To ask if you are one of those people who has bought far more food and supplies than they need

[Casino218]

Because you are killing the elderly and vulnerable. Stop it!

My friend out shopping for his elderly neighbour last night could not find the basics to buy him!

I've just been to my little independent greengrocer, and they were fairly well stocked, and receiving a delivery as we left too. I second the suggestion to try the smaller independent shops, it supports them, and they seem to be managing better.

We also tend to keep a well stocked fridge and pantry, so I've just been topping up. We get things like toilet paper on amazon subscribe, and I meant to skip March's delivery, but forgot so we're ok there, thank goodness. But with two kids both in nappies, I have picked up two extra packs each than I would normally buy, in case we end up not being able to go out.

I bought a little extra on this weeks Ocado shop. Not mental or stocks of multiple quantities of the same thing, but more than normal.

That is more because I am now working from home and not leaving the house though. I normally do a small weekly shop and grab things at a London Sainsbury’s on my lunch breaks at work to top up. I have just shifted to buying it all in one place at one time.

I did buy 2 packs of coffee capsules and hot chocolate powder as I am drinking coffee at home rather than using works supplies. I did feel very guilty for even just doing that.

I can’t get nappies, wipes, fresh meat or frozen, bread and milk are also getting hard to find. I can’t get pasta, sauces, loo roll, soap/shower gel, washing up liquid. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to feed the kids this week. I’m going to have to get up at 5 and queue at the supermarket tomorrow morning because as soon as it’s getting to the shelf it’s flying off them!

Yes but I've been getting bits here and there ready for brexit. So I have full cupboards but haven't been going supermarket sweep-ing round the shops!
I'm glad I have too, if we have to self isolate we'll have enough food for 2 weeks.
I try to have full cupboards all the time tbf, I'm my mother's daughter 😂

Your being inflammatory and unhelpful

I have diagnosed anxiety, brought on when my DD died a few years ago. I had to stop working and isolate quite often when it’s bad. For that reason we always have large stocks in as I have no idea if I can manage to be around people some days.

I studied social sciences and worked in higher education for many years. People’s behaviour in times of stress is something that interests me. People feel rosy about the Blitz spirit, it did exist. But there were atrocities committed by allied troops and strikes were common in WWII These parts of history are not talked about quite so much. We are not as civilised as we think. People being a bit selfish over loo roll does not surprise me at all. Ordinary people do extraordinary things in times of stress, some wonderful and some dreadful.

No just shopping my normal lot, but have to visit various places for things I can’t get in the usual shop. I’ve also had to do a couple of online orders for things like cat litter.
I got the last 2 bottles of flavoured water yesterday but gave them to an elderly woman who began crying in the aisle when seeing it was empty. Her dh is in a care home following a stroke and it’s all he will drink and is having difficulty swallowing. There is so much more desperation for others and empty shelves is tipping people over.

I have been away for just over two weeks and came back on Monday to chaos.
I tried to fo my basic shop but no tinned food, no milk, no anything really.
I came away with a packet of courgettes. A small aubergine and a jar of harissa!

@Lauracrazygirl why the hell do two people need 10 tins of soup and 8 tins of beans as well as all the other food you’ve bought? And you’re talking about going shopping again next week?

Why didn’t you buy 2 tins of soup and 1 or 2 of beans and leave some for everyone else? Pregnant or not that’s just selfish and stupid.

@stuckinthemiddlewithtwats Have you asked the hospital dieticians if they can let you have some milk?

Those of you struggling to get food in supermarkets, do you not live anywhere which has independent shops? I realise that going to multiple stores for different items (as I remember doing as a child before large supermakets were a thing) is time consuming anx inconvenient, but i went to my local butchers for meat on Tuesday, followed by the bakers for bread and then called at a farm shop for potatoes on the way home (realise you won't all be in farming areas). But each shop had supplies on the shelves and i came into far less contact with others than i would have done in a Supermarket.

bigbluebus the only independent shop we have is a pet shop. We’d have to travel a fair distance to our nearest city for independent shops and even then there aren’t many.

There’s also the point of how are the elderly and vulnerable supposed to supermarket hop?

I stopped an elderly neighbour on her way out to catch a bus to the shops this morning and offered to get her shopping in. I couldn’t get even half of what was on her list despite driving to the several major supermarkets (something which she couldn’t do). It’s terrible.

*Yes I am one of those people and unashamed of it.

Mainly because I built my stock up over years and did the last big 'top up' in early January, so I haven't contributed to a single bare shelf.

It's those who suddenly realised they were heading up shit creek without a paddle, or boat, that are to blame.*

Please don't be so smug. I struggle with food shopping from week to week because I can't afford to do anything else.

