Tell us what you’re noticing in the comments below…
The Covid-19 began a disruption in the JIT (Just In Time) system of many products. As you all know, Toilet Paper was hit hard. It was one of the first things to disappear from the shelves. Pretty much any form of disinfectant was next. To varying extents we’ve seen shortages of foods.
Some of the shortages had begun to ease a bit, especially following the slow re-opening of “the economy” and being released from our “lockdowns”.
However a number of weeks ago I noticed abrupt new messaging from the mainstream media. They switched from the Antifa / BlackLivesMatter riots to Covid Round-2 Doom. The messaging is sending a clear signal — they want us locked down again (and more).
Most of us know the primary goal behind much of this. To destroy the economy in hopes that Trump won’t get re-elected (at any and all costs). They’re doing it as we speak with the help of their propaganda arm, the MSM.
Additionally, people are highly concerned about the upcoming election. The probable disruptive events leading up to it, and the consequences and “fallout” afterwards in our deeply divided country.
As a result of all this, we are going to see MANY MORE SHORTAGES.
Refer back to this article during the upcoming months
Lets use this article/post as a placeholder for you all to comment on what YOU are noticing. The shortages out there in your area.
As we progress through the upcoming months, I have a feeling that shortages will be far and wide. If we can tip each other off about “this” or “that”, it may help some of us to be ahead of the curve.
Mrs.J and I had one of our semi-regular “preparedness meetings” yesterday. Our current primary concern is “shortages”. I won’t mention the others in this post (maybe another) because I want to keep this strictly about shortages. We are well prepared at our homestead. However we made a list of the things we’re going to do for even better preparedness. Why? Because there are scenarios which have the potential of really shaking things up in our future.
MENU Quick-Link
I will be placing a Quick Link to this article in the MENU (top right corner).
So as we progress through the upcoming months, I ask that you click back to this article. Add your comments when you notice shortages that you feel we should know about. You don’t have to reveal your location if you don’t want to. But simply letting the rest of us know “what” is in short supply will help.
Thanks!
Chest Freezer Shortage!
I began looking for an additional chest freezer and discovered there aren’t any. Estimates that I’m seeing are all the way out to October for what I’m looking at from Lowes. I’m going to expand my search beyond my region, but I suspect this is nationwide.
Sams club has been getting smaller chest freezers in randomly. Online will show out of stock at your store, but they sell before it can update. Grabbed another vertical when i saw it about a month ago. Saw small chests there two weeks ago. It is hit and miss at our sams in town
My neighbor was getting rid of his chest 4 free I grab it fast. Load it up in February. Then meat went up in price. Glad I got one.
I found a chest freezer only one to choose from .by whirlpool at Costco online only. This was 3 was ago. Found some stand up ones at Sam’s 2 days ago. This was central Texas
last month went to Lowe’s and home Depot and was told out till August and not accepting preordrs either.
Ken – I decided to sell one of my older chest freezers, big 25cu.ft. one. Got a bunch of hits on it moments after I posted it, and I sold it for close to what I paid for it 8 years ago. The people who bought it said they can’t find freezers anywhere here in the Upper MidWest.
I lucked out in January. I thought mine had died so I bought another. Found out my first one was fine so I ended up with two. Filled them both a couple of weeks before the frenzy.
There is a shortage here in Georgia. We decided to buy another freezer in late March, and were originally told it would be delivered in May. Then it was moved to August. DH kept searching around, and hit upon one in stock a few weeks ago at a different chain store, so we cancelled the order.
It is nation wide. We ordered ours in early April and picked it up last
week.The Sears Home Store was really good about keeping us updated.
Order ASAP and hope for the best.
Just a “heads up”, I work at one the big box stores and it’s going to be a while before anything big starts to roll in. We just had about 20 small freezers come in last week and they were gone in a day. There is also a national shortage on lumber, especially pressure treated. If you find something, I wouldn’t hesitate to try and find a better deal, I’d buy it right then and there. There is such a back log of internet orders yet to be filled because of lack of product. On a side note this is why we prep. Good luck and God Bless.
We had to go into our “big town” for specialized doc appts. Lowes had about 6 small chest freezers. Nothing big. But at least they had them.
I ordered a new chest freezer that was supposed to arrive May 1. The day before, I got a call saying it would be June 6. Now it is August 22. Will it even come in then???? I had an order for a side of beef in May but was able to put it off until this week. If I put it off longer, it would not have been available at the price I’d ordered it at (if at all). Luckily, my church’s freezer is mostly empty because we’re not having our weekly dinners, so I get to store the meat there. I’m going to can a bunch of it, but I couldn’t do it all at once!
I was in Lowes today looking for the same. One was on sale for $179.
I ask the salesman in the Appliance Dept. He said they only had a few and they were gone…. Sears didn’t have any either despite the closeout sale for that store. They did have quite a few small refrigerators.
They must be made in china….
21Bravo –
Most likely they were made in China. We sure showed them a thing or two, eh?
tmcgyver as I understand a LOT of the nails, screws, aluminum products like screens and plastic sheeting we use are also made in China. Thus my earlier posting about the 20.00 bill and the Folgers plastic can of nails I filled it musing. Next year nails might be even harder-more expensive than this year due to excessive money printing making that 20.00 bill but a lot less AND other overseas countries not so eager to accept our trade dollars for real stuff.
For want of a nail……
Yes, it is. I was #45 on a wait-list at a store in my state but eventually got one. I suspect that many wait-listed people decided to not get one after all as the stores were still open and still had some food. Suggest you try a local appliance store and get on their list. Also, try Webstaurant; they are selling chest freezers. Get on their e-mail list to be notified when they get some more in stock and order it immediately.
This is a real thing. I concur with Farmgirl, upper mid-west here is on a waiting list for freezers. The only way you get one is if you are there when they deliver or you wait several weeks to order online as there is a huge back order for freezers. Only chance to get one sooner is to find a decent one online from a private sale from someone who is not paying that close attention.
Butcher paper. Here in southern middle TN I haven’t been able to find any since early march. Checked Kroger in “The Burg” last week and they are still out. You would think with the recent meat shortage freezer paper would be everywhere. Guess the sheep used it for TP….
Ya, Ken. We were looking for one right around the time the TP shortage was happening and we called 7 different places (from Mom & Pop furniture places to Bid Box stores and even Amazon). Nothing. They said maybe July, but still nothing out there. NY state between Rochester and Syracuse.
have you seen the chest freezers on sale on wayfair for 10000$ i think they’re buying all the chest freezers to create a monopoly and sell children
Ken,
Have you looked at the largest sellers of silver and gold? Have you seen the prices skyrocket? They are out of stock on most smaller 1 oz bars and less.
There is fear of the dollar collapsing and inflation running a muck. whaddaya think with the trillions more in debt we got, spending is out of control, and revenue falls short from this pandemic and it’s closings, —our debt is 120% of our GDP.
What I would advise is stock up on things they can’t tax you on regularly. Garden supplies, dehydrated freeze dried food, canned food, buy that better car now, get those tools and guns, ammo, get you appliances needed, and even TP now or later you will pay much higher.
I first noticed inflation when gold prices went way up …hummmm? it is now at the price it was when our economy was at it’s worst–2011. We preppers were scrambling to get all we need in PM’s and other supplies. It is different than the pandemic crisis when you could afford to by supplies, but what happens when you can’t afford supplies with the same amount of money you spent 4 months ago?
My silver bars jumped from $15 to $23.26 in the last few months. As the robot throwing it’s arms around, told Will Robinson, “Warning, warning, warning!”
Things to consider. Maybe you and others can write an article to get everyone’s attention to this coming problem…
At grocery yesterday, half meat counter empty, shelves near empty on several sodas, sugar very limited, butter way down, several items in freezers gone. Checkout then remarked how hard it was getting to replace some items. Don’t know where this is headed, but doesn’t look good.
From what I’ve noticed, there is not a problem getting anything here in China right now. Things in the stores are just like before the pandemic. Everything is fully stocked in the stores. During the lockdown here in China, had some trouble getting beef dumplings for a while but now it’s back to normal.
Everything seems to be in stock but many food items are limited to 4 or less per item.I worry about food items only, I have enough junk/stuff to last me through this mess.
Food prices are the thing that will cause riots, it’s all I’m focused on.
– We have grands visiting from Pennsylvania where they live with son’s ex. DW was complaining that she cannot find cans of Cream Soda any kind, anywhere. Other sodas, yes, but not those. Several posters have commented about change shortages; There seems not to be a problem in west Texas, just FWIW.
Meats and canned goods, we seem to have pretty good supply. Ammo, Good Luck! I will have to shoot (50 rounds) this Saturday to renew my CCL. I found .38 for a ridiculously high price. 9mm, 20 rounds for $18 and only one brand available, no more than 2 boxes at one time… I may use my .32 as I have several boxes on hand for it, (I have a chamber adapter for .32 for my .308 deer rifle, .32 makes it a decent substitute for a .22 without having to carry a second rifle) that way I can keep serious ammunition and .22 on hand.
– Papa S.
I haven’t been able to get any ammo here in China. Ohhhh wait, that’s right. Guns are banned here in China. Only people you see with guns are some police, and security folks (the ones that pick up money at the banks). So obviously no ammo found anywhere. Then again, I don’t have a gun so getting ammo is a mute point.
Isn’t socialism and communism grand?
Ammo. Ammo. Ammo. Cooking appliances seem low. Toys. Camping gear, especially cook related, are empty. Ironically, plenty of toilet paper and .22lr
9mm FMJ double in price $9.99/50 to $19.99 HPT at Bass Pro never there. online HPT in 9mm,45ACP and others there just need to look for best deals with high prices. 556 also can’t find Lake City green tip. Just trying to add to supplies when available. Think its just get worst every month.
At our local Kroger some veggie canned foods are still light. There have been no organic canned veggies in months. Some rice items. No Spam. Noodles/spaghetti and some tomatoes sauces. Fresh meats are light but there is plenty. TP is light as well as some other paper products. NO rubbing alcohol, nada, clerk says it has been empty for long time. Basically the store has what you want. At this time there are no limits. Wally is almost normal as well as Dollar General.
JMHO
The BLM riot BS
And make no mistake,
BLM is BS,
Was not getting the sympathetic ear they wanted to build up the democraps. So they are shifting gears,,,
Kulafarmer,
BLM has not been making any friends or garnering any support with their nonsense, on the contrary, they have been cutting their own throats. everyone now sees them for what they are. let them bleed
Kulafarmer: I know that the boss doesn’t like off topic but since you’ve
drifted off a little I thought maybe I could sneak this thru.
High atop Big Mountain in the Whitefish Range of Flathead County Montana sits a large statue of Jesus with out stretched arms.
This memorial honors the veterans of WWII and the Montanans that served in the 10th Mountain Division.
The statue which sits on public land was erected by the Knights of Columbus in 1954 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Jesus has prevailed two lawsuits filled by the Freedom From
Religion Foundation in 2013 and 2015. Strangely the decisions in favor
of Jesus came from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Sometime this past weekend evil monsters desecrated and vandalized
the memorial. The face of Jesus was painted brown and signs were taped to the hands.The sign were “BLM and Rise Up”.
I just don’t understand.
Oh, its on topic,
I see a shortage allright,
A shortage of respect for others, a shortage of class. A shortage of integrity. A shortage of patriotism.
A shortage of morals.
Theres a shortage allright
Kula:
I think the topic applies to the current STUPID19 panic. You’re going back and covering the last 50 years of American societal rot; I think.
I haven’t noticed a shortage of rope.
Kula, right you are, if patriots don’t stand soon, we’ll have no place to stand.
YOU ARE RETARDED
YOU ARE R3TARD3D
NO YOU ARE
Things are getting better as far as grocery stores and even Walmart in my area .
Ammo, if you do find some the price is higher. Also, has anyone try to purchase a freezer. My wife and I have a small one, but looking for a larger one. You cannot find any in stock. Stores are saying that they will have them maybe back in stock sometime in October. I do not trust buying from craigslist or from anyone that I don’t know.
I was told earlier today that Lowes is getting freezers on a regular basis. They don’t advertise the fact and it is first come first serve. The one nearest me gets them early morning and are sold out by noon. Perhaps try finding out the delivery days and be there early. What i was told not what i know.
Also, if you let them know your freezer is broken (or frig), they will prioritize you at large box stores. Just pick something they have in stock.
I saw this when I went to get Dad a small ‘fridge for his apartment. The woman at the help desk was on the phone with someone desperate to get a freezer and she asked me to wait because she had to mark it as sold so it wouldn’t go before he could get there to pick it up. Whatever the reason, she said it wasn’t in inventory and she’d found it when she went back to check.
My sister had a similar situation.
Freeze Dried Food is either non-existent, or exorbitantly priced. Auguson – only 6 types on wmt dot com, prices on those have about doubled; similar situation at AMZ, although they hide it a bit better through clever structured pricing schemes. At both e-com sites I’ve noticed a new brand of FD foods called “Mother Earth”. These guys seem to be positioning themselves at the same price point as Auguson and EE once did; but with an average of 75% less product!
