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.

I think most people are aware that there are some who live week to week with nothing left over and completely understand that those people couldn’t have extensively “prepped” whether for covid19, a weather event or whatever.

However there are a huge number of people who most definitely could have had a buffer in place but didn’t and if anyone was panic buying it was those people. After all, the ones with nothing left after buying essentials couldn’t suddenly afford to fill trolleys with weeks worth of food!

I’m afraid I can’t feel hugely sympathetic towards those who really could and should have had a reasonably well stocked supply but couldn’t be bothered - the I’ll just get an online delivery or I’ll order takeout crowd. A lot of my colleagues were like this and I can assure you all they’re not low paid, counting the pennies til next payday. Rather they’re the Oh no, I don’t meal plan because I don’t know what I’ll be in the mood for and do we fancy Wagamama or the nice Thai place this evening types.

Many people have been really complacent, thinking bad things somehow can’t happen where they live, that somebody, somewhere will take care of things so they don’t have to worry, despite it becoming increasingly clear that Coronavirus was spreading. It’s tiresome reading how selfish everyone else is just because they currently can’t get what they want when they want it. Some of us have the foresight to realise that having a reasonable supply of food in just in case is actually a good idea and can be done without panic buying and leaving others without.

inthedarkx

I wasn’t blaming you, I said those who could.

Also for many years we lived a very lean life, both studying with small children and managed to put away £1.26 a month to buy items for our cupboard.

Yes, the "I'll just get a supermarket delivery " posters who took the piss when I and others were suggesting there might be a problem coming really fucked up.

The other thing that made me take notice on the prepping board was that it's taking responsibility for yourself.

That made me sit up and notice.
Pasta is one of the cheapest things we can buy. 80p a bag in many places. 80p.

Pasta is even nice with butter and a little cheese.

I've spent 10 years on the bar bones of our arse, scavenging shops at reduced time to get reduced goods and eat as well as we could. Timing it right like a ballet between the shops to get the second reductions...
It always prudent to have in a little extra.

Esp with children. Even in a couple you can both be rendered bed bound.
I've always had a little extra in, esp diroyte, medicine, bags of pasta, food I like when ill, coke for sickness...

Apparently in Germany everyone is encouraged to keep 10 days of food in. I hope after this, our nation does too. Abs also learns to be more self reliant.

I've picked up so many tips about what we can freeze and how! I never knew I could take stuff out of packages to fit in my freezer!
One simple action has doubled my freezer capacity. Freezing eggs! Butter! Cheese!
In December I think someone on mn said they wanted to batch cook because they were due and worried they couldn't cook for some reason... It was a fabulous thread and as a result of that I've got spag bol but neatly stacked in my freezer because I froze it in a mould which again has massively increased freezer capacity.

Oh I remember @bellinisurge, lots of 😂🤣😂🤣 at the mere suggestion that life might become a tad more difficult.

I suspect quite a few of them will change their shopping habits when we come out the other side of all this!

Bellinisurge you've absolutely come into your own right now and I doff my hat to you. I've argued with you like buggery on other threads but this is your realm.

I was also dismayed at the abuse you got trying to get people to wake up on the '' home stedding'' thread.
Personally I thank you.

I haven't stockpiled anything this year, I did it all in 2016. Doing this has meant there is more for others now. I deserve a medal.

The prepping threads were/are full of ideas about how to stock up on a budget, and I don’t remember any post that advocated wiping out shelves of stock. It was mostly ‘pick up up a few extra things on the weekly shop’ with a lot of advice on storage and multi-use food ideas.

Honestly prepping food is one of the cheapest things to do...you can take advantage of special offers, most of the food ideal for this purpose are the cheap boring ones, and you don’t have to do it all at once.

I guess I do sort of wonder why more people have been caught short by this.

@Freshairimportanttoo , you're welcome.
And I really would rather be popping out for a drink and a takeaway.

Gosh the absolute joy some people are taking in others discomfort is a bit disquieting and really not very nice at all.

Gosh the absolute joy some people are
taking in others discomfort is a bit disquieting and really not very nice at all.

I don’t see much joy. I see relief that people don’t have to go shopping, especially if they’ve someone vulnerable to look after. I see preppers getting seriously pissed ofat being lumped in with panic buyers, who were most likely the sane people that were calling us all ‘nutters’ and other derogatory names a few months ago. I’m seriously relieved that I gave food in, but also a bit pissed off that I will have to start all over again for Brexit, when I don’t have the finances.

I am really grateful to the prepping threads. Because of them I've not had to prep particularly at all... I had my brexit stash

I must admit to being a bit of a 'just in time' shopper myself. Then three years ago my mother moved in with me because she wasn't well and, to 'pay her way' so to speak, took over cooking and thus, most of the shopping.

