Empty Shelves – Once Something Is Gone, It Could Be Gone For A Long Time
Empty Shelves Joe. Seems a fitting phrase for the current regime policies. These policies are wreaking havoc on supply chains. Distribution. Availability. Empty Shelves. Supply Chain Shortages. As I write this, it is getting worse. There is no end in site.
The causes are multifaceted. Although most all of them stem from policies which are 100% harmful to supply chains.
We’re not even into one year under the new regime. So, don’t fool yourself that it’s going to get better any time soon.
Although many have awakened to some of what’s going on here… There are zero signs of policy changes that might help alleviate the supply chain problems and shortages. Rather, they’re doubling-down on their anti-supply-chain policy efforts.
It’s pointless to get into the policies on this blog. Plenty of other taverns around town where you can whine and moan. However, it is very much on point to recognize and realize that supply chains are getting worse, so that you might preemptively take some preparedness actions. THAT is what this blog is about. Preparedness (all sorts of).
Shortages. Empty Shelves. Thinner Shelves. Get used to it. Are we looking at a Venezuela? Probably not. However, never say never.
Here’s what you might notice… Once something is gone, it could be gone for a long time.
Why? Because it’s human instinct to get more of something that seems to be dwindling in supply. Ever heard of the toilet paper shortage? Or, the ongoing ammo shortage? (just to name a few).
Last time I visited Walmart, the TP / Paper Towel aisle was 60% empty. Is it happening again? I don’t know. But you know what? When people see that, they’re going to say to themselves, “Oh $hit, better get some more TP!”.
Unlike the great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020, this time the supply chains are becoming worse. There is so very much being affected, right now (not just TP, for example). It’s wide ranging.
More and more people losing their employment due to policy requirements to remain employed (as one example). Thus, shortages of labor. Resulting in more shortages of supply. Services.
This absolutely will not ease up until AFTER these policies change. However, I don’t see change on the horizon. So, you better concern yourself. At least regarding the necessities in life. And that includes TP! (grin).
As you are well aware, the phrase “supply and demand” is absolutely in play here. Costs are going up. Prices are way up for most everything. Not to mention out-of-control spending, and the results thereof. Inflation. Stagflation. Not good…
My occasional treat, a juicy Ribeye steak, has gone up from about 10 dollars a pound to 20 dollars a pound in less than one year. With that said, I did pick up some chicken on sale yesterday for $0.89 a pound! Go figure?!?
Hey listen, I know most all of you are fully aware of what’s going on. The increasing supply chain problems. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we’ve all been pretty spoiled with the plentiful availability of yesteryear. But that’s definitely changing to an extent, given the policies of today. To what extent? Time will tell.
So, what things are YOU seeing in short supply right now where you live? How much worse do you think it’s going to get out there?
[ Read: Lessons Learned From The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 ? ]
Canned juice seems to be in short supply at every grocery store here.
If folks haven’t come to grips with the fact that, at least for the foreseeable future, shortages of goods and services will be a way of life…well…they just might be a “woke” democrat…and “woke” democrats scream and act up…and panic…when reality slaps them in the face….
Hopefully, everyone of the folks following MSB are not surprised at what is happening, and have at least built up a cushion against the shock wave hitting now…..
I won’t panic if the toilet paper runs out….my family won’t miss a meal should the grocery store shelves go bare…we will have water should the co-op shut down….I could go on…I have prepared….
I have prepared…many, if not most, have not….they will squall like stuck pigs…demanding relief…relief coming from where?…the government of course….
Where does the overwhelming incidences of crime occur in the U.S. ?…If you said in those areas/cities/neighborhoods where folks who are dependent on government handouts….you would be correct…
You see… folks like these are never satisfied, because handouts are never enough…they crave and think they deserve what you have…they will try to take it from you….with the unspoken blessing of the government…..
You see?…I expect much more than just shortages in our future…and recent history tells us our present “leaders” are not friends of folks like us….prepare accordingly…..
I give thanks that I am where I am…I pray that y’all are where you need to be……both physically and spiritually….
Good morning folks….Life is good on the mountain…….
Well Dennis, we know that you’re all set up there on your mountain (grin). The rest of us on our own mountains are likewise all set (double-grin).
