COVID-19 and Shortages

[Littlesister]

Haven't been to a store in about a week now.  So not sure how things are.  The only stores I have been going to are Food Lion and Harris Teeter.  I am going to try to get to Kroger this week. They seem to have the better sales this week.  And I need to fill the gas tank as well as pick up an RX. So need to get out tomorrow afternoon after I get some things done in the morning. Need to get the clothes washed and get DH outside for awhile. I know the last time I was in store, cleaning products were still low, but they did have some TP and paper towels. But that was hit and miss. Canned goods were still low as well. 

[Mt_Rider]

Thursday, DH scored two reg. size bottles of Ivory dish soap....my mom got them.  Today he got 2 more for us.  For a long time this year, my mom and I shared my stash of Ivory.  I think she found full-sheet paper towels ...not Bounty but she got them gladly.  DH has been able to find most things we currently buy at the grocery.  He's now an Amazon By The Case shopper for canned goods.  It keeps UPS in business.  And cheaper!

 

MtRider 

[TheCG]

I noticed that at the hardware store, they’re out of Medium and Large in most of their gloves.  Also, weirdly enough, at the office supply store, they seem to be stocking much less paper than usual.

[Ambergris]

DS2's girlfriend's colonoscopy has been postponed twice due to a drug shortage.  The clinic was running 24/7 when I had mine, and is now running 12 hours a day, six days a week.

[Jeepers]

13 hours ago, TheCG said:

I noticed that at the hardware store, they’re out of Medium and Large in most of their gloves.  Also, weirdly enough, at the office supply store, they seem to be stocking much less paper than usual.

 

Maybe they are using the wood pulp to make more toilet paper instead of typing paper. 

 

[Ambergris]

Forgot to mention: the housemate and I have gotten very fond of Indian retort food for quick meals.  Brand names are Tasty Bite and another I can't recall.  Well, they have disappeared from the grocery store shelves, and they are getting hard to find on Amazon.  

[Mt_Rider]

A shortage of colonoscopies......    Now I've heard everything! 

 

MtRider .....sorry, a bit of gallows humor.    that ALL of our medical stuff gets sorted out for tests/treatments.

[Ambergris]

I thought it interesting that even though the clinic had been wholly shut down for months, not even doing emergency scans (those were done at the hospital) they were not running full time to do catch up work.  My girl's scan is considered urgent but not an emergency.  I'm not sure what drug is not available, but it's not the roto-rooter stuff.  If she were not a Medicare patient, she would probably be an emergency patient and be sent to the hospital, so that's lucky.  

[euphrasyne]

In the last 6 months, we've ordered take out from chain restaurants several times because ...pregnant.   Every single restaurant that is a chain has completely changed their menu downsizing the offerings and most of them have entirely gotten rid of every single entre that I either can eat (GI surgery) or like.  When stocking my pantry, I usually pay a lot of attention to value.  When getting takeout, I don't mind paying for the convenience and I tip well.  Prices are about 25%+ more than they used to be.  

 

A few examples of what is no longer there:

Olive Garden--chicken marsala or any dish I can eat.  They now have zero items I can eat.

Applebees--chicken quesadillas, most of the chicken dishes

Red Robin--down to about half the amount of burgers, only 2 sauces available, no buffalo.  

Outback--down to about 1/3 pervious menu, got rid of quesadillas, pork, chicken, steak is consistently served mooing at me.  

Chilis--menu is about 1/2 what it was

Cracker Barrel--menu is about 1/3 what it was

Texas Roadhouse--menu is about 1/2 what it was (but it still has a few things I can eat so it moved from the bottom of my list to the top)

Longhorn Steakhouse--no longer offers chicken

Ruby Tuesday--no offerings without alfredo sauce which I cannot eat.  

 

The locally owned ethnic restaurants stores have mostly changed hours but not menus.  They are my new heroes. 

Szechuan Inn (bless Ms Vicky the food has not changed and she always remembers us!)

El Puente (tons of Mexican options and my daughter can get a lot of vegetarian items that aren't just beans.)

Rajput (Indian --the buffet is gone but the normal dishes are all the same)

 

[Annarchy]

WM, put new price stickers, over the old ones, on the packages of ribs, but, you could see through the new price stickers.  Was $11.00/ pkg.  now, $17.00.  

[Jeepers]

I don't know what kind of gas (no pun intended) they use for a colonoscopy but (no pun intended) I've often wondered why hospitals and doctor offices don't use nitrous oxide. That stuff works great on inflected pain (dentist) and goes out of the system fast with no down time. I really like that stuff.     

 

 

I don't eat at restaurants much because I don't like to go in alone. The exception is Olive Garden. I order online, pay online and they bring it out to the car by the time I get there. I get Angel Hair Pasta with meat sauce. A lot of the drive-thru places changed their menu around April. McDonald's stopped selling salad. Something I used to get on occasion. Nice salad with tomato, cheese and a whole grilled chicken breast cut up in chunks. I heard Taco Bell was no longer offering a taco salad. 

 

 

That is a big jump in price Annarchy! The very least they could have done was to re-wrap the meat so you didn't see the original price. Kind of like throwing it in your face. Not nice.

[Mt_Rider]

I wiped out Walmart of their 25cents each spiral COLLEGE RULED notebooks.  Might have more in back but I took about 7 ...and the display box.  And got more of the 3 section college ruled notebooks too.  They were still at Back To School price as well.  I thot I'd missed that this year.  As usual, there were a lot more wide-ruled notebooks.  I detest them cuz my writing gets big and illegible. 

