Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

What will you do to prepare for any future lockdown?

281 replies

AwkwardAsAllGetout · 22/04/2020 10:15

I’m assuming that even when this one is eased, we’ll be locked down again at some point in the next year. I’m wondering what I can do to make that easier and avoid the inevitable second round of panic buying. I was well prepared for this one as I’ve been a long time reader of the prepper threads and could see what was coming, so I had plenty of nappies, toiletries, loo roll and groceries long before we needed them. What I hadn’t anticipated was how much I’d long for some decent outside play equipment for the dc, which seems sold out everywhere. I’d thought ahead to my 2 dcs birthdays in April, and had all presents bought and wrapped, and made sure I had enough for their birthday cakes and party teas. Can’t say the same for the two I’ve got coming up in summer! Will you be preparing early for Christmas? What things are you likely to keep in stock now? I totally underestimated how much my dc would eat with us all being at home all day, so while I have plenty of staples like pasta and flour, my teen could eat super noodles for every meal and the amount of biscuits they’ve eaten is unreal. I think I’m going to keep up our local veg delivery as I’ve been really impressed by that. I think the thing I’m struggling with is how to plan to keep them all occupied over a possible winter lockdown, the weather is gorgeous at the minute which has made the whole thing a lot easier.

OP posts:
UnholyStramash · 22/04/2020 15:08

Keep on top of the housework. I’m now shielding and trying to sort a too tiny living space with 100s of books that have no home (bookcases are full), too much clutter I’m slowly working through, clothes in 3 sizes too. Main problem in this room is there’s no room for a chair and the light’s inadequate for knitting in the evenings. Ideally I’d like a new chair with good back and head support, but initially I’m looking forward to bringing a small armchair in. Sitting or lying on the bed knitting isn’t great, sitting on the floor is painful too. My health problems mean the clear out is going in fits and starts. I envisage my shielding status continuing for quite some time and I’m determined to make the best of it.

TatianaBis · 22/04/2020 15:13

Prepping and stockpiling are essentially the same thing.

Preppers are just longer term moderate stockpilers.

Verily1 · 22/04/2020 15:16

Crisps and chocolate- I can’t believe how much the kids have gone through!

Kljnmw3459 · 22/04/2020 15:19

A garden! A Kingdom for a garden! Living in a flat with young kids is not ideal during lockdown. Especially when the weather is beautiful.

Frangipanini · 22/04/2020 15:20

Prepping and stockpiling are essentially the same thing.

Yes, lets all buy nothing when the shelves are bursting and instead all pile into Tesco and Waitrose on the eve of the next lockdown instead Hmm

PrimalLass · 22/04/2020 15:22

Possibly an exercise bike and an actual bike. Keep buying huge sacks of rice - not bothered about pasta. Will try and get the garden sorted properly when out of lockdown.

Also - lose weight.

TatianaBis · 22/04/2020 15:23

Which is the simply the difference between long term and short term stockpiling.

TatianaBis · 22/04/2020 15:23

^ @Frangipanini

FabulouslyFab · 22/04/2020 15:23

I need a trip to the tip as soon as possible and to invest in

  1. an office chair
  2. blue hair dye (everyone must be going blue just now!!)
  3. birdseed if we are looking like going to lockdown over the winter
  4. oil filled radiator if I’m going to be home all day - 7 yo mid terrace with the coldest outside wall ever and rather random central heating. I think I need that even if we don’t go into lockdown.... 😁
Porcupineinwaiting · 22/04/2020 15:24

I'll carry on prepping. For those who think it unnecessary, our family went into self isolation on the 17th March when I got sick and have stayed that way for 4.5 weeks as dh started showing symptoms 10 days after me and ds1 a week after him. If we hadn't had good food reserves in it would have been pretty grim - friends and neighbours have been great topping up milk and bread, and fetching prescriptions and the butcher delivers but expecting people to do a full food shop for a family of 4 on top of their own is too much.

StrawberryJam200 · 22/04/2020 15:28

Some really interesting thoughts on here, thank you. If I cleared all the stuff out of the garage and bought a full size table tennis / snooker table would it actually get my teen DS to move.and.put.down.his.screens......?

• Jobs that require workmen to come into the house.
• Male hair clipping course (maybe online?)
• keep in touch with charities I support and find out what they need those of us who are safe and well to do, to help them carry on their work going into subsequent lockdowns. Yes maybe setting up a few small direct debits if possible, but what else do they need? Publicity/resources/planning for next closure of offices?

My children have both got birthdays coming up and have asked for tech upgrades which will make lockdown learning and communicating easier. Fair enough: am so thankful that I'm not facing the financial pressures which I know many are at this time.

I think it may be a mistake to assume that life will go back to "normal" for a few months before a second lockdown. Eg I doubt supermarkets will just instantly allow loads of new customers to register? They know what the game is now. Whether they'd charge heavily for registering or simply not allow it because they've had enough problems supplying their current first lockdown customers, I have no idea. Thanks to the PP who explained why the JIT model isn't going to be transformed in a few months.

The other thing, actually much more important than any of the above, that I'd encourage anyone who's never considered it before to do, is to think about what happens when you die. Not the will or provision for your children or what music you'd like at a funeral, but what you believe happens to your soul. (See here for some ideas and answers I agree with, although obviously I know that many other views are held:
www.churchofengland.org/life-events/funerals/after-funeral/big-questions

CuriousaboutSamphire · 22/04/2020 15:30

I'm another who was prepped. Though I hadn't really heard it called that until here, recently.

We lived very rurally for years, needed candles etc for the pretty regular blackouts. When we moved here, a small market town, I just carried on as I had been.

