Supermarkets have introduced limits on essential items like toilet paper. Photo / News Corp Australia
Supermarkets have introduced limits on essential items like toilet paper. Photo / News Corp Australia
Frustrated mums have taken to Facebook to complain about the "insane" limits being enforced on essential household items — with one woman revealing she's been forced to shop every two days just to feed her large family.
Since last week, supermarket stocks have been depleted as shoppers buy up big amid fears a coronavirus pandemic could impact supplies.
Limits have now been introduced in Australia on items like hand towel, toilet paper, tissues as well as food such as rice and pasta.
Supermarkets have introduced limits on essential items like toilet paper. Photo / News Corp Australia
Posting in the Budgeting, Food, Stockpiling, Savings, Ideas, Life Help Australia Facebook group, one mum revealed how she had been shamed by another woman while shopping for her eight children.
"I was at Woolworths this morning to get some things I could not get last week and this smartass b**ch in front of me at the checkout kept looking at my stuff and shaking her head," the mum wrote.
Shelves have been stripped as shoppers continue to panic buy. Photo / Supplied
"(She) then asked the lady at the register if those paper towels were for sale, the lady said, 'yes you can have two packets', she said, 'no I only want one', and looked at me and said, 'I am not greedy'.
"I said, 'WTF come talk to me when you (are) feeding eight kids and not one, stupid b**ch. None of the stuff I bought had restrictions on them and no it's not for my stockpile, it's just stuff I could not get last week!"
The woman's Facebook post soon attracted comments from hundreds of others, with most of them saying they too had felt judgment or struggled to buy enough to feed their family with limits on essential items like rice.
"I have eight kids with five at home these limits are killing me. I have to try and shop every two days to try and get what I need," one mum wrote, while another added: "The world has gone insane. It really has."
"I have eight kids and I felt full shame loading one pack of toilet paper last week in my trolley," another mum said.
"My trolley was FULL and people were sniggering about me and my panic buying mode — umm this was about a five day worth shop."
"She would of hated me with half a trolley full of long life milks yesterday. We use five a day and yes that's just a week's worth with my six kids lol," one mum wrote.
"We get filthy looks for buying 12 cartons of rice milk last week and again today! I have a dairy-free child and this is a weeks' worth for us," another said.
The mum also shared a photo of her supermarket haul. Photo / Facebook
One mum had simple advice for those finding grocery shopping stressful at the moment: "Shop online. Just did a $600 shop & not one single judgmental look."
It comes as a Toowoomba mum-of-16 shared on Facebook how she had been slammed by another shopper for buying up big on toilet paper.
But Bonell, who regularly documents her family life on YouTube and Facebook, explained buying a large amount of toilet paper was just a fact of life when you had as many kids as she does.
Bonell wrote that she "will not apologise for buying toilet paper for my family which is undoubtedly bigger than yours".
"And I will not let you make me feel guilty about it one little bit," she said. "Perhaps taking a deep breath would help or try smiling."
Bonell ended her post by saying that while the world is probably in the grips of a coronavirus pandemic "there's been another one that's been brewing for a long time".
Jeni Bonell took to Facebook to complain after being shamed over her toilet paper haul. Photo / Facebook
That's a worldwide lack of good manners with a symptom of unkindness that seems to accompany it," she wrote.
"Let's just stop it folks and remember that we all live on this planet together. Let's be friends instead."
last week Central Coast grandmother and mother-of-three Leanne McLennan revealed how she had been stockpiling food for years to save money but was now being accused of panic buying because of coronavirus.
McLennan – who hasn't bought toilet paper for months – began stockpiling around five years ago while going through a rough patch.
"I was once in a very tough position where I had to rely on charity for food because I just didn't have the money to even meet the bills or rent, I sold everything I owned and I just needed help with food," she told news.com.au.
"I never wanted to be in that position again so I started off slowly, mostly with toiletries, instead of buying one deodorants buy four deodorants, when they're on half price special."
