Panic Buying: People that brought far... - British Heart Fou...

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Panic Buying

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star
99 Replies

People that brought far too much food are now throwing it out. Beyond shameful!

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MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJH
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99 Replies
MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star

You and me both, and I imagine millions more...

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers

I wish someone would throw out a pack of 4 unopened loo rolls!! Still none to be had the shops, though I was lucky enough to bag a tin of tomatoes today!!

SpiritoftheFloyd profile image
SpiritoftheFloyd in reply toLezzers

I got a pack of 9 today - last 3 shops nothing. Would offer to swap but not keen on tinned tomatoes

Seems that Orange Juice has become the new toilet rolls - for some reason they're out of stock!

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toSpiritoftheFloyd

Tinned tomatoes on jacket potato or toast is a very nice meal.

I was gonna do my first ever on line shop, but even though the first delivery is weeks away, if the item is currently out of stock you can't put it in your basket!! What is that about?

The government is bringing in urgent laws re shopping, let's hope opening on Easter Sunday is one of them. The supermarkets near me are totally wiped out at Xmas, so I'll have no hope of getting anything! And today there was no restriction on how many of the same items you could buy so I bought 3 bars of soap, gonna need them if I don't source loo roll! 😂

Prada47 profile image
Prada47 in reply toLezzers

Just take a shower cleans you up so much better than loo roll LO

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toPrada47

😂 That's why I stock piled 3 bars of soap Frank!! 😂 Strangely enough all the soap had been wiped out except the ones I bought. Could it be because they're organic, vegan and free from the usual dodgy chemicals and therefore 6 times the price! 😂

Prada47 profile image
Prada47 in reply toLezzers

We use Pears and that's not Fruit lol

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toPrada47

Tbf, we always buy this soap so for the first time I was pleased it was more expensive!

Prada47 profile image
Prada47 in reply toLezzers

Hope you and Kevin are staying Clean and Safe

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toPrada47

Well we'll certainly be clean now. Hope you're staying safe also Frank

Handel profile image
Handel in reply toPrada47

😂 xx

benjijen profile image
benjijen in reply toLezzers

Yes, that's a real problem at the moment. However, if you just do an order for over the lower limit shown you can then go on nearer the date and amend it so some/all of those items might then be available. Usually latest amend is the night before but I'm doing it earlier whilst this is going on. I had managed to get an order last Wednesday from Asda and only had one item substituted and one missing when it arrived so was very fortunate!

in reply toLezzers

Do you want me to send you a few veggie recipes? Tinned toms on toast never heard anything like it.......

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply to

No thanks, I'm happy with tinned tomatoes on toast as a healthy snack ☺

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05 in reply toSpiritoftheFloyd

It’s vitamins C that seems to a good start to fighting Coronavirus.

in reply toCatatvet05

I’ve been taking CoQ10 & high doses of vitamin c for along time now and it does seem ward of illnesses. Touchwood

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05 in reply to

Do you think vitamin c will resolve any stomach problems? I have functional heartburn buts it’s not associated with acid reflux per say. The cause is from stress...hypersensitive nerve in my throat tubes.

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toCatatvet05

I doubt it as Vitamin C is acidic (ascorbic acid). It is best to use the SR version. I did try upping it but became quite acidity so sticking to recommended dose.

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05 in reply toMichaelJH

What is recommending dose? I’m reading on line that people are taking 8000mg plus. I’m sure using large amount long term is bad for you? Lots of green vegetables have vitamins c. Daily does is 40-50mg. So why high?

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toCatatvet05

I currently take 500mg SR with the approval of my cardiologist. Vitamin C reduces irritation often a precursor to plaque formation. The link between Vitamin C and blood vessel health was established centuries ago when they started giving sailors lime juice to prevent scurvy. Currently I am having problems sourcing good quality fruit and veg...

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05 in reply toMichaelJH

That’s interesting. I’m reading a blog where many people are taking all sorts of high , I’m mean really high dosages (8000 plus) to combat covid-19. Vitamin A, sodium Ascorbate, iodine, etc are also been used.

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toCatatvet05

NHS guidelines:

nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-...

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05 in reply toMichaelJH

Good Food I think it’s called? Apparently their food is very good?! I try to stick with organic food but I don’t think my local big store has good quality?