Regular grocery stores are still very thin, with creative shelf facing to conceal the truth. Wife and I went to 99 Ranch last weekend and that was a pleasant surprise! They were well stocked on everything, including rice; available for sale without purchase limits, for the first time in months. They even had a couple of varieties on sale at <$1 per pound in large bags. Their produce prices have skyrocketed though. Has anyone been following the coconut picking slave monkey scandal out of Thailand? Well, fresh coconuts literally doubled in price, in one week. In some sort of twisted sympathy, mangos and papayas too have doubled in price. Green produce is all at 'regular' prices; no sales.
For online purchases, I find myself spreading out the orders to 5 or 6 different merchants, when 1 or 2 always used to get it done. Way too many "out of stock" tags now.
Keep an eye on Amazon. I’ve been buying auguson’s strawberries for $20. Price changes as many as 3x per day. Put them in my cart and check randomly during the day until they hit my price point. Suspect they do that with alot of things.
I put the Honey app on my Augason Farm Amazon list along with desired price and it notifies me if it hits the price so I don’t have to check Amazon multiple times. I was surprised to get two items within the next day that way. The price was lowered by about 40% but the next day when I checked they had gone back to full retail price.
I am fortunate to work for military now. I went to the commissary and bought several cases of MRE’s (GI issue) 10ea or $120/case. They also have now a freeze dried meal for $4.75ea, selection varies….. Quality….??? I have no idea how they taste….
Went to Aldi’s about two weeks ago, and found sugar non existent. They did have a pallet of all purpose flour that seemed pretty full. Went to another store and found all cleaning supplies down at least 60% with many holes. That was all that I noticed as I was only in each store about 10 minutes just to get a few key items since I had family coming for a week.
different aldi’s still no sugar, 3/4 pallet of plain flour.. No baking powder that is in date. some that expired in 2014.
Costco in the upper State of Jefferson
Pharmacy area:
Kirkland nighttime pain medication(blue/lt blue capsule),Kirkland day time pain medication(lt blue/red capsule), Kirkland Acetaminophen, latex gloves, Isopropyl alcohol, chewable melatonin, round cotton make up pads.
Store division:
Kirkland Dog biscuits, zip lock bags-all sizes N/A, Kirkland stretch wrap-plastic wrap, Kirkland glass jar peaches, Kirkland corn, Kirkland green beans, canned mushrooms, Kirkland trash bags.
This was from my—jic list.
Antique Collector, We went to our Costco a few days ago. I was shocked by all the open floor space with no product. They’ve rearranged their aisles and products. Double packs of chewable vitamin C no longer have a one only limit, but the shelf space for it is much smaller. I noticed their canned chicken no longer has quantity limits, but again, they don’t have as much product on hand. Their canned pulled pork has been gone for months and their canned roast beef has been gone even longer. I’m also shocked by beef prices everywhere. While I was focusing on chicken and pork shortages, they hiked up beef prices!
pint canning lids
water bath canner
freezers
food shelves have recovered somewhat, but no:
bread flour
bread machine yeast
no limits on meats anymore, but who can pay the price they are charging !!??!!
rice limited availability
canned veggies limited availability
Ammo limited to two or three boxes.
grandee: Try Ace Hardware for all your canning needs if there is one in your area.We found all jars and lids yesterday.The Anchor Hocking Co.
had a big supply of jars but very expensive.
It makes us feel bad that we don’t have any shortages in NW Montana
but folks in other places are struggling.
thank you. we do have an Ace here. My church is getting peaches (seconds) by the bushel next week. My daughter and I are going to be canning them. I have enough jars and lids to get this done 🙂 but want to replace what I use. I’ll be checking at Ace.
grandee, If you have a dollar general they will order canning jars, lids and rings and lids for you.., if not in stock.. qts were 8.75 2 weeks ago.. golden harvest brand…same for lids. they were 1.55dz?
that’s a good price for lids.
hubby picked up some lids from Ace @ $3.49 per doz.
Sheesh
Perhaps a companion topic would be how to adapt to shortages.
I find that if I ask the workers when is a good time to come back they usually will give me a good idea when the trucks arrive (ammo at least). That happened last week. Pistol ammo was all gone. Sure enough when I came back at the time he said the next day, there was a lot of pistol ammo. I am sure it did not last long.
Local rural king farm store, biggest gun dealer around, zero 9mm .40 s&w .308,.556,.223 on and on. Some .22 few.45. Normally this store has stacks of all calibers. W world has had no canned peaches for a month. No Clorox wipes since march. And any hand sanitizer sold in this town all say kills 99% bacteria not virus.And when we ordered another half beef from local locker to split with son and family they put us on the list for 6 months from order date instead of usual 1 month wait.Here also no freezers anywhere to be had. I was going to get a third one to put back for potential need of one of our two older freezers quit.I am so glad to have the extremely deep pantry that we’ve built over the last years.
Maggie’s farm,funny you mentioned canned peaches, I sent an email to all on my list and told them to stock up on canned goods and one of my friends emailed back, that as long as he could stock up on canned peaches and tamales he would be good. We’ll I only get to wally world every two or three weeks but it’s funny, every time I go they have plenty of canned peaches but never have any brand of tamales. Trekker Out
For over a month, there hasn’t been any store brand aspirin in stock at grocery store or WM. Finally found at WM and the price was 4x what it was pre-pandemic. Noticed at WM yesterday, the sugar stocks were at about 50%. No dried chives and it seemed the seasoning and herb area had shrunk. Almost no bikes. My DH is particular about some of his packed lunch items and his whiskey. I buy both when I see them but have noticed I am taking the last of both most of the time.
I will add my other observations from this week to open forum.
Costco and Sam’s both have holes in their shelves in many areas, especially canned meats. Moderate amounts of tp and pt available. Lysol and Clorox cleaning supplies not to be found. No peaches at Costco here either. No gloves, isopropyl alcohol, peroxide, hand sanitizer, or liquid hand soap.
Ammo supplies low or high priced, usually both.
Things are better than two months ago for most things but not quite back to normal either.
I went to wally world for the first time in 4 1/2 months a couple days ago. They had limited rice and pasta but what floored me was there was NO cereals! That isle was empty except for a few boxes of granola bars. I was shocked to see that so bare. Meats and chicken looked decently stocked, and I went in for auto supplies to do more oil changes and other auto maintenance—those things were well stocked.
There was bleach but no other cleaning products so I got a couple of gallons. Prepared foods like hot dogs and lunchmeats were light. Tilamook cheese was sparse but I did get a couple of blocks.
I have business connections with a large food store chain ,the distbution center is stressed ,the warehouse has holes in supplies , some items are being pulled from November and December stock to meet current need ,
Good news is I expect beef to come down in price soon ,wholesale box prices have dropped from 474 to 195 in the last week ,the work through of prices is 2 to4 weeks ,part of the price push up is gone ,live cattle ready for the plant are at very high levels,kill numbers are climbing back up to normal
Pork is coming back too ,problem there is loses to the small producers that feed the system, and in turn the loss of the small producers them self ,
I expect a temporary price drop with a return to higher prices this fall and winter,but that could all change with political chaos from the election
OBTW the warehouse is overflowing with TP ,remember 80,000 rolls in a semi trailer HA HA to NRP ,just a guess but 200,000 in a railcar
Might want to keep a eye on corn this year , some ups and downs ,
Holding my breath about potatoes ,problems planting and loss of restaurant market ,3 billion pounds of seed potatoes were composted ,yes billion
Onions again holding my breath too ,,,lots of other crops didn’t get planted too,might want to stock up on cooking oil,
We will feed you if we can ??? But don’t bet your life on it
TEA AND chocolate chip cookies. And give thanks
Good to see you post old homesteader. I at least have’t seen them in awhile
12 /24 volt fridge freezers available online. Many are dual voltage such as 120 ac 12/24vdc. search online I ordered one yesterday, 7 day delivery not bad
Just got back from grocery store and feed store. Grocery still very well stocked. Feed store runs out of feed very quickly. Trucks deliver on Thurs feed gone by Friday. Only thing I really noticed is canning supplies out of stock everywhere.
Banks claim a coin shortage. (Getting us ready for cashless? Nudge. Nudge.). And as far as the canned goods shortages didn’t we read last year that the factories that make the cans shut down? I think due to the no-plant situation and loss of crops. I would buy frozen veggies and can them yourselves if you have the jars and pressure canners. Just a thought.
DJ5280,
If you choose to buy frozen and put away, do as many as you can in dehydrated, they store in 1/3 to half the space. You can eat them straight out of the jar if you have teeth… , soaked they rehydrate in close to an hour.. the smaller you cut them to dehydrate the quicker they rehydrate and the more you can pack in jar.. fresh things like mushrooms, and celery,…making mushroom powder, w/c fresh corn can be dehydrated and crushed/ground for creamed and or cornmeal. This is how we prefer soup mixes of veggies..
Lumber appears to be in short supply as well. I have a contractor replacing a 35 year old deck, and so far they have had to get three deliveries of lumber as it comes in. They are struggling with getting enough to finish what they have started.
Pressure treated lumber in very short supply in central NH. Lumber supply store said as it arrives is loaded on trucks for delivery. I wanted 12ft 6×6 pt for a building project, will use rough cut lamber from a local sawmill for the balance.
Supposedly the mills that make the PT lumber have been closed for over three months .
Here in the north Seattle ‘burbs isopropyl alcohol, hand sanitizer, and disposable gloves are scarce. Most foods, raw/fresh or prepared, are fairly well stocked at the local grocers. I haven’t shopped for ammo so don’t know the supply situation.
NORTH WOODS
In the eastern US most of the Pressure Treated Lumber is Southern Yellow Pine.
The Pressure Treating Plants have been working at full capacity since the Chicom BS and demand has simply outpaced supply.
Housing starts are down but Repair and Remodel is booming.
Some other factors that may be at play are the loggers are having a hard time finding labor since the government made it more profitable to sit at home, collect a check vs bust your ass in the woods dragging logs.
Strange times, indeed.
I put this in Open Forum this weekend: We made a Sam’s Club run yesterday and it was sobering to see so many empty shelves! The top two tiers were totally empty in all aisles in Erie PA. Then the others that were stocked lower were sparse. They had TP but no paper towels. Many of their non-food items were low in inventory as well as their food items. Spices were low too. I picked up another organic cinnamon and onion granules to store. Next to no beef, no ham slices but did have some bacon. And there were workers throughout the store stocking what they did have available.
My friend that works at Walmart says the public has their head in the sand. They come in and get angry that they don’t have items in stock and don’t have a clue why it cannot be obtained. Next to no camping gear remains and fishing items are going fast too. The same thing is happening at John Deere. Replacement parts and new items are taking longer to get in, if you can get them.
I have also since been to my Amish store to pick up another gallon of Maple syrup and spices my hubby needed for his workplace. They have had a bit more difficulty getting items they order in or gather at stores like WM. She did have canning lids though and said they were left over from spring which truly surprised me.
This Wednesday, I did the Aldi run for my family (spent $66) and a large grocery store run for my elderly friend. Aldi’s in our area of western NY cannot get sliced (deli) ham. Their sugar and flour come and go but the bag size is smaller and the price keeps getting higher. They have limits on most everything. Canned veggies are limit 4. Their pastas have been much more limited with only two types lately. Their sodas are fewer also. It also appears they are changing the store floor plan.
Keep in mind that many stores removed freezers from their floor plans a couple months ago because it costs money to operate them and they knew they were going to have reduced frozen items available. You do not take a freezer totally out of commission for a short period of non-use. It means they expect many items will NOT return so no need to run the extra freezers.
In addition, there will be olive oil shortage soon (buy your oils now) and most likely apple shortages – the first because of crop damage and the second because WA state’s gov is a moron.
Went to Costco this week for the first time since early March. Couldn’t get any honey, and a limit of one on bacon. Otherwise they weren’t badly stocked. Prices hadn’t increased as much as our local grocery chains, Hyvee and Fareway.
They haven’t had canned fruit in the Costco here for a year or more. I bought 15# of rice for $6.49. No limit. They had Spam and canned chicken…I didn’t look at the price as I can my own meat and chicken.
Our local stores are pretty well stocked this week. Still don’t have yeast, I get that at our Amish store, as well as bulk goods, like flour, oatmeal, pasta, spices & herbs.
Southeast Michigander here. My experience regarding food stuffs is similar to what has already been mentioned; although I can’t figure it out. Frequent a local Aldi store, canned ham has been non-existent since the start and still hasn’t returned. Fortunately I had a box-full in storage that needed to be used up. Bread flour; same thing. Can’t find it. Like others have said, shelves have returned to normal for the most part but still holes are obvious in different areas of the the stores. Stocked up on so much lunch meat at the beginning of the meat shortage, that I won’t need any of that for the next six months. The really funny thing about the whole shortage thing: I wasn’t lacking for ANYTHING—except for, you ready—hand sanitizer! Not a bottle in stock. Never crossed my mind, never read it on a prepping list. Tons of sanitizing wipes though. Now N95 masks? Lots. That was for when Yellowstone blew…LOL! Unfortunately, I’m serious.
here on the gulf coast appliances. lawn and garden tools, are non existent. groceries are good as well as paper products. hamburger can be had if you take a second mortgage on your house, ha ha.I have family that works in a local meat market. we can buy a beef roast and have it ground cheaper than we can buy commercial hamburger and it tastes so much better. I may not go back to commercial HB again. there are no appliances, no tillers, no lawn mowers to be had, none, just to mention a few. I wonder how much of what we bought before came from china or mexico. well they can keep it. i’ll do with, or fix what I have. I’m as guilty as anyone of having a disposable lifestyle, but no more.
can’t get any canning supplies. fortunately I have plenty. I just hate going into my backups. but that’s what I have them for. they may be available this winter so I can restock
No Jasmine or Basmati rice in any quantity to be found.