I would speculate that not everyone who is not “all set” is necessarily “woke”. And there’s no sense whining about the politics/policies that are causing this (at least not on this blog). There’s not much of a darn thing you can do about it.
So instead, knowing that many who happen upon this blog on a given day, and over time, (those that are not necessarily all set like me or you or the rest of our regulars on our mountains), maybe some can be helped or prodded to “think” about the situation.
I wonder what people may be seeing for shortages out there right now. I’m also curious about what people might be doing (right now) in an attempt to mitigate what they perceive as potential future supply chain shortage problems…
Dennis
Morning, the term we all should be looking up is: Holodomor.
We are at precipice of encountering that here in our country. I had watched the videos of Stalin carrying this out of a population that would not buckle down to his dictates. There are over 80 + million people who this applies too, here in the land of once upon a time, home of the free.
My ancestors are rolling over in their graves for what they gave to this nation to make it free, and generations have tossed it away…….
That’s water under the bridge, so to speak…The bed has been made, and now we’re laying in it…like it or not…
So instead, what have you observed lately for shortages in your area?
It hasn’t been too bad in my area. But I am seeing more scarcity here and there, and less quantity of this and that…
Today at the nearest NH Liquor store, I noticed (gasp!) they were all out of Jim Bean bourbon! They had a sign on the shelf section “Yes, we’re out of Jim Beam 1.75”. So apparently it’s affecting some liquor too? Good thing that JB is not my bourbon of choice :=)
Stopped in at Lowes today, looking for a particular caulking, I’d say about 1/3 empty section. It’s seemingly sporadic and random (shortages).
Ken J
The junk food isle seems to be filled, but go to the freezer section to find frozen foods. The premade meals that are frozen are gone, unless you care for the diet food, low calorie that reminds me of eating colorful cardboard. 🙄
Sorry got off topic, posted my thoughts then noticed the articles title.
I worked in a retail outlet when the JIT system was coming on line for businesses to keep inventory down. There by less taxes to pay when inventory time arrived, it was suppose to be the end all to save money. There by keeping costs down for the consumer. I thought it was a boondoggle when it was implemented back then, and look at our system now. 😣🤐
I remember the days (long ago!) when the stores almost always had inventory “in the back”. If something wasn’t in the store, you could ask a clerk, “Got any xyz in the back?” and sure enough, they usually did. But not any more! Tax laws enabled motivation for JIT.
If anyone can get ahold of the CEO of Ball or Kerr put them in a head lock while applying a Dutch rub until they explain why
there are no wide mouth lids to be had.If they can make regular mouth lids they darn sure can make wide lids.
Haha!! We were in a store today and while I was busy looking for something else, Eagle-eye DH noticed 4 boxes of wide mouth lids on a shelf and grabbed them all! And this is a regional chain that very rarely has canning supplies. Not one package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese to be had though. That was the only true hole I noticed today.
Yes, I couldn’t find any cream cheese either! Of all the products I expected shortages, cream cheese was not on my list.
AND if anyone can get to them tell them: we need more LIDS many of us have jars and could leave jars with lids for the other customers who are needing.with more lids alone available.
My local hardware store has a biweeklyy limit of 4 of each kind of lid-and many time those orders are cancelled .. And tell them THAT EVERY SEASON IS CANNING SEASON>.
lids are likely made over seas or in south america, just a guess.
I couldn’t find any facts after searching for all of 20 seconds.
I wouldn’t be the least surprised.
Like our penny, when material and labor costs more than the product is worth, ship it in
OR make is significantly cheaper.
Last few weeks have been taking inventory of the things that are critical to keep household functioning. Like extra ignitor for furnace and oven of the gas range. Spare engine belts, oil filters, oil and windshield wipers for vehicles. The list goes on but will try to be as prepared as possible. Reminds me of a situation from years back where a business jet was stranded in a foreign country for three weeks because a o-ring seal the size of a dime was required to repaired a hydraulic leak. I think with all the complex machines in our society replacement parts will become more of a problem to source as time goes all. Even saw in an article I read a person working in a large power plant was commenting that they were having trouble sourcing parts for the plant. Yikes, another complex machine.