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toCatatvet05

Our shelves keep being stripped of fruit and veg for hoarder's compost bins! ☹️

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05 in reply toMichaelJH

Why people are selfish?!

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05 in reply toMichaelJH

Also, what is SR?

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toCatatvet05

Slow release - it is both absorbed better and reduces the risk of acidity.

SpiritoftheFloyd profile image
SpiritoftheFloyd in reply toCatatvet05

Yes I've read that, supplies been OK till this week , now nothing

Benji_Mum profile image
Benji_Mum in reply toSpiritoftheFloyd

People going mad for vitamin C I expect! This madness has to end surely!

SpiritoftheFloyd profile image
SpiritoftheFloyd in reply toBenji_Mum

Who knows - it seems as the availability of one product resolves, the panic buying turns to something else. If people would just buy what they needed none of this would be happening!

ollie16 profile image
ollie16 in reply toSpiritoftheFloyd

Alcohol at the moment,I work in a Brewery and it is manic,Tesco especially are buying huge volumes.I am deemed by the Government to be a critical key worker, seems to a large misuse of the word “critical “

stillaboveground profile image
stillaboveground in reply toSpiritoftheFloyd

Tried to imagine orange juice being the new toilet roll.

Shoshov profile image
Shoshov in reply toLezzers

oh god love you. have you got wet wipes. not ideal but will do the job🤣no pun intended. the other suggestion is good old newspaper. i remember i used it on many occasions. back in the day. our shops seem to have most things in stock again. not as much choice but enough. joking aside keep strong,hopeful and blessed for everyday we are still here❤️

benjijen profile image
benjijen in reply toShoshov

If you use anything other than normal loo rolls, don't forget they are not flushable and need to go in the bin. Some say biodegradable on the pack but not flushable (I thought they were). Found out the hard way!

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply tobenjijen

We ended up having a 100 yard sewerage backup a few years ago because of someone flushing kitchen towels. They also found some disposable nappies!

in reply tobenjijen

Same we bought the supposedly ‘flushable wipes’ a while back, a week or two we had to call the water board out to clear the blockage.

Qualipop profile image
Qualipop in reply to

HAhaha last time we had a blockage at our old house, had to get Dynarod who fished out and ancient pink boned corset. Now how the heck did that get in there? There were only 4 houses on our lane and youc an't exactly flush a corset down the loo!

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toLezzers

Here's a recipe for Shakshuka! Allow half a tin chopped tomatoes and 1 - 2 eggs per person.

Dice some onions and bell peppers. Heat in a pan with a little olive oil until the onion starts to caramelise, and add garlic and 'erbs to taste. Add the tomatoes and Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Break in the eggs spacing as appropriate. When the whites are firm and yolks are on the point of setting serve.

Enjoy!

Heythrop51 profile image
Heythrop51 in reply toMichaelJH

Sounds tasty!

WeCanDoIt1 profile image
WeCanDoIt1 in reply toMichaelJH

Think I'll try that have all the ingredients, thanks

ali161 profile image
ali161 in reply toMichaelJH

Aw, my grandma used to make this. It's really yummy if the tomatoes are good and sweet.

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toMichaelJH

Thanks Michael, I'll let you know how I get on with that.

Lonmayloon profile image
Lonmayloon in reply toMichaelJH

Tasted this for the first time in McTaggarts, Aberdour just before the pandemic lockdown. I can’t believe I’ve missed it in my first 62 years. Definitely a recipe to try, I add chilli and cayenne pepper for a bit of heat.

Frenchbulldogsx profile image
Frenchbulldogsx in reply toLezzers

I'm not sure whether a tin of tomatoes would have the same effect.. Probably be a bit messy 🤣

ollie16 profile image
ollie16 in reply toLezzers

Managed to get a 9pk of Toilet Rolls in the local Premier, they run out earlier in the week.At the moment they have plenty are restricted to one pkt per person and it is definitely working, plenty again when I went in this morning ,but I refrained as other people need it

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toollie16

We have very little in the way of retail shops here in our town. We do have a few smaller one off shops dotted around but tried them all yesterday.

