Feeling guilty for prepping

[Poppins17]

I’m new here on this thread having stumbled over from the Christmas thread a couple of weeks ago.

Reading some of the threads it has kicked me into gear and over the last few weeks I’ve purchased 2 x sets of 4 plastic drawers which I’ve filled with items I need as well as my freezer working out a 3 week meal plan with the idea being that if we had to isolate for 2 weeks we would be more than covered. I’ve got a proper plan for 3 weeks but we could easily stretch the items I already have for 4/5 weeks if needed.

I have also finished all of my Christmas shopping so that we don’t need to go out at all now other than for food.

I was feeling great about being so prepared and my DH is fully on board however I’ve seen some Facebook comments today from friends complaining about people stockpiling and basically planning too far ahead.

I’ve by no means stock piled in terms of converting a whole room into a store cupboard full of things but it’s making me consider whether I should feel guilty that I have a pack of spare toilet rolls and some spare tins of beans etc put away for a worst case scenario situation.

Anyone else feel guilty, or have I just got the newbie jitters?

Apart from fresh food, I didn’t have to buy anything through the worst of the panic shopping and we managed comfortably with a delivery every 3-4 weeks for most of lockdown. I only started adding to my stash again when the restrictions lifted. I don’t see that as a bad thing.

I’ve always been prepared ahead of time for Christmas and always aim to avoid shopping in December but I’ll be adjusting my usual monster- shop in November this year and stocking up more gradually. in fact, my normal pattern is to do a big monthly shop and a few top ups in between but I’ve had to change that to avoid looking like a stockpiler!

That sounds like my ideal December Bellini
I am trying to get as organised as I can as early as I can for Christmas this year. I have slowly bought some stocking fillers/wrapping/pressies early to also spread the cost which I think is imperative in the midst of a pandemic when everything is so uncertain.
No guilt here as have built up extremely slowly, so in effect we are leaving the supplies for the people who are not able to do so before the inevitable cliff edge 31st Dec

Poor sod above will be really disconcerted that I started prepping Christmas 2021 a couple of months ago. I am a have a Christmas dinner with my cranberry sauce person so several jars stashed away. Stuffing will be bought this month for 2021, then Schloer.

OMG Blackeyed I yearn to be that organised. I am just so happy that in October I have nearly bought all my stocking fillers. The next job is trying to get all the requests for Christmas presents that my teens want. I find that to be one of the hardest jobs as they keep putting it off and I am anxious to make a start and not leave it all till the last minute.

I have a sinilar level of stash to you OP.

DD is 16 and I work at her school - the liklihood of us having to self isolate at some point over the winter is not insignificant.

I'm also asthmatic with two elderly (one end of life stage) parents to consider, so I have no desire to be out and about any more than I have to.

As PPs have said, sensibly prepping means more availability for those who are unable to in the event of another lockdown or similar situation.

Last time round I also helped out a friend of a friend who was isolating and had been missed by the local food bank so it's not as if sitting on piles of baked beans like Smaug!

Don’t feel guilty, you’ve done a good thing to be prepared. I have some similar items and the only other thing I have is 20 litres of water (in large bottles) We’ve had a few outages here over the last year and so it’s good to be prepared for those regardless of C19

If shops, supermarkets and food manufacturers are stockpiling for Brexit, then the public should be too, as much as they can. Warehouse space is at a premium now, but there is still space in people's houses for storage. It's now or never. So really don't feel guilty.

A little bit in everyone's home adds up to a hell of a big bit all together.

Well, from other threads, it appears that now is not the right time. Leave it a week or two.

Wow there are nearly 30 million households in the uk and if every household had a little stash slowly built up in reserve, then that would also be less pressure on the foodbanks, soup kitchens, supermarkets and it would enable more lower income individuals and families to access food when the inevitable happens. Mind blowing.

Oh yes, by now or never, I meant sometime this year...

I live alone and did catching a bad cough in april. I didn't leave my studio flat for 16 days because I didn't need to and didn't want to spread it to anyone else.

Given that at any moment we could be told to stay home & not be able to go out for 2 weeks, it’s only common sense that we should all have 2 weeks supplies at home

There is no way that is going to happen on a local
Scale let alone a national

I’ve just uploaded a new thread, but came on to say that I received a positive COVID test today so will have to isolate for 10 days and my husband 14 days, so not only do I absolutely NOT feel guilty for getting prepared, but I feel glad I did... if I hadn’t, I’d have been panicking how we would have got shopping without potentially putting friends or family at additional risk.

Look after yourself, @Poppins17

Thanks @13luckyblackcats

Goodluck @Poppins17 for a mild and quick experience. Great you picked up some extras to reduce the stress!

Thanks @Enough4me - I’ve got progressively worse over the course of today, and DH has symptoms now too... fingers crossed a good nights sleep will do us both the world of good!

Don't feel guilty about prepping. There was a thread yesterday from someone who had been informed they had to self-isolate for 14 days and had no food in and was considering going to the supermarket. Obviously they were really stressed and I didn't respond with a patronising post about the need to prepare for self-isolating as it was too late for that OP but well, you have to prepare. There have been a lot of 'what's the point, shops are still open' and 'I'll just get someone to get food for me' replies to posts about preparing and those approaches are flawed. Prepping sensibly over a period of time is the only way.

Hope you feel better soon @Poppins17

I have prepped this year for the first time ever. First it was for Brexit, then that didn't happen, so it was used gradually through lockdown 1, then been building up gradually ever since. I reckon we could do 2 weeks ish at the minute without shopping if we were careful with certain things. Still a few more bits to get over the next few weeks mainly cleaning products and biscuits / treats.

I'm fully convinced that January at least is going to be a Covid/Brexit shitshow so am planning ahead for that, the more I can stay out of the shops when everyone else is panicking over pasta, the better for me and for them. You shouldn't feel bad for being prepared.

The only time you should feel guilty is if you weren’t prepared to stay in and take care of yourself for 2-4 weeks at least, and not rely on others to help you. Where I live (Scandinavia) our Government is very clear it is expected of us all the time. Not just food. It’s your duty, not something to feel guilty about.

Thanks all xx

Strange to think that what is normal in Scandinavia and NZ etc, here is so selfish and worse than drowning puppies and kicking kittens.

I work in emergency planning and the replies we get when we suggest people should be prepared in case they have to leave their house quickly, or even stay put for some time, are shocking. People think the council will just look after them. There are some vulnerable people that need to be looked after, but the rest of us can improve the situation loads by just doing a little bit of work in advance. We work with schools too, and the kids are brilliant about it!

I honestly think everyone should be prepped, because you never know what will happen in life. I always have a crate of bottled water, lots of tins, a full freezer, spare toilet rolls etc.

The only reason it's been such a problem recently is because everyone has been trying to stock up at the same time. If we all just bought the odd extra thing with the weekly shop there would be no issue, but everyone is trying to buy toilet roll, and lots of extra things to stock up all at once rather than gradually - that's what's making the difference.