A MUM has told how she’s stockpiled thousands of pounds worth of goods in case of a second lockdown – clearing the shelves of toilet roll and anti-bacterial soap.
Admin assistant and single mum to Jenny, 18, Sophie Howard, 39, said she’s proud to be an extreme stockpiler – admitting she’s sorted until February.
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But she says she DOESN'T feel guilty – because she is just keeping her family safe.
She spoke as the coronavirus death toll hit 41,936 yesterday and the total number of positive Covid-19 cases reached 423,236 a day. Meanwhile, major supermarkets started reintroducing purchasing limits for popular products such as soap and dried pasta.
Her pile – which takes up a spare bedroom four-bedroom home near Yeovil, Somerset – cost around £4.9k.
She boasts hand sanitiser, flour, masks, 200 loo rolls, 20 packets of paracetamol and six throat spray, first aid kits and 200 masks.
Since localised lockdowns started a few weeks ago and a 10pm curfew was introduced for pubs a couple of days ago, she has stepped up her game.
“In the past two weeks as more and more news of new lockdown restrictions have started and more and more people are getting sick from coronavirus again, I’ve really taken charge,” she told Fabulous.
“That’s why I’ve been visiting the supermarket twice a day and buying up everything on the shelves.
"I thought I might feel guilty but I go after the evening rush and again just before closing. That means everyone has got what they need and I can get discounted bargains.
“Sometimes new stock is being put out but I am often the last shopper in the store. I make the most of what's left over so so have stopped feeling guilty and believe I'm being considerate.”
Sophie’s stockpile – what she has:
200 disposable paper masks which will make great stocking filers for my neighbours
200 toilet paper rolls
Butane gas stove and camping bottle supplies of butane
Coveralls
First aid kits
Disinfectant wipes
Vitamin D and C supplies
Boxes of decorations including tinsel
Christmas treats including chocolate boxes and even a Mrs Claus outfit for Christmas.
Sweets for Halloween
12 bottles of bleach
24 UHT skimmed milk, three boxes powdered milk
Box of 24 packs of beef jerky
24 cans of soups
40 Pot Noodles
6 jars of honey
Selection of jams, peanut butter and spreads
24 beach bottles
24 toilet cleaners
12 refills for kitchen and bathroom cleaning sprays
Batch frozen meals x 30
Batch frozen chicken and mince for three months
12 large family boxes of cereals
1 kilo of dried fruit, Christmas cake and pudding (plus icing)
Seeds and soil for planting vegetables over winter
Generator in case power goes out
Three month supply of batteries
Lightbulbs x 12
Solar powered phone charges x 4
Solar powered battery charger for car
Power cables and charging leads
Half a dozen notepads and three dozen pens.
Sophie admitted she was terrified during the first lockdown and when it started to ease and restrictions were lifted she breathed a sigh of relief.
But her happiness was short lived and now – with cases on the rise – she is back to panic buying.
“I was and am terrified,” she said.
“The prospect of a full lockdown, Lockdown: The Sequel as I call it, frightens the life out of me.
“I felt like we’ve only just had a narrow escape.
“I hate the idea of lockdown in winter. I worry about the increased risk of getting the flu and that affecting the immune system.
"I want to be prepared.
“So I decided to take drastic action and created my super bunker.
I call it a bunker because its underneath the house on the lower floor.
“I now don’t plan to go out unless absolutely necessary. I’m not being paranoid or crazy. I’m being safe and I won’t be criticised.
I don’t feel guilty because Tesco, Asda and all the big names keep saying they will have stock.
“I am obsessed with my new ‘mini mart’
“It’s become my favourite room in the house
Sophie, who earns £14.k per year told how she dipped into £2.6k of savings and spent £2.3k on credit cards to stockpile £4.9k worth of goods.
“With more people getting sick again I feel as though I am under orders to finish stocking my bunker shelves,” she said. I simply couldn’t rest until everything was in its place.
I visited as many supermarkets as a I could in the last two weeks, driving my car about.
“I upped my stock of toilet paper, paper towels, bulk cleaning products, even basic items like pasta and rice. I knew that's what people wanted.
“I filled up my trolley at some stores before the new restrictions on how much you could buy came back into force.
Is panic buying back again?
Panic buying has swept the country again as supermarket shelves were cleared out despite some shops rationing products. Images show bare shelves, which are reminiscent of what happened in March when the country was plunged into lockdown.
Asda supermarkets in Wales were stripped of products as Cardiff, Llanelli and Swansea went into local lockdown. It comes as major supermarkets have started reintroducing purchasing limits for popular products such as soap and dried pasta.
Morrisons became the UK's first supermarket chain to bring back rationing on some products – despite there being plenty of stock. The supermarket has rationed essentials such as toilet roll because shoppers are unnecessarily panic buying.
There is a limit of three per person on some items according.
A Morrisons spokesperson said: "We are introducing a limit on a small number of key products, such as toilet roll and disinfectant. Our stock levels of these products are good but we want to ensure that they are available for everyone."
Other supermarkets have since followed suit.
Tesco has brought back a limit of three items per person on five different products including: flour, dried pasta, toilet roll, baby wipes and anti-bacterial wipes.
It had also added further limits to a small number of items online such as rice and canned veg.
There are already some online restrictions, with limits on the number of face coverings, eggs, flour, and anti-bacterial products people can buy which have been in place for some time.
One Tesco in Cambridgeshire was seen to limit loo roll to one pack per customer.
Asda hasn't reintroduced purchasing limits but they have 1,000 marshals in shops to ensure customers wear masks and follow social distancing.
In Waitrose, purchases will be limited to two per customer online and in shops for a small number of items, including toilet roll and hand sanitiser.
They are two on toilet roll, hand wash and sanitiser and 3 on certain other grocery items, including flour, pasta and household cleaning products.
For now, Co-op, Lidl Sainsbury's, Iceland and Marks & Spencer have not implemented purchasing limits on products in person.
“I wasn’t the only one with that idea and it felt a bit like supermarket sweep with up to four or five other people duelling for a spot with the same idea.
“At one store there was me and three other people just stocking up on cleaning products.
We left the shelves empty but now I’ve got what I needed.
“My view is I’m stocked until the new year and that frees up spaces for other folk.
"I don’t feel guilty because Tesco, Asda and all the big names keep saying they will have stock.
Sophie said she had always been ‘super organised’.
“I was raised to stick to a budget and so I always had what I wanted in my cupboards for all meals,” she explained.
Before lockdown ever existed my friends dubbed me the ‘pantry prepper’.
Now though many mates say I’ve gone bonkers.
“I don’t care if people criticise it means my daughter and I will have enough of literally everything we need until 2021.
“It also means I can help out friends and relatives if they run short.
“I am not ashamed."
We previously brought you the story about the stockpilers who, during the first lockdown, protected huge hauls with everything from BB guns to chainsaws.
Plus, Georgia self-isolated with her ex for the sake of her kids.
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