I've looked at deliveries on line, including click & collect, and nothing available anywhere. Tesco's are booked up to 18 Apr, no dates available beyond that, they're only releasing slots when they become available! 😢

in reply toLezzers

If you go Tesco’s early, I mean when it opens ( I went at 6:30am) you can get anything you need pretty easily. They are really good at social distancing everyone. Literally, only 3 people per isle at any one time, so you do feel safe.

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply to

Not doing that here! Went yesterday late afternoon and whilst there were less people around, people were still bumping trolleys! They had the yellow 'stay back' lines/boxes which everyone was ignoring and nobody was enforcing!

I asked about the vulnerable shopping slots and was told they'd had bout 400 elderly people queuing and that the time I went was probably the best time! Just no loo rolls!! happy with my tinned 🍅 though thinking of using them as my profile picture 🤔 ☺

in reply toLezzers

Ah right, there’s security all round my local Tesco’s enforcing the rules. So nobody can get to close and certainly not bumping trolley’s. I think because the home delivery is so woeful at the moment people don’t have much of a choice but venturing out to shop. I think the smaller shops are potentially a higher risk. I went to our local meat factory outlet dead on opening time and it was absolute chaos, 20-30 people acting like a pack of piranhas. Needless to say the shelves cleared in 5 minutes flat.

ollie16 profile image
ollie16 in reply to

Local Butcher and Premier isn’t like that at all ,they are both small outlets, they have restricted it two people at a time inside both places ,people are respectful and wait outside at a safe distance from each other ,people are happy to just get the basics when they cannot get to the Supermarkets or are frustrated by a lack of certain items.It is important for local business to keep going as a sizeable proportion of the population have very little other options

ollie16 profile image
ollie16 in reply toLezzers

That’s very poor and very frustrating

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toollie16

Yep, no poundlands or Premier shops here unfortunately.

Pippa1234 profile image
Pippa1234 in reply toLezzers

Bit rough on the bum!?

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toPippa1234

😂 That was one of those laugh out loud moments 😂

Rosei profile image
Rosei in reply toLezzers

My daughter went shopping for me this morning,M&S was open, very quiet, she saw Loo rolls as well, we didn't need them. Second daughter from a different home went shopping for her family, went to M&S where they had reduced most things, she bought tuna steaks reduced because she afford them normally.

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toRosei

Would love to shop in M&S, love their fruit & yellow stickers, but again none local! There is a small one about 20 miles away but don't want to drive all that way and find there's nothing.

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toLezzers

You could be stopped and fined. Apparently someone in Bedfordshire got a fixed penalty for taking their dog to exercise 10 miles from home!

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toMichaelJH

That's what I'm was wondering about. Normally we get our meat from a butchers, fruit from M&S, eggs and veg from a farm shop etc. The shop that's nearest to me is the farm shop but that's about 15 miles away, not a great distance but I doubt it would be classed as an essential journey when we have a small supermarket in town and a larger one just outside, albeit with limited stock!

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toLezzers

The argument put forward for only short journeys is that the more miles covered the greater the risk of breakdown or accident which would then involve third parties like the emergency and breakdown services. Sounds logical. Shades of 1984!

Pinkpeony profile image
Pinkpeony in reply toLezzers

When this first started and the loo roll fiasco I thought ' is it a stomach virus' maybe with diarrhea etc.

It put me in mind of a rude Mrs Brown sketch where she says "what are they gonna do, s**t themselves to death? 😳

SpiritoftheFloyd profile image
SpiritoftheFloyd

Can't say I'm surprised, considering £1billion additional spending on food in the last 3 weeks, it's not possible to consume that quantity of food, especially fresh food! and you can only get so much in a freezer! It's shameful when you think of the people in other parts of the world that struggle to get food on a regular and secure basis.

Don't forget Easter is just around the corner, and the supermarkets will by law be closed on Easter Sunday - so assume that if the shelf stripping is over by them, we'll have a re-run on the Saturday before Easter Sunday 😤

ollie16 profile image
ollie16 in reply toSpiritoftheFloyd

I did a shop at my Local Butcher for my Sister and her kids as she could not get out, she had no meat at all, fortunately the Butcher had plenty in and I got her enough to keep going for a little while

SpiritoftheFloyd profile image
SpiritoftheFloyd in reply toollie16

Yes, local butchers are good - I've got one up the road. Sadly a lot of them have closed over the years due to Tesco Express, Sainsbury's Local and the like opening close by, doing extended opening hours and finishing them off

Fredders profile image
Fredders

Exactly what I said would happen and there will be a lot more being thrown out over the coming weeks.