She is of the "it'll be a harsh winter" variety and so wanted well stocked larders. I took the piss when, two years ago I had to buy a second freezer to stick all her bought and fresh-grown produce. I took the piss even more when, a year back, I had to erect five massive shelves in the garage to take all the tins etc. She doesn't waste money and so she did all this while still reducing my overall food bill by about 40%

I am not laughing now. I have also learned that a well stocked store cupboard is a great comfort and feel for those who don't have one.

I have always made sure I have about 2 weeks of food in. A couple of tins of soup/tomatos/tuna etc. freezer always has a few of types of meat and some frozen veg. This to me seems entirely logical, theres many reasons why I might not be able to get to the shops for a while

There are daily threads on single parents who have to self isolate and are shocked that they can't go to the shops for 14 days. These people would have done well to buy a bit more food

I always get veg, milk and eggs delivered anyway

However I am buying more food than normal. This is because normally me and DP eat out 2x a week, plus probably about 5 lunches each. We obviously can't really do that now. Plus takeaway coffees etc. We go to the pub. Really thats almost an extra 50% of food, we can't buy sandwiches so have to buy extra bread for example. Plus alcohol that I might usually buy at the pub, more coffee, it adds up.

Round me there wasn't actually a shortage, there was limitied meat and limited pasta/tomatos/beans/bread. But there was lots of food.

It was actually lots of elderly I saw stockpiling, but I can't blame them. They were being told to self isolate for 12 weeks - so they have to buy 12 weeks of food.

All the the theads have also made me realise that each of our situations is different and we need to be aware that for many households even a small amount of additions a week/month made in past moths might be really difficult. It’s a time where a bit of empathy is needed in both directions but also an awarness that a lot of us who got a few extras in are sharing with friends and family who are in more difficult circumstances. .

No joy here. Just a break from being called fucking mental. Relentless bashing of preppers confusing us with panic buyers, blaming us for people going without essentials.

Plenty of empathy @SukiPutTheEarlGreyOn here. Which is why I have spent so much time trying to help and advise people on here, particularly those in a budget. Obviously helped my in-laws.
Being called horrible names day after fucking day has been pretty wearing.

@bellinisurge explain why there is no flour, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, biscuits, bread , milk, washing Up liquid, baby things in my local Asda store? Because people are buying it all to store in their homes leaving others without nothing. And a lot of people can't drive or travel to other stores.

In my culture it’s normal to stockpile anything that you have space for 😂 and in local shops it’s never 1 tin it’s a pack of 12!

plus dh has a big family so catering for 35+ on occasions means it helps to have bulk food so you’re not rushing around last minute

I guess I’m thankful for this at the moment as we are self isolating for 14 days as at least three of us have had fever and coughs and we’ve got enough to last us

Because of panic buyers messing up the Just in Time mechanism meaning demand outstripped supply. And then people realising they needed to get online deliveries long after they should have set them up. And then being all surprised when the stores weren't set up to switch over to majority online deliveries. As people like me and others were warning weeks ago. Our " just in time" food distribution system can't deal well with it.

@bellinisurge explain why there is no flour, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, biscuits, bread , milk, washing Up liquid, baby things in my local Asda store? Because people are buying it all to store in their homes leaving others without nothing. And a lot of people can't drive or travel to other stores

You've just answered your own question.

Say it out loud. 'its because of panic buyers'. Mostly those people who didnt listen and pooh poohed the idea that the shit was going to hit the fan.

Maybe write it out a 100 times, so it really sinks in.

I'm boggled that the preppers like belli are still getting grief after patiently and at depth tried to help long before this shit happened. Personally I would have given up and let you learn your own lessons. The hard way.

This.

The root cause of these shortages is our government's lack of foresight. Nobody specifically predicted a pandemic in early 2020, but it's entirely predictable that at some point something might cause an increase in demand. Supermarkets have chosen a supply chain that cannot handle unexpected demand increases because in normal times that saves the supermarkets money, and our government has chosen to allow this.

For comparison, since the 2008 financial crisis banks are now required to have spare money. Likewise, supermarkets could be required to have spare logistics capacity. But they aren't, because that sort of change seems to only ever be done after the disaster.

The cartoonish image of "selfish stockpilers" serves to deflect attention from who is truly at fault.

@gamerchick so you think it's ok to bash lone parents who don't have that extra income to 'prep' and say we should leave the hard way. Not our fault a virus has taken Over the world and some people are not in a good position.

The root cause of these shortages is our government's lack of foresight. Nobody specifically predicted a pandemic in early 2020

But why didn't they? I'm just an insignificant pleb, but as soon as the news broke, I paid attention and kept a watchful eye. Come Feb I was all eyes.

Why didn't someone with a bit of clout not troubleshoot this shit? Is it a rich privilage thing, are rich privilaged people just shit at their jobs?

I'm sure lessons will be learned.

Explain to me why a few jars of pasta sauce and a couple of bags of basics white rice which I bought last year ( or similar) have created this problem .
Or why the vegetables I have grown in my little garden have created this problem.
Or me choosing some tins over getting new mascara ages ago has created this problem.