@ Cliffhanger,
That’s a great point you make about complex machine parts. We have been able to design intricate “machinery” with their own unique parts/design – because it has been pretty easy to outsource these uniquely manufactured “parts”. Now that we’re in a world of supply chain shortages, that one unique part could take down the entire machine. Lots of analogies could be applied here. But you bring up a very good point. Lots of “machinery” is breaking down…
Ken J & Cliffhanger
My ac/heating guy understands the poop we are in, and wondered why I insisted on a new circuit board for the heating system. He will not install it but will have it on hand jic.
Said to him it is not just the food items which will be hard to locate, but think about everyday items we use which will be limited or not available.
Then he understood why he was having an issue finding a part for a 30 year old heating unit.
Think there are shortages now, just wait until the Chinese or Russians actively began taking down the American power grid. They have been probing and testing our ability to respond for years and it’s only a matter of time before they pull the plug. It would be a good strategic move by China to take down large portions of the US grid prior to invading Taiwan as the public would be screaming “to hell with Taiwan get the power on here” and it would have a direct and negative impact on the military’s ability to respond.
I served 6 years in the Navy and when there is a major problem in CONUS it has an impact on service members morale especially for those whose families are being impacted. This impacts operational readiness and a grid down situation would most likely result in a recall of nearly all surface ships to protect the coastlines and the lack of communications and information would create speculation which leads to rumors which leads to chaos.
Most CONUS military installations are dependent on the local power grid of the city where they are located. They do have backup generators for essential buildings and facilities but most of the barracks and many non-essential facilities are not on back up generators.
They say “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone”. The truth is you knew, you just never thought you would lose it.
I really like what you said:
“You don’t know what you got till it’s gone”.
“The truth is you knew, you just never thought you would lose it.”
So true.
That applies to much of life eh,,,
“Its just a vaccine”
“Its just an app”
“Its just for a few weeks”
Buncha crap,
Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, these people saying this will get a hard slap to the reality of what they lost at some point
RC, “Cyber Polygon.” They planned and practiced it this past summer. Same game plan as a Coronavirus pandemic in 2019. Grid down this time. Locally, regionally, whatever they want to do. Klaus Schwab and the people at the WEF. Be aware and prepared.
DJ,
I agree 100%. The panic that will ensue when the grid goes down as well as the internet will be epic. There will still be certain gov websites available like FEMA, FB and Twitter to spread disinformation and tell the sheep where and how to get to the “Safety Facilities” i.e FEMA camps where they can charge their phones, have hot meals, water and shelter but they will need to bring their proof of vaccination. The government won’t advertise it but upon arrival all firearms, knives and other weapons will be confiscated for the safety of everyone. It will be like the lyrics of Hotel California, “you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.”
Been so busy these last few months harvesting and prepping for the dark winter. And dealing with the state of NY over vaccine mandates (we won! Religious exemptions are allowed according to the judge but Hochul is going to fight it). Anyway, we had to make a Sam’s run for the business yesterday because some things cannot be shipped so I went along to shop for home also. The store one hour away from us was stocked okay. I did not see fruit in cans regular or #10, but they had a handful of the fruit cups. There was some juice, but not as much as in the past. Canned corn was barely there, again no #10 cans. Same for green beans. We were able to get #10 cans of baked beans. Butter was $9.98 for four 1 lb packages so hubby told me to get a couple. I advised him to get more tinfoil for business as shortages expected in that area. Folgers reg $8.98 decaf 10.68 for the bigger sizes but decaf is smaller package than regular. Paper towels were missing and had some TP but limits of one on paper products. Gatorade both powder and liquid were limit of 3. Bertolli 2L olive oil was $11.98. There was no chicken stock pasta and hasn’t been for a few months. Spices seems very thin. More spice mixes of things (fillers can be added) rather than pure spices. I spent $300 and didn’t bring much home, but happy for what I did get. I did score a giant container of Swiss Miss for $7.98 to be gifted to some young kids we know. #25 lb pure cane sugar Domino was $15.16.
