To ask if anyone is considering stockpiling

[Ninoo25]

Just that really, given that the government asking industry to stockpile food and medicines has been all over the news in the past week, I was wondering how many people are planning on stockpiling themselves and if so what are you going to stockpile and how much?
TBH my main concern is long term medication that I’m on, but as it’s only available on prescription and Dr wouldn’t let me order more than I need, so there’s nothing I can do about that anyway!

whymewhyme If everyone goes out and bulk buys loads of stuff right now, then there might be a shortage... but if people just add in a few extras to their weekly shop and grows a small-medium sized pile of non-perishables over time then there won't be a problem.

Besides, there are enough people out there who seem to think being prepared for any kind of emergency situation (including illness, powercuts, bad weather etc.) is batshit crazy that there's more likely to be shortages if something does happen and these people all go out and panic buy then!

Good thinking @Gabilan . For what it's worth, crazy preppers like me don't bother buying loads of bread. You buy the stuff to make bread.

There won't be rioting, at least where I live, so I have no plans to up security or buy a firearm for me to shoot myself in the foot with (I'm a terrible shot!). If my entire village rioted, there would be room for all of them in a small police van (especially given that half the population of my village lives in my house and none of them would dare riot).

As for the rest, I can guarantee that there will be food shortages where I live, or I won't be able to get out to get to the shop. So the very worst that can happen is that I don't have to buy non-perishable foods for a while- excellent if it happens, because I really hate food shopping.

Whymewhyme how do you work out there’ll be a shortage is everyone prepares and stockpiles?

If everyone stockpiles the same things at the same time then there would be a shortage, but that's unlikely, surely?

Supermarkets have already prepared for this Dribble . Sales of canned and ambient goods up 2.7% already. Spam on offer at Aldi

Private business can not afford to be so unprepared.

Austerity and the rise in the far right are linked.

The harder someone’s life is, the more likely they are to adopt far right views.

@PestymcPestFace Hate spam. Not bothering with it ... corned beef, on the other hand, I love. With baked beans and sweet potato mash.

Sea

fullfact.org/europe/does-most-uk-trade-happen-outside-eu-and-trade-agreements/

www.adas.uk/News/agricultural-trade-arrangements-with-eu-and-non-eu-countries

@eightfacesofthemoon
Hate to point this out
But most people live in towns. Or cities with huge motorways and A roads etc

Hate to point this out but I actually said that I would be ADDING to my stockpile because of Brexit. In simple English, the stockpile would be first and then other items would be added to it because of the Brexit omnishambles. I didn't think it was so difficult to understand.

Incidentally, I live within 4 miles of a major A road leading to the intersection of several of Scotland's motorways, 8 miles from another motorway in the other direction, 3/4 mile from a major village, 5 miles from a large town and 30 miles from the capital. I really don't see the relevance of an old report on another country to my concerns.

I remember the power rationing of the three-day week in the 1970s and having to do homework by candlelight; my cousins had a paraffin lamp. We still had open fires for heating in a lot of homes. There were regular shortages as the distribution system was gey shoogly. My mother and grandmother did a lot of preserving and there were vegetable gardens as a norm. People's pantries had a larger stock of tins usually too.

Well I wasn't stockpiling, but somehow I bought 3 extra bags of pasta and 3 cartons of passata to 'put away'. DH thinks I'm bonkers but I do like the idea of gradually making a supply. If I don't need it, great.

That's the idea @Theimpossiblegirl .

Good for you, Theimpossiblegirl. If you were to take ill, would be buy in the basics? What if he of you have your hours cut in work? What if there’s a ‘blip’ in food supplies, while things are put in place during Brexit? It’s not about preparing for the ends of times, it’s about having, as an earlier poster said, a ‘cushion to fall back on’. It does give a sense of security and smugness, that you haven’t to sludge through heavy snow/rain to buy the basics 😬

Obvious question, if people stockpile, which is their choice, what happens when that stockpile runs out and there are still shortages?

@EngTech - which is why I am a prepper. But I think that concept freaks people out so I encourage people to go for the standard 3 day supply. Better something than nothing. Hopefully, after a few days, the government will have a better idea or the system will naturally right itself.

@EngTech if it looks like shortages will be prolonged, I plan to keep buying a maintenance quantity of food when it's available to eke it out.

At least stockpiling will give me a buffer and then hopefully enough time for the government to sort out supplies or a rationing system.

FWIW I always thought people prepping for the apocalypse or similar were mildly barmy.

I can't believe I'm planning to join their ranks.

EngTech, you've hit the nail on the head. Individual stockpiling only gives a bit of leeway for the government to finally stop playing Russian roulette with our economic stability and come up with a WORKABLE plan.

If they still can't manage that before everyone's stockpiles run out, we've only managed to put off the deep shit phase for a bit longer.

@EngTech - I preserve food other than in the freezer- dehydrating and vacuum sealing: meat and veg. I grow veg in my tiny garden. I also do what the Americans call canning- I imported a pressure canner a while ago.
All saves space instead of stockpiling.
But that is a prepper thing- NOT essential for everyone. I am NOT suggesting people need to do this.

Stockpile if you want, but it won't be necessary.

This is just Project Fear Pt.2 trying to soften us up to accept a BRINO deal by terrifying everybody ... well, lots of people... that WTO will be a disaster. Which it won't.

Not for us, anyway. Maybe for the Germans and French, but that's their lookout.

The UK government is talking about stockpiling and asking industry to bail them out of their terrible decision making.

Which products would it be a good idea to stockpile? I might consider doing this.

Long life stuff - pasta, porridge, tinned foods, noodles etc

Lisabel stuff you are likely to eat that has a long shelf life. Not silly large quantities, enough to get you through a rough couple of weeks. Tins of toms, pasta, long life milk. Imagine a wine box full of stuff, like you might take to a holiday cottage for a week in April. Stuff you wish you had had during the snow.