I have loads of loo roll because I buy them in bulk from Amazon
I also have a full fridge, freezer and cupboards. However, I haven’t bought more than 2 of any item (except chocolate and Diet Coke and they aren’t in short supply)
There is a long distance between people queuing outside Asda at 5 am (which they were in my home town this morning) and making sure you have enough to feed your family for a few weeks. I am topping up daily as well

Hopefully the stockpilers will run out of space soon.
I am in the vulnerable group, so have gradually stocked my cupboards and freezer since January.
I am keeping my stock in case I or dh get ill.
We only need a little bit of fresh food a couple of times a week, but we can't even get that because the shelves are empty.
DH won't use public transport because he is trying to protect me, so he walks to local shop.

@sidge

Well... think about it.
2 adults = 6 meals per day.
1 week = 42 meals
4 weeks = 168 meals.

We are both stuck at home and can't go out, so all of our meals have to come from what we have in the house.

So 1 tin of soup is 1 meal. We need 42 meal per week, 10 tins is a quarter what we need per week.

When you break it down, it's not as much as you think it is. What I have listed should do for two weeks.

Also I didnt say I planned to shop next week I said " me and husband have agreed to not buy anything for at least a week '. Meaning we plan to hold out and fight the temptation to top up for at least 7 days if not more.

Before you get high and mighty with me, it's very hard to fight the temptation of always "topping up" especially when pregnant and especially when you see others doing it too. As humans we are programmed too follow the herd and copy each other.

At least I'm being honest...

@Lauracrazygirl I’m not being high and mighty. I’m being honest.

I’m in frontline healthcare and seeing my colleagues unable to buy food at the end of their 12-14 hour shifts. I’m seeing my elderly patients unable to buy food at all, let alone 42 meals a week.

You don’t HAVE to eat three full meals a day. Even when pregnant. Bulk out with veg, or pulses (if you can get them obviously). Make your own bloody soup, so that those that can’t can just open a tin.

Just have a little lateral thinking, that’s all I’m saying. And don’t be a sheep.

I prepped with tins, packets weeks ago, so that I haven't impacted on that side of things. I do have a fairly full fridge, but nothing we won't eat in the next week (with the exception of cheese which I have two of).

It's hard if you're trying to shop for other people, but it seems like the morning if the best time to do it. Our local Tescos was apparently heaving yesterday morning, empty of food and customers after lunch.

What this boils down to is that many of us hoped this wouldn't happen if we kept ignoring it. Many people I know have prepped weeks ago when the first outbreak in China happened. They knew what was coming and knew there would be a financial fall out and panic buying with it. It makes me so angry that people are blasting preppers. The reason the shelves are bare is because people ignored the news and failed to see what was coming, so didn't prepare. They are the people you need to be angry with, not the responsible people who prepped weeks advance, so they didn't have also panic last minute. I know not everyone can do this due to finances, but if you could have, you should have.

Despite this I do feel sorry for a lot of people, as the speed in which it has happened in the UK is extraordinary. Those who weren't following China have had literally 2 weeks to prepare. I think having a small surplus will become the norm after this and it's a great learning curve about how fragile everything we take for granted is.

I have found smaller shops tend to have much more than supermarkets now. I would advise going there if you are struggling. We are so used to a one-stop shop, so we may need to treat it like the old days where you had to visit multiple shops to get a full shopping list. I think once things have locked down, things will replenish.

@Mrhodgeymaheg

I don’t know any very poor people who weren’t worried. They just couldn’t afford to prep.

And now they are fucked.

@Sidge

"You don’t HAVE to eat three full meals a day. Even when pregnant."

You'll telling a pregnant woman (34 weeks) she doesnt have to eat 3 meals a day?
And you work in health care...?
Ok....

Our independent shops are just as short in supply of food as anywhere, The only shop that seems okay stocked is a very expensive sort of artisan shop. It would cost a fortune to buy much in there.

Surely people eat cereal or toast for breakfast? So nobody eats 3 actual proper meals a day.

Our independent shops are just as short in supply of food as anywhere

Our was very busy today too. Still had lots in but no loo roll..

I live on my own. When this kicked off, I went shopping with a friend and bought some tinned veg, and bread mixes. I always have a full freezer, and cupboards full of crap so I will be working my way through it.

I already had loo rolls on a subscribe and save order, with cat and dog food, which arrived but I will share if people locally are in need.

I have also been playing the hunt the hand sanitiser in the house game. I often buy it when I am going away, and so have various pots of it, some partially empty. I gave one bottle to my cleaner, and will give her another bottle.

I bought more of the things like squash I use a lot off because I only drink a small amount of coffee. Milk I can’t stand, so apart from picking up two pints of long life milk specifically for anyone elderly or very young who can’t get any, I have left that well alone.

Interestingly enough my usual response to stress is to eat more. However I am right off my grub at the moment. I am usually a rampant carnivore, but the idea of meat is revolting me at the moment.

So yes, I have stocked up, but apart from one car trip it’s limited to what I can carry.