So, whilst shopping for next door and buying fresh for us, I have been adding small amounts of whatever has reappeared on the shelves, like tins of tomatoes.

My bottom cupboards are no more or less empty than they have ever been.

Pasghetti · 22/04/2020 15:41

I will be getting more trainers and trackie bottoms as I've learned that I can pretty much live in them and I'm also exercising a lot more now that I'm not having to commute to work every day.

Another regular lurker on the Brexit prep threads and I'm so grateful for them. We are eating the dried goods I bought in Jan 2019. I am cross that a few bits had past their BB dates in Jan or Feb 2020 so I am eating what is still good and planning a better storage rotation system so it doesn't happen again. I was also well stocked on san pro, loo roll, paracetamol etc but got caught out with some items like sun creams.

I also will upgrade our tech when I can but holding fire so I can support local shops rather than Amazon. So new phone, tablet and TV which means there is a spare of each for DCs to use.

I am missing small things like nice shower gel so I will get a decent stockpile of it.

CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 22/04/2020 15:42

Buy a proper computer desk and chair.
Get the boiler serviced.
Gradually build up the supply of non perishable food, cleaning stuff and toiletries again. We’re usually pretty well stocked but some things we’ve run low on have been difficult to get or are more expensive.
Haircuts for all.
Start Christmas shopping a bit earlier than usual.

showerdodger · 22/04/2020 15:46

Prepping and stockpiling are essentially the same thing.

That's why I think.

I've seen a lot of posters say they just bought an extra pasta here or an extra tin there but how does that equate to providing enough food for 3 meals a day for months on end? Where does everyone store it?

I don't have room for the below

What will you do to prepare for any future lockdown?
TatianaBis · 22/04/2020 15:46

I am cross that a few bits had past their BB dates in Jan or Feb 2020

They’ll still be fine!

showerdodger · 22/04/2020 15:46

what

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 22/04/2020 15:48

I doubt there are going to be any future 'lockdowns' precluding a global war or another fast-spreading pandemic such as this (it's not really a lockdown in any case; supplies are still on the move and shops still accessible).

First up, it's more a case of what I won't start doing. My hairdresser was joking me about how terrible some women were going to feel when their normal practice is to invest money in fillers, botox, acrylic nails etc, and what on earth they were going to look/feel like when this was all over! Admittedly my roots and hair will look terrible, but none of the others are a concern. I was playing with the idea of having fillers (not Botox) but in the wake of this situation, have changed my mind. All very superficial, unimportant stuff I know!

As to the preppers. Looking back at my childhood, my grandparents would always have fallen into this category. The cupboard under the stairs was always neatly stacked with a LOT of tinned food, and there was an additional chest freezer in one of the bedrooms. They will have lived through rationing, so I do kind of see the reasoning.

My DH is no prepper, but he does have a wind-up radio and torch, stored together. Since DC was born we always have an adequate store of medicines and a first aid kit. Beyond that, we are not real preppers (and DH is by no means as tidy or organized as my Gran!)

As from now, I think we'll have a 'beer fridge' in the garage - will always keep frozen spinach, vegetables etc., and a separate store of non-perishables. A back-storage of tinned tomatoes is always useful, as they're the sort of thing that always gets used. I've never understood the panic about the rocking horse shit AKA bog roll. I have never and will never be a 'stock piler'.

I like the treadmill idea. We do have an exercise bike, which has been a life-saver since the gym and local riding stables shut.

Anyone else jealous as hell of anyone with a hot tub? Envy

Keepdistance · 22/04/2020 15:53

Re technology amazon fire stick might make a tv into a smart one?
I have been surprised at the amount of school printing.

I want to buy compost and strawberry plants.
Im going to get more storage boxes.
Tbh it would have been hard to prep before as apart from food it was hard to see what shops would be shut

bellinisurge · 22/04/2020 15:56

Preppers aren't panic buyers. Getting very lame and out of date to keep insisting they are.
I'm a general prepper so it's all pretty much the same to me. Trying not to piss myself laughing at the people who said "I'll just get an online delivery " because that would be unkind of me. WinkGrin
I'm getting my little veg garden going as usual and canning, freezing and dehydrating anything that doesn't get used immediately from the click and collect shopping we can only book if we are lucky.
I already have loads of yeast and bread flour and was given a breadmaker as an anniversary present .

JeSuisPoulet · 22/04/2020 15:59

Not at all jealous of hot tubs - I always think of them as a kind of skin cell and sex bacterial stew tub (makes my tummy churn a bit thinking of using one on a holiday home where couples have obviously been using it for "romantic getaways" fir example)!

I think I'd get another dog if we have longer lockdowns. Ours would love a playmate now we can only do 1 walk a day.

Inkpaperstars · 22/04/2020 16:11

I don't think I will be stocking up on food or toiletries much as I live in a small flat and even just getting a bit ahead in our shopping has left us tripping over stuff. I don't find we have needed it either, this lockdown hasn't been as bad in terms of getting supplies as I feared. It's been more stressful getting things for relatives who are isolating and don't live nearby though, but so far we have managed to keep them in supplies.

nagynolonger · 22/04/2020 16:15

I have seriously thought about getting some chickens.

I really worry about a winter lock down. The thought of the power going off does bother me. Therefore batteries and candles. I would get a landline too if I didn't already have one.

The supermarkets should act to stop panic buying. There was plenty of all most everything. Just selfish idiots made it difficult.

Hingeandbracket · 22/04/2020 16:15

Buy bog roll and shares in Bog roll companies

Yesterdayforgotten · 22/04/2020 16:16

I dont like threads like this as I feel they panic people and this is what causes food shortages.