Larger families.... shopping limits

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

Anyone else having issues in getting enough food to make a meal for their family? I can't afford (nor have time) to make seperate meals for everyone. But I can't get enough of the foods we eat as a family in some lines.

We use 4 packs of mushrooms and 5 packs of peppers per week. We are only allowed 3. Same for yogurts etc.

I am working, not from home. I don't have time for daily shopping as I finish at, rush back before after school club finishes and get the kids home for dinner which is already later than I'd like.

I have a delivery pass, but that appears to be totally useless at the minute. We are potentially to be isolating from today as one of the kids may possibly have a cough. Even if I could get a slot, I'd need several slots in the week and you can't even get half the stuff you need anyway.

We don't have anyone to bring us food either. 🤷

Is it worth approaching the supermarket manager to discuss individual requirements?

I saw a woman have 1 of her 4 muller bloody lights removed from her today. I mean I understand restrictions in some areas. But most people would not consider 4 yogurts excessive/panic buying.

Help!

It’s okay tone angry about the supermarket shortages. After all it’s not like the Second World War when there were actual shortages and we didn’t have any choice to make do. There’s more than enough out there for everyone but because of this insanity started by selfish fuckers we now have a logistical nightmare.

More needs to be done to get the supplies back in the hands of those of us that just want to shop normally. Supermarkets and governments need to come up with a new plan. Whatever they are doing it’s not working.

Maybe a family can shop separately. Why can’t the children, soon to be home due to school closures, be customers?

I dispair ... unless you live in splendid isolation in remote Scotland( and similar) you need to get a grip ...
One pack less of mushrooms ... how about you use your imagination and manage with a little less in each dish!!!!
No don’t ring supermarkets .... yes ring other people offering support in your area if any of you need it

This is a chance for you to teach your kids all about not be selfish and understanding need over want ....
Try working in a food bank if you think you are being hard done by..... there are people out there literally starving ...

I have got a friend of mine who has the same problem. They are five of them, three teenagers, including two 18 year old sons so you can imagine how much they eat?! Funny enough, she is not asking to speak to supermarket managers individually, who already have enough going on, because she thinks she is more entitled than others...

We are a family of 6 and are just simply having to adapt in these circumstances. I also shop for my elderly in-laws, so really I’m shopping for 8.

The problem is everyone could claim to have a large family or be shopping for elderly/vulnerable relatives to get around the limits. We have to all make do right now.

So I do agree with the limits personally

Op I get what you're saying but these are unprecedented times. God knows how you'd have coped in World War 2

Five packs of peppers a week is just greed unless you have 30 kids

It's going to be like the War when someone invented carrot cake (so I've heard) when sugar became scarce and grated carrot was (just!) found to be a tolerable substitute in cakes.

Lack of food is such an issue in some areas.

I have to say, I agree that overpopulation/large families was always going to become a problem at some point.

It is less about the shelves being empty per se, and more about larger families not being allowed to get larger amounts of resources. In a world of overpopulation and resources in general becoming more abd more scarce, what did you expect???

Its really nothing like WW2

Apart from anything the population was smaller and less urban, and people were encouraged to get outside and dig for Britian, not to stay indoors and socially distance!

Worldwide 20 million people died of famine during WW2

You need to make food stretch now, think of others! Think of the NHS workers who are doing 12/24/48hr shifts who don't have anyone to do their shopping for them and at the end of that work cannot get 1 pack of mushrooms, 1 pack of peppers or even 1 yogurt to help feed them or their family. Its not just the key workers think of the elderly and the single people/parents. Learn to share!

Each family member is an individual person.

Why are people saying family units should each get the same? Some family units are one person. Its actually environmentally very damaging indeed to live in single person households. Its not a selfless planet saving decision to live alone or in twos. Environmentally remaining in multigenerational households sharing one central heating and water and sewage system, one fridge, one TV, one car if any - would be far less selfish and reduce consumption.

Yet people living alone, greedily running a fridge and freezer and heating and hot water and a car just for themself, occupying living units big enough for at least a couple more people - the construction and maintanance of which for just one solo inhabitant increase consumption - are benefiting from "per household" shopping limits - being able to stuff their sole use fridges and freezers with three times what they need each shop...

I wonder who is?really buying more than they need and ending up throwing half the fresh stuff away when it goes off?

We’re a family of 7 and would usually do a large shop once a week, with items limited I am trying to shop in different places or just getting what I can to last 2 or 3 days. Everyone is having to change how they shop because we’re limited to what stores will allow and what’s actually left on the shelves, I’ve explained to my children that we will have to eat what we’ve got and not what they necessarily want for dinner
You could buy bags of the frozen chopped peppers, frozen veg isn’t ideal but in the grand scheme of things it’s better than nothing

I understand and agree with the restrictions generally, but some of the things were a bit silly yesterday at Aldi.

I try and be more environmentally friendly and buy single items to avoid excess plastic. So I was only allowed two single bottles of lager, whereas with added plastic, I could have bought a six pack.

I was only allowed four baking potatoes (not even one meal's worth for five of us) whereas I could have had a pre-packed plastic bag of potatoes with loads more in.

Tins of tuna - only two allowed, when I could have bought a plastic covered pack of four.

Of course, I just crossed the road and bought the missing items at Sainsbury's, it wasn't really any bother. I didn't say anything to the cashier, they have enough going on, but did think it slightly illogical.

I have 7 in my family and I started prepping in January but still being creative so it lasts. Every day is like a pick and mix day. You just have to make it work.

If there are going to be genuine shortages, then that's when ration books would come into their own, as you'd take them for the whole family so they realise that you aren't buying 4 potatoes for one person.

If you buy a 4 pack of beans/tomatoes/spahetti, etc, you are allowed 2 packs, therefore 8 tins. I bought 4 bottles of caffeine free coke, and was challenged, but they were on a two for offer, so the cashier let it go through.

it seems to be 3 items in our Waitrose so my vegan son who is just home from university for Easter only got 3 of his black beans in a tin he eats loads of and no one else much likes. I did feel as there were lods of them he could have had more but he can go in every day and buy 3 a day if needs be as a relief from his university dissertation work. he was a a self check out so probably could have taken more but we are a very stick to the rules kind of family even if the rules are silly.

I think it's irresponsible for supermarkets to do multi buy offers right now.

Graciebobcat I had the same in Lidl today - I was told I couldn't buy 8 small bottles of beer, but they have crates of 20 so I could potentially buy 80 bottles as 4 crates! I could also get e.g 4 cans and 4 bottles but not 8 of the same one. There has to be some common sense applied.

There needs to be a limit on how often you can shop in a week too. My cousin took my Aunt shopping yesterday and the cashier said that one lady has been in six times this week and filled her trolley every time to the top.
Surely the supermarkets should be doing something about that - it's waitrose, the only supermarket in the town where they live so I guess they wouldn't name and shame but personally that would be my preference, a print out of her from cctv on the doors and at check outs so everyone knew what a greedy bitch she was

Lots of people pn other thread admitted buying 3 months of food.

Are sanitary towels and tampons subject to the same only 2 items rule ? We have to buy a lot more than that sometimes so a bit worried

I'm lucky as I live just me and my son, but yes I've thought it will be hard for larger families. However, there is nothing stopping you from doing more shops to make up the difference, the limit is "per shop" so just go more often.