 

I only got into a couple aisles, but it looked full.  The school supplies were back down to the regular aisles.  Not a big display in the middle. 

 

MtRider    ....would have taken a longer look but DH's back was in spasm.  It's been a looong week! 

[Littlesister]

Went to Harris Teeter yesterday and got the RX and then did some shopping for sell items and just looking around. Things have doubled in price on a lot of things.  I remember many years ago, I had to go to 3 or 4 different stores to get the sales on things I needed. It is looking like I am going to have to do that again. I have 40 years on me since I had to do that and not looking forward to having to go store to store to not only get the sales on what I need, but to find things I need.  Harris Teeter now has yeast in store. Just don't know for how long.  I got 6 more packs and put in freezer. Can goods were slim pickings and the cleaning supplies were still slim pickings. They did have laundry detergent and TP.  They had paper towels but was slim pickings there as well. Meat prices are a hit and miss. I can find some good sales on some things but other meats, it is way to much.  

I really need to try to get to B.J.s or Sam's club. Going to try in the next week or two. Just have to get DH settled in a way I can either take him with me and let him sit in car or have him situated where he can stay home with everything within reach for about 3 hours or maybe 4. Just depends on traffic and how long it takes to get through the store. 

[Annarchy]

16 hours ago, Jeepers said:

 

That is a big jump in price Annarchy! The very least they could have done was to re-wrap the meat so you didn't see the original price. Kind of like throwing it in your face. Not nice.

At least I noticed it... all the food prices are skyrocketing.

[Homesteader]

We have a Gorden Food Service (GFS) in our large city, and I stop by several times a year. Now that mom is living with us, I seldom go back to the city where I grew up.  Dry yeast still comes in a 1-lb vacuum-packed containers. Everything is packaged for restaurants. Love the place. Average Joe hasn't figured it out yet. Maybe you can find a GFS or Sysco or some other restaurant geared wholesale place? I just repackage and freeze. Some of the #10 cans, I open and run through the pressure canner. BBQ sauce by the gallon is recanned into pint mason jars, which make it much more manageable. I just cook from what's in the pantry, plus a piece of meat thrown in for good measure.     Spent too many years living in places that still had meat with feathers or hooves. Add a little rice and green vines from the trees, and you're good to go. 

[Jeepers]

We have a Gordon Food Service close to me too. Actually, it's almost in front of Wal-Mart. I like going there too except I always forget about it. I buy a lot of my bulk spices there. Trade Winds or something like that. When Covid hit and we were supposed to stay home, GFS was the only place I could find any bread for nearly a month. Not that I was out looking for it every day. It is a hidden treasure.

[Littlesister]

We have Sysco foods. Sometimes I just get DH's cousin to order for me since he gets a lot of his stuff from them anyway. That way I get it for what they pay which is cheaper because they buy in bulk and I don't need a lot of things in bulk. maybe only one or two things from the box of 12 or 24 items. 

I posted this on what you doing today. But will post here as well so everyone will know.

aluminium foil is starting to get low in the stores. No sign of getting anymore in as of yet. That to might become in short supply before long. If you use a lot of it like I do, you might want to stock up a bit. 

[Jeepers]

Thanks Littlesister. I never thought about an aluminium foil shortage. Makes sense since there is an aluminium can shortage. I don't use much but it's so easy to store and won't spoil. Might be a good time to hit up the Dollar Tree for some assorted disposable aluminium baking pans too. I only use them at holidays or for really messy things but they'll keep forever. 

[Midnightmom]

8 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Might be a good time to hit up the Dollar Tree for some assorted disposable aluminium baking pans too. I only use them at holidays or for really messy things but they'll keep forever. 

 

This is a good idea. I never woulda' thunk about it on my own. 

[Littlesister]

Midnightmom, I didn't think about the pans. I will try to go to dollar tree tomorrow and pick some up. I don't use those to often other than Thanksgiving and Christmas and also when we have our Church dinners.  It would be good to have them now than to wait till I need them and can't get them. 

My canning jars and tattler lids are all on back order.. Starting to wonder if I will get either of them. Stores don't seem to be getting them in now. But if I do see any, I will just grab them no matter what size they are. 

[Mt_Rider]

Amazing what a resource of Early Warning Data we have here, ladies.     

 

I have big stash of tin foil.  Heavy Duty [campfire cooking] and regular.  Even some very loooong rolls DH picked up free somewhere.  One of those things I know is so very handy for improvising and camping.  So....thru the years I kept buying it on sale.     It's everywhere!!!  

 

If you try to grow plants .....garden seedlings.....it really helps them get enough light if you surround the area with tin foil....and the table they sit on.  Bounces the light all over for good plant growth.   

 

MtRider  ....no competition from me on the tin foil.   

[Jeepers]

4 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

Amazing what a resource of Early Warning Data we have here, ladies.     

 

 

Boy that's the truth. 

[Joyfilled]

21 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

Amazing what a resource of Early Warning Data we have here, ladies.     

 

I have big stash of tin foil.  Heavy Duty [campfire cooking] and regular.  Even some very loooong rolls DH picked up free somewhere.  One of those things I know is so very handy for improvising and camping.  So....thru the years I kept buying it on sale.     It's everywhere!!!  

 

If you try to grow plants .....garden seedlings.....it really helps them get enough light if you surround the area with tin foil....and the table they sit on.  Bounces the light all over for good plant growth.   

 

MtRider  ....no competition from me on the tin foil.   

Tin foil? For hats, or....😂 Just kidding. 

[Jeepers]

[Mt_Rider]

I never even THOT of that use!!!!

 

MtRider