Panic buying is not just unnecessary - it strips supermarket shelves of the basic essentials that people need, and can have negative impacts on the environment. A few months ago, covid has hit Auckland. And this time, it is, unfortunately, the Delta variant. That same day, our prime minister imposed a Level 4 lockdown for the whole nation, with Auckland and the Corommandel going into a longer lockdown than the rest. I hate lockdowns. I truly do. And the worst part about lockdowns - it creates panic buying and disorderly behavior in the supermarkets. An example of panic buying. Credit: Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash The problem with panic buying is not only are you buying more than you want or need - you could be setting yourself up for trouble in the supermarket, and start fights and other disorderly behavior which could result in you being asked to leave the store or worse - the police may get involved. Not only that, you could be depriving the shelves of the basic essentials that people - especially the weak, poor and the vulnerable - actually need, which is pretty selfish. Moreover, panic buying is not sustainable both economically and environmentally - once the lockdown ends, you would still have a huge amount of supermarket bought food left over that would possibly last even months, or for things like rice - even years. In these cases, the food would be left to rot or go moldy - and you would have to toss the entire food product in the bin, thus wasting the entire product, which would end up going to landfill. Also, instead of going to restaurants and bars once the lockdown ends - and supporting local businesses - you would end up having to finish up all the food that you have bought, which would in you not being able to spend money on eating out, which can really hurt businesses, especially retail.
Instead of panic buying, I plan what I would like to cook, and and make a plan of what I need to buy - and what I would like to buy for snacks. So, instead of going to the supermarket and basically buying way more than I actually need and without reason, I use lists and/or apps to plan out on what I want to cook. Also, to help decide on what I actually want to cook, I use the internet to print out recipes, or go through my own curated list of recipes that I have printed out myself. Listonic Listonic is a free shopping list app for those who want an app which uses shopping lists. You can add lists and delete lists, you can add as many ingredients as you like, and have as many lists as you want. The best part - it's free, and it costs nothing to download and create an account with. The app can be found here (on Google Play) and here (on the Apple Store). Notion Notion is another good app of choice if I am creating lists. This app and software is very flexible, and allows you to create as many lists as you want - in many different ways. It can be used for whatever purpose that you need to use it for - one of the things I use it for is to plan out on what I need to buy. The free plan is amazing - it has all the features that you need for your normal lists and plans. There is an upgrade option, but most people who use it for normal day to day purposes don't need to upgrade. I use the completely free plan. Notion can be found here (Google Play Store) and here (Apple Store). You can also use Notion on the web browser. Writing down lists on pen and paper Of course, there is the good old way of writing down ingredients using pen and paper. There is advantage about this that it does not take up any phone space, especially if you have an old phone, or if your phone is running out of storage. Then there's this option if your phone is running out of battery and needs to be charged. The disadvantage about this is that if you lose your list, you would have to remember everything that you would need to buy that was written down on that list. Additionally, the traditional method of a shopping list - pen on paper - is not the best method for the environment, as it could create more waste. Therefore I would only recommend this method of planning if you are unable to use a phone or are prohibited from using one by a court order, or if your phone is old or faulty, or that the memory is used up or is missing. Where I go to find recipes There are a number of places that I go to to look for recipes - and all sites and platforms I use are free.
Also, sometimes, I get recipes from events that I go to, such as the food show. And I store those recipes away for when I need or want to use them. And when I find a recipe that I want, regardless of it is from an event, from a magazine or from online, I print it out, laminate it to preserve it and store it away for whenever I would want to use it. Then I list down the ingredients that the recipe requires, and I check to see if I have the ingredients at home. If I have enough ingredients for that recipe, or have some in the garden, I use those rather than buying it at the supermarket. And this is what everyone should be doing in a lockdown, rather than buying in bulk or panic buying. Planning and buying what you need in the right amounts is sustainable, panic and mass buying food from the supermarket it not sustainable. The takeaway from this: Don't panic buy. It won't benefit you, and you could be harming yourself and others by doing so. Worse, you could get in trouble with the law if it leads to disorderly behavior or violence, and you could be harming the environment and the economy. You are also being selfish and inconsiderate - others need to go to the supermarket to buy essential supplies as well. Plan well ahead of your trips, and if possible, do your best to support businesses, including and especially local businesses by buying from stores online and ordering food online to deliver to your house. Lockdowns suck, and Covid sucks (especially the Delta variant), but we will get through this. Be kind, and stay safe.
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And this was definitely the longest - and the worst one ever yet. Never in my day did I think I would be going on a university excursion to a zoo, then come back home to rest - only to wake up to news about a single community Delta case after earlier checking that there were no community cases initially. As a result of this, all of New Zealand initially went into lockdown, with Auckland then remaining at the highest level for another few weeks before going down to level 3. As a result of this, events postponed and cancelled, and we have had to delay our second trip to Queenstown - which is coming up in December now. Plans that I had with friends had came to a grinding halt. My planned birthday with friends - and a supposed bungy jump to the theme of Cruella for Halloween did not go ahead. An expensive fashion event that I was supposed to attend has now been moved to next year - as is New Zealand fashion week. Also, I was not able to see family for a while. Worst of all, this lockdown not only brought back memories of my father's death, but it also affected my friendships on social media. This outbreak - and lockdown - had caused an argument between me and a friend over the PM and being angry about being stuck in Auckland while my friend was able to travel anywhere under Alert Level 2 conditions (which led to a few friends unfriending me on Facebook). Both of which took a serious toll on my mental health - and had plunged me into isolation. The only thing that kept me happy was designer shopping online (and in retail stores offline in Alert level 3 Step 2), and under Alert Level 3, I was able to order takeaway restaurant food. I was keeping myself busy with editing old photos, cooking my favorite dishes and going for walks. OI was watching YouTube videos and spending time on social media. I also spent time gaming as well during the lockdown period. As we are moving into the traffic light system, the lockdown is about to finally end. I am now looking forward to going out with friends and family again, and dining out, and going away on holidays and adventures (I will blog about my trips once I have completed them) and going to events. I also look forward to going back to places like the cinema, the farmers market, the gym and other places such as arcades etc. Additionally, I will look forward to going on road trips, and going birdwatching in Miranda and other parts of New Zealand. Moreover, this lockdown has come to an end just in time for Christmas, with the Auckland border opening mid December. And that's when I look forward to going to Queenstown for a well deserved adventure holiday. I will be drinking champagne to finally celebrate the end of this long lockdown and I will be hoping that another lockdown will not happen again - for this long, at least. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash |
AuthorI am Natalie Dunn. I am a feminist who believes in gender equality and rights for everyone. I have many passions in life such as fashion, beauty, adventures and travelling. Archives
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