To ask if you have prepped for the second wave

[Oldbagface]

Have you been buying a few extras with each shop in anticipation?

I notice many items are already out of stock online.

What sort of things have you been putting away.

We have bought the odd extras with each shop e.g. tinned tomatoes, pasta, loo roll and baking powder.

We have loads of flour anyway as buy in bulk for our bread maker.

Oh, and chocolates for Christmas.

@CrunchyCarrot other people stockpiling doesn't bother me but I don't do it myself and I've never needed help from anyone I'm not vulnerable so I could still go out to the supermarket, it wasn't like there wasn't anything on the shelves at all. I can live without pasta for a few weeks. Silly to suggest that people will be asking for "help".

SockYarn it's you that's in a frenzy, not the preppers. I'm not selfish for ensuring that as a shielder, a lone parent, and home schooling 3 always hungry dc at various points, along with an elderly vulnerable mum, that I have enough to keep us all going and that mum has the same as I do her shopping online with mine. Neither of us drive so I either stick it in the old buggy and walk the 1.2 miles uphill to her or send it in a taxi. Why does it bother you so much what other people have in their cupboards? Speaking of cupboards, I have one really crappy cupboard that's only partly accessible without stocking my head round the corner of it and using a torch and that's why I made the under stairs cupboard into a pantry like my beloved grandmother used to have. I think those who lived through the war naturally kept a well stocked pantry, relief less on prepared food, and didn't shop half as often. Before I prepped I'd be at the shops daily for something or other. Now I use what we have and our food supply is one thing less I have to worry about.

[quote Waxonwaxoff0]@CrunchyCarrot other people stockpiling doesn't bother me but I don't do it myself and I've never needed help from anyone I'm not vulnerable so I could still go out to the supermarket, it wasn't like there wasn't anything on the shelves at all. I can live without pasta for a few weeks. Silly to suggest that people will be asking for "help".[/quote]
When stock down initially happened, it was when shops were fully stocked and the supply chain was fully functioning.

Since then many countries around the world have had lockdowns including some countries shutting down factories,
Countries around the world have suffered deaths and ill health so some of the workforce may have been decimated - especially in poorer countries where health care is non existent.
Some factories /suppliers may have had to furlough staff/cut down in production etc due to financial reasons
Brexit is looming which means the supply chain will most likely be disrupted due to transit and border issues
Poor harvest last around the world will lead to less availability and probably an increase in prices.

All of these reasons mean the next time we are hit by high deaths and everyone panics it won’t be as easy for supermarkets to restock and so you won’t be able to ‘pop’ to the supermarket whenever you like as shelves are most likely to be even emptied than march!!

Despite my prepping, I still relied a lot on local help networks and friends during lockdown.

I hate, hate, hate being so dependent. My toes would curl & my stomach would clench every time I asked.

So yes, I've prepped, and no, I'm not sorry.

Yes, I have. I am single parent with a disability and no car. Local supermarket half an hours walk away. I tried doing the shop there back in March and it was impossible. Buses don't run there and I'm iffy about taking a taxi, aside from the cost.

So, yes, I've tightened the belt as far as it would go and bought things to fill gaps since earlier in the year.

Also very much aware if we needed to self-isolate for two weeks, or if I were ill, the last thing I would want to do is shop and hopefully nutritious food helps stave off illness.

And I shop online too, several flights of stairs to cart the stuff up to now as deliveries won't come in the building anymore.

I darent buy Xmas chocolate yet....I’ll eat it all for sure!

@SockYarn The ONLY option is stockpiling, potentially to the detriment of lots of other families, in worse situations

How would buying a little extra over a period of several weeks/moneths be detrimental to others? Are you confusing stockpiling with bulk panic buying?

MN privilege showing again. Some people literally live week to week, not everyone can afford to have a 2 week stash in.

So how does it help those who by necessity live from week to week if they are competing in the supermarket with those who don’t have to?

I’ve had a low key interest in prepping for a few years, since Brexit reared its ugly head. I can say categorically that I have never encountered a single instance of preppers berating posters for not doing the same as they do, despite regularly being on the receiving end of the swearing, insults and condescension we have seen on this thread.

And I’m presuming those who don’t believe in forethought only buy their Christmas presents and food on Christmas Eve?

months

@Angrymum22 - We all know that the shops will not close and will not run out of anything.

