculous injustice between public and private sector workers.
MondieBee · 17/03/2020 07:36
It's not really panic buying if you see what's coming and plan accordingly. I've been adding a little extra the last 4 weeks. Only had to look to Italy to see what way it's going.
I don't feel smug but I don't really understand why anyone is surprised. It's been obvious it'll go this direction for ages now.
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