Author Topic: Pandemic hoarding  (Read 262139 times)

OtherJen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #350 on: October 27, 2020, 02:36:56 PM »
I've been accumulating a variety of non-perishables over the past few months.  My wife rolls her eyes but I think she's glad we have it on hand.  It basically consists of dried grains, beans, etc... from Bob's Red Mill.  Also a few dozen organic canned beans from Amazon ($.99/each, free shipping), pasta, and some Raman Noodles (for me...love those). 

Still not visiting places frequently... no restaurants for us, with the exception of Chinese once a month or so.  One of us hits the store every 7-10 days for our regular stuff.  I suspect there will always be something in the grocery store, even if it's not our preferred form of sustenance.  Our non-perishable stash is designed to buy us some extra days between grocery store visits.

My husband teases me about this. I remind him that I do 95% of the grocery shopping, so he was spared the bare dry goods shelves and meat and dairy cases and the complete lack of paper products for weeks on end, and didn't have to wait in lines to get into the stores.

So far, we've stocked up on pet food. Like I said in March, we humans can survive on popcorn if we have to, but we have obligate carnivores and an obligate herbivore in the house. We're still well stocked with things like white rice, oats, flour, masa harina, beans, and canned tomatoes from earlier this year. I'd be happier if we had some more coffee beans, another bottle of olive oil, a few more cans of tuna, and some brown rice (and a freezer of meat and fish), so those are on the shopping list.

We don't eat in restaurants, but I think it's time to grab carryout from a local restaurant. We've done so a couple of times in the last month. It's a nice treat and break from cooking.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #351 on: October 30, 2020, 07:21:14 AM »
For those who are getting bored with home made foods, here are some OMGGG, good looking recipes to try! They don't look all that difficult either!

https://www.butterbeready.com/classic-red-wine-braised-short-ribs/

I don't have any short ribs in the freezer but if I did, that would be my first choice!

GoCubsGo

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #352 on: October 30, 2020, 09:11:23 AM »
I went to Costco last night and it was packed which isn't unusual.  I wandered over to the paper towel aisle where they haven't had stock 4 out of my last 5 visits.  To my surprise they had 9 packs left on the pallet.  Then I saw something I haven't seen since February.  A half full pallet of Lysol Spray (4 packs). I literally did a double take.  One per customer.  I walked back towards that section 15 minutes later and not only was the Lysol all gone, so was the paper towels.  The Lysol price sign was even taken down.  The Costco worker said they do that so they don't get a thousand questions.   Steak was still in stock but $1 more per pound as it has been the last few months.  I'm guessing we will get another big surge of buying before winter.....

OtherJen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #353 on: October 30, 2020, 11:11:20 AM »
No major supply issues at our regular metro Detroit Costco today. Paper towels were available but understocked; toilet paper was well stocked. Organic ground beef and coffee beans were the usual prices; 2-lb blocks of cheddar were $1 cheaper than they were a few months ago. Our freezer is full again.

The store was packed, though. Good mask compliance with no free noses.

GuitarStv

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #354 on: October 30, 2020, 12:59:04 PM »
no free noses.

The free nose samples are why most people go though!

OtherJen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #355 on: October 30, 2020, 01:19:25 PM »
no free noses.

The free nose samples are why most people go though!

Well played. Sadly, no free samples. Happily, no uncovered noses.

BicycleB

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #356 on: October 31, 2020, 08:21:56 PM »
:(  Ya’ll are unfortunately on to something here. Today my favorite grocery featured a suddenly almost empty TP aisle and at least two people with their masks off while shopping.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #357 on: November 01, 2020, 05:29:01 AM »
My favourite small grocery store has been low on paper towels but lots of toilet paper.  The only empty spot was the one on sale.