It's actually not the case that nothing ran out. For many months strong bread flour was only available in big sacks from bakeries, fresh yeast in big packets. The only toothpaste DS will use without whingeing was out of stock from May until early September; I checked every shop online. My coffee was frequently out of stock April to July. Hellman's olive oil mayo and Haliborange liquid vitamins are still out of stock everywhere since March. Many food items also got more expensive with no deals on. Supermarkets couldn't keep up with stocking shelves of toilet rolls, tins or even fresh food. There was and will be food of some type always available at a price, but lets not rewrite history here and pretend everything is always available.

Just to say for those who may order at tesco put 'aldi price match' into the search box. Cuts down on costs quite a bit.

@MilesJuppIsMyBitch

In fact, people should only fill their bird-feeders with one days worth of bird-seed, in the case the bastard birds SELFISHLY STOCKPILE. Greedy, feathery cocks.

Some posters on this thread should get together with the ones who during lockdown berated anyone who went to the shops more than once a fortnight (I will never forget the use cheese instead of milk post). They could have quite the bunfight.

I inadvertently have a massive stash of bog roll. I have a pack of 16 from amazon on a subscribe and save regular order.

Earlier this month they delivered 96 rolls instead of 16. I'm not sure how my order got changed. Unfortunately it wasnt me who answered the door to the delivery driver to spot the error before delivery was accepted.

But at least we wont need to get any from our local small supermarket for a long time

(Must remember to cancel next months Amazon delivery)

Some posters on this thread should get together with the ones who during lockdown berated anyone who went to the shops more than once a fortnight (I will never forget the use cheese instead of milk post). They could have quite the bunfight

Aah maybe thats the problem.

I mean wtf else is there to do all day but spy on your neighbours, time their walks and and report them for buying Easter eggs.

I’ve been trying to stockpile Aldi’s sea salt dark chocolate since I tried it a couple of weeks ago and found it delicious. But in every store I’ve tried it’s been the only one not o the shelf

In all seriousness, we keep a good stick of everything in due to living rurally and having experienced being cut off in previous winters. Like another poster, we’ve just not run down over the summer this year.

We did buy a few extra treaty store cupboard things this week, in anticipation and to spread the cost for DC1’s birthday next week.

^ I've rather developed a taste for it.

I can understand feeling a flash of resentment when reading about pantries etc if you don't have those things. God knows my own resentments have been flashing left, right and centre in MN in the last few months, and I've not always been the calmest.

What I don't understand is then jumping straight to shouting at people for doing something you can't do, even though it does you no harm.

Shops log what they sell and increase/decrease stock according to demand. No-one is losing out if you buy an extra bag of rice on the odd week.

Definitely won’t be stock piling.

Didn’t last time and dependant on when and where I went shopping got virtually everything I went in for.

Also I think the 2nd wave was in March.
I think the first wave was in December January time.

I think this winter will bring the 3rd wave.

I am hoping that lots of people will get the mild form of it and by next Spring we will be in a better position to return to normal

The only reasons that the shelves were ransacked in March was panic buying.

There wouldn’t have been shortages if people had not panicked or bought those extra few bits

There wouldn’t have been shortages if people had not panicked or bought those extra few bits

Or if sensible limits had been applied sooner. They were perfectly happy to sell the stuff.

No didn’t prep the first time either .

The only reasons that the shelves were ransacked in March was panic buying

Agreed, but stockpiling and panic buying aren't the same thing.

It's interesting, the level of ire some people have towards even the idea of prepping/making sure you have food and supplies in the house. The fact that we did meant we were able to offer e.g. toilet rolls and painkillers and eggs (chickens at home) and flour to various people earlier this year, and avoided supermarkets for weeks. Just in time is taken so for granted by some isn't it. I'm repeating myself but I do worry a lot about what we are going to see in January when it inevitably (at this point) breaks. Bad things can and do happen. Where does a psychological aversion to preparing for them come from?

I get that some can't afford to. But if I can, and that helps me help others, again, why shouldn't I?

We are doing a prepared shop today. We did last time (about 2 weeks before everyone else did) and it lasted us through all of lockdown (dried foods, toiletries, wet wipes, cleaning supplies etc) we plan to do the same again now we've used our supplies up.

Where does everyone put all this stuff.

Do you have spare kitchen cabinets just in case you think you need to stockpile