So all the 'non essential moaners' what do you class as non essential

[HoppingOnSteppingStones]

Because I've just been to tesco and brought a kettle. I've just had a bloke when I was stood in front to pay. Mumble about an 'essential kettle'

Did he know why I had to buy it. Did he plums!
It's not so I can go home and have a relaxing cuppa. Its so I can make formula for my baby. Because last night our kettle went bang!
We had to get hot water off the neighbour for this mornings bottle so I could then run to grab one.

What's essential to some isn't to others.

Yes I think there's prob a fine line but I wish people wouldn't judge

@Springersrock

I had visions of you standing in a rainswept field in Barbour and muckieboots , with a silver tray , lifting the lid and saying "Or would Modom prefer a banana daiquiri?"

Modom does not go out in the rain . She thinks she might melt.

What kind of slave do you think I am

Plus, she has an expensive out of hours vet call out addiction, I can’t afford Barbour

I went to the shop solely to buy Angostura bitters the other day.

^Gin can never be too pink, FKAT
It was for an Old-Fashioned. grin^

What's more I took my youngest with me, instead of leaving them unsupervised at home like apparently you're supposed to.

You really are determined to kill us all, aren't you?!

Sorry bold and italics fails right left and centre.

I am ashamed . . .

I went to the same supermarket twice yesterday.
The second time, I went in with my husband.
So I've broken two of the made up rules.

Why?
Because I'd had a panic attack and abandoned the earlier trip and felt I needed to go back so that it doesn't turn into a bigger thing.
I'm mid 40s and I've never had a panic attack prior to April last year.

Isn’t the point not really about what essential items are but essential trips out.

We all need to limit our trips out so we stay at home more and limit our contacts.

Buying a kettle as part of the weekly Sainsbury’s shop doesn’t add to contacts. Making an extra trip to the corner shop for a packet of crisps does add to social contacts.

Apart from going to work and for 1 exercise outing a day, lots of people can avoid any outings most days.

The trouble is, people go to the shops or the garden centre or for a takeaway coffee becaus they are a bit bored and want an outing. We just have to get used to considering if we need to go out and choosing to stay in more.

You should have got this one.

God, I am sick of the self congratulation by people who can only maintain their level of isolation thanks to the millions of us who have had no choice but to continue going to workout throughout the pandemic.

My son is autistic. He will ONLY eat one specific item of food, and drink one specific drink (I won't name, too outing). For us, if I nip to the shops for those items they are essential. But to others looking in who don't have a clue what goes on behind closed doors they would assume I was just buying 'picky bits' (sorry couldn't resist. I actually was pro the picky bits lady) and I'm sure I'd be heavily judged.

Be kind people, you never know the full story. Try not to always assume the worst

We have maraschino cherries that were a Supermarket substitution when deliveries were really bad and we were sincerely grateful for any sort of food arriving (shielding). As we happened to have 2 bottles of bitters (one from the plant in Trinidad from years back), we then acquired some bourbon and some sugar cubes to make old fashioneds . (and lots of ginger beer and grenadine to make mocktails for the kids).

We don't often have cocktails, I just love the idea that we can if we feel like it. The idea of it, the frivolous ingredients just being to hand, is fun and makes me feel less trapped by circumstance.

@Secretsquirrelsbuddy

Is alcohol essential???? For some it is. For some it isn’t. Is bottled water an essential if we all have taps.

It’s debatable. People need to focus more on staying safe when shopping not what people are buying.

In aus bottle shops were allowed to stay open as they essentials for alcoholics and the risk of them not getting their fix can be deadly

People who complain about this kind of thing are simply a bit thick. If I'm doing my weekly food shop in a big supermarket, what on earth difference does it make whether I buy a kettle or not?

Going on a shopping trip or going into a specific shop just for non-essential items is not on. But if a shop you need to go in is selling non-essential items, you are allowed to buy them fgs!

Oh and anyway, a kettle is pretty much essential, even if you went into Tesco for just that.

If you think £40 is some kind of boast, then you're not a very charitable person. I am not a high earner. In fact, my own income since the pandemic started has been below the tax threshold.

I'm clearly not very charitable then, I donate 6 quid a month to the donkey sanctuary!

Don't give him any head space. You went and got what you needed.

This.

Non- essential items are like going to a shop and getting a bottle of wine only and not amongst your other shop but I still wouldn’t moan or get annoyed about it as I don’t know the circumstances.

