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!

DH thought I was bonkers. I told everyone to stock up, people didn't listen.

Yep. My wife and kids thought it was hilarious that I kept buying more pasta, and tins, and jars than we could eat.

"Why do we need all this JAM!"

They're not laughing now.

We did, but accidentally. Me and DP went to the shop separately and got some of the same stuff without realising. I've already arranged to share it amongst family

We didn't. I just didn't think it would get this bad. I bought a little extra the last time I shopped but we're in self-isolation now and my DH was feeling truly panicked (he suffers from anxiety but had his head in the sand until recently) when friends sent photos of completely empty shelves.

Today, a nearby friend got us some bits from the supermarket and left them on our doorstep, brilliant. Just have to hope once this runs out we can find somewhere to buy more.

We're thinking, surely all those people who've panic-bought must have enough of everything and no more space, so will stop buying so the rest of us can have something?

I still had my no deal brexit stash, but we'd started to get through it, so we have enough lentils to keep us going for weeks but no rice. It never occurred to me to stock pile loo roll! I did make sure I had enough tea bags.

On going through the food today to sort out what we do have and get things in better order, we realised we have a fair bit of stuff that needs eating up. Mainly bargain large packs or BOGOFs of things like nuts. Nut roast it is then.

I have done an online shop to be delivered on Sunday, had to wait a week, so it will be interesting what we actually get delivered. We have one vegan and two veggies in the house so some of our order is a bit niche - but I was shocked at how much vegan stuff was out of stock.

We are trying to use local farm shop for fresh veggies. I'll drive there and DD nip in to get what we need.

As I haven't done a supermarket shop in two weeks I know I haven't contributed to the panic buying - because I was prepared. I'm now in isolation due to health issues so very pleased I was.

Every shop near me is fully stocked. Hopefully there was a delay somewhere along the line in deliveries to your local store and you can shop as usual soon.

Some posters are using stupid and selfish like they're interchangeable terms. They're not. The families who've bought extra are certainly selfish, but those who haven't were actually the stupid ones. Feelings of virtue don't fill bellies.

At the risk of being a complete doom-monger ("We're doomed! Doomed, I say!") consider this:-

This is as a result of panic buying when there is a fully effective supply chain in place. Imagine the current scenario without that - no re stock of goods, what is there is pretty much it - nothing new. People panic buying anything and everything they can get their hands on, other people profiteering via Amazon etc. Got that in your head? THAT is what a no deal Brexit would look like. THAT is why a large number of people had Brexit prepping already underway. If there is ANY good out of this at all, I hope it is that people will prepare properly for such risks. Yes it is a risk, and may even not be a high-order risk, and may not indeed happen, but (if you can - not everyone can), it pays to be on the safe side.

I am also moving from a just in time larder and fridge to a two week one. We don't have crazy amounts of anything but we have bought more

This is us

With the slight exception of bog roll and tinned potatoes...both of those were accidental

And again done over a month...a bit here and a bit there

Now it should just be our normal weekly shop...and no more bog rolls!

Oh and we popped in lidl...loads of meat which surprised me

@straightrhymes
Some posters are using stupid and selfish like they're interchangeable terms. They're not. The families who've bought extra are certainly selfish, but those who haven't were actually the stupid ones. Feelings of virtue don't fill bellies.

Yes exactly! 👍

I'm starting to buy stuff I dont need at that time just because right now, you never know when you're going to see it again! Keeping our cupboard topped up little and often. I felt like I had to roll with the panic buyers else we would be left behind and struggling. Cant wait for everything to calm down and get some normality back.

I am at the point where I think from a food supply point of view we would be better off under lockdown. No home with a fridge need shop more than twice a week, and if we were divided into groups according to surname like the old phone books (A-D, E-K etc) then we could attend the supermarkets on an allotted day regularly, even if only one person per household. I think that would be safer, fairer and healthier.

I'm starting to buy stuff I dont need at that time just because right now, you never know when you're going to see it again Like Russia during the war-if you saw a queue you joined it; in case it was something you could use.

I always have full cupboards, always have had. Over winter I have an extra box of long-life bits. Milk, pasta, 8 tins backed beans, tuna, sweetcorn, paracetamol, 24 pack toilet paper, washing up liquid, instant potatoes, golden rice etc. I do this because I grew up somewhere that could be snowed in and we only shopped every 2 weeks for 'staples'. I'm used to having staples.

DH takes the piss; he grew up in a big town and his mother shopped weekly and did a top up.

We're isolating as DD1 had a fever with her cold (and it's probably a cold so we could get COVID19 later). I managed to do a shop on Monday before the 14 day rule came in, but it was a normal shop and mainly fresh produce. I can manage a 2 week stay at home, I can probably do 4 weeks before I'd 'need' to shop but meals will be very odd by the end. First day I can get out I will be attempting to get bread/milk/fruit and veg and not apologising for it.

At least I've not had to go shopping since the panic-buying for food started. I didn't buy any toilet rolls since that became a thing. I have food and supplies, but from back in Sept and am in no way adding to the lack of availability now.

Things are looking a lot better here (Midlands), other than toilet paper, rice, pasta and (oddly) sausages, I couldn't identify a single standard grocery item that wasn't available in some form.

People who have plenty but are "topping up" - not everyone even has enough to last a few days! Please wait longer between each shop you do and don't buy things "just in case" if you have enough staples to last you a week or more, because I know of people who couldn't afford to panic buy or stockpile and now don't have/can't get things like pasta and toilet roll, bread and nappies and are relying on people in the community helping them out.

My last shop was about 40% more than normal. That's because the kids normally get breakfast and lunch at school/nursery, and i normally buy both at work. We normally have lunch out at the weekend.

Having to feed 4 people 3 meals a day plus snacks means buying extra food. Obviously, that doesn't account for the full shortages. But it does contribute.

I've had a cupboard full of basics in the cellar since Brexit talks. I've been buying one extra thing a day since January specifically for my stores (I walk home through a shopping centre). I have enough stuff to make meals. However, no with schools shutting and DH and I both working from home, I've had to stock up on snacks and fruit and lunch stuff for 5 of us, so it did feel a bit like panic buying, even though a multi pack of crisps will only last 2 days.
I haven't bought loo roll, pasta, nappies etc though.