I went in for eggs (totally out) and left with cream (on sale), marmalade (on sale), chicken thighs (on sale), TP (on sale), a gorgeous cauliflower (on sale), old cheddar (on sale), and a steak and mushrooms (not on sale) plus of course the eggs.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #358 on: November 01, 2020, 08:42:22 AM »
Boris Johnson is shutting down England starting Thursday for 4 weeks due to Covid-19. The news says we are 3 weeks behind England in how bad it will be for USA. They are worried about the hospitals not being able to handle the incoming sick people. Kind of weird though because they are keeping schools and colleges open. Who knows, that might change.

So that being said, stock up my friends while you can!

I am thinking about putting together a curbside order next week.

Cranky

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #359 on: November 01, 2020, 10:07:13 AM »
I can’t imagine there being much of a shutdown here, no matter what, but I’m am keeping things very well stocked because I don’t want to go out in this mess. Plus, the election...

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #360 on: November 01, 2020, 11:13:36 AM »
Probably no shut downs but the news will scare everyone into running to the stores to wipe out inventory.


ender

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #361 on: November 01, 2020, 11:17:27 AM »
I've slowly stocked up on non-perishables since I like to have some on hand anyways.

I think it's likely people freak the heck out post election, regardless of what happens.


the_fixer

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #362 on: November 01, 2020, 11:46:25 AM »
And so it begins...

Today’s order about 1/2 of it has been canceled due to being out of stock. No snow storms or anything so I assume it has to be stocking up for the new record covid cases.

Things that were canceled
Milk vitamin d whole milk (for a recipe)
English muffins
Coke
Russet potatoes
Isopropyl alcohol (not surprised I have tried for months)
Breakfast sausage patties
Eggs
Ham steak
Whole carrots
Bar soap ( I have to use a certain brand due to allergies)

My wife has been trying to convince me to buy another freezer to stock up for the winter but I pointed out that everything has been in stock and that we could switch to weekly smaller orders for many things and keep the freezer space for meat and pre made meals.

Looks like I might have to eat crow :(

Put in an order with Walmart for the missing items we will see if they are out as well.


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Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #363 on: November 01, 2020, 01:14:45 PM »
I have several on line orders going. One from a grocery store curbside pick up and one from Walmart.

Walmart has rubbing alcohol: https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-Pack-Equate-70-Isopropyl-Alcohol-32-Oz/706238851

Buy $35 in goods and shipping is free.

You can buy shelf stable milk too: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Horizon-Organic-Whole-Shelf-Stable-Milk-8-Oz-12-Count/819219798

the_fixer

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #364 on: November 01, 2020, 05:14:11 PM »
Thanks for the tip roadrunner, if I do not get ISO in the next month or so I will expand the search.


Went to pickup the order from Kroger, as mentioned above they canceled about 1/2 of it prior to pickup before and when I arrived most of the rest was canceled  so I received $16 worth of a $100 order. I did receive a random tub of mushrooms and 2 zucchini’s so a small win...


Walmart order was a bust as well except I was able to get milk, my soap and English muffins they subbed pumpkin spice for regular English muffins so they will be yummy as a treat but we normally go with plain to make breakfast sandwiches so not really fulfilling that purpose.

The person from Kroger said they were getting hit like at the beginning of the pandemic and the shelves were cleared out.

We are hitting record cases every few days in my state / area so maybe people are anticipating another shutdown or hunkering down fortunately we are pretty well set.


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K_in_the_kitchen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #365 on: November 02, 2020, 07:07:14 PM »
I've been avoiding the news for more than a week now, and plan to continue until after Tuesday at least, perhaps longer, although I will look at election results.  What I see posted here recently probably explains my experiences today.

1) I did a small Instacart order from Sprouts because Sprouts doesn't jack up their prices for Instacart -- you get in store prices and sales with the exception of Friday - Sunday 72 hour sales.  The shopper went soon after opening and sent me a photo of the milk case half empty.  This was a produce + milk run, and the only thing she couldn't find besides my preferred milk (and back up choice) was kabocha squash.  Last Monday morning my preferred milk was also out -- that shopper sent a photo and the rest of the case was full.  I'm thinking Organic Valley Whole Grassmilk might not be restocked by Monday mornings.

