Will you be disappointed if Brexit goes smoothly

[Tawdrylocalbrouhaha]

Genuine question to the Preppers - how will you feel if Brexit goes through with no significant shortages or civil unrest? Will you heave a sigh of relief and sleep better at night, or feel a tiny bit flat and disappointed?

It's the slightly excited tone of some of the Prepper threads that has me wondering this. As if having a reason to hoard is fulfilling some squirrelesque instinct, which my be thwarted if the hoards prove unnecessary?

Fucking stunning that people still expect Brexit to go well.

They don't. It's all a front. Pride comes above all else!

Very relieved! But I seriously doubt it will. I dont think it's going to be apocalyptic or anything... but I do think prices will go up slightly and some foods wont be available for the time being.

I'm worried about my mortgage mostly.

I'm not really a prepper.

I've always been an "old-fashioned" thrifty-buyer-of-offers, meal-planning, batch-cooking, well-stocked-pantry, stock-rotating type (probably because my family went through some very difficult times when I was in my early teens, and so I learned from my mother how to run a household on a shoestring). Similarly, I grew up in an area with fairly frequent powercuts, so I have habitually kept candles and matches.

Therefore in readiness for SunlitUplandsDay, all I've done is slightly increased my pre-existing stocks which consist of things we know we're going to use anyway, which I did very gradually, starting months ago.

Will I be disappointed if unicorns farting gold bullion come cantering over the horizon on SunlitUplandsDay? Why on earth would I? I'd be fucking delighted.

And I'll simply have lower shopping bills during the period in which we consume those "things we were going to use anyway^.

I'll be very very relieved as I'll be able to get the medication I rely on. It's made in the UK, but some ingredients are imported. I'm stocking up on food and toiletries, so if it all goes wonderfully, my shopping spend is reduced for a few months.

I mean, Chris Grayling is in charge of import traffic - it would be crazy not to prep!

I’d be very relieved. The food stash would be eaten or donated to a food bank. The medicines stockpile would remain at its current level because I expect DH’s medicines to be subject to shortages regardless of Brexit.

However, I expect the best case (WA) to involve price rises in the short term and shortages in the longer term as the end of the WA term approaches.

So no, I won’t regret being prepared. I may regret not being more prepared.

I'll be relieved if I don't have to use my stockpile - but then again I don't really expect to have to use it. My main worries about brexit are about significant devaluation of the pound coupled with massive falls in house values. These would wipe out the savings and equity I've worked all my life to build. There's nothing much I can do to prevent these things but building a little stockpile of food and medicines is one thing I can do to make it feel like I have a tiny bit of control over what is happening. It's a way of comforting myself and trying to feel a little better about a horrible and frightening situation. I suspect this is true for many people whether we realise it or not.

I think even those of us with a sizeable stash put away over a long period of time are still thinking "Surely I'm being ridiculous and we won't need all this? Surely it hasn't come to this?" It defies belief really.

My main worries about brexit are about significant devaluation of the pound coupled with massive falls in house values. These would wipe out the savings and equity I've worked all my life to build.

Likewise! So I'm thinking to move my savings to Euros, but the food prepping still puzzles me.

I would love Brexit to go well.

I would love to make my Humble Pie and eat it.

I would love to be able to say “we preppers were wrong.”

But it won’t and we won’t.

I have bought a few extra tins/pasta/rice/painkillers/toiletries in my shop since December. Nothing that we wouldn't ordinarily use.

But I can't prep to counteract my main concern (economic hit leading to greater austerity and further public spending cuts and job losses).

If Brexit goes well (not quite sure how a "good Brexit" should be defined or at what stage we will be able to fully assess its impact) then I will be very happy and content to acknowledge that others were more able to evaluate the benefits.

I'm worried and frankly I have enough to worry about without this. I'm not looking to score points.

Why is food prepping puzzling?