No retail fruit trees to buy – no plum, apple, peach, or pear.
No Covid-19 tests with less than 10+ day result wait.
Freeze dried meals (Mountain House) are in very short retail supply.
No Otis elevator repair parts. That is the excuse at work, I think it is forced exercise with a mask stressor.
Shortages in some housewares at Walmart.
Ammo all gone, canned fruit, intelligent Democrats
at Walmart a couple of weeks ago, there were NO generic drugs, such as aspirin, antacid, etc. Plus they had rearranged their whole store and you couldn’t find anything. When you did find the new location of the department you wanted, you usually couldn’t find the item.
In WA, my husband reports ammo is down to steel casing rounds for 223 and 9. Still some brass in odd sizes but all popular sizes are missing. No Glock of any kind available for love nor money. Other high priced hand guns still available, but mostly collectors items. Shotguns in 12 Guage not available. Some 20 guage on occasion. Here in Mass, no one knows what a gun is since no one would give you a permit to buy. (You don’t know how badly I just want to pick up a lease for any address in Nh and start shifting north)
Food in WA seems to be ok, but meat needs a mortgage. So my hubby is eating veg at home and buys something with meat for a meal from out local New Mexican restaurant. Stores and Costco are fronting what they have but are missing lots.
Food in Mass has lots of creative fronting. Fresh Veg is easy to come buy now at stores and farms. Canned food is very mainstream. No low salt available in cans. Very limited organic anything in cans. Almost no convenience food in cans (ie. no ChefBoyardee, etc). BJs and Costco have lots of canned fish (Tuna, Sardines, Etc) , Spam, and Chicken. Fresh meat at both is available, but very pricy, lots of folk looking and moving on once they see the price.
Plenty of fresh fruit, just got lots of peaches in my CSA this week, but canned fruit of any type is scarce.
Anyone on a restricted diet will need to cook from scratch. Hard to find low salt, low fat, Low carb, gluten free, etc products.
No freezers unless you get lucky.
Gardening supplies are pretty sold out. Can still get fertilizer and pesticide type items, but even basic gardening tools are sold out. Every one has at least something as a victory garden.
Basic OTC drug store items are out. Evening Primrose oil available. Lots of holes in Vitamin C, D3, and Zinc. Along with aspirin, melatonin or any kind of sleep aid.
Finding Lysol anything is like participating in a snipe hunt.Ocean State Job Lots has a ton of sanitizer (no limits) – alcohol based. Also any kind of soap in pumps is non-existent. However bar soap is readily available.
Freezer convenience foods are somewhat back, but a limited number of varieties.
Bike shops are still pretty empty. They got cleaned out in th early spring. No way to get a back yard swimming pool. Pool supplies are in low supply.
Went to Wegmans today in Northern Virginia. Didn’t need much but needed to pick up a prescription. Of the things on my list – there was no vinegar at all. Also I’ve been looking for caffeine free Pepsi for several weeks and no one has it. When I was leaving I saw a woman I know (a long time employee) so asked her about it. She said both Pepsi and Coke were experiencing a shortage of tin. They’re obviously concentrating on their best sellers (and cafffeine free isn’t one of them). Plenty of Wegmans brand TP and paper towels. Picked up several Goya products.
KayS,
Yes, the news story I read said that aluminum was a problem for soda companies. Many people drink soda when they go out to eat, but since they’re not going out as much, they’re buying more from the store. The soda companies weren’t prepared for such an uptick in having to bottle/can their drinks, so they’re concentrating on the most popular flavors.
Wendy and Kay,
Yes… I read several news stories today about an aluminum can shortage. Sodas, beer, canned sparkling water and juices… there was already high demand for cans and now there is not enough.
Numerous beer and soda companies have said they are not producing less popular items to concentrate on core products and brands. One company said they are sourcing cans from around the world, but so are their competitors. Everyone is running low it seems.
KayS
If you need vinegar try Asian or Hispanic markets if any are available near you. Those local to have been well stocked.
i went to my local “hispanic” shop (without wearing a mask like a boss) and found vinegar and salt there, thank you so much.
Ammunition of all calibers is short. It is either unavailable, twice as expensive or old surplus. Weapons are in short supply for purchase.
Dawn soap is still unavailable where I live in the Arkansas Ozarks. Most meats are good. Toilet paper is still incredibly in short supply in the grocery store but available at the Dollar Store. Goya products (dried beans) are in short supply due to the Buy-cott. Milk and eggs sell out very quickly.
In western WI. Shortage of all ammo except hunting rifle rounds. So frustrating when you want to practice but not spend your reserves. Can’t find diet root beer at all. Coke man in the store said all the warehouses were out Minneapolis Cincinnati St. Louis..once I’m out I guess it’s time to give up pop for good. Said production was way behind. Dad says cant find liquid dishwasher detergent. Grabbed last two bottles here on this side of state in our Sams. Shelves that were mostly full even during panic buying are now finally looking bare in this neck of the woods. We kinda were sparred being smaller population area. But it’s getting damn scary out there. The family wife and kiddo think I worry too much. But I know what horror awaits in a collapsing country. We don’t right this ship damn quick this is gunna be ugly. Good luck all.
I’m in SW WA. I shop for my family as well as my 70 year old mother. Our Costco has been out of canned tomato sauce (all brands) for weeks, disinfectant wipes, a lot of items are spread over multiple pallets so as to fill empty spaces.
Grocery stores are hit and miss on a few things but have been pretty well stocked just with noticeably lower quantity. Yeast has been hard to find but no limits when it’s in. It seems kind of random the items that are out or low. One week it’s this another it’s that. Canned food is low stock on shelf every time I go. We raise or buy local our own meat so haven’t seen that section. Vegetable section I haven’t been in since garden season started but I was noticing huge quality/freshness issues on most items a month and a half ago.
Central WI WM
Everything “looks good”
Multiple faces of individual items to mask out of stock items.
I didn’t look around much today
Rice was there but mostly fronts, empty behind the fronts.
Brats, multiple faces of whatever they recently got in to the store
and several varieties missing.
Lunch meats are thin, multiple faces again of whatever they have the most of.
Ground beef, mostly the high fat 70/30 is available, the ground chuck
is only available in 2 1/2 pound overpriced.
They are getting inventive to cover holes and missing SKU items.
I did notice many things missing in the freezer section, pizza’s were
very light on stock.
Ice cream items were all good.
All I wanted was my allergy med, band-aids and pepsi.
I didn’t look this time but 2 weeks ago the otc pain meds were very light on stock.
Over abundance of junk/crap food.
I did notice the cereal section is mostly devoid of healthy choices.
Central Texas.. grocery stores low on pasta, butter; meat prices high. Sams club has been hit or miss on paper towels and TP. TP price I noticed stayed the same but the quantity changed. Hard to find unsalted butter. No generic Tylenol.
Coins in short supply in central va. Ammo and guns etc as well. Getting my ammo & reloading stuff thru ammoseek.com. Gravers full up at the moment
Grocery stores. Sorry
Wally world in northern michigan is spotty on stock but sav-a-lot and dollar stores are fully stocked , ammo is non existent everywhere
Ran down to our Walmart (Mid Hudson Valley. NY) to get a replacement toaster oven. Except for the display model there were none there except a couple super high priced models. A toaster oven? Walmart’s a super JIT’er looks to me to be a serious delivery problem.
Made our first trip to Costco since march. I haven’t heard of shortages in Costco anymore but I sure did see them first hand. I can only say what I was looking for. No large packages of yeast, no Generic Tylenol or regular tylenol, no Lysol, very little cans of meat, didn’t see any vinegar and my potato chips weren’t there! Old man said there was no 5w20 motor oil, and no yellow and black totes. I noticed several limit signs but since I didn’t need those things I didn’t pay attention. Several things that they had coupons for were gone. You can find some canning supplies at our small walmart but jars are very limited and no wide mouth pints anywhere. Also cider vinegar was out and only some regular vinegar. Canned meat is extremely limited. Also finding very little deli ham.
I used to have a group of people that bought freeze dried food with me once a month. That stopped back in March. Recently I have had at least 5 people call me inquiring about where to buy FD food. I tell them it is to late and what there is, is extremely expensive. All meat is usually sold shortly after it hits their website and none are under $60 for a #10 can. I tell them look for canned meat and buy all you can afford.
One thing no one has mentioned, I have noticed bottled water is extremely low where ever I go. Couldn’t get Old man to buy anymore, we have it stacked all over!
A lot of Chinese products are no longer available. I’m okay with that.
What is in short supply that you are willing to give up?
We haven’t bought pop (soda), cereals, processed foods for years. We do occasionally buy bread that we don’t want to make and we can stock up on butter to preserve easily by making ghee (clarified butter). We do not use any medications at all, just multi-vitamins and we brew our own wine. We have enough powdered eggs to last for years and bought ammo dirt cheap years ago.
Our biggest need right now is processing a gigantic tomato harvest; we have dozens of jars and lids (which also are very hard to find now) but time is going to be a factor.
I would suggest stocking up on Morton canning salt and white vinegar.
Quality firearms and ammo are in short supply in East Texas. Also latex gloves are still as rare as unicorns or living friends of the Clintons.
One alternative to not being able to find firearms and ammo is to look on Armslist.com. You can do a nationwide search, or just your state. Under categories you can search for type of firearm, and under accessories you will find ammunition. Some dealers will ship. In the state where I live I am actually surprised at the number of firearms available. Earlier this week I sold a .380 auto through Armslist and using a local dealer with an FFL to do the transaction legally. In the local sporting goods stores, including big box like Scheels handgun ammunition is in very short to non-existent supply. I have found a good supply of 22 magnum at a good price at WM. I use it and 22 LR for practice with a rifle and a pistol.
Armlist and gunbroker have both been good when looking for particular things. I’ve been able to purchase several quality bolt rifles lately that I have been wanting. Still looking for a JM Marlin made 35 Remington and 444 Marlin.
Elastic for making face masks and other things
Sewing machine needles
Hand sewing needles
Threads – all
Cloth fabrics
Toilet paper
Paper towels
Instant potatoes
Canned beans – all
Cup of noodles
Soups – canned
ISO alcohol
Nitrile gloves
Face masks
Cold meds – all
Hand sanitizer
Disinfectant wipes
Bleach
Dawn dish soap
Laundry soap
Bar soap
Rechargeable batteries
Rope
Para cord
String
Flowerpots
Tuna
And beef is so expensive…
Jed,
FYI..I didn’t even bother looking for elastic to make masks. I have some old pantyhose that I haven’t worn in years. I cut one-inch strips of that, and they work great. No need to hem the edges or anything. The pair I used were black, and I don’t think anyone would guess what they were originally. I hand-washed my masks each day after work (we’re now back home again), and the hose has held up perfectly fine.
paracord prices are up also from a year ago.
Good idea for an article, Ken. A lot of times I’ve been reminded of something I should make sure I have because someone has mentioned it in a comment somewhere.
In the Missouri Ozarks…
I went to the grocery store (Hy-Vee) a few days ago and was surprised to see a whole lot of yeast, both in packets and in blocks, and a whole lot of powdered milk. I bought more of both, even though they weren’t on my list, and I hate powdered milk. I think I probably have more than I will need of some stuff, but that will allow me to share with my neighbors, if need be. (Please don’t turn this into a conversation about not sharing/staying gray; I know the risks and will probably take some of them anyway.) There were plenty of fresh fruits and vegies, but I’m not buying those anyway unless they can be well-washed (melons, bananas) or I plan on cooking or canning them. I saw no shortages of meat, and while the prices were higher than I like, they were less than they were a month or two ago. There are still empty spots at the back of a lot of shelves, but it’s not as obvious as it had been.
Canning jars were prominent on a couple of endcaps (ends of aisles), but I have lots already, and I think they were a bit expensive. I’ve never seen them displayed like that before; there are usually just a few boxes tucked away on a shelf. My guess is that there’s a higher demand for those AND if the endcaps are filled with non-grocery items, the shelves are fuller of food, making the holes less noticeable.
I’ve only looked for ammo once since this all started, and ended up buying nothing because they didn’t have much at all on the shelves, and none of what I wanted. I’d really like to stock up on some more of certain calibers, but I haven’t been going out much, so I haven’t been checking.
Wendy –
You cook, can foods, appreciate fresh fruit, hate powdered milk, have concern for your neighbors, know every retail trick, ammo is part of your shopping list… and you can fashion virus masks from black pantyhose! … Where have you been all my life?!
You’re definitely on the mcgyver must-read list from this point onward.
tmcgyver,
Thanks for the laugh; it’s a great way to start my morning!
tmcgyver
If you have dry milk try Morning Moo. It tastes just like milk. Of course finding it now could be a problem.
