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Original poster

Rules on shopping frequency - there are none!

220 replies

swishthecat · 01/04/2020 08:00

There is so much misinformation being spread on MN about how often you can go to the shops. I think it is worth drawing people's attention to the fact that Downing Street has clarified that there are no specific limits. People are just expected to be sensible and go as infrequently as they can.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/no-10-slaps-down-shapps-over-shop-once-a-week-comment-coronavirus

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 01/04/2020 09:19

MM aren’t inventing new rules

They are advising people who either don’t understand essential shopping V I fancy a treat or chose to break those rules because they are special.

If you like chocolate add a few extra bars during your normal weekly shop

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 01/04/2020 09:19

whitesoxx

Absolutely. Why are so many people incapable of being told no? They aren't interested in why they've been told no, it's just all "you can't say no to me. I know my rights". I'm wondering just how essential that bar of chocolate will seem when they're on a ventilator fighting for their lives? Although in all likelihood it won't be them affected it will be some poor shop worker that they've infected along the way that they don't give a shit about because they're too.busy finding loopholes to exploit.

Original poster
swishthecat · 01/04/2020 09:19

You can't really pop to a shop here. You have to drive and the local police, who are loving this, will stop you as you enter the nearest town with a shop. I am going to get arrested the next time I get stopped for going to the supermarket once a week as I am sick of being polite.

That's not on, haven't the police have been told they shouldn't be doing this sort of thing? It's counter-productive.

OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 01/04/2020 09:22

Shops here are limiting to 3 of any type so only 3 of any fruit, 3 of any veg.
I haven't bought cans, long-life milk, bread, beans etc but I will need more than a cucumber, a pack of tomatoes and a bag of potatoes to last a family of five for a week. So I will have to go back again later in the week.

Tonyaster · 01/04/2020 09:22

I've been stopped twice in two weeks. Both for going shopping. I have a vulnerable family member and have been doing all I can not to leave my local area. But I also have three teenagers at home and we need food.

I'm thinking of printing that off and just handing it to them. They are always super jolly about it which just makes me want to shout at them tbh.

Original poster
swishthecat · 01/04/2020 09:22

MM aren’t inventing new rules

People on MN are doing exactly this. On another thread a pposter said something along the lines that "the rules are clear, you should only shop once a week or once a fortnight."

OP posts:
QuimJongUn · 01/04/2020 09:22

Just sounds like you are trying to find loopholes

What loopholes? There are none, because the law says nothing about limiting your shopping to once a week or whatever. You don't have to look for loopholes if you need to go more often.

It's absolutely fine for people with a car and plenty of room at home to go once a week, or even once a fortnight. Millions aren't so lucky.

I'm disabled and neither me more DH drive. I'm also higher risk so am not keen to use public transport. Ergo, there is only so much I can carry on each trip, and therefore have to go at least 2 or 3 times a week. My local supermarket doesn't have a pharmacy, so once a fortnight I need to go to a larger supermarket for medication. Also, as my local shop is quite small, I often need to go elsewhere for essentials I can't find there - all on foot, with rheumatoid arthritis which is currently active and painful. Added to that, I have to go out to a different shop again to top up my gas and electricity meters weekly.

It must be lovely for those who can get away with one trip to the shops a week. Well done. But don't pontificate, and judge those who cannot.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 01/04/2020 09:23

But I am concerned that some people on MN are inventing rules and making others worried and anxious about "breaking" rules that don't exist.

But what rules have people made up.

The advice is to shop.only for essentials and as infrequently as possible. What have we made up about that?

Tonyaster · 01/04/2020 09:24

They are loving it. Constantly posting on Facebook about it complete with arse licking comments "thank you for all you do to.keep us safe", yeah like harrass 53 year old mums on their own in the car going to the fecking shop!

GreenTulips · 01/04/2020 09:24

QuimJongUn

That’s different to a ‘fancy a bar of chocolate’ type shopping is not not?

Medication, food shopping and has/electric are essential. A bag of sweets not so much.

Tonyaster · 01/04/2020 09:25

"As infrequently as possible" means nothing thats why

Original poster
swishthecat · 01/04/2020 09:25

Hearhoovesthinkzebras
I'm wondering just how essential that bar of chocolate will seem when they're on a ventilator fighting for their lives

The lockdown will not prevent people getting CV, sadly. it is designed to slow the spread. Many of us will get it at some point, unless a vaccine is found soon.

OP posts:
Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 01/04/2020 09:26

Government advice, can be found by following the link at the top of the page

1. When am I allowed to leave the house?

You should only leave the house for very limited purposes:

shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible

one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household

any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person

travelling for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 01/04/2020 09:27

The lockdown will not prevent people getting CV, sadly. it is designed to slow the spread.

Exactly. So explain how all of us going shopping everyday to buy a magazine and a chocolate bar will slow the spread? I'm interested to hear seeing as how you think it's fine to do it.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 01/04/2020 09:30

QuimJongUn

But the things that you've listed are essential journeys aren't they?