2) I went to Costco, because they do jack up prices like crazy on Instacart.  I arrived a few minutes after opening to a parking lot full like a Saturday in December.  I parked where I usually do, second row from the back so I can pull through and avoid backing out when I leave (too many Costco near misses).  Walking to the doors, I realized there was a line to get in, something I haven't seen since June.  I'd already spent the gas to get there, so I stuck it out.  Line moved well, only stopping once, otherwise just moving slow and steady.  Inside was packed, but I didn't see anyone without a mask, and people were mostly trying to be polite in the aisles.  I loaded my cart with all barcodes visible so I could check out quickly.  The lines were long, but I'm sure they got longer since I checked out at 10:38 and most of the people around me didn't have really full carts.  Walking to my car there was a line of cars waiting to turn into the parking lot, and cars were circling and waiting even for the back row parking spots.

So, for the price jacking -- I decided to compare my receipt with what it would have been with Instacart.  My total was 230.10 before tax.  If I had used Instacart, my total before service fee and tip would have been $283.27 before tax -- that's $53.27 in markups (23%)!  With the 1.9% service fee and a 10% tip, it would have been $320.22 -- a difference of $86.99 compared to going by myself.  The trip took me 67 minutes, which included the drive to and from, parking, walking to the line (far from where I parked), waiting in the line, 35 minutes in the store, walking back to my car, loading my groceries, and driving home.  I bought meat (chuck roast, lamb, chicken, and bacon), eggs, lots of vegetables, coffee, mayo, almonds, and dog food (dog food was only item taxed).  In the cold room for eggs I heard someone ask an employee if he knew when they would be receiving TP, so they must have been out, which I haven't encountered at all since we started shopping again in June.  This trip I was in a rush, so I didn't go looking to see what else they were out of.

From reports on this thread last week or so, I decided to use some freezer meat and buy some fresh.  I'd hate to empty the freezer of meat by late December only to find shortages.

(As a reminder, I'm shopping for 4 adults, 2 of whom are active young men who are always hungry.)

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #366 on: November 03, 2020, 04:56:59 AM »
Did my curbside pick up yesterday. What really irks me is that they have 8 designated curbside parking spots with signs in front of each spot. No one pays attention and parks there anyway. There was only one open spot yesterday and the other times I went, it was pretty much the same issue. I wish they would put the spots in a less primo spot where people don't want to park. Or true curbside where you actually park in front of the store. I guess they can't do that due to it being a fire zone. UGH!

My order was missing a few things, none that were earth shattering. They advertised they had their brand disinfectant spray and I ordered a few cans but they had none when I picked my order up. Have not found Lysol or any brand disinfectant spray since maybe March.


Dicey

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #367 on: November 03, 2020, 06:58:10 AM »
Spoke to my Costco brother yesterday. He said they're getting TP in every day, and selling out every day. If you need some, go early. I still have most of the last Costco pack i bought a month or so ago, so I'll skip it for now.

Also, as a general rule of thumb, Monday is the least restocked day of the week. Best to shop Tues-Thurs. if your schedule allows it. Another motivation to hit FIRE!

MudPuppy

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #368 on: November 03, 2020, 07:20:09 AM »
Grocery store was all asses and elbows this weekend. I had to got to three for all my items. Luckily I have enough food at home for a few weeks if needed.

BicycleB

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #369 on: November 03, 2020, 08:52:13 AM »
There are moments when I feel like my brain is made of cold, slow moving molasses. This is one of them.

I finally caught up to the fact that the new shortages probably aren't just due to COVID precautions. They're from the same reason as some of ya'll on this thread - people taking precautions about the election aftermath.

Hmm. You know, it probably is better to prepared, even if odds of real problems are low. Having voted previously, I'm going to skip over to the grocery and see if I can pick up a few things.