West MI stores are back to normal for TP and paper towel. Hand sanitizer is readily available as well. No Lysol spray to be found since March. No disinfectant wipes either. Fresh meats and chicken pretty well stocked although cost is high. No Goya products either, was gonna do my part with the buy-cott!! I think my Meijer (regional big box/grocer) is better stocked than my local Walmart. Pressure treated lumber also hard to come by. DH does HVAC and air conditioners are not available from any suppliers at all.
MitM: That is very useful information about the AC units. I’ve been stalling the replacement of the HVAC system serving my two south facing bedrooms, waiting until autumn when the weather is cooler to do the work. Now I think I’ll purchase the equipment tomorrow and just deal with storing it for a few months.
Line sets (needed for whole house ac units) are dwindling as well. Someone told my DH their stock is low and when they’re gone they don’t expect anymore anytime soon! So get everything you need now!
No bicycles.
Festo, no worries. Get the generic parts first. To repair, patch, tighten, oiled etc.. You’ll get your bicycle when the time comes.
I bought a sunshade for the windshield, fire extinguisher and other tools before I got the vehicle, used. But do verify their condition before buying. JmO
chicken, iceberg lettuce was nowhere in the commissary when the wife and I went on Tues. Also very little tp and pt.
This may sound strange but I have a hard time getting some brands of beer from our distributors. Sometimes a particular brand will be a three week wait. The meat counters at the grocery stores are thin but the price has eased back. The local lockers are six months out to have a beef processed. In the grocery stores there are pallets of canned vegetables four for five dollars but I have never heard of the brands. If you want to buy #10 cans of vegies there in no shortage, name brand at six dollars a can.
Fresh turmeric. Not that I use them often, but want to grow them if they are hard to find like these few months. Ginger too.
Powdered are still acceptable but it’s better when… When they’re gonE… Poofs!!
rumford baking powder- aluminum free.. Non gmo cornstarch. not for months…
Vitacost(online) has non-gmo cornstarch.
My wife bought some Purell Foodservice Surface Sanitizer (available in spray bottles and gallon-sized containers) well before the holidays simply because it is so effective at cleaning/sanitizing, and we’ve finally worked through our supply. Cannot get it to save our lives. Everything Purell is going straight to healthcare and food industries. It’s just gone.
Lysol Wipes & Spray and Clorox Wipes. IF you can locate them, they aren’t ever included in ship/delivery/curbside orders. Must go INSIDE the store and they’re never available.
This is in the Louisville, KY area.
******* TO ALL THOSE WHO OFFERED SUCH WISE ADVICE REGARDING THOSE 5 ACRES WE WERE TRYING TO PURCHASE ********
Thank you. All of you. There’s such wisdom among this group of friends and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to share it always. Unfortunately, we did NOT get the lot. Someone outbid us and we weren’t willing to get stupid with our $ to “win.” There are a couple others we’re looking at, so all of your advice and suggestions will come in handy. Just have to be patient for the right one to come along. It’s in God’s hands. But thank you all again. Truly an awesome army of kick butt men and women here and this lowly MSG appreciates the snot out of you. And Ken…thank you, sir, for creating this den of wisdom.
MSG12B
Not sure if this is of interest,
Try Lake house Homes (all one word)
Been looking at Rough River and Cumberland myself.
They have homes and lots. Prices vary of course.
You would be within a couple of hours or so of Lousyville, plus Etown has quite a few stores if you go with Rough River.
To me it seems there are two things going on; shortages and the prices of some of what is available. Ammo is in short supply and pricey. Bikes don’t seem to be available. Can’t get a pressure canner. I was looking for a replacement handle for a splitting maul and went to store after store, online etc before finally finding one at a local hardware store. Waited on a list for my freezer but finally got one. Was at Walmart and they aren’t even pretending to make it look stocked. This particular Walmart is pretty poorly stocked on a good day but now it’s unreal. Huge open areas with nothing; clothing, bikes and who knows what used to be there.
Food seems to be coming back although lots is quite pricey. Dairy seems to be well priced in general as is some fresh veggies. Had to pay $5 for a small bag of onions though. Some stuff has literally doubled in price or more. Saw small cans of canned fruit for $2.49. Ditto for cans of tuna. Died beans had nearly doubled in price. Tomato sauce was very expensive. Only frozen berries have been store brand for some time now although at least there were some to buy but not many.
I noticed that there are far fewer sales on grocery items now and mostly seems to be for junk. I used to be able to buy healthy stuff like pasta, beans, tuna, peanut butter etc on sale and now that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Along with the shortages, the sticker shock of prices is worrisome. My income has gone down but prices are climbing.
-ammo with the exception of a few hunting calibers
-canning supplies
-flour/sugar/baking section has remained low
-pressure treated lumber has been almost non existent for 2-3 weeks
I’d start thinking fall/winter time items now as well, driveway salt/snowblowers (and parts), wood pellets/oil/etc. Not that I think they’ll necessarily be a shortage on oil but if everyone is still home people are going to be calling the oil man more frequently and may tend to more snow removal on their own rather than hiring someone to do so.
In my small town
-ammo= none for months in stores. Possibly some available for barter between locals.
-building supplies/hardware= dwindling fast. No 3/4″ PVC couplings anywhere last week while doing water well modifications.
-local Wally Mart= bare meat shelves at times, sporadic paper products, canned foods are very limited and 2 item limits per person, outdoor gear is getting down to slim pickings. Mostly just junky chairs and coolers to fill shelves.
-outdoor equipment= lots of high dollar zero turn mowers left around town but quality small engine equipment such as saws, trimmers, blowers are non existent. Battery powered equipment seems to be available but useless for anything other than small jobs.
-Canning supplies= nope
Summary= Hold on tight. The ride is gonna get real bumpy soon.
Hey G. Bear – for the 3/4 inch couplers, try heating the end of the female end of the PVC pipe with a heat gun. When it gets soft, then jam the other end in (keep it clean, physically and in thought!). I use the glue for lubrication. No need for a coupler. It saves money for bends, too.
Here in the mid-south there are shortages or back-orders on freezers and canning supplies. I found canning supplies at Tractor Supply but they had to be shipped to our little town store.
The closest town with warehouse stores is an hour away and I have been able to get food and house-hold supplies; some are shipped from the storage facilities but they arrive within a few days. Last month they shipped PT, sensodyne toothpaste, olive oil and vegetable oil. Bottles of blue dawn dish soap in the 2-1/2 qt bottles were not available in store but they had 1 gal containers, so I got the gal ones (which were cheaper than equivalent qt sizes) and will transfer the product to used 2 qt bottles.
Aldi in the city had 90/10% hamburger and it went down a $1/pd from last time I bought. The lower fat ratio makes it easier to can. Our small town grocers don’t carry the 90/10% but I buy most all other meat/poultry/pork locally; prices are just a tiny bit higher than in March.
Lowes had all the building supplies I needed but prices are much higher. Pressure treat wood was available but very pricey. Screws have doubled in price and metal roofing panels have gone up significantly, but at least I got what I wanted.
Everything I purchase is storeable; if I don’t use it right away, it won’t go bad for years.
Glad to hear folks stocking up, BUT… for every freezer bought… WHAT happens when elect grid goes down or your area has a power failure? If you have no Generator…. Received my onan yesterday. Have enough Generators to supply both water wells and both Houses on property. Have two 250 gallon propane tanks, plus gasoline. Can survive the short haul…. Get a Generator that is dual fuel.
Yes, that’s a problem. In my previous home I had an off-grid system and my freezer ran off of that. So I’m new to having to depend on the grid. But if I got a generator I’d likely only store enough fuel for a fairly short time; after that if the grid was still down then I’d be out of luck. Except in the winter when I could use the great outdoors for a freezer and the basement for a fridge of course. It’s a risk but as my freezer is only 5 cf it’s not like I’m going to store a tremendous amount in there anyway. And some of what I’m storing I just don’t like canned.
Ani
Remember you don’t have to run the gen set 24/7. An hour or two will keep the freezer if you aren’t going into it often.
No problem, we just call tmcgyver!
Instead of a generator, you need a off grid solar system. When it is not in use, then use the power for other fixed base loads (like batteries, well pumps or water heaters) then sell the power by crypto mining. Backing up your electrical power will make the difference between house camping, or normalcy when the grid is down. A generator is only a temporary fix. The off grid solar system is the solution.
Can a solar generate a water well that runs on a 220?
Yes, any decent solar company would be happy to help you design and set it up. Some might say the price is high but I ask them how much is your life worth. Water is life.
Tuesday, yes. Ken has a good company listed that we used – Iron Edison. It will power our 220 well pump and much more. We are building the frame that holds the panels point of construction. Between weather, two jobs and running the farm our time has been limited..but getting excited to see the progress.
OK. Got it. Cyalume snaplights. The other color. None. No stock.
Also gardening supplies such as lightweight insect resistant row covers, bagged compost, seeds, garden fencing and posts and most garden amendments, insect control(organic) items etc are either unavailable or sparse. Add to that axes, mauls etc. I wasn’t looking for this but I’ve heard any chicken items such as waterers, feeders etc aren’t easily found now. Stores are telling me that they just can’t get these items in; the suppliers are totally backlogged. A local bagged compost supplier was 75 truckloads behind as of a few weeks ago when I was looking. Agway tells me they actually ran out of seed potatoes this year.
I’m trying to figure out what might be in short supply that I need in the near future. It seems to be a combo of what suppliers are having a hard time finding due to manufacturing slowdowns, stuff not coming from overseas etc as well as sharply increased demand. I’m guessing stuff used in the winter for sports, boots, hats and gloves, anything people hanging out at home a lot indoors will do for recreation. Also home office type supplies; had a hard time replacing my headset that broke as most were out of stock other than really pricey ones. Wondering about snow tires; I really need new ones. Although if I don’t have a job this winter to go to I probably won’t be driving a whole lot and can just use my old ones!
I’m guessing that if you want to grow garlic(or have some for the winter) and don’t already grow it, you’ll want to jump on some as soon as it’s for sale. Also, be sure to save enough potatoes for using as seed stock(unless you’ve got diseased spuds of course). I’m also guessing that people in areas where there’s lots of wild apple trees will be taking a real interest in harvesting them this year so if you plan on doing that you might want to keep an eye on the trees and get any permission needed from land owners early rather than later. Plus make sure you’ve got a picker tool to harvest if you’re not just using drops. In past years I’d always see apples all over the ground that were just ignored and even black walnuts on the ground under a (for here) rare black walnut tree. I suspect there will be a lot of interest in harvesting and canning/storing this sort of stuff this year. And in places where you have other types of fruit and nuts trees, the same goes. With canned fruit selling for upwards of $2.50/can around here I’d imagine a lot of people will want to make apple sauce etc.
There has been no yeast since mid-February. Things are mostly well stocked again, but sometimes sporadic shortages. TP and PT are well stocked. The prices of both had gone way up, but are coming back down. Kleenex tissues seem to be in short supply. Went to the Lowe’s this week, very low inventory of everything. Cannot buy tomato cages anywhere. Can find five gallon buckets only at TSC, nowhere else. Having trouble finding clothes for my growing teenage boy. I did pre-buy clothing in bigger sizes for him, but I’m now trying to prepare for the next growth spurt. Shoes are another thing we’re having trouble finding. Something l have noticed is that in all outdoor/gardening centers, there are gallons of Round Up everywhere. I won’t comment on what I think of that.
Went to my local mom & pop grocery here in the Missouri Ozarks yesterday. Some canned goods were light on the shelves, but everything they carry was in stock. Plenty of rice, flour, canned meats. they have a limit of 3 on some processed meats (brats, bacon, lunch meat).
PS and off topic. I’ve been lurking here for years. Not a fan of social media (which I consider comments to be). You all are a great bunch, handle your issues, and provide awesome insight.
Thanks to all who hang out here.
grandpasplinter
Hello–welcome to the site.
It is nice to know you have been reading in the background & decided to share today.
Here in northwest Indiana.Sandbaging for a while.Also enjoy all of your openness about sharing all of your Idea’s and vast knowledge of many subject’s.Thanks
I went shopping yesterday. Lots of sales, but the sale prices are the regular prices of a year ago. Shelves are faced with a few of each item, but empty behind with more stock on the top shelves. A lot of empty lower shelves and empty upper shelves, with everything at eye level or below. Different things are missing each time I go in. Lots of displays covering empty shelves.
Produce is available but lower quality and higher prices. I didn’t even look at the meat, but prices were up across the board.
Central Texas report:
small independent gun store: only 20 handguns in cases; other independents have closed!
Bass Pro Shop: gun cases 1/3 full, limited ammo. clerk suggested ordering online (really??)
HEB grocery store: some hydrogen peroxide, no isopropyl alcohol, limit of 1 on TP & paper towels, limit of 4 on hand sanitizer, some beef but expensive, shelves of veg & fruit only 1/2 full w/ noticeable empty spaces (peas, corn, potatoes), limited canned tomatoes & sauces, pasta 1/2 empty. Bought 5 pound bag of frozen mixed veg to dehydrate & it only filled a few pint jars when finished. Hubby “never knew” that would happen so I reiterated how valuable our canned freeze dried supplies really are. To his credit, he has really been a help since his retirement, now that he is not preoccupied w/ his career.