I went shopping today at 6pm and got everything I needed except the individual trifles I like. There was plenty of milk, bread and meat, some loo rolls, but no pasta or eggs. If people hadn’t been so selfish there would have been plenty to go round, instead those same selfish people are now throwing food out because they haven’t used it. At the same time there are people going without because the shelves have been empty when they went shopping. Makes me so angry 😡 .

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toFredders

At the very least, rather than throw it away, they could have cooked it and given it to the homeless!

dunestar profile image
dunestar in reply toLezzers

The sort of selfish folk who bought all the extra stuff are never going to be the ones to go out of their way for the less fortunate.

in reply todunestar

I agree it’s almost like this virus has cleverly exposed every vulnerability we have as a society. Unhygienic, unregulated food manufacturing in China, Greed, over population and basically selfishness that is beyond words.

Heythrop51 profile image
Heythrop51

They are also forcing others to make poor food choices by taking away choice! Shame on the lot of them!

GracieOS profile image
GracieOS

Not very intelligent stockpiling perishable food. It's all a bit mad just now and not showing people in a good light.

ali161 profile image
ali161

I don't get this, as most foods can be freezed. Meat, bread, butter, milk, vegetables, fruit... I already had stock from previous months if I bought a couple of things extra on my weekly shop that I wouldnt use that week. Why can't some people organise themselves? At least they could have cooked the extra food and give it away.

dunestar profile image
dunestar in reply toali161

Not everybody has a big freezer though. My brother only has a standard fridge with a little ice box freezer which is very small.

ali161 profile image
ali161 in reply todunestar

It can be a bit of a tetris game :) I got a standard one too. What I find helpful is to divide things/packages in smaller bags.

COYW profile image
COYW

I panic bought a very expensive exercise bike 😀Other than that my only other panic is just the thought of a supermarket and all those humans and touched surfaces 😀

Outandabout profile image
Outandabout in reply toCOYW

Hopefully not from Sports Direct.

COYW profile image
COYW in reply toOutandabout

Haha definitely not. For this price I could buy all the socks in SD 🤣

DD13 profile image
DD13

Saw it in the sun last night. They should be ashamed of themselves. Guess they ate too much toilet paper, so didn't get to eat the food.😎😂😱

Dickydon profile image
Dickydon in reply toDD13

that's what happens when the salt entrenched brains of your average “be lucky son” chirpy chappy Sun reader/brigade do when panic is all around them they freak out and do the stupidest of things just to satisfy their glutenous yet simple egos.

Handel profile image
Handel

Raided our chest freezer and almost fell in. I found huge bags of peeled and chopped up parsnips (allotment - 2018! and 5 containers of stewed apple). Shed loads of soup and apple crumble for the foreseeable future!

Stockpilers should be ashamed of themselves xx

Janma123 profile image
Janma123

Bread is still in short supply here and there is less variety available. Toilet rolls are non-existent but I had those in stock!

Freezers were apparently selling like hot cakes for a week or so, and I have heard of one person buying £700 of meat from our local butcher!

Crazy times! Take care everyone!

Dickydon profile image
Dickydon in reply toJanma123

This is when people with stupid amounts of money start buying up everything and they won’t be happy until they have; it’s the only security the rich have.

stillaboveground profile image
stillaboveground in reply toJanma123

Shame on the butcher for allowing someone to buy £700 worth of meat.

Dickydon profile image
Dickydon in reply tostillaboveground

butcher don’t care prob his 2wks takings all in 10 mins

Same here in Oz, it’s disgusting. Part of the problem is a lot of people can’t cook and don’t know how to prepare what they have bought.

Maisie2014 profile image
Maisie2014

I live in a street where I appear to be the only one who cooks from fresh. Our communal bins are full of takeaway cartons and pizza boxes. The bins aren’t so full these days. The supermarkets keep running out of convenience foods but the farm shops are keeping up to fresh food supplies. I feel sorry for the kids who have no cooking education or experience.