ETA: Store was pretty well stocked. Notices up limiting paper goods to 2 per shopper per category, otherwise things in full swing. TP aisle 90% full instead of 90% empty.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2020, 11:59:07 AM by BicycleB »

LaineyAZ

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #370 on: November 03, 2020, 04:37:27 PM »
Went to Costco yesterday (Monday, day before election) in metro Phoenix just after they opened.  Busy, but not crazy.  Pallets of TP and paper towels were right by the entrance, and about 85% of shoppers were buying one or both, including us.  Also they've just installed Self check-out which we used and really liked - we only waited about 5 minutes in line before a machine opened up.

Otherwise looked like there was a normal amount of food and goods on the shelves.   Looking back over the past 9 months I think Costco has been the store that's adjusted the best to the pandemic - mandating masks and limiting the number of shoppers early, and no real big breaks in their supply chain. 

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #371 on: November 03, 2020, 04:44:35 PM »
The news says garbage bags may be in short supply. UGH!

I am going to order some from Costco.


K_in_the_kitchen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #372 on: November 03, 2020, 05:34:26 PM »
The news says garbage bags may be in short supply. UGH!

I am going to order some from Costco.

A few years ago I bought a small waste can for $4 at Target.  It fits a plastic bag like you get from a store.  On the outside I added two adhesive hooks (upside down) I'd picked up at a thrift store (25¢) to hold the bag handles.  We use the same size bags for the dog waste scoop thing.  I actually buy the bags because we use cloth at the grocery store rather than pay 15¢ each for their bags.  My last box was $25 for 500 bags, but since then I've found a way to get them for less.  These are black bags and are a little thicker than the cheapest bags.

I wonder what else might be in short supply?  It seems so random.

couponvan

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #373 on: November 03, 2020, 08:31:02 PM »
I am down to my last 1/2 cup of dog food. So whether things get bad or not, doggie needs food and I will be heading to PetSmart. I have more food on hand than normal for sure. Prepping or prudence, or hoarding? It’s not spilled out of the cupboard so I say prepping vs hoarding.

Missy B

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #374 on: November 03, 2020, 09:35:02 PM »
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.


Dicey

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #375 on: November 03, 2020, 10:50:31 PM »
My grocery shopping loop looks like this:

99 Cents Only Store
Grocery Outlet
Costco

Sometimes I skip Costco if I'm well stocked on staples.
If I'm trying to stretch between trips I'll do a quick milk/produce run at Sprouts.

What these three places have in common is that you buy what they have, assuming the price is good. They fill the shelves with whatever they receive. Therefore, I am not used to seeing empty shelves when I shop. Regular grocery stores fill every slot with something specific, therefore, one is more likely to see empty or "sold out" spaces.

Because of the way I shop, I haven't really noticed any significant out of stocks. However, in the last few days, I've been trying to track down a specific med for my MIL. I've been into more CVS, RiteAid, and Walgreen's stores in three days than I've been in in three years. What I see there is scary. Empty slots, empty shelves, empty end caps. Unless a store was going out of business, I've never seen anything like it. I'm finding it to be very eerie.

I've been slowly working through my pantries, but now I'm wondering if that was a mistake.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #376 on: November 04, 2020, 01:58:02 AM »
I am down to my last 1/2 cup of dog food. So whether things get bad or not, doggie needs food and I will be heading to PetSmart. I have more food on hand than normal for sure. Prepping or prudence, or hoarding? It’s not spilled out of the cupboard so I say prepping vs hoarding.