Harbor Freight: has disposable gloves & paper masks (made in China) but store looked woefully empty in their regular stock, all presumably Chinese imports.
Purchased a window air conditioner from Wally World, just in case our whole house a.c. goes out. It reached 106 here last Monday.
Costco: shopped senior hours @ 9 am, when crowd is small. They had Lysol spray, 4 shrink wrapped cans for $16.99, limit 1. Got it for sister-in-law who is still working & can’t get to stores during daylight hours. Not much on the overhead shelves, only floor displays used. Scared me a little. The butcher I usually visit with looked kind of wild-eyed & was short w/ me. Something wrong there, I am sure. Over the counter drugs were short but plenty of vitamins, oddly enough. Felt a little weirded out when we left as things really seem to be collapsing.
Keep prayin’ & preppin’!
P.S. Thx Ken! I have been scouring the internet for news just like this. It is exceptionally timely, valuable & you are greatly appreciated by all!
Thanks. I figured that it would make for a good post – because I’ve been thinking about this very subject. What better resource to tap – our excellent MSB readers all across the country!
Ammo, can peaches, sugar, yeast, and common sense all seem in very short supply.
Time will tell how it all works out.
And that’s the view from my part of the world.
This information was so helpful. Thank you!!
I don’t get to town often, but I was there yesterday waiting on our medium sized chest freezer to be delivered. I ordered it from a restaurant supply company and paid more than I would have in normal times.
Most things are in stock in central AZ with the exception of yeast and disinfectant wipes. Since baby wipes are available I’ve made my own “chlorox wipes” by pouring a mild bleach solution into a half full reclosable wipe pack (it’s labeled so it won’t be used for personal hygiene). I picked up canning lids, 2 cases of jelly jars, and pectin in anticipation of making prickly pear jelly in September. Looking to order rennet and “Clear Jel” soon.
I’m trying to think of all the things I’ll need/want for this fall and winter and I’m getting them now….including gifts for Christmas and birthdays. My daughter purchased all the traditional Thanksgiving meal ingredients and I’m looking through all our favorite family recipes to check for ingredients that might be harder to find.
What’s not out there right now is me. Stocked up nicely months ago so only zip in and out for fresh milk, etc. Haven’t “shopped”and filled a cart in a couple of months.
Coin shortage; had a little problem at the cash register today as it came to $__.11 and I did not have the change and neither did they. Took it out of the penny jar.
In my small town, ammo is in short supply. The grocery store doesn’t stock as many brands as it used to. They haven’t had Lysol or Clorox Wipes since March. Local honey is gone, but that may be seasonal. Supplies seem to have improved since Covid 19 began to cause quarantines.
Just got cart shamed at walmart. Had cart loaded up and a typical person of walmart type made a comment and pointed at my cart to the person they were with (oh well they can go ……… Themselves )
Vegetables are at about 40% normal ( no French style green beans ) some new brands I’ve never seen before
No bikes. Very little fishing/camping stuff. Cereal aisle about 60 % normal. Pop was about 60 % normal on caffeinated types. (No caffeine free). Maybe 10 % of the ready to assemble furniture First aid stuff at about 50 % normal vitamins and pain meds pretty wiped out ( was a fair amount of ibuprofen ) sheets and towels were at about 25 % normal as was socks and underwear Cleaning supplies at about 20 % normal. Toilet paper and paper towels were pretty low
I find it very odd, that bikes and camping gear are in short or no supply.
Either
#1 these products are made dealing with China?
#2 people are so tired of lock downs, shutdowns, that they wanna get out?.
#3 the majority of the people are waking up? I doubt it.
I’m not getting out much, so… here’s what little I’ve paid attention to:
Peroxide and/or rubbing alcohol, low
I haven’t been to a sporting goods store, for awhile, so I’m not sure of ammo supplies.
WW and Meijer seem to have a good supply of shotgun bird and trap loads in 20 and 12. I bought all they had in 16…..one or two boxes.
Slug and buckshot, in any guage, must be a seasonal thing for them. Of course WW stopped the handgun ammo sales and Meijer always had a limited supply.
Disinfectant wipes limited, to almost nothing.
Fishing supplies seem to be ok, but kinda busy.
All I can say is, get what you need, now.
Just wait till the people get all worked up by the media about the second wave. Think how empty the shelves will be. I think the stores will be completely empty
Yes, D B Cooper! Exactly.
This was the precise primary concern during our recent prepper meeting.
Covid Round#2 panic will most definitely wipe out inventories worse than before. And the fact that JIT recovery could be a LONG TIME, means we all better be ahead of the curve! Get it NOW… whatever “it” is that you need.
Just got back from Wally’s. No heavy shopping, mainly went to pick up prescription meds for family. Saw no empty shelves, but few that were fully stocked. Had everything I had on the short list the wife sent with me.
Ammo shelves were almost bare. Only .22 rimfire they had was CCI Stingers. A good load, but pricey at $6.47 for a box of 50 rounds (but that’s the normal price). I do like to keep it (the hyper-velocity Stingers) in stock, they let me buy two boxes of the four they had. I’m not hurting for ammo by a long shot, but still add to my stores when I can.
Arkansas governor issued a mask mandate for everyone out in public. His mandate came less than a day after Wally World issued their nation-wide mandate for their stores. Both go into effect Monday.
So far been able to get supplies we need. Have noticed low quantities in a few canned goods areas. Meat prices and produce prices have gone up. I did notice while picking up hubby’s meds, the pharmacy was out of quite a bit of over the counter items. Tylenol, antacids, allergy meds,etc. Limits on hand soap, sanitizer, wipes, etc still in place.
– Had occasion to waltz through Sam’s, Walmart, local grocery chain and local farm store this morning. Other than Ammo, which bordered on nonexistent, I noticed some thin spots in canned soups, convenience packages of pasta (Plenty of Chef Boyardee canned stuff, though), meats were pretty well in stock. Made it a point to check and most canned goods went all the way back, not just facings. DW commented that lunch meat was either poultry or ham, nothing else. Plenty of fresh stuff available in produce department. Hand Sanitizer and masks available, plenty of bar soap but pump soap kinda thin. Plenty of laundry detergent, nothing labeled Lysol, small packages of nitrile gloves. Grand was able to find facial scrub she was looking for. Plenty of #10 cans, canned peaches, and such.
Also made it a point to check on camping/cooking gear. Coleman Classic two-burner propane stoves on sale and plenty of them at $43.75. Plenty as far as normal supply of cook pots in camping and housewares at Wally World.
– Papa S.
Hi All.
I’ve been keeping up with this Article and have yet to comment.
I beveive most here know me well enough to know ……..
Visited the local Sam’s Club yesterday. What surprised me the most was not the fact that the store was at around 60% of normal stock, but the number of people there…
The place was completely PACKED, and yes everyone was doing the BS mask thing, even me.
But what was amazing that every cart was 110% filled, some families had twp and a few had 3 carts…..
Read that was you wish…
The particular thing I would bring up besides Ammo on another Article, is Canning Jars and supplies.
Sam’s dosen’t carry them but I stopped at 3 other stores that do…. 25% at most, and 50% more cost.
Check out Amazon, 50% higher cost and a lot are down to 3-5 left in stock…..
Have a Garden?
Planing on a new freezer?
Planing on Canning?
How you going to store that food?
Just my 2cents worth.
PS: Blue is sooooo mad, Sam’s Club was 100% OUT of canned food… Except for Cat Food… Blue declined.
I know some don’t like to mention area’s they live but it really helps knowing the area’s where shortages are otherwise just stating these shortages is kinda meaningless.
So please say north/central/south of such state, it helps.
be vague
I’m in central WI
Horse:
I’m in NW NM aka Four Corners Area.
Wanted to add for referance, 1/2 gallon jars were around %11 for a six pack last Fall, last week I paid $15+ I bought 2. Yesterday they were $16.75 per pack, I bought the last pack.
Y’all might get ready for what is coming.
– Horse,
I didn’t think it was any secret, but I’m in west Texas about 550 miles east of NRP. Or if you prefer, about 350 miles from TX Deb. LOL
– Papa S.
N E Ohio
One of my coworkers sent a message to me last night. The local Costco shelves are nearly empty. Very few shoppers either.
I went to Costco yesterday and the shelves were fairly well stocked. I’m in west Texas.
well i live in dallas, and i went to costco (without wearing a mask >:) ) and they had less that 40% stock left and didnt know when they were going to get anymore, where did you go where the costco had stock?
I just relocated to Wisconsin and I went to IKEA for furniture…a LOT of the shelves are empty and “next day delivery” is now middle-of-August 🙁
Southwest NH Market Basket this morning had no discernable holes, except for Fudgesicles…what is summer without Fudgesicles? Oh well, I doubled up on Popsicles…
Independent appliance store has 40+ appliances on back order and is having trouble getting parts. Some lumber is getting harder and slower to get. Canadian border shutdown perhaps is the lumber issue?
Market Basket southeast NH had reorganized to shrink soup section from 10 ft wide down to 5 ft wide, similar situation with coffee. Few cans, many workers making front full, only 1 or 2 behind. Soda, water, juice increased to take up where food was prior. Some items no longer have a place in shelf: no corned beef hash, Dinty Moore, looked through store to be sure it hadn’t just moved.
Went last night to a large grocery store (inland central CA) I do not usually frequent in a town near BOL. They are part of a west coast store chain.
They don’t have a butcher onsite, they had pre-packaged meats (okay selection of mostly chicken and pork), but high prices. Didn’t bother buying any. Very, very low on eggs, bacon, lunch meat.
No pt, and only store brand tp, limit one. Only other limited item was 12-packs of ramen.
Maybe 20 bottles of dish soap, all one brand. Low on most cleaning products. Variety of canned goods, but no more than 2 deep on anything. Very low on flour, sugar and rice. But good supply of dried spices in larger plastic containers – nice surprise, stocked up and will vac seal in jars.
Almost completely wiped out on beer and sodas. I wasn’t looking to buy any, but I asked and an employee said deliveries have been really light on all canned beverages, mentioned aluminum can shortage.
Higher prices on everything, spending more to buy less.
Meanwhile there is an abundance of certain items due to people cleaning out their closets, attics and garages. Take a look at Craigslist, around here several with racks and racks of clothing especially.
Went to wm today,
noticed lots of odd replacement items., many missing products.
the ground chuck is back at a lower price finally.
otc pain section had many missing items.
random food items around the store, gone
There’s a shortage of large bags of the dry dog food that we buy at both Walmart and Fred Meyer in our area. It’s Purina”s Beneful chicken and also beef. I stocked up a few months ahead of crisis when we saw this coming. It’s a little concerning, though, because we have four good sized dogs. On the bright side, we have a Foodsavers store that supplies restaurants and is open to the public. Previously their meat suoply was low and rationed, but they’re now fully stocked with no quantity limits and pretty good prices compared to regular grocery stores. We bought a pork shoulder butt for $1.59/lb. That’s a good price for our area!
A friend over in the valley is having a hard time finding a replacement for a washing machine. It quit and her repair guy said not fixing or fixable anymore. She is getting delivery times in October.
Mid Michigan here, I did manage to find one can of Lysol (commercial sized can)at my local hardware in town but none anywhere else. My Meijers has TP, paper towel AND Kleenex but still limiting the amounts.Lots of hand sanitizers but no wipes and big jugs of antibacterial soap.I have one of those Lysol auto dispensers and found a hack to refill the soap bottles myself as Lysol doesn’t make the units or replacement soap bottles anymore. Canned veggies and fruit on the shelves but it’s hit or miss from week to week as to the amounts and varieties. Dry beans, rice REALLY scarce. Meat in the store is pricey but the shelves have product. They even have the butcher counter open now. Canning jars are not in good supply but I get rings and lids when I go to the store. Prices on everything is getting ridiculous. For example,the store brand jar of peanuts are up to almost $4.00 whereas they were only $1.89 a(16 oz) jar last month. I wonder if people are making their own peanut butter LOL? The jar yeast is not available but the strip packages are limited to one per. So I pick up a packet when I go, vac pac it and in the freezer it goes. No disposable gloves as of yesterday, talked to one of Son’s old coworkers, she told me that the deliveries of that stuff is sporadic and tends to go fast. Have to go Tuesday to pick up scripts so I’ll check then.
Canning lids, 4 dozen, just went from $12 to $30!
With Chevy here. Canning lids w/o rings at local discount store $3.99 per box of 12. That’s 2x last year’s price. Picked up 4 each size to add to stock.
Ammo limited to 2 boxes each caliber. Almost no handgun or AR ammo available with a sign saying unknown if/when more arriving.
5 Gallon buckets and Lids. Very few of those around anywhere…
Came down off the mountain this morning for my quarterly blood draw. Listening to the local radio station’s daily “Trading Post” program where folks call in items they want to buy, trade, or sell. It was a non-stop repeat of what folks here on MSB have reported. Folks looking to buy guns, ammo, canning jars and lids, freezers, gardening tools, etc.
Topic of conversation in the clinic waiting room was the dire shape our country is headed. Man sitting next to me started talking of a conversation he had with his friend Ted Nugent. Another gentleman questioned him if he really was friends with Ted. Turns out the guy, who appeared older than me, owns Snake Skin Camo that Ted wears.