What isn't essential is to go to the shop everyday to buy a bar of chocolate and a magazine. You aren't doing that, you're going to buy food, top up meters and collect medication. Those are a essentials

Original poster
swishthecat · 01/04/2020 09:31

But what rules have people made up.

Read some of the threads and you will see the myriad of rules that people make up!

Anyway, the point of starting this thread was just to highlight what Downing Street has said about shopping frequency, I don't really want to keep rehearsing all the other arguments that have been aired countless times on countless threads! We each have to do what we think is sensible. For me personally, that is to go to the shop as little as possible and to do all I can to keep myself and others safe when I do go.

OP posts:
Original poster
swishthecat · 01/04/2020 09:34

Exactly. So explain how all of us going shopping everyday to buy a magazine and a chocolate bar will slow the spread? I'm interested to hear seeing as how you think it's fine to do it

Oh for God's sake Hearhoovesthinkzebras I have never once said it's OK to go chocolate shopping every day. I posted the link to the Guardian article hoping it would help clarify things, not to get into a bloody bun fight.

OP posts:
LolaSmiles · 01/04/2020 09:34

Surely if you want a magazine and some chocolate you get it when you do the shop?

Maybe I've been doing this whole minimise how much we go out thing wrong. What it actually means in the eyes of some is "everyone else should limit how much THEY go out, but any of my wants are suddenly needs so I'll justify going out multiple times for treats because I need my treats and I need them now"

But there is NOTHING in the guidelines to say what is essential in terms of dood shopping and what isn't etc. So people can only use their own judgement. I bet you have bought things that I don't deem essential and vice versa.
I couldn't give a damn what people buy in their shop.
In fact, somehow I managed to buy some multipacks of chocolate and a couple of magazines in my shop because I know we're going to be stuck at home more. What I didn't do is make additional trips for treats because I'm not interested in acting like a petulant child saying "but I NEED my magazine, it's essential for me to go and get one now".

This isn't about saying nobody should buy chocolate or non essential items.
It's about saying we're being told not minimise how much we go out and yet some adults are too busy saying "aha but technically the law doesn't stop me going out several times a day, it's not illegal to drive, I want my chocolate now so will go and yet it and you can't stop me".

QuimJongUn · 01/04/2020 09:34

@GreenTulips my comment was in response to the OP's point that there are no rules on frequency of shopping trips - and to those on here who seem to think that they're limited to once a week or whatever.

That said, given that newsagents are one of the types of businesses regarded as essential and therefore allowed to trade, and their stock is pretty much chocolate and magazines/newspapers, why is it not ok to buy these items? If it wasn't, why has the government approved that newsagents stay open?

FindHimForThreeKillHimForTen · 01/04/2020 09:37

As the average human can go for about 3 weeks without food, I find anyone healthy going to the shop before they haven't eaten in 21 days to be doing so non-essentially.

Anything more than that is just selfish twattery.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 01/04/2020 09:38

We each have to do what we think is sensible.

No. We should each have to do what we've been told to do because we have a responsibility to to others - to not spread this, to not infect others, to not put a burden on the health service and to not risk the lives of health care workers. That's what we should be doing now and the only way to do it is to go out as little as possible, not to keep looking for loopholes in every bit of advice we are given.

Right now the rules are relatively relaxed but thanks to all the people choosing to ignore them or yo exploit them to the max we will soon be like France or Spain where you are severely limited including in how far you can travel and what shop you can use. How will you get your essential bar of chocolate daily then or will it suddenly become non essential, after we've been forced into total lockdown by people who just cannot voluntarily do what's been asked?

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 01/04/2020 09:38

I don’t want there to be a limit on the number of times we go shopping which means we have to be sensible. Whilst on our walk yesterday, I went into the shop because we ran out of bread. I used that opportunity to buy some nice treats for DD, DH and myself. I wouldn’t have gone specifically for the treats. We have a shop coming on Thursday but couldn’t have gone two days without bread if we didn’t have to.

I had to buy clothes which some would deem unnecessary but I’m pregnant so my clothes are starting not to fit. Maternity clothes are a necessity for me.

Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 01/04/2020 09:41

I mean if you are out for a walk and you pop into the shop for your magazine or chocolate, what is the harm? The shop will have social distancing measures in place.

It looks like you were posting about going out for a bar of chocolate or a magazine though op?

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 01/04/2020 09:43

This is the advantage of living really... When you live several miles from any shop that sells food, it focuses your mind of whether your trip is essential... The temptation is a lot stronger when you have a shop at the end of the road.

We still have chocolate, wine etc... Just get it when we do the big shop. But with two children, that is done weekly.

Original poster
swishthecat · 01/04/2020 09:44

Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Aye, but nowhere did I say that I think it is OK to do this on a daily basis, which is what you were implying I said.

OP posts: