Worried mum stockpiles £450 worth of supplies
A WORRIED Northern Ireland mother has stockpiled £450 worth of food and household supplies as a precaution against any shortages caused by the coronavirus crisis.
Single mum Christina, who asked us only to use her first name, said she has accumulated supplies of non-perishable items — tinned, dried and frozen foods plus freezables — as well as a range of domestic essentials like toilet rolls, soaps, bleach, disinfectant, laundry supplies and over-the-counter medicines.
“I am a single mum with four children, two of whom currently live at home full time,” she explained to the Belfast Telegraph yesterday.
“I am on a low income and have been budgeting for a long time.
“I budget monthly and had slowly built up a store cupboard and large freezer of supplies.
“I had been living out of this since January so they were becoming quite depleted.
“I have been following the news on the coronavirus since it first broke out and when the first case was confirmed in Northern Ireland in February I went out the next day and did a large grocery and household shop.”
Christina said one of her children has autism and would only eat specific foods.
“I did not want to end up in a situation where I could not get certain items,” she said.
“I filled two and a half trolleys at my local supermarket as well as a large bulk shop of fresh meat from my local butchers. I spent between £400 to £450.”
Christina said she was confident she has enough supplies to last “a couple of months if needed”.
She added: “Also with being a single parent I did not want to end up in a situation where we were unwell and/or quarantined and I would be unable to get to the shops.”
Christina explained her stockpile has given her confidence that her family will come safely through the coronavirus health crisis.
“My plan is to replace items every two to four weeks so as to always have at least four weeks on hand at any one time,” she said.
“I feel much more confident and relaxed about what might happen in the coming weeks and months now that I have this done and I am urging my family to do the same.”