NO YOU ARE
Do you brew wine? Yeast is out of stock.
Went to Smart Foods and Winco yesterday in a nearby large population city to top off stuff.
Smart foods is the old cash & carry store. They were low on beans and flour and I noticed space in the shelves and stock was fronted on the shelves.Store traffic was normal and prices have been raised a little in most areas.Over all selections seemed to be lower.
Winco is our store of choice and they were busy as usual.Inventories were a little sparse but still a fair selection of products.Good selection in the meat department.They did have 25# and 50# bags of bulk items, pet food,oats,beans,rice, etc.
Been a couple weeks since I loaded up on the groceries so couldn’t comment until now. From the central coast but slightly inland of CA, here’s what I noticed today:
Went to two stores total and both were well stocked. One was very busy, the other wasn’t very. Paper towel items were completely gone but the husk paper was quite stocked. Beef prices are very high and well stocked, (coincidence?) but the chicken was only about 20% stocked, (as it was on sale). There were no signs limiting quantity.
Additionally, been waiting to see if I could call it a trend before commenting but today, for the third time in two weeks, cash is appearing limited in the ATM’s at the bank. Two weeks ago, two of the three ATM’s were completely out, and the other only had limited denominations, (no 100’s). Was able to go inside for what I needed then. Today, no 100’s again, just 10-20’s offered. Anyone else seeing this?
Silver Lodge,
Our local grocery store is having shortages of quarters, SE Wa.
From SW Wisconsin – Today I had errands at both the local hardware store and Walmart. I didn’t notice anything unusual at the hardware store; glanced over the ammo section, and everything they usually carry was there.
Walmart was a begrudging necessary stop today, as they’re the only game in town for a few particular essentials. There were definitely bare spots on the shelves for certain brands of food products, but plenty of other brands available for the same food item. Some food items were low – the usual suspects, like pasta, tomato sauce, flour – but they had them in stock. There was an Auguson Farms bucket in the bulk section, so I bought it. There seems to be one each time I’m there, almost like they just put out one at a time. Didn’t scope out everything, as the mandatory mask is uncomfortable and I want to get in and out as quickly as possible.
Two young men were outside the entrance, counting people and making sure everyone had their muzzles, I mean, masks on. Yes, I wore the mask; I rebelled at following the arrows, however. My small act of independence was going the opposite way. Noticed I wasn’t the only one doing that. Made me feel a little better.
So shopped today. Smart Foodsavers restaurant supply well stocked. Missing yeast. Not a speck on the two shelves dedicated to yeast.
Costco one each limits on TP, Kirkland fabric softener sheets, and Dawn dish soap. No quart-sized freezer bags and no instant mashed potatoes. Well stocked otherwise throughout. SW WA
But no peaches at Costco.
I’ll be doing the main shopping tomorrow but for now the shelf was bare at WM about 1 1/2 weeks ago for any type of allergy meds. A few scattered boxes of the brand name stuff was all.
Cheap printers. My printer decided it can only suck in paper sideways and wad it up. All cheap printers are out of stock wherever I looked online.
I like Mercola vitamins and they have been out of stock for several weeks that I know of.
WM – Central Oregon – Monday about 10:30am
allergy products looked full – didn’t check if it was just faced or actually full.
Most of the cold case wall at about 40% filled with large empty sections. Only bologna was filled with almost zilch other lunch meats, hot dogs etc
Baking section low with lots of outs. So, maybe 40%? No yeast
Cooking oil at about 25%
Canned veggies maybe 50%.
Canned meats- 0
Lot of Jimmy Dean sausage but entire shelf above and around it empty
Butter-low
TP- lot of outs- maybe 50%
Frozen food- lots of large empty sections
Overall several sections throughout store empty with filled with odd ‘place holders’
Had an employee show me where the tapioca was and he pointed me down the isle. None. I mentioned it in passing back by him and he said “yeah, there are a lot of outs”.
From Central Texas:
Had cabin fever so we took a drive to a smallish town north of our metro/suburban area.
Many more empty storefronts than on our last drive there in late May, early June.
Stopped in to see an acquaintance who owns his own gun store. Donnie wasn’t there but his adult son/business partner was there & was happy to visit while 2 other customers also browsed. They had 8 handguns & 8 long guns in their cases; he is ordering new toys for us….but doesn’t know when/if they will come in. They have expanded & now carry lots of fishing equipment, which is a good seller for them & keeps them in business for now.
I will grocery shop tomorrow & make a report. Has anyone ever ordered from Nuts.com? They have a lot on their website & I plan to order tomorrow, too.
Keep preppin’ & prayin’!
No. Ca. Here, (not to far from the evil den of Nancy’s nephew as gov) things I noticed in short stock is vitamins. No turmeric, c or d3 & zinc. What used to be at least 3’ X 4 shelves is now 2’ X 2 shelves. Soups down by 75%, no corned beef, canned tamales, canned meats very sparse. Canned veggies & fruit sparse. Found yeast though. Funny thing happened this wkend, da. Visiting, mentioned months since she could find disinfecting wipes, walked out to “the store”, handed her 99.9% wipes for viruses/bacteria, she grabbed them from my hand yelling this is GOLD Mom, I was shocked, asked her -need any Isopropyl Alcohol, got 91%, again this is GOLD! Where did you get this stuff? Well geeze daughter, you know I prep, maybe now you’ll pay attention to your Mother! She knows this but it hasn’t sunk in yet the value of prepping. Go figure, I am told stop buying stuff, huh! Really? Signing off – GrGrandma
I went to Sam’s Club yesterday in South Alabama. It’s the first time that I have been in there since March. I was shocked by the reduced volume of items. Normally pallets are full of goods with extra stock overhead. Not yesterday. No pasta sauces. Pasta volume was less than half of normal. No butter–checked Sam’s online and there is none in stock for over 150 mile radius. No shredded mozzarella cheese. They did have yeast, which was a surprise. Breakfast foods aisle (cereals, granola bars, etc) was reduced to half normal size. Lots of empty shelf space in the freezer section, refrigerator section, and all throughout the shelf stable foods.
Central Texas report
Did my weekly grocery run today & was amazed @ many full shelves @ my local HEB! Full of eggs, butter, cheeses, yeast, flour & baking mixes, rice, fresh fruit & veg, meats, toilet paper, vitamins & cold remedies.
However, there were a few gaps: 1/3 empty pasta shelves, 1/2 empty canned soups & canned fruits & veg & almost no cleaning supplies. Frozen foods still somewhat limited. There was NO isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. And limits of 2 on paper products & a few other things.
Keep preppin’ & prayin’!
North Central Texas also had full shelves yesterday at the 4 WalMart superstores and their 1 neighborhood store in my seven mile radius. Seeing empty shelves, or only fronted cans that have nothing behind them has become so normal that to see overflowing shelves stops you in your tracks. Oddly, I went to all 5 stores in search of Ozarka water – yet not one bottle of that existed anywhere – which in Tx is apocalyptic during 108 degree weather.
I asked the cashier what was going on, since there was no water yet canned food was suddenly in overabundance for the first time since Easter. He said sheepishly that all the employee’s had started really stocking up and had depleted a lot of items before the store ever opened. As was the case with Ozarka, but those trucks would be around to restock as soon as “they could get in”. Backlog of trucks at the dock because of the amount of other supplies being brought all at once. Evidently their manager had told them that WalMart was sending everything they could send because they knew people needed to get it now and advised them to buy as much as they could afford. As I walked away he called out to me and I took a few steps back, thinking I forgot something. Instead, he said, “Ma’am, may God watch over you and bless you.” Brought tears to my eyes because I think those poor folks are stressed beyond belief after months of this craziness.
At another store as I was weaving through the stockers I heard one say, “Could you hear us screaming and cheering from our meeting?” Their manager had just assembled them to say that they won’t have to work on Thanksgiving Day this year because there won’t be a Black Friday event, due to not having enough stock forecasted to have big sales. Instead they will have some small sales throughout the preceding week and then close so the employees can be with their families for the day. And that they would also be getting raises in December because the management realized how hard they’d all been working. It was surreal to overhear all of this, yet it was equally jarring to see cart after cart filled with cases of items that have been so scarce. Not things like isopropyl alcohol, or Charmin, or Clorox – but choices of bar soaps and soup that hasn’t existed and a variety of pet food versus one choice, or just a couple choices, like it has been. Felt like that very first time you walked into WalMart and were mesmerized by all of what they had on the shelves. LOL…remember when it was a fun adventure, not a drag that left you exhausted and exasperated? Long damn time ago! But it felt like that again for a day. And that felt strange for some odd reason.
One weird note though…all of the cans had a layer of “something” on them like a dust that had gotten wet. The way a dusty windshield looks when drizzle splatters it and it has uneven powdery residue. The cans had 2023 expiration dates so I don’t think they sat in storage a long time, plus the full flats usually have plastic coverings. Yet every can top had the spotty white powder at all five stores, as if they’d been dusted and then fogged. This stuff came off onto your hands as you picked them up. And my hands began to itch to the point that I walked over and got a bottle of hand sanitizer from the back to school rack to clean them off. So just a word to the wise, you might carry a pair of gloves in your pocket in case your cans wind up in the same condition at your stores.
M’Lynn, you wrote ‘ Evidently their manager had told them that WalMart was sending everything they could send because they knew people needed to get it now and advised them to buy as much as they could afford. ”
I do wonder if this might be the calm before the storm, as others have suggested. Last week, I had to go to CVS Minute Clinic for a diagnosis & couldn’t get into my regular doc. I visited w/ the nurse who was subbing, usually working @ a downtown clinic & before I left, she said that medical professionals are planning for a “wicked” (her word) time this fall when Covid second wave comes through & regular flu kicks in. She advised me to prepare to “hunker down” (again, her words) & not go out at all this fall. I told her I appreciated her candid comments, since I am a senior.
This kinda falls in line w/ what others have suggested. Keep preppin’ & prayin’.
All canning supplies are gone from Menard’s in Wisconsin. No lids, jars, nothing.
chevy – I’ve found some at Farm and Fleet a few weeks back, if there’s one near you.
Farmgirl, I am only reporting as we have plenty. But it is curious that a dozen lids advertise at F&F for half of what a dozen jars with lids and rings go for.
But thanks for the tip.
I wonder if Tattlers have gone up and are available.
Petco- Taste of the Wild, Merrick and Orijen dog food all at about 40% but was told that a truck was due in.
Whole Paycheck 365 mayo – no stock
Freezer shortages are replacing toilet paper shortages, according to the clerk at a local appliance store.
Everything I own is breaking down, it seems. A few months ago, my television quit. Since then I have lost my microwave, computer, and stove. Today I went to Worland with a friend to buy a new stove. She was looking to buy a bigger freezer since she has greatly expanded her garden this year — expecting a famine. They had rows and rows of stoves, dishwashers, clothes washers & dryers, microwaves, etc., but only one freezer is stock and it was not the size she was looking for.
The clerk said the shortage is due to factories closing down due to the China virus, but I think it may also be because preppers are buying more freezers.
Our grocery store had a sale on ground beef this week: $1.98 a pound, limit of four. I went to get my limit about 8:00 yesterday morning, and was pleased to see that there were about twelve rolls there. I was shocked that there was not another thing in the entire beef cabinet/refrigerated area. It’s got to be at least ten feet long, and the shelves were completely empty. There was plenty of other meat in the other areas; I got twenty pounds of pork loin for $1.58 a pound. (The ground beef is now canned, and I’m watching the canner right now with the last of the pork.) I’m interested in seeing if this beef shortage was just a one-day thing. The ground beef sale lasts another two days, so I’ll go back and check it out.
Where we are in the midwest. Sometimes the store prices and availability go up and down.
Went to a friends store that does their own processing. 10 pounds of ground beef…20 bucks.
10 pounds of thick cut smoked and cured chuck wagon bacon…19.98.
We can pre order Angus beef $1.43 per pound on the hoof. $2.43 per pound hanging carcass weight.
A friend of ours told my wife to tell me to contact them. They raise pigs. They will sell us pigs for .50 cents per pound live weight. And another friend that runs a butcher shop set up a deal for friends. $50 dollars to pop/chop and wrap them.
My problem is we literally have no more freezer space to put anything in.
We live in IL. About 30 miles east of St. Louis.
All the produce farmers are working at full steam. And are busier than cats covering crap in a sand box.
Actually posted the Angus price backwards.
$2.43 hanging, $1.43 live.
Hahaha!! I read your post after I finished mine. If you hadn’t said you were in IL, I would have asked if you were my husband! That would be taking “being grey” to a whole new level!
I went back to the store (southwest Missouri) this morning to get more of the sale-priced ground beef and to see if them being out of all other beef was a fluke. They were out of almost all fresh meat today. No ground beef or any other beef, chicken, pork, etc. in the big cabinets/refrigerated sections. That’s probably 25-30 feet of empty space. They did have a little bit of meat in some of the other areas; ham steaks and corned beef, for example. We love corned beef–anyone know if it cans well, or is it better just to put in the freezer, like I normally do?
We Love corned beef. I usually throw 4 at a time into the Pressure cooker, then divide up, vacuum seal, and freeze. Haven’t thought about canning it, might have to try. I’ve canning a bunch of beef chunks and some chicken later today.
