The Nice People No. 17

Cakeguts

Well she doesn't appear to the be the sharpest knife in the drawer? 

PasturesNew

Walked up to Aldi... only took 25 minutes there/back and I was ambling, staring, shuffling along.  Twice round the shop.. shuffled back.  I did a google pedometer on it, it's 1 mile there/back, didn't seem that far.   I did 6 miles the other day, while the car was being MoT'd, rubbed the top of my toe raw!

Got a quiche   

EDIT: Managed to already eat the whole quiche... divided it into three portions... but it's all gone. 400g

Pyxis

There you are, then.......I’d put money on an illegal immigrant.


I hope you’re writing your memoirs, Pastures, as they could be a bestseller!

PasturesNew

Pyxis said:

...

If it were somebody else writing what I go through ... I'd have them down as a liar and utter fantasist!    It's bl00dy ridiculous isn't it!!

When I wrote my guess... I was half jesting   I thought he was furren, but some form of legit. 

SingleSue

I had to reach out today to a local charity for a food parcel. I've not been able to get an online delivery booked (not that I have the money for one in my account anyway), our local shops have been overrun with orders and none came back to me and all have minimum orders which are outwith my means and I was completely out of veg, fruit and bread and the milk was on its final day and final drops.

The local charity came up trumps, I now have two potatoes, 3 carrots, an onion, a pepper, 3 oranges to cover the fruit and veg shortage, plus a whole lovely loaf of bread from the bakery, two cartons of milk, 5 eggs and two Bakewell tarts (which were eaten extremely promptly).

I do have some money but it is in cash...and no-one wants cash right now and because I have to self isolate (plus Josh got a cold and has to quarantine just in case - it was just a cold so no panic there), it's pretty much useless.

I think if this was to happen again, I will just have to join the masses and stock pile, being sensible has done me no favours at all.

PasturesNew

SingleSue said:

...

Round here they're behind the curve... people are posting on Facebook and locals are just dropping stuff at people's doors.  But there are scammers out there who take people's money and never return. 

There are, allegedly, some local hubs that are being set up, but it's a bit late.  Many posts are "My 90 year old uncle is alone and the woman who was doing his shopping is self-isolating and he can't get food, I am 200 miles away, can anybody help".... and they're being sorted within 10 minutes from the ones I see... but it's a "good area", but it's really putting the vulnerable on the line and open to abuse. 

SingleSue

We also have a local group (everyone has been checked out/measures put in place to protect everyone) which has been doing errands etc plus our local food bank charity....I contacted the food bank charity rather reluctantly.

Cakeguts

That is what local charities are for and they want to be able to do this for you.  Please remember that you have made the charity workers very happy because they feel that they are doing something useful.  We all need that.

Pyxis

Sue, there’s a difference between keeping a sensible stock cupboard/freezer supply etc. etc., and the rabid stockpiling/hoarding/buying extra freezers etc. that we’ve been seeing lately.

I learned that when I was unwell for several weeks and almost ran out of everything. After that, when I was well, I gradually built up a good emergency supply and then kept it topped up so that when I was ill, things never got too low again.
There is also the benefit of buying when things are on offer, whether you are running out of them or not, as it’s cheaper in the long run.

Many years ago, there was a feature on a programme like Newsround or Nationwide about a family who used to go out once a year to buy everything they needed for a year! Admittedly, this was during a time of rising inflation, but by doing that they saved a lot. Is that hoarding or being sensible?

SingleSue

I usually do but unfortunately lack of pennies and trying to build it back up again after the Christmas no wage period at a time when everyone was going mad shopping and I was having to practice social distancing, meant that the shelves had been stripped bare by the time it was safe for me to shop.

I've got food stores in my freezer (meat), I could eat out of that for a good few weeks...it's more the perishables that are more eek.