As a prepper what is your instinct right now about shopping/buying food

[cowfacemonkey]

I'm not a prepper but I did follow the news closely re: coronavirus and by the end of January I had started to buy extra supplies, fill the freezer, stock the pantry etc. It has been a true blessing to have not had to have had to go anywhere near shops in the panic buying stages and comforting to know we don't need to leave the house to regularly shop right now. We still go out if necessary to get milk, eggs, bread etc.

We've still got plenty of freezer and pantry food left and at first I didn't notice supplies going down but today I felt a bit wobbly about the fact we have made a big dent in it.

From a health perspective my instinct is to avoid shops, stay home and use what we have but from a prepping/keeping stock high level I feel that I should be replenishing tin and long life foods with a bigger weekly shop.

As pro preppers what are you doing? Sitting tight and using up what you have or does using it up make you feel nervous? How are you prepping for a possible second wave in winter? I guess it's simpler to prep ahead of the first "disaster" but how do you then maintain for what could go on for months/years?

Pretty much what @Ladybookreader is doing. We found a greengrocers that delivers. And an independent garden centre that has delivered the holy grail: that is, compost. Today I am mostly sowing seeds.
We already get milk and eggs delivered.
Fresh meat is the only thing I really need the supermarket for.
I live in a poxy unlovely little Northern town near Manchester before anyone thinks I live in some kind of rural nirvana.

Move on to money, assets, finances

I'm using items from my stash for when I haven't been able to buy them (canned tomatoes and pasta in particular) or the odd item which has meant I've been able to delay a main shop another day or two. I still have enough put aside in case we have to isolate. It'll get to the point where I'd like to make sure I have a few of certain items we use regularly put aside though. Think I'll give it another week in the hope shops are fully stocked and think about what I'd like to have.

I buy loads of seeds and plants on eBay.
Watch last Friday’s gardeners world. Really good information on how to ‘make do and mend’ growing from seed.

independent garden centre that has delivered the holy grail: that is, compost

My friend went to B and Q and stocked up on compost the weekend before lockdown. I’m just hoping I’ve got enough. I usually get it from the milk man...

Ideally I would start a veg garden and stop buying anything from outside but because that’s not possible for now, I have to depend on local milk and fresh veg deliveries. I have stopped buying anything from supermarkets temporarily for now as I received my delivery last Thursday and I’m buying foods to last two weeks together to save me a trip. But I would again start buying to replenish fresh things again after 2 weeks. I think we are nearing the peak already so I would prefer to stay home and order deliveries if I could or just go on less frequent trips.

We're still buying fresh when we go to shops - DH and DD drink a lot of milk so we need to replenish that every 3-4 days. So we get bread and some fruit/veg then too, and usually DH gets a few other bits and pieces (he usually does that trip).

I have managed to get online slots for the past few weeks (booked a couple of weeks ahead, but I am a reasonably regular online shopper and I have asthma so trying to stay home, and have offered the neighbours if they want anything added in as well). So I am making sure we still have fresh meat, fruit and veg, eggs, dairy coming in those. And I am keeping to normal amounts but if we have used things, I am trying to restock as I go with those - so a replacement bag of pasta or rice, a jar of curry sauce, more dishwasher tablets, bottle of squash etc.

Lots of things are out of stock though, and the pickers are only teens so don't have the initiative to pick something else. So I have tried to get tonic twice in the past 3 weeks and not been successful, and we are now down to the reserved stocks. That is on DH's list now for his next foray in person.

We are eating pretty well at the moment because of what we had on hand and the fresh stuff still coming. I am trying to use older items from the cupboards/freezer as well - like older coconut milk with the last of the thai curry paste and frozen fish the other night. And broad bean and courgette soup for lunch last week (very tasty but I had to freeze the leftovers for myself this week - the other 2 were not keen!). But as we have fresh stuff still, I am trying to use those first and not dig in to longer life items too much yet, in case supplies get tighter or a more severe lockdown is imposed.

I was lucky that I hadn't had time to use up my compost last year, so I got my vegetable bed sown in the ground at the weekend (peas, broad beans, spring onions) and I intend sowing the window box planters and some small pots this evening - salad leaves and spinach, radishes, courgette, peppers, tomato, patty pan squashes, French beans. I'm crossing my fingers about the courgettes, peppers, tomatoes and squashes as I normally buy those as plants from the garden centre and haven't done them from seed for over 10 years...

At the moment we are basically eating "the stash". I haven't been to s supermarket for over 2 weeks poss 3 (I've lost track). I have called into a local greengrocer once a week to buy fruit & milk. Everything is rationed to stop the vultures (aka children) eating the lot.

I'm planning another big shop on Wednesday. Are shops like Lidl still limiting how many you can buy? I have a big family. I know Sainsbury's are on a 3 item limit.

Also is anyone selling 6pt bottles of milk? I used to buy 4 a week. I'm now eeking by on 3 x 4pt bottles.

I feel like I can't relax where food is concerned. It's tiring.

I'm also concerned about future stock sustainability. Are all the tinned tomato factory producing full capacity etc?

DH went to Aldi today and was able to do a full shop (was able to get pasta/tinned toms/eggs etc) I think the only thing he couldn't get was flour. They don't seem to be limiting items. Haven't seen 6 pint milk. Like you we go through about 18 pints a week. DH was able to buy 3 four pint bottles today in Aldi. We've replenished some of the stash and have a fridge full of fresh food now so feel a bit better.