I’m in PA and we seem to be having a Dawn dish detergent shortage. A couple weeks ago there was none to be found at our local grocery store. Is anyone else seeing this? I’m not sure if it’s because of all the spotted lantern flies and stinkbugs, or something else. One of my friends said people are using it as laundry detergent, even though I haven’t noticed any shortages on that.
Our meat prices were skyrocketing but seem to be coming back down now. Also no freezers to be found around here. My husband keeps telling me ours is full, but his full is not the same as mine 😁 It’s all about the organization!
Just a heads up you all ,,, There is discussion at upper management of the food store chain I’m involved with of closing stores to balance available stock. So to keep stores fully stocked that are open ,
Everyday I read multiple stories like this and make another trek and buy a few more things.
0ldhomesteader
Ok, will pass it along to the family.
Thanks OH,
ALWAYS value your insight and info. Clearly, the big chains don’t see this as a temporary situation, or this discussion wouldn’t be happening.
I have to wonder if they are expecting home delivery/online buying of groceries to continue taking a big bite out of their brick-and-mortar business, the way it has with non-grocery retailers.
I just hate to see it happening.
SCG,,,,home delivery is not really the problem ,supply inconsistents is, when I was on the board we planned a year or .more out on products with good reason to believe in receiving such ,that’s no longer the case,when I first invested in the stores we had three ,was part of growth to seven , we were hoovered up by a national chain , my kids and i are still part of it ,i use to enjoy walking all the stores ,would fill in as the janitor ,if needed,my joke about that was I must be the janitor I’m allways cleaning up the mess made by someone else,,,,,,,,,,,that was not my “day job” ,,,,,now I’m just a tick on the back of a dog by some accounts,
Too hot to work today,,,,,
Ice tea time
Article this morning about the items the Police are discovering Antifa has in their possession at time of arrest. Typically 4 spare mags of ammo per person and also Molotov cocktails in Mason jars. Made me wonder if perhaps they play a larger role in each of those shortages, rather than the shortages merely being indicative of individuals buying for personal home use.
Cream of Mushroom Soup. Price went up about 40 cents a can a few weeks ago. Now I can’t find it anywhere. Some other soups are missing from the shelves, too.
DaisyK all of the Cream of soups are easy to make for yourself.
Cream of Whatever Soup Mix
2 1/3 cups dry milk
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup flour
Combine all in a large bowl with a pastry blender or wire whisk. Mix until crumbly, like cornmeal. Store in the refrigerator.
Note. You can also use coconut oil in place of the butter. When used in soup mixes (or anything else for that matter), we honestly cannot detect a difference. If you use coconut oil, the soup mix will be shelf-stable and does not need to be refrigerated. I have read that powdered soy milk can be used in place of the dry milk.
All of the recipes below are for making the condensed versions of these soups. They do not substitute perfectly volume-wise for a can of condensed soup. You’ll have a little extra leftover. It’s never been a problem for me; I’m usually making gravy or sauce for a casserole with it. If you are making soup, remember that you still need to add an additional “can” of water or milk, about 11 ounces (just over 1 1/3 cups), to make soup. None of us around here eat cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom soup as a stand-alone, so I can’t comment on how the DIY and store-bought versions of those compare. But I think this tomato soup is very good.
Cream of chicken condensed soup
1 cup Cream of Whatever soup mix
3/4 cup chicken broth (canned, liquid from canned chicken, or prepared bouillon)
Put the soup mix in a saucepan over medium heat and add the broth, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened, then remove from heat. Optional: add up to a teaspoon of parsley, and/or a pinch of onion or garlic salt.
Cream of celery condensed soup
1 cup Cream of Whatever soup mix
3/4 cup water
1 cup of dehydrated celery, reconstituted (use excess reconstituting water as part of the 3/4 cup water above)
pinch celery seed, celery salt, and parsley
Put the soup mix in a saucepan over medium heat and add the water, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened, then remove from heat. Stir in the celery, celery salt, and parsley.
Cream of mushroom condensed soup
1 cup Cream of Whatever soup mix
1 can mushrooms, 4.5 oz, undrained, plus 1/4 cup water
OR
1/4 cup dehydrated mushrooms rehydrated in 1 cup water
dash onion salt
1-2 drops Kitchen Bouquet, optional
Put the soup mix in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in liquids, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened, then remove from heat. Stir in the mushrooms, onion salt, and Kitchen Bouquet.
Cream of tomato soup (this is a recipe for the soup, not the condensed can substitute)
1 cup Cream of Whatever soup mix
1 cup water
2 cans (8-ounce) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon parsley, optional
dash salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
Put the soup mix in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in water and tomato sauce, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened, and then remove from heat. Stir in seasonings.
Note that this recipe does not contain any sugar, whereas high fructose corn syrup is the second ingredient in Campbell’s cream of tomato condensed soup. Some people really miss the added sugar; I like the soup better without it.
I’ve tried these recipes and they are wonderful IF you use the whisk to keep lumps smoothed out.
NH Michael
I guess I will have to try. I have tried to make my own mushroom soup before and it was not the same as Campbell’s
Thank you NH Michael for the cream of whatever soup mix recipe. Went to WinCo this morning and cream of mushroom soup was 1.79 !! About fell in the floor! Same can at Kroger was 1.29.
Also in the pharmacy for hubby’s Rx. Lisinopril is on back order and no idea when it will be in. He is on super low dose and we have a couple of months worth but ,heads up Buttercups!! This could be just the beginning of medication shortages.
On a much better note. Get to see my new grand girl in the morning!! They will be home tonight. Amazing! When I had my kids ya stayed for at least 3 days and a C-Section was a week. I told her to stay in another day and get a little more rest cause she is coming home to 2 other kiddos. Oh well.
Gonna smell that sweet baby head!!
PEACE
MadFab
Oldhomesteader,
Thanks
Arrived back in suburbia today, went to a large Albertsons (Vons/Safeway brand) to do a major grocery shop.
Only limit sign was cleaning products (1 per) including antibacterial products… those were wiped out.
Several brands of tp, but very little pt. Usual low stock on the staples such as rice, ramen, flour, etc…
They must have restocked canned goods just before I got there. Shelves looked mostly full and suspiciously neat, but most products 1 deep, a few 2 deep.
I noticed something, though. When I buy canned fruit it Usually has an expiration of 12-15 months… today’s cans were a full 2 years out. Soups that are usually 15-18 months out were a full 2 years. Canned chili that if I’m lucky is a full 2 years to best-buy dates – today they were a whopping 3 full years out. I have never bought canned chili with 3 full years to its best by date.
So, am I right to assume these are the products that some folks here said we would be seeing? That is, instead of going to a warehouse shelf they are now in stores ahead of schedule? Are there so few because they are now JIT inventory, with little on the retail shelf and even less sitting in distribution center to replenish retail stock?
Has anyone else noticed this?Gotta wonder how much longer these items will be available.
So Cal Gal – Yes, I noticed the same thing at our local Walmart. Expiration dates on all the canned goods I bought were at least 2022, some were 2023. I don’t usually shop there, so had no previous experience to compare it to. Ours is still putting out Auguson Farms freeze dried tubs – 4 people/48 hours – and had bulk rice available. Can’t remember where I saw/heard this, but goods shipping now weren’t supposed to be on the shelves until toward the end of this year.
Farmgirl,
Thanks for your reply. I don’t shop at WM, so I don’t know how far out their BB dates usually go, but it sounds like you are seeing the same thing I am.
Worrisome trend, far less inventory and what is being replenished is going out much faster to retail.
SCG ,,,,,,,,,just what I have been posting about, repeatedly ,in the stores I was posting about ,you have nailed it as to what’s coming and why ,,and how come,,,but wate there’s more ,,tune in next week for chapter xxx , in the saga of FOOD WARS ,,,ok just having fun ,, ha ha
The warehouses are working to keep things as normal looking as possible at least till mid November ,,after that all bets are off ,,
Much product is stored two years or more ,some things as much as five years ,
OBTW there’s lots of TP in the system in most warehouses at least for now ,till the next run ,,,
Lots of potatos are being shipped as number one are in fact number two ,that or nothing at all
Going to be a long hard winter ,things as you know them have changed,
Are you ready???
Why do I keep asking about that John Galt guy ?,well folks we are living IT
Double up on your food preps ,NOW skip the freeze dryed and long term dryed stuff ,get the wet pack ,it will last you as long as you will need it ,2-3 years while it’s price is reasonable
your time is short ,with wet pack you don’t need extra water to eat , you don’t need fire to heat dinner. Time is almost up , you ready??
NOT BEING A DOWNER but got to call it as I see it
Tea and coffee cake
OH,
Thanks for your continued insight. Where water is plentiful I have a mix of dry and canned, much more dry. Several fuel s sources.
Where water is not plentiful, cans are bountiful. Stacking away. Time is short, working diligently to be as ready as possible.
You & Mrs OH are in my prayers as you continue your recoveries. Take care.
So Cal Gal
. . . .
Yep, saw same thing. #10 cans of veg on sale at WM expire two years from now.
AM,
Thanks for your reply!
Not being a WM shopper, I don’t know how far out those BB’s usually go, but it’s troubling to see the shortened time line of the supply chain.
How little, if any, is left on the shelves of regional warehouses and distribution centers? Another wave of the virus, or stay at home orders, or rioters, or any little thing… and we will be right back to nothing left to buy.
Very worrisome.
SCG, it is i every grocery store.. the BB dates are moving further out, have been for 5 months n mid south… depend on item- how far out.. for a while was 6 month… now 2 years is common. canned and dry goods- pasta’s most noticeable.
consider buying in lots,…specific groups of items you can make a main dish or different ones, from multiple times….
as in.. 6 lbs assorted pasta,6 jars cheesespread/sauce ,6 jars pasta sauce,6 cans tomato,diced/and or seasoned. 2 oz onion and garlic powder, 9 lbs ground beef.( secure by browning and dehydrating.) should net enough for family of 4 to have a filling main entre’ -7-9 days… .+ possible left overs,adding mushroom powder, pepper flakes, additional seasonings like cooking oil, basil , parsley, onion flakes.. can stretch it further. Having a side of string beans ..enough to round to out.
I’ve noticed that canned goods at my local supermarket are not stocked as much as they were a year ago. Canned tomatoes seemed sparse on the shelves. I got a box of pasta on sale; the expiration date was 2023.
I want to share a conversation I had with a grocery store employee this morning.
I needed a few things I did not find in my major grocery shopping trip over the weekend. So, I went to a different store… it is part of a CA chain of about 170 stores. The person I spoke with is a lead in the front of the store.
I asked his opinion about the longer “best by” dates we are seeing. I asked him if it was because products are moving faster through the system. He confirmed exactly what Oldhomesteader said in his reply to me on this topic the other day.
This employee told me that they have “massive warehouses” in their distribution system, and that they have been “GUTTED”. Products coming in from the manufacturers are immediately going out to store shelves, NOTHING is sitting in the warehouses or distribution centers.
I asked him what happens if/when we get a second wave or some other problem. He said “We’ll see lines to the back of the store again, and we won’t have much of anything to bring in from distribution this time – it will be like what happened with toilet paper… but with (waves hand across all the store aisles).”
I know that all of the regulars here already know this, but it bears repeating for those who have been on the fence, or may be new here, or are thinking that things are returning to “normal”. Things are not “normal” in the grocery distribution system – and that’s straight from the mouth of a person in a large metropolis grocery chain. I was actually surprised he was so honest with me. Maybe my question caught him by surprise.
So, non-perishables are going full-speed from manufacturing to store shelves – that’s why the expiration dates are unusually long. We depleted the food in the system with the first wave of the virus and manufacturing is not ramped up enough to replenish the system… it is barely (and in many cases not even) keeping up with current demand.
If/when the next wave of the plan-demic hits (or if anything else goes wrong with civil unrest and the elections, let’s say), what’s left on the shelves will be cleaned out with no back-up to replenish. Even with a mask on his face, I could see how serious his face was. So, I urge anyone who is not already doing so to get moving while you can.
So Cal Gal –
On the 23rd of July the WM stores I visited had cases stacked upon cases of canned food, stretching 15 to 20 feet on a row. Everything was in stock in relation to canned items and all of the expiration dates were 2023. One item was 2025, which I have never seen. The only item that was shorter were diced tomatoes, which have been non-existent for months now. It was 2022. As I had mentioned in my post, the cashier told me that their manager had advised them to stock up while they could because when the items on hand disappeared, the flow would begin to slow down.
I just went back this morning to grab some flats of canned fruit and wound up walking right past their supply. It had dwindled to literally 5 cans of pears, 7 cans of fruit cocktail and about 25 cans of various pineapple. No other fruit in a can or bottle, so the entire “section” reduced down to less than a foot of shelf space in a very short time. The rest of the space was filled with lunchbox fruit cups to fill it out as best they could.
Things are changing fast, so you are right to sound the alarm on not procrastinating to get whatever you need now.
Thx so much for these most recent updates. I have started a serious inventory, just based on observation, intuition & this amazing website. The hubs thought I was a little reactionary but he has realized the true state of affairs since reading these last few posts. I will head out tomorrow & bring an update, too.
Keep prayin’ & preppin’!