Dickydon profile image
Dickydon

Yes, it’s disgusting. As I’m on my own, I have bought some extra bits but seeing there may be two tins left on the shelf I would only take one and leave the other for someone else. But you see families, just devouring everything, it’s no wonder these people are obese. All the junk and unhealthy food that people are eating is the reason the NHS is always overstretched.

IanGordon profile image
IanGordon

Regrettably this self-centred stupidity will continue, unabated until there are individual consequences for this anti-social and disruptive behaviour. Asking these hoarders to consider the elderly, infirm and less fortunate is a waste of time. They have had ample time to realise they cannot eat all they bought and could maybe exercise some neighbourliness. Not a chance!

Fortunately, there are enough good people who understand community and will strive to offset the damage being done.

But the supermarkets were complicit in this and late to to put in place any limits, and only when this became something of a supply chain issue.

And dedicated slots for the elderly and essential workers are great if essentials are actually on the shelves.

In my area ,Asda,Morrisons, Sainsbury,M&S , no delivery or pick up slots for the next two weeks and nothing bookable beyond that. So a sort of viral Russian Roulette with every shopping trip.

Must try harder, guys!

Maisie2014 profile image
Maisie2014

Hi IanGordon. I’ve just received an email from Sainsbury’s telling me delivery slots available. They provide a helpline if you can’t get any. Let’s not assume everyone filling trolleys are selfish. There are a lot of people near me who are looking after the vulnerable. My niece has a temperature of 40 degrees and her 4 month old baby has a high temperature. The doctor wanted to send her to hospital (she does not have the virus but tonsillitis) but she is still breastfeeding and it’s not safe for her in hospital. She couldn’t get a delivery of shopping so rang me. I gave her details of my local shops who have agreed to deliver to her even though she lives a distance away. There are people who can help you if you are having trouble getting supplies.

IanGordon profile image
IanGordon in reply toMaisie2014

Thank you, Maisie.

My apologies for the rant. Just adjusting my shopping patterns (and my life) to the new world we involuntarily find ourselves in.

I don't need delivery/collection and although stented CAD and 2 years post AVR, not part of the 1.5m at greater risk.

As we all are, just taking measures to ensure I continue to enjoy pre - Corona life expectancy!

Stay isolated, stay safe, live long.

Alison_L profile image
Alison_L

Anyone else suspect that at least one of those pics is staged? Those bananas look fine, and don't have a use by date! Obviously I'm not saying that all those idiots that panic-bought aren't now throwing much of it out.

ali161 profile image
ali161 in reply toAlison_L

Maybe someone moved house?

Ianc2 profile image
Ianc2

Local Poundland has plenty of loo rolls. Support your local small shops and buy organic if you can. Say no to bleached chickens. Dig for Britain!

IanGordon profile image
IanGordon in reply toIanc2

Small shops seem to have the edge on the big guys - stock and customer service, so increasingly get my support. But as one of them said to me 'Remember us when all this is over'. Good point

Roamie profile image
Roamie in reply toIanGordon

I think local shops have the edge because they are likely to know you or your family, so social shaming kicks in, preventing over-buying?

Qualipop profile image
Qualipop

Our little local shop had loads of loo rolls and soap last week ( haven't been out since) but baked beans don't exist anywhere. Morrisons delivered Carex anti bacterial handwash last week . I was amazed to see it but only ordered one. Tesco has started restricting orders to a total of 80 items and a max of 3 of any item. A friend got a click and collect at Sainsburys last week and said the queue to get into the shop was over 300 yards long- limiting how many went in at one time. Husband had to go to local Spar today for bread and said it was deserted.

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05

That’s seem good amount? Are you taking it in as powder form or tablet? I should consider taking vitamins, but for some reason they all seem to make my acid reflux issues worse.

Lezzers profile image
Lezzers in reply toCatatvet05

You should only take advice from your medical team or a pharmacist about taking supplements as they can interact with your meds.

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star in reply toLezzers

I did mention I got my cardiologist's approval. He listened to and respected my reasoning.

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05

Okay thanks!

Catatvet05 profile image
Catatvet05

I’m just pointing out That compared to others who have taking well beyond 8000. I’m not here to take anything other than researching at the moment. I’m aware of what you have said . Thank you !

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