I'd be delighted, relieved and surprised - but I won't start deciding that things are going well for at least a month after Brexit - much will depend on how long it takes any disruption to filter through or ease up. I've bought the same things I would normally buy, but I have twice the usual amount in the cupboard, so I will probably have about a 2 week supply of food. I live in a rural area and if fuel supplies are disrupted (as in 2005) then I won't be able to get to a supermarket and the local shops may well run low on popular items.

I don't understand why those who are pro Brexit get so cross with those of us who aren't - you're getting what you wanted. How does it hurt you if I have four tins of tomatoes in my cupboard instead of two? It's not as though we've all suddenly gone and cleared all the food out of the shops - in fact cautious planning will prevent exactly that.

but the food prepping still puzzles me.

If you still don’t get it, after reading all the explanations, I’m surprised you’ve the ability to survive winter, never mind Brexit! Sheesh! 🤯

I've always been an "old-fashioned" thrifty-buyer-of-offers, meal-planning, batch-cooking, well-stocked-pantry, stock-rotating type (probably because my family went through some very difficult times when I was in my early teens

This is my mum and dad. Lived through the war as children so as my mum says, "could live on the cupboards for a month". Very sensible and reassuring.

Why is food prepping puzzling?

It suggests a belief that all the shelves will be empty and a) I've not seen anything to suggest this will be the case and b) if it were the case, presumably down to civil chaos, the small amounts being stored would not amount to much.

However this may explain it:

How does it hurt you if I have four tins of tomatoes in my cupboard instead of two? See I always have four tins of tomatoes etc - if that counts as prepping I'm in. I was thinking gallons of oil and sacks of rice, which seems a step too far.

Well, actually I genuinely have a 10kg sack of rice. This, however, is because I'm of East Asian ethnicity and I always buy rice in a 10kg sack. But you are welcome to include this in your "step too far" roster, if you like, I don't mind in the slightest

+- if that counts as prepping I'm in.*

It counts as regular prepping. For the more specialised sort,you want the Preppers board.

Although I do have 20kg of rice. What can I say - we go through a lot and it’s cheaper in bulk.

You really haven't seen any of the warnings about food shortages in the case of No Deal? Toilet roll shortages?

Ever seen the shelves stripped in panic before Christmas or snow?

Not saying there will be absolutely nothing in the shops, but fresh stuff will not be able to be replenished like it is now.

Then when the fresh stuff isn't there, people will buy the tinned or frozen, only now that can't be replenished easily either. And then people see empty shelves and think, ooh I'd better buy more of what is left...

www.businessinsider.com/brexit-uk-food-companies-increasingly-scared-about-no-deal-theresa-may-2019-1?r=US&IR=T

its quite astonishing that brexiteers dont know what is going on. you have to wonder where they get their information from. the food and drinks industry are hugely worried op - and not because of civil chaos.

as i said before im not a great prepper, but i can completely understand people who are.

What you seem to be saying is small amounts will be ineffective but you approve. Large amounts are weird. That seems contradictory.

I always buy rice and oil in bulk. I have a sack of Basmati and one of Jasmine. We could unhappily live on them for quite some time. Plus a flat of tomatoes, tins of beans and so on. It doesn't actually take a lot.

I'm an actual prepper who doesn't have gallons of oil etc. That's not really what uk Preppers do.

Well the small amounts are basically a weekly shop, so nothing odd about it, but it won't see you through an apocalypse (and if your weekly shop includes a sack of rice that's not odd either). But I've seen threads like "Show us yer stash! Pics included!" which seem to be preparing for a total absence of food, but wouldn't go far if that eventuality were to occur.

Luckily I still don't think it will, but we can review that in 2 months (starvation and scurvy permitting).

There's loads of online articles about the food situation and it's not just UK news outlets.

www.nytimes.com/2019/01/30/business/brexit-food-shortages.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

news.sky.com/story/delay-reforms-amid-brexit-crisis-food-bosses-tell-gove-11634412

An apocalypse is unlikely, sorry to disappoint you there.
People are doing things like "show us your stash " because this is not a normal thing to consider and they want to keep each other's spirits up.
You clearly have a problem with people being cheerful in the face of difficulties.