I bought about 10 days of food about 2 weeks before the panic buying - we still have 95% of it - as I bought it in case we got sick and couldn’t go out - rather than to avoid going out in lockdown . I’m still doing a weekly supermarket shop

Have 3 full freezers and a cupboard full of tins.we have managed to get deliveries of fresh food- local butcher, greengrocer, we have a milkman. So at the moment we are not really using the stash much, just the odd thing.
We will use it if we can’t get deliveries.
I will be building it up again if I can in the summer for potential no deal in December and that will help with any second winter lockdown.
I will be buying all my Christmas presents early as well. Very glad I bought 3 big Lego sets for DS June birthday before we locked down.

I've been using preps as well as replenishing fresh as little as I possibly can. Trying not to use deliveries so they are available for vulnerable people.
Going to try an independent health food shop for some fresh veg this week - they are doing collections from their car park.
May also need to do a replenish of our cupboard basics from a wholesaler that does deliver.
I'm v uneasy about using the stock as I think things will continue this way - or worsen - for some time.

I’ve started to rethink my food storage, as our eating habits have shifted a bit. Dh and I are purposely avoiding food that the dc like, and especially foods that they can cook. I also worry that I’m over dependent on the freezer, which could be a casualty in a power cut.

I’m trying to get some things growing in the garden world’s worst gardener but realistically we’re not going to invest much hope in my abilities.

I’d like to start building up my store cupboard slowly. Obviously I don’t want to put pressure on the system at the moment, and I’m trying to space deliveries at least three weeks apart and it’s tricky because there’s always a few things missing, so my stash is going down a bit overall all the time.

I’m hopeful that it will be possible to build up stores in the summer, and then I’ll be aiming for a minimum 3 months supply. I’m not going to focus too much on particular types of food, as I think shortages are inevitable so a certain amount of flexibility will help.

I’m not sure how to manage fresh fruit and vegetables. That’s a weak point for me. One dc with asd, has a limited diet and will eat fresh apples, but not dried or stewed, or apple sauce or even a pie.

@barbara as I said in another thread but saying it again - aim for “zero waste” when it comes to managing fresh veg/fruits. That’s for a start. Save Top and tailed parts in a small plastic box in the freezer and use the same to make stock. Batch cook and freeze the veg that’s near the use by date so you can have cooking free days. Plan ahead and buy only the vegetables/fruits you will really use. Hope these tips help

For apples I think it will be available all year around anyway as the apples are usually stored a year well in advance at the supermarkets.

@Sprayitall thanks. Great tips.

Thanks for the tip about the veg stock. I don’t have a compost bin and I cry a bit inside every time I put veg peelings in the bin. No more!

@Rhubarbisevil freeze chunks of overripe bananas for couple of days, then blend them with a handful of frozen berries and some chocolate chips, freeze them again for 15 min. banana ice cream is ready! Kids will love it

@lilmishap Yes, I am buying fresh weekly, and maintaining a decently stocked freezer in case we need it. I've got two very young children (one toddler) who drink tons of milk so we need that every few days regardless and the other is autistic, registered disabled and I'm her carer. She has quite specific needs, including dietary. As a driver, with a decent sized kitchen space I've made appropriate arrangements for my family.

Good enough for you? Bloody bore off.

We had a couple of apples go wrinkly so we made apple and cinnamon crisps last night which dd approved and has eaten most of them already.

DH has literally just groaned that shops will be mental tomorrow - SM was quite busy yesterday in fairness - but I have reassured him that while there is a list of “would be good to get” things, we can manage without all until early next week. So he can go and see about getting things when he is up at stupid o’clock early, but come home empty handed and we’ll still have a nice Easter with nothing fresh.

I'm doing a weekly shop for perishables and replenishing the stash where I can. The stash is filling gaps where things still aren't available (pasta, flour, liquid soap)

Small, local shops have been our saviours. A lot of them are one in one out or they bring stuff out to you or doing a drive through type of arrangement.

Grateful to know I wasn’t the only one boosting the Brexit cupboard in January and turning it into a c19 one. We are def shopping once a week and using fresh, minimising waste as much as poss. The cupboard and freezer are for if we need to quarantine. Glad my Brexit prepping last summer means a freezer with lots of fruit and veg.

I def think keeping an eye on money/savings etc is worth it. But hard to call it all. Def get necessary birthday presents etc. I have also been incredibly lucky as have been able to panic buy some items I’d been mulling over for years. I know I’ll be shot for this but a Proper food processor and a food mixer and have just replaced some pots and pans. We normally buy cakes, biscuits, pastry and pizza dough so would like to be able to keep life as nice as possible if things do get hectic longer term. Essentially I’m considering items that will help long term survival that may not be able to be made In the future as global economy and parts etc become harder to find or run out.

I've just gone into the attic to change the duvets over and found my DP has been storing bottled water, toilet rolls, tinned food, paracetamol, water purification tablets and pasta up there! This is the first time I knew about this.

We haven't been starving or wiping our bums on the cat so I'm a bit shocked at this and the fact he didn't say anything.

Growing seeds.
Bought chickens
Certainly trying to keep enough stuff in incase we get poorly or supplies get worse....am venturing out to shops still. Gloves, social distancing, going in evening when it’s quieter.