Don’t Panic – Buy and Stockpile Amid the Coronavirus Crisis
By now, it should go without saying that stockpiling and panic-buying does no help to anyone. Though feeling panicked and afraid is entirely reasonable throughout a global pandemic is entirely normal, we need to be careful how we react amid these times. Getting wrapped up in the panic and mob mentality around the COVID-19 crisis buying is easy to do, but important to avoid.
Ironically, panic buying out of a fear of food shortages creates the exact problem you are concerned might happen if you don’t. Worse, it is affecting those who don’t have the means to keep up with the stockpiling, and thus leaving them forced to go without critical supplies through an already trying time. Hoarding items like diapers, toilet paper and baby wipes means that struggling parents and their children will somehow be forced to go without essential products.
Experts have said that the panic buying is coming from this place of fear and the feeling of being ill-prepared. Seeing other people overbuying toilet paper, sauce, and non-perishables can perpetuate the cycle of a fear of missing out. When there are only one or two packages of toilet paper left, it creates this idea that there is a shortage when there isn’t. It makes people think that even if they have enough of that item, they don’t want to be left without just in case.
In this time of extreme struggle, when people are already financially struggling and feeling the justified fear of the global pandemic, now more than ever, we need to be thoughtful of each other. Instead of clearing out the store of soups and toilet paper, only buy what you need, and think about the person behind you who may not be able to afford to stockpile.
Be empathetic to those who may be considered “essential” and can’t get to the store early enough to get the bread they need, or the elders who can’t keep up with the panic. Before buying the 5th can of soup, think about the person who might be coming after you. Now more than ever, we need to be aware of those around us. We are all in this together, and it’s incredibly important to be mindful of that.
Additionally, consider the waste you might create when you overbuy unneeded food and products. Preparing for only the amount of food you need for your family is entirely okay, but when you overbuy, the excess will go to waste, when it could have gone to someone else who really needed it.
There is no shortage of food; there should be no shortage of food. The lack of essential items is entirely created by panic buying and is creating a vicious cycle that results in the same shortage people are trying to avoid. There is no need to stockpile, the grocery stores are still open if you need them, and there are other people around you who need food just as much as you. Be considerate, empathetic, and smart when you walk into the grocery store and are considering hoarding items you wouldn’t necessarily otherwise.