Just a thought for you. You can order dog food from Chewy and probably other companies too. I use chewy to get my prescription dog food. Costco sells dog food. Maybe Tractor Supply. Normally Chewy is very quick and I get the dog food in just a few days.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #377 on: November 04, 2020, 04:16:29 AM »
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

Missy B, have you thought of under the bed storage? There are a lot of rolly type bins that are for under bed storage that you could put non perishable foods into. I have also seen people use over the door cloth shoe organizer for various types of storage. You could put one in your coat closet and store canned items, spaghetti, cracker sleeves, spices, anything that fits! I even saw somebody store canned stuff under the foot rest on a recliner chair! Haha!

MudPuppy

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #378 on: November 04, 2020, 04:48:21 AM »
@Roadrunner53 good suggestions! We use baskets in the space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling and also the drawers of the dresser in the spare bedroom.

K_in_the_kitchen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #379 on: November 04, 2020, 08:26:24 AM »
I am down to my last 1/2 cup of dog food. So whether things get bad or not, doggie needs food and I will be heading to PetSmart. I have more food on hand than normal for sure. Prepping or prudence, or hoarding? It’s not spilled out of the cupboard so I say prepping vs hoarding.

We figured out we can buy a new bag of dog food when we open the bag already at home, as long as we store the unopened bag in the house (but we have to keep it in a back closet so the dogs don't stand guard over it). Dog doesn't care for kibble stored in the garage, even if the weather is merely warm and not hot -- it must go rancid more quickly even if the garage isn't stifling.

I hope PetsMart isn't busy and has what you need!

mountain mustache

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #380 on: November 04, 2020, 01:10:39 PM »
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

This made me laugh. I live in a 500sq ft apt, and worry about the "bunker-chic" look in my apt too. I managed to find a hidden corner to put a tall wire shelf in for extra pandemic storage, but I definitely am always wary of the food storage taking over all of my spare space.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #381 on: November 04, 2020, 02:37:28 PM »
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

This made me laugh. I live in a 500sq ft apt, and worry about the "bunker-chic" look in my apt too. I managed to find a hidden corner to put a tall wire shelf in for extra pandemic storage, but I definitely am always wary of the food storage taking over all of my spare space.

Under the bed, behind the paperbacks on shelves.  Carol Deppe has jars of dried beans on her shelves.

K_in_the_kitchen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #382 on: November 04, 2020, 02:37:42 PM »
In August when things were normal I topped up on UHT almond milk and bought a couple of cases of vegan soup from Costco. Mostly that was about not having to go to Costco if its ugly. I already have other staples and can't store anything else unless I want to go for the 'bunker-chic' look in my apt.

This made me laugh. I live in a 500sq ft apt, and worry about the "bunker-chic" look in my apt too. I managed to find a hidden corner to put a tall wire shelf in for extra pandemic storage, but I definitely am always wary of the food storage taking over all of my spare space.
We had "bunker-chic" going on here in March and April, as I was stocking up before our state locked down and also ordered things that arrived in early lockdown.  In addition to finding space for canned foods (which we had very little of before the pandemic) I was also looking to store an additional 14 5-gallon buckets of food.  As we've eaten through the buckets it's gotten easier, but I still have buckets stashed in my bedroom closet and behind furniture in the living room.  There are also odd spots in the house with stored food, such as the buffet in the dining room.  Finding space for "hoarded" (or what I called being prepared) toiletries and medications also required a declutter and some rearranging.  We don't have an attached garage and our garage gets blazing hot, so we can't store food out there.

Now there's no evidence of the stored food, although we still have far more than we did pre-pandemic.

Dictionary Time

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #383 on: November 04, 2020, 02:53:32 PM »
Is kitty litter a thing? Or have I just been very unlucky?  I struck out twice at Costco, once on a Walmart order, today at the aldi. It’s getting serious here as running out would be bad news. But I can’t imagine what would be the root cause.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #384 on: November 04, 2020, 03:02:59 PM »
Is kitty litter a thing? Or have I just been very unlucky?  I struck out twice at Costco, once on a Walmart order, today at the aldi. It’s getting serious here as running out would be bad news. But I can’t imagine what would be the root cause.

