Can we please stop all the bashing of “stockpilers”

[Notcontent]

Reading all the threads, it seems that anyone who has bought more than a week’s worth of food is being accused of being a selfish stockpiled responsible for all the food supply issues we have at the moment.

I think that’s slightly unfair. Yes, people who went out and bought 10 big packs of toilet paper in one go are probably responsible for the shortages. But many of us simply bought a few more things over a number of weeks.

I am one of those people. I have friends with families in Europe and I was closely following the progress of the situation since early January. Back in February, when lots of people I spoke to thought it was all an overblown drama, I started buying a few extra things every time I did a shop. Why? Because I don’t have any family nearby to help out and I usually rely on supermarket deliveries for most of my needs (no car). I would be really stuck now if I didn’t have some extra supplies as I am reliant on some small nearby shops.

Where were the government going to store or intercept food from supermarkets?

Actually it's down to one of the preppers on here that people like me haven't added to those seeking loo rolls and paracetamol.

I went on a thread when all the doom and gloom of brexit first appeared and stocked up on loo roll and paracetamol, later pasta and Rice.
My rationale being if the preppers were wrong, worst would be fewer trips to the shops.

I haven't bought any Pasta, Rice, Paracetamol or loo rolls since this pandemic and won't need to for some time.

I don't know your name, but thank you very much to the prepper thread.

Interestingly I have. Family member who is a manager of a well know supermarket. He said in January to our family that they had been briefed on the fact people would panic buy food and what items would go first. He advised us to get a pack of extra loo roll and pasta but they weren't told to limit as they would then create panic in that way...

And whether the items that went out of stock in other countries followed the same pattern as it did here?

Americans have stockpiled loo roll, petrol (that's from a colleague in America) and (according to MIL who is not always reliable) guns and ammunition .

Why is any kind of flour is such short supply? It's all sold out Online too when I tried ( and failed) to get a delivery slot. lWhat are people doing with it? Only need some for making pizza dough and some to bake cakes 🤷🏻‍♀️

People probably buying it because they couldn't get bread. Also bread keeps for days unless frozen (and it hogs freezer space). Flour and yeast keep for months.

I would like to thank Bellini and other preppers, I started prepping after reading your Brexit posts and continued to do so when I started realising how serious this virus was in China. I have ms and spend a lot if time using a wheelchair, there are 6 in my family and I shop for 3 grandparents. I had prepped so well I haven’t needed to go to a supermarket at all. Local shop once a week for milk and fruit. The lists and advice were incredibly helpful. It’s going to become a way of life for me now it gives me a sense of security.

Thank you, @SparklingGin . I hope you stay well during this horrible situation.

Whether people are preppers or stockpilling I do think going forward anyone who doesn't have some sort of 'stock pile' are going to be a lot less before this happened.

I certainly will be making sure that we have more food, paper products and toiletries so when we are in this situation again we will be better prepared so we will not be going to the shops.

What I don't think is right is those people who have stock pile and are still shopping and are keeping their stock pile for when they need it.

Prepping and stockpiling are different. '

Those who brought a lot in one go and are now throwing it out (food out of date etc) are selfish bastards, sorry but they are.

@Clutterbugsmum , what do you mean, though? For example, my dd is enjoying bananas in a smoothie - it seems to help her get going .
Should I be banned from going to the shops and getting some because I have stored other fruit by preserving it carefully? I don't have bananas. I'm certainly considering alternatives and will ask her to help me have a think about it. I just wanted to be clear whether you think I should be banned.

I don't mean not buying fresh food, after all you can not store for any length of time. But not buying additional store cupboard ingredients when you already have things at home.

I don't think anyone should be banned from shopping, but I do think if we have store cupboard tins etc we shouldn't buy more but use what we already have. To help with stock in the stores.

I think stockpiles/preppers/homesteaders are going to continue to be the target of endless complaints from the disorganised and complacent.
Because if they can’t turn the problems outwards, they’ll have to take a long, hard look in the mirror and acknowledge that they fucked up, didn’t take the problem seriously and relied/rely on others to fix their issues ‘Oh, I’ll do online/shop at farm shops/order takeaway.’
Then the system breaks down and they have no back-up plan.
So they look for targets.

didn’t take the problem seriously and relied/rely on others to fix their issues ‘Oh, I’ll do online/shop at farm shops/order takeaway.

There were loads of comments along those lines on the Preppers’ boards, since they first started for Brexit. I have incredible sympathy for those that genuinely couldn’t afford to prep, but very little for those that got a kick out of mocking the preppers and actually posting on the boards, taking the piss of us. Those that couldn’t afford to or didn’t actually know anything about prepping, are very much to be sympathised with, as for the mockers, tough luck.

Surely Prepping relies on sensible stockpiling.

It is panic buying and wasteful over buying that is the problem.