TX Deb –
You had asked that we keep updating on shortages and I wanted to mention that what I’m seeing versus not seeing seems to be the more interesting trend. It’s most evident in WM stores. They get huge shipments on certain products. So much that they can’t actually shelve it. They tend to place it onto an end cap and pallets of the same item parked in front. In the frozen foods the other day they had two of the huge boxes that they put watermelons in the aisle, filled with 5 pound bags of rice. It was a manager’s special for $1.00, no limit. People were grabbing ’em with both hands. But then they were gone and that brand has not been back. The same for a #10 can of green beans from some company called Lakeside, which we’ve never had. Pallets of them one day, then gone. Never another Lakeside label again.
I can’t tell you the pattern for it because it almost seems like a factory somewhere is processing canned meat one day, sending out a huge quantity. Then the next day they process vegetables and pallets of those go out. Then fruit, rice, whatever, on the next consecutive days. It’s coming to the stores in waves. You may go in wanting to get green beans and peaches, find 2 cans of each, yet every type of canned meat is stacked on pallets everywhere you look. The next day you cannot maneuver around all the canned fruit because it is sitting everywhere. Therefore if you’re diligent about running by there more than once a week you can actually increase your efforts exponentially, IF you’ll buy what’s being offered, rather than sticking to a list. Since most of us are doing long term stocking that should work to our advantage if you’ve got the time to take advantage of it. You can’t get 2 cans of peaches 6 days out of the week, but on the 7th….you’ll get cases and cross that off your list entirely. Then come back to get vegetables on the day those are offered. If that makes sense. And if you begin to see the same pattern in your stores. Best advice, check out your WM, work with their offerings and it will gain you a lot of ground quickly. Because that’s a 50 cent can of vegetables, 90 cent can of fruit and the canned beef stew is $1.70. So even for those who are stretching their spending dollars thin right now, you can still make some positive headway when you add in staples like potatoes and rice. Hope that helps!
SCG,,,,,, it has all ready started , In my order for the trading post for the winter would normally amount to 25 semi trailer loads , we got 10 ,,,,,,,,BUT we did get a full load of TP ,, you are correct about pull dates. The long out dates tells me that it’s fresh product ,,shipped as soon as the cans cooled ,what’s concerns me that there will be NO back up like we have come to expect till next crop season , next thing to think about is propane ,don’t wate till September ,if you cook with it have enough to last till next June,buy the extra bottles now ,
Some nights I go to bed with my head just spinning over the days good news ,being the dog at the top isn’t a lot of fun sometimes ,
Cut hay today only lasted 3hrs ,before the virus could do 12 ,best thing is having time to think when out on the tractor away from the real world , and it’s problems
Tea and coffee cake
TX Deb –
You might tell him to swing by Lowe’s too and do a walk-thru. They’re also having a tough time with stock. Sandpaper gone. Not a sheet to be found. Any power tool that he may need a replacement/back-up for is worth a look because we ran into some problems with that as well. Display items, yet only one true item to buy out of nine or so models. Certain light bulbs are getting iffy too. A lot of the lumbar is down to warped pieces and plumbing repair items are thinner than normal.
So him going out with a list of what he’d like to have on hand to feel comfortable is smart too. Even if he won’t need it, someone else you know may or it can be bartered.
Lowe’s is on our list for tomorrow, too. Thx for suggestions!
After reading about today’s shortages I made another trip to WM.
Overall store is poorly stocked- guess about 50%.
One cleaning supply isle was virtually empty but the other one with laundry soap pretty full.
Canned fruit/veggies are very sparse and selection was “will it be corn or peas?” Oh, they had both but no other choices and not a lot of those. Had small selection of fruit consisting of peaches, pineapple and oranges. Canned tomatoes was about 20% and 8 cans of Rotel brand.
Have not seen any organic canned fruit/veggies or peanut butter in months.
Oh and bb dates of 12/2022 and 12/2023
I have been to WM lately to pick up some jeans and have struck out twice in a row. The clothing racks were pretty sparse in places.
Central Texas updates:
Home Depot today (rather than our usual Lowe’s because they had an in-stock cabinet we needed)
White 36″ hanging wall cabinet (last one in stock) $157 compared to over $300 @ Lowe’s
Saw one small upright freezer in the box for sale & put the word out to friends
Lots of TP & paper towels on pallets in the aisles
Lots of “off brand” hand sanitizers on pallets
No Lysol or disinfecting wipes
Boxes of paper masks, 50 to a box for $30 (made in China: NO thanks!)
Crappy lumber is all that is left
Lots of metal shelving units & assorted totes for organizing
Limited screws, fasteners, etc.
Got our order from Nuts.com & It was awesome! They had the chocolate items in an insulated bag w/ a once frozen bag to keep it cool. Thankful for that due to our 100+ degree days. The first order was $10 off w/ free shipping on orders over $60. Got yeast, pepitas (roasted & salted pumpkin seeds), black beans, wheat bran, M&M’s, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc. You should check out their website but know your prices. A pound of sesame sticks was $4.99, better than our stores here.
Keep preppin’ & prayin’!
Made my monthly trip to local groc. Southern Mid. TN.
Funny the things they were out of: chicken thighs ?! No yeast but I did finally find bread flour after 6 wks looking. Canned goods were sparse, no alfredo sauces at all. Plenty of other pasta sauce and some pasta. Canned dog food was sparse. Meat counter was full with no limits 🙂 Canning chicken later.
TP was available with no limit, but almost no paper towels at all. Coffee and dry creamer were available. Still, only popcorn is microwave stuff. Yuck! Canned soups were sparse too.
I live in the southeast. I observed very little canned tomatoes, very low on tissues and paper towels. There were no disposable disinfecting wipes. TP and frozen pizza was plentiful.
Central Il. Made the rounds today… Aldi, WalMart, SAM’s
Aldi- Some of everything, but on the light side. Limit of 4 cans of each thing.
WalMart- Pretty good inventory with lots of pallets sitting in the aisle. No limits. They had Oscar Meyer bacon today. (They’ve been out lately)
SAM’s- Lots of fruit cups back in stock, as well as what looked like a semi load of TP, and PT. All members mark brand.(not that desperate yet) Low on cases of veggies and what they had was off breed brands that I have never seen there before. Kraft American singles and butter – back in stock. They seem to be switching aisles around, like you won’t notice things are gone if they keep rotating it. One full row of coffee. No case packs of soup.
All the stores had the off breed brands and 2023 exp. dates. With random blank holes in shelf space.
Bottom Line…. If you’re willing to make the rounds you can probably get whats on your list. If I didn’t think it was going to get worse, I wouldn’t have pushed to go all 3 places.What a PIA.
Wal-Mart where we live had no canned peaches for 3 months then the other day they had 2flats of 12 I bought one flat. Must be everyone’s fav canned fruit! Most things in fair supply. What boggles my mind is no yeast avail.I never thought hardly anyone baked anymore but maybe I’m wrong.there were holes in shelves canned goods and soups ,instant junk.Flour and sugar lowest supply I’ve seen in months. Could be the local Amish folk are paying more attention to the world than they normally do!
Check out Aldi if you have one.Mine had plenty of yeast yesterday.
To finish my trifecta of shopping while down in suburbia, I hit Costco today.
They had a good supply of all paper goods this time (limit 1 of each). Different mix of meats than usual: plenty of ground beef, some steaks (light), and a ton of pork belly and ribs (odd) – but no chops, very little chicken. No limits on meats.
But, the canned goods problem was worse than ever. The store was rearranged (again) to spread things out. No canned soups, no tomatoes, corn or veggies. A pallet of off-brand canned pineapple from Costa Rica, and plastic cups of peaches in syrup… —also an unknown brand. Still had canned Kirkland chicken and tuna, though.
They had some large bags of flour and rice, but very few spices – there was 20+ feet of just black peppercorns on display to fill space.
With tomatoes, corn and so many veggies & fruits already so low ( and it’s only August) what happens when people are looking for these foods in the fall and winter?
Stopped W M on way home today (Ohio)
They don’t seem to be getting more than 3 dozen of anything at one time other than drinks. Everything is just random. Today they had about 3 dozen cans of French style green beans for the first time in two months. People are getting more irate felt bad for the little old lady at the door people giving her grieve about only being able to go in one side(she did stick up for herself and said she’s only doing what she was told to do ) it was a couple of those special people who do no wrong and think thier sh-t don’t stink
My order for a fuel line for a Ryobi gas trimmer from Amazon was placed in mid-July and is expected to arrive at the end of September or October.
Central Texas WalMart update today:
I was amazed at how well stocked everything was & also how clean everything was, too.
The only empty shelves were:
canning supplies
Lysol & Chlorox wipes
canned tomatoes
Really, it all looked like the fully stocked shelves of last year. Even the fall clothes & shoes were in, I guess in anticipation of the upcoming tax-free preschool weekend.
On another note, a longtime worker for AT&T who now works from home said they got word this week that they don’t anticipate going back into their offices until mid 2021.
Keep preppin’ & prayin’ !
TX Deb
Your area will be different than ours. We are on the west coast in State of Jefferson, (some day hope we succeed from new sum’s territory).
Went shopping with my friend, we go together since life as we know it has changed. First stop was the family style meat market. They sell fresh fish to fresh beef sold in the old style display case. You select what you want and they pull it out to wrap up for the freezer. At this store I did not see any shortages but prices were up. Hamburger 93/7 was $4.99 per pound and the 85/15 was $4.59 per pound, cube steak was $6.99 lb, Top round was $6.99, London Broil was $6.99 per lb.
Other store was busy for a Wednesday. Found everything on my list but no canning lids, or jars in this store. They did have canning wax for jams & jellies so I added to my list. Forgot to look for dish washing liquid while I was there. Bush’s canned beans only the original flavor was on the shelf fairly well stock. The canned soup section had Campbells & family brands but the soup flavors were pretty thin. I did not see cream of mushroom which seems to be missing in a lot of the stores.
For those who are interest you can not locate a canning lid in the northern part of this state, nor water bath canners. Water bath canners which are normally around $25.00, you will be lucky to find one at $90.00.
Next shopping run will be to Costco with the same friend. It saves on gas since we drive a long ways to go shopping, and our car will hold more groceries then hers.
Not to those with need for water bath canners… a large stock pot will work. It must be deep enough to fill with water and it cover with 1-2 inches water…one also needs a plate( with holes in it) of some sort to go in the bottom to keep jars off the bottom.. i have used odd things like extra jar rings and large steel/tin can ends with holes in them… does not have to be an exact fit as long as keeps jars off bottom and allows circulation of water. a large lid for a 10- 12 or 14 inch skillet will work for a top .
i use same pot for sterilizing jars as i use for water bath., lids are done in a small saucepan.. hot , sterile lids and jars, hot product with high acid in jars, clean rims, very tight ring= good seal and secure food.
ok all is not well with this new os… will get bugs worked out… LOL this is my post…
AC…about 3hrs south of you, went shopping 8/5 at Raleys, bel air, etc. shelves stocked ok, no depth though, paper products almost wiped out, did find pkg of TP (shooting for 600 rolls) only 550 to go! Found wide mouth lids/rings, grabbed the last, no jars. Forgot 2 items went back 8/6, canned veggies & fruits nearly gone, no tp, sis-in-law couldn’t find relish ( sweet) for months, lives near TAFB, grabbed last 4 for her. That happened in 1 day, store a mess. Canned meats $6.00+. Limited canned beans of any kind. Spooky at a distance! Ready for Jefferson state, lived there for years, little did I know there would be a infestation years later 3 hrs south of Rdg. To old to move & start over so I’ll make my stand here! Dang flat landers, always mess things up. GrGrandma 1947
Went to my local Big Lots, Home Depot, and Kroger store today. There were no canning jars or lids at the BL or Kroger (I’m pretty well stocked with those anyway. Big Lots had those canned hams that I think someone was looking for earlier, but not a lot. Plenty of TP at both stores, but limited paper towels and no disinfecting wipes. All three stores had hand sanitizer, but the price seems almost double what it was last year. I was looking for succulent potting soil to re-pot my aloe veras, but Home Depot was out and the clerk said there was none at Lowe’s either.
Went to the local farm supply store to get a few things. They have not been able to get chicken wire for 3 months and say things that usually arrive in a few days have been taking a couple weeks or more. Local grocer showed me is order computer, paper towels as an example, the warehouse had 50 – 100 cases per variety. Normally it has 500 – 800 cases. He says there are many more examples. Sams club last week no TP.
New sign on grocery store door: “We are short of coins. If you are paying by cash, please try to use exact change.”
Many empty shelves in the store. The limits on meat and bread had been removed, but there were still limits on paper products and cleaning products, and a new limit — on all types of oil and cooking sprays.
I am continuing to notice shortages of canned soups and other convenience products, such as Knorr sides, instant potatoes, and instant meals.
A new shortage seems to be developing — processed cheese. There seemed to be the normal selection of hard cheese (in our small town the selection is never large) but processed cheese and products with processed cheese in them were in short supply. I couldn’t find jar cheese, cheese crackers, cheese spread, cheese bread, cheese sausages, or even Kraft singles, even those those last were supposed to be on sale and it was the first day of the sale — before the ad came out. The sales start on Wednesday, but the newspaper comes on Thursday.