What a total twat that man is. You should have told him you'd lend him your new kettle to go boil his head ha ha.

I bought some post-it notes in Sainsburys today and not much else.

Blame me for the entire pandemic. Must be my fault!

@Stellaris22

A kettle is definitely essential.

As a supermarket worker I would say the single packet of crisps at 10pm probably isn't!

Might be to someone who hasn't eaten all day and can't afford anything else...

@ChocOrange1

The people who complain about essentials are ridiculous. If you dig down deep enough, pretty much nothing we have is essential. I bet that man had in his trolley plenty of items which he could live without - any drink except water could be deemed non essential, any "luxury" food item e.g. crisps, biscuits, yogurts, ham, butter, jam. Any cosmetics, deodorant, shampoo or shower gel. We can live without these things. But it wouldn't be a good quality of life would it.

People seem to forget that enjoying life is not "essential" but very few would be happy to live that way.

Yup- I agree.

Isnt it funny how when its something THEY want its "essential"- yet when its something someone else wants its suddenly non essential.

Funny that!

If it's sold in a shop allowed to open and sell it then it's deemed as essential regardless.

What yanks my chain is my friend whose version of "stay at home" is to go shopping 5-6 times per week. Fair enough , some people rely on bargains and reductions etc but my friend doesn't and she finds an excuse to go to the shops constantly!

@HoppingOnSteppingStones

Yes I do have a hob but I sure as shit am Not standing over a hot pan waiting forever for it to boil when I have a baby that needs feeding screaming in the small hours or in fact any time of the day then pissing about pouring it into a bottle!

If it was just for a cuppa or whatever then I'd happily go without.

And it didn't bother my neighbour at all. We're very good friends have been for about 18 years.

So you went to the neighbour in the small hours rather than boil a pan of water? I smell BS ... So you bought a kettle in Tesco which was open anyway, not a problem but why make up the whole neighbour hot water scenario? BS

Surely you meant bought a kettle, not brought?

As a family full of autism a lot of things are more essential to us than to the average person. Food wise I only eat select food due to digestion and allergies we also have a vegetarian in the house. I was questioned in Morrisons during the first lockdown why I was buying 1 bag of chicken nuggets, 1 bag of gluten free nuggets and one veggie nuggets, because the staff member claimed this wasn't allowed as they were all nuggets and I'd have to chose one. She couldn't get that we couldn't all just eat one kind. The same with sausages etc. Funniest one was when she confronted an elderly couple telling them they couldn't buy washing up liquid alongside hand sanitiser because it as restricted to one cleaning product if they were similar. Thankfully we got sorted out after we got the manager involved.

Some of the more essential things to us is Lamb Chops, garden mirinade, cream cheese and sweetcorn. That's the sole ingredients of one autistic diet in our house. Another thing we have to buy buy wouldn't be considered essential by others is notepads. My young son needs them and would literally panic and be I'll if I didn't have them. We go through 4-5 a month and he has to get the same ones all the time.
Another is elastic bands, a stress reducer that limits autistic self harm, again we use loads and also bath bombs and stress balls/fidget toys.

A few weeks ago I had to get new plates, we were down to two in the house one of which has a chip. I'm known as a plate smasher. I have siezures and often drop plates or break them when washing up or moving around with them. I was also told last lockdown that clothes and shoes were not essential in Asda yet my son had grown 2 sizes in shoes and his clothes were tiny on him. We ended up having to order online by that time he'd been stuck in the house literally wearing pants for days because nothing fitted him. He has growth spurts.

I mean I certainly think you’re more than entitled to go and buy a kettle And i wouldn't judge or comment. I actually
Don’t check or concern myself with what other people are buying... I do find it odd though that you had to go to the neighbours for hot water... I mean... water can be boiled
On the stove too or the microwave... 🤔.

You could have just boiled a saucepan of water.

Im one of those folk that don't go anywhere... But I do work in a shop, low and behold I've caught covid and I spent a few nights in hospital. Totally young and healthy and completely floored me. Believe me.... If anyone dares come to my till when I'm back at work with a silly cushion and a rug I'm going to whack then round the head with it for being so dam stupid and putting us, who have to work in a shop and don't get furloughed at risk. You really don't understand until you catch it.

I saw someone suggest that places like b&q should be for contractors only - that would be us buggered with several lights popping and 2 toilet light switch pull cords snap in a week! We needed them quickly and couldn’t wait for how long the postal system might take!