I know nothing about kitty litter but I looked on Walmart.com and it seems there are tons of choices:
https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=kitty%20litter

TomTX

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #385 on: November 04, 2020, 04:17:59 PM »
I actually just added a can of corn to my grocery order. LOL

What amazes me are canned potatoes.

I remember having canned vegetables (including potatoes) sometimes when camping. Peel off the label, open the can and place over the fire til it heats.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #386 on: November 04, 2020, 04:36:02 PM »
I have stocked up on some things I am not proud of. I had a very sick dog who needed tons of pills every day.  I tried everything under the sun to disguise the pills. He would like certain things for a while and then, bleh, he would get sick of them. I was so desperate I even bought Spam! I have never bought spam in my lifetime. I ate it as a kid because it was the thing in my parents generation. I bought a bunch of cans and YUK but I will hang onto them for a while. I think if you fry it till it is super brown crispy it might taste okay. I may donate them. My poor baby doggie had to be put to sleep a week ago. So no more trying to figure out what he might like. I went thru every deli lunch meat, and too much other stuff to list. He was a sweet heart and I miss him very much. If you have a pet in your life, hug him/her because all they want is a little pat on the head and told how good they are. They are non judgemental, are your constant companions, and your best friend.

MudPuppy

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #387 on: November 04, 2020, 05:14:35 PM »
Sending comfort to you. It’s so hard to lose a pet.

Cranky

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #388 on: November 04, 2020, 05:19:38 PM »
Aww, sorry about your dog! That’s hard, and it’s been such a year of hard stuff!

Spam needs to be fried over an open campfire.

K_in_the_kitchen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #389 on: November 04, 2020, 05:36:06 PM »
I am so sorry for the loss of your sweet doggie!  We mourn them as much as we mourn our human family.

nirodha

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #390 on: November 04, 2020, 06:01:14 PM »
Cat litter - https://www.chewy.com/ - I'll never go back to buying in store.

NotJen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #391 on: November 04, 2020, 06:56:06 PM »
Speaking of pets and pills, is there a squeeze cheese shortage?

I once got my cat to take pills using Easy Cheese - and needed some again, but it has not been in stock at my local store my last 3 trips.  She's out of pills (got maybe half of them into her), so I don't need it anymore and haven't tried to find it online.

Seems like an odd thing to be out of.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #392 on: November 05, 2020, 02:53:12 AM »
Thanks all for your kind words.

Believe me, I have tried everything to get pills down my sick dog. Cream cheese and chicken blended, sardines and cream cheese, peanutbutter, marshmallows, ham, deli roast beef, deli turkey, many cheeses, liverwurst, bolony and more I can't think of. He used to be a really good eater but I guess his illness just made him feel sick. The pills were very powerful cancer drugs and others added on top of that. So, his stomach was probably churning from it all.

We all do the best for our animals. Now I have one rickety old dog who will be 17 years old next month! UGH, why do they have to get old!

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #393 on: November 05, 2020, 02:59:51 AM »
Speaking of pets and pills, is there a squeeze cheese shortage?

I once got my cat to take pills using Easy Cheese - and needed some again, but it has not been in stock at my local store my last 3 trips.  She's out of pills (got maybe half of them into her), so I don't need it anymore and haven't tried to find it online.

Seems like an odd thing to be out of.

Amazon has it but some are pricey. Target has it for $3.99 a can if you order on line and $35 worth of products shipping is free.
Scroll about halfway down the page: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=easy+cheese

K_in_the_kitchen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #394 on: November 07, 2020, 04:51:49 PM »
So ... I found out today that the Instacart markup for Costco using the Instacart app are twice as high as using the Costco website.  It makes sense, since you do have to have a Costco membership to use the Costco website.  But this doesn't seem to be widely known.  I don't love any markup, but on some items the Costco price with markup is still better than Sprouts without a markup, because of bulk pricing.

