Essential Shopping

[jelly79]

At what point are you deciding you need to do an essential shop...?

When you need a pint of milk? So little and often?

Or when you have run low / out of most things so you can do a bigger shop in one?

We are very rural and regularly get cut off in bad weather so I have two large deep freezers outside, an under counter freezer, an under counter fridge and a traditional cold stone pantry inside. They are always full (no panic buying happened here) and I work a rotation systemŷ so it's rare we have to pop out for top up shops even in normal times excluding wine

Perhaps the 'rural' way of living it will become a bit more of a normal way of life for others after this?

I doubt it unless much larger properties become a way of life.

No more than once per week for me.

If it helps, I highly recommend going vegan the food lasts much longer. Oat milk and flora buttery last for weeks.

@crustycrab I very strongly disagree, especially when you have small children.

We are lucky and already get milk delivered, but I hear milk deliveries aren't accepting new customers.

You'd be surprised at how much milk and bread families can get through and it needs to be bought regularly.

I have teens so being restricted to 2 of any item means shopping every day or 2! Milk bread fruit veg, 2 of these will last 1-2 days.

We've knocked top up shops on the head for now.
Instead of buying 4 pints of milk every few days, we are now buying 6 (when it's in) and then being more careful with the use of it to make it last.

We're not in a city and the shops have recovered well enough from the initial run that we can find most things we want to buy most times.

Who decided that once a week is an appropriate food shop frequency? Why not every 5 days, every 10 days or another frequency?

There's nothing in the restrictions about how often people are allowed to go or what is essential. I don't think the government's expecting anyone to do without things like bread or milk.

crustycrab we don't drive and live about 2 miles from the nearest town. We can't carry enough food for the four of us, especially now dp is at home full time so we're having to go 3 times a week ish. I suppose we could go once and do a big shop but then we'd have to get a taxi so I think on balance we're better off going more often but walking.

We last went to the supermarket last Saturday but we have a milkman and a fruit and veg delivery. We'll have to go to the supermarket by about Wednesday I think.

I did a big shop today, enough for 10 dinners. We'll run out of milk, bread, fruit and veg after about 4-5 days but planning to get that from the village greengrocers rather than the big supermarket again. I found the supermarket experience quite stressful - people were not distancing, and the arrows on the floor all pointed the same way so impossible to work your way round - so if i can keep that to once a fortnight it'll be better.

I'm hoping as well by the next time i go, they'll have improved the system a bit

Once a week and nothing else. We have milk delivered 3 times a week though and bread lasts a week for us.

I've just found a local farm shop who can deliver a big box of fruit, veg, potatoes, eggs and milk. This will allow what I have in already to make meals for another week (after this) at least so I I can avoid the supermarkets for a while yet! Quite like the idea of a farm shop delivery too!

I'm enjoying making things last and making do with what I have in rather than nipping by the shops all the time

Perhaps the 'rural' way of living it will become a bit more of a normal way of life for others after this?

I doubt it unless much larger properties become a way of life.

It doesn't need a large property though. I'm set up for it because I are to be because we get cut off often. I live my life not knowing when I might be able to get to the shop next.

I don't think it will do people any harm to get into the mindset of having a more robust store cupboard from now on. Supply chains are very vulnerable, food wastage is abhorrently high.

Living like this for a while is going to give a whole generation a wake up call about the value of food, food production and supply chains. We are too accustomed to being able to eat what we like all year round.

"You'd be surprised at how much milk and bread families can get through and it needs to be bought regularly."

No. I wouldn't. You do know people had to live on rations don't you once upon a time? Or that there are whole nations that don't use much bread or milk at all.

There are very few people in the world that "need" to buy bread and milk more than once a week. My whole point is people don't understand what "essential needs" actually are.

Adapt, change, accept .... and stop popping to the shops for a loaf.

@crustycrab ok, I'll let my family go hungry because you say I can't go get bread

So maybe no-one should be allowed into a shop until a government official had searched their house to check that they have absolutely no food left so it is therefore essential that they go shopping?

I bet there's plenty on here who would be happy to take on the role.

@InDubiousBattle you shouldn't be going as a group. It's difficult. But it is what it is. If you're doing all you can fine, but I'm seeing lots of people carrying on doing non essential stuff.

I'm assuming you're not walking four miles just for one loaf though

If shops are going to limit numbers of items then that’s going to force people to go more.
I haven’t gone to a supermarket for 2 weeks and am just topping up locally. Because I am walking and not using the car, this limits how much I can carry which then forces me to go more often, I can’t carry a weeks worth of milk (I previously sacked our milk man for being useless).
If you don’t own a car at all you are going to have to go to a shop more often as well. If you have a large family you need to go more. If there is no bread in stock (which is true here last week) you are going to have to keep going until you can get something.

If you have small Children then milk is essential and you can only buy two pints at a time at the local supermarket and then you can’t get any other dairy as that’s in the same category . You can only also buy two items of fruit and veg (including potatoes), two “fresh items - ham cheese etc,” and two bakery products. No rice, no pasta, no tins and no flour. So how is someone supposed to feed a family on a pack of four apples, one bunch of bananas, two pints of milk, some cheese and ham and two loaves of bread and some cornflakes for a week? Of course people need to shop more than once a week. The local bakery has closed due to distancing regulations and the butcher can’t get any stock. We can’t eat out in restaurant and only one take away is open. So yes food shopping every three days is essential.

Bloody hell. Where have I said let a family go hungry?

I take it all those just popping in and out of the shops haven't had a loved one die from this virus then? You'll take it more seriously maybe when you do.

People are talking about bread and milk like it's the only possible thing they can eat and if it runs out they must immediately top it up!

There are many alternatives

There are very few people in the world that "need" to buy bread and milk more than once a week. My whole point is people don't understand what "essential needs" actually are.

I don't drink milk but one 4 pint carton of milk won't last DH for the week. If we have room in the fridge and the use by date is good he'll buy two but it's not always possible. Some people on MN don't seem to realise that not everyone is the same as them.

So maybe no-one should be allowed into a shop until a government official had searched their house to check that they have absolutely no food left so it is therefore essential that they go shopping?

And for Gods sake don't buy anything that's not essential! DH bought me some chocolate yesterday when he bought his milk (which he had run out of and therefore needed), how dare he buy something I didn't actually need?!

@crustycrab what is your alternative to bread and milk?

I've tried buying flour and yeast to make bread, no luck.

I'd love to go to the supermarket less.

We go through loads of bread. In normal times. This is not normal.

So when I shopped I bought wraps as an alternative as they have a much longer life. Cream crackers etc.

Yes, people are different but those guzzling milk like there is no tomorrow and going to the shops when it isn't essential are spreading this virus.

A week ago I watched people rowing saying that we wouldn't be closed down as "going to the gym is essential". Riiiiight.

Stay at home. Change.

Similar set up to scrowy. Always have ample stores, just topping up on fresh once a week from supermarket and farm shop. However I had to go to two supermarkets due to restrictions and shopping for more than one household. Pharmacy twice a week so far for other people, but should be able to combine them from now on.

Also agree with scrowy re space. It helps, but I bet round here even the most disorganised person in the smallest house could probably manage a good few weeks before they even needed to start rationing.

I try to do a big shopping every 10-14 days. I freeze as much stuff as I can and I eat those products that have shorter use before date. I buy plant milk that can be stored for a long time etc. I am planning my next shopping in probably 7-10 days.