TP: You can order a travel bidet or just create your own with a squeezable bottle and a straw. A wet wash cloth is a suitable replacement, too, though you might have some cultural based hesitations.
What food is available in grocery stores in your area. In our area some food is mostly sold out such as pasta and flour. Most food is available, so it is a matter of doing things differently than before.
You could ask when supplies arrive at your grocery store. At least in our area grocery stores still get deliveries, it‘s just sold very quickly.
I think tp is easiest to replace as you mention. I don't want to think about cleaning up cat vomit without paper towels. I've already used about 10 klenex this morning and felt quite guilty about it!
We have been very flexible with food stuffs, but I'm not as confident as some of you that supplies will eventually be replace.
I'm worried about what may or may not be available in 3-4 months. I want 20 pound of lentils and rice. And it isn't anywhere.
The biggest thing you have to understand is that nearly every food manufacturer is doing everything feasible (and within the guidelines set by local/state governments) to operate at as high a capacity as they can. This fact may seem obvious but the reality is, within the framework of what the FDA/USDA/State Ag Depts require, it's very very difficult to just turn your manufacturing processes on a dime. And yet, I've watched firsthand as formerly insurmountable logistical issues have been addressed and overcome at breakneck pace.
When it comes to stuff like rice and lentils (and other similar commodities), I do believe those items will take longer to come back to normal levels - mostly because those goods take an especially long time to go from farm to shelf and they're typically low turnover products so sourcing additional quantities has a much longer lead time.
The supplies (nearly all of them) will be back in stores eventually - both because there's only so much hoarding people can do before they just don't need to replenish their bunkers, and because almost every major manufacturer (food, paper, household supplies) is busting tail to get product to stores.
Yes - I think we all hope that things get restocked but for those of us who didn't do a 6-month stock up, and it seems many did, that is leaving us in an uncertain situation right now.
So - just as a silly example - where's the tp? The stores have been wiped out for a month or more now. I'm thinking - well - half the city did a 6-12 month stock up so when new ones are delivered we can get some. That isn't happening.
We haven't been able to get any tofu for weeks now. Have a little ground beef left, but not much.
Who is stocking up all of this? How much do they have put by and are they continuing to buy it?
I just don't know why I can't get things, and I'm trying to think of a longer term plan while we wait.
I guess the short version is: Yes, I hope so but I don't want to wait until we have nothing to eat to start thinking about if this is going to last awhile.
I can understand what you're saying. It's all regional, too, depending on where and when the outbreaks are occurring. In our area, I can find anything I need today including TP.
A lot of areas right now are in the 'dead zone' where the lead time for the longer-to-stock items is running its course. I would suspect yours is an area like that.
Sorry to keep pounding the industry anecdotes, but it also hinges a lot on how close you are to the distribution centers that supply the stores in your area, and what part of the country you're in. East Coast and West Coast DC's are pretty easy to stock because there's a lot of production capacity for the biggest manufacturers and product can get to shelves quickly relative speaking.
If you're nearer to a Midwest or Southern DC, or your location is a significant distance from the DC, it's just going to be longer and more uncertain when you look at the restocking rate.
One huge hurdle the food industry
is probably (because I don't work in logistics/analytics, I can't say for certain) dealing with is that products are unevenly distributed around the country. Most companies use incredibly complex data analytics and modeling to determine what stores should be stocked with what, where, and when. This is then worked out logistically way ahead of time and shipping schedules are fairly well set. Suddenly everyone, everywhere needs something and your model goes flying out the window.
I wish I could offer more advice. FWIW, I didn't stock up past 3 weeks myself, and even then I'd hardly call it a stock up. I really think it is/was unreasonable for everyone to run out in a huge free-for-all assuming the apocalypse is nigh.
I still have to go to work occasionally, so we're making a little bit longer than weekly grocery runs, but I can totally get trying to mitigate the risk and not go to the store if possible.
Is grocery delivery available in your area?