Also, I did an Instacart Sprouts order today, going in through the Sprouts website instead of the Instacart app -- and I was allowed to use the current $10 off $75 coupon, plus two other digital coupons, 75¢ off 3 avocados and $1 off Earth Balance (for the dairy allergic kid). I chose curbside pickup and there were no fees at all, and no tipping. Sprouts's in-house shopper did a much better job choosing produce (the order was 90% fresh produce) than any "full service" Instacart shopper has ever done. Unlike Target, nothing was missing. In store shoppers are actual employees, from what I understand, some stores use Instacart employees and some use their own. The text I received said a Sprouts Farmers Market Associate was shopping for me, so maybe it wasn't an Instacart employee.

I didn't buy anything to hoard from Sprouts, lol, but this week I did order TP (we have an old house and need paper that dissolves easily) and our preferred medium grain rice from Walmart. I ordered paper towels from Target. I don't want to hoard, but I also don't want to end up not having what we need. Oh, I also ordered meat from our local--ish grass-fed beef rancher, since he had rump roasts half price. That was a stock up.

« Last Edit: November 07, 2020, 08:45:23 PM by K_in_the_kitchen »

couponvan

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #395 on: November 11, 2020, 12:27:30 PM »
I have a big kitchen.  On the lower cabinets in the "Pre-COVID" times, it held lots of party goods. We're not having a party anytime between now and next Spring, so I moved all the party goods into an upper cabinet that was hard to reach.  I now have so much available pandemic prepping space.  I'm doing a big shop tomorrow. We'll have a load of canned goods to get by with if things get too hairy.  Right now it was more starches and beans along with a big bottle of multivitamins. None of us really like canned fruits and veg though, so once it's back to normal I think we'll make a nice donation to the food pantry.

@Sun Hat that lockdown timing sounds terrible.  Congrats on being ready and prepared.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #396 on: November 11, 2020, 01:33:44 PM »
I have a big kitchen.  On the lower cabinets in the "Pre-COVID" times, it held lots of party goods. We're not having a party anytime between now and next Spring, so I moved all the party goods into an upper cabinet that was hard to reach.  I now have so much available pandemic prepping space.  I'm doing a big shop tomorrow. We'll have a load of canned goods to get by with if things get too hairy.  Right now it was more starches and beans along with a big bottle of multivitamins. None of us really like canned fruits and veg though, so once it's back to normal I think we'll make a nice donation to the food pantry.

@Sun Hat that lockdown timing sounds terrible.  Congrats on being ready and prepared.

What kind of canned things are you getting? As far as fruit, I did buy some applesauce, pineapples, mandarin oranges. I am thinking of buying canned peaches. The mandarin oranges I plan to put on salads. Not a huge fan of them but they are Vitamin C. The only vegs in cans that I have on hand are green beans and corn. I could tolerate mixed veg if I put them in a soup or stew but never buy them. One other thing that is good is pickled beets and I got them from Walmart. Anyone else know of anything good in a can as far as fruits and veg? I prefer frozen but if we are stocking up there is only so much room in the freezer.

MudPuppy

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #397 on: November 11, 2020, 02:22:03 PM »
Canned tomatoes for me, mostly. I do have some dehydrated mixed veggies that make good soup.

OtherJen

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #398 on: November 11, 2020, 02:32:38 PM »
Canned tomatoes for me, mostly. I do have some dehydrated mixed veggies that make good soup.

Yeah, the dehydrated veggies are good in soup. Otherwise, we only buy canned tomatoes and maybe beans. I guess salsa and olives would also technically count.

GuitarStv

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Re: Pandemic hoarding
« Reply #399 on: November 11, 2020, 02:35:05 PM »
If you take a daily multivitamin and have powdered fiber mix like Metamucil . . . is there really any reason to eat vegetables/fruit?  Serious question.  I like fruit for the flavour (and vegetables for textural variety), but if you're in a real survival situation is there any reason the above wouldn't work?

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!