I noticed Aldi has also not had much fruit or juices on there shelf. Very, very limited. I shop for my older neighbor on Wednesday so I will see again how they are doing. We have several local angus farmers who are putting the word out when they have a beef going to butcher. They quarter them and sell for $4.00 lb hanging weight. We were fortunate to get one at $3.50 per lb hang weight for first 187 lbs and then $1.50 lb for additional 44 lbs. the beef came in heavier than expected, but we took the extra meat. I also paid $105 for processing. And that was a bargain. We had all the steak cut, some roasts, ground beef, and we got the tongue as no one wanted it. We sell our American Guinea Hog meat for $4.00 lb hang weight and don’t have any problem finding buyers. I should also mention that butcher fees are also up. Hog processing is $55 kill fee, goat and lamb kill fee is now $85 and it is $125 for a deer. I know a lot of hunters who do not process their own deer. That amazes me.
Neighbor sold off his cattle, is selling farm equipment.
Says it’s not worth the effort anymore, it costs too much and the return too little.
I saw a comment on a shooters message board the other that stuck with me. “You don’t have to wait for things to be unloaded off a ship if the products are being made in the USA.” I can’t think of anything we can’t make here again. Some of the rare earth minerals they tell you can’t be found are already here. We just won’t mine for them in the western states or Alaska. Heck, I’d rather trade with Mexico than buy them from China.
In regards to things getting hard to find, I say the biggest one right now for me are equipment parts. It’s getting hard to find certain parts on common pieces of equipment. Wheel seals and bearings, wiring harnesses and kits, even fuel system parts. In my nearest Sam’s the other day I overheard a man saying he couldn’t get any styrofoam cups for his business. I also noticed small packages of sugar and creamer were not available. Kitty litter was short; I use it to get up oil off a shop floor. Plenty of rice, beans, and canned meats. Cleaning supplies seemed to be in good stock. Cut beef prices are stupid, yet there is no increases in cattle market prices to the cattle ranchers. A local packing house is 3 months behind as of last check. People are buying local and having is custom packaged. I’m happy about that.
I went to the “Bishop’s Storehouse” LDS last week for the first time & they were unable to transact business as their computers were down. They have 2 entrances to their warehouse, one for members & one for the general public. They let us go in to look around anyway & invited us to come again next Tuesday to shop. I had ordered online from them 10 years ago & their inventory now (perhaps only to non members) is very limited. Only flour, sugar, wheat berries, pasta, rice, powdered potatoes, carrots, 3 kinds of beans, dehydrated apples & milk & oats.
One of my sisters has seen the writing on the wall finally & is coming to town next week so I can take her there & Costco…hey, that’s a start, right?
Ammo situation is looking better. Places that previously didn’t have any ammo or just a couple of boxes now have a decent selection. Given, the volume available is nothing to write home about but is much better than just a couple of months ago. Many grocery items are hit and miss. One time there will be plenty available of something and other times the shelf will be filled with other things as if it never existed. The drink aisle at Wally World is consistently empty. Been unsuccessful in finding hominy corn for the last month or so. The selection isn’t too bad in some areas. It is just that there isn’t a a lot available. Maybe just a box or two of an item on the shelf. Sometimes, the aisles will look bare but there will be pallets and pallets lined up in the aisles just waiting to be put out. Along comes the labor shortage of not enough folks available to restock the shelves in a timely manner.
I too noticed lack of the juice packs (lunchbox for kids) and specifically Gatorade mix (the customer service area had a printed list of scarce items with apologies) – suburban downstate NY supermarket
Lots of pasta/canned goods/sauces/peanut butter were in aisles (prices up though- now a can of spam is $3.49 when it was prev $2.99 a few mos ago) pasta sale brand $1 a box
Otherwise $1.79-2.99 depending on brand/imported
We went to our doc for physicals and med (BP, etc) refills. Our doc dispenses generic meds at cost + container fee. He insisted we take 6 months of everything. He did not elaborate on why. Our speculation is that generics arrive by ship and might not be as readily available going foreward.
In our grocery stores lots of artfully concealed missing items. I was going to pick up a favorite jar of BBQ sauce at half price only to read the label and discovered it was the price of a store brand that was missing.
Rosie, sounds like you have a good doc,,, i would keep on good terms there for sure
Rosie
Your speculation is correct. My understanding is that even for non generic meds 75% of what goes into generic and non generic meds comes from India and to a lesser extent China. While the active ingredient may be produced in Europe or the US there is a lot of filler etc that has to go into making up the full pill or capsule. In the past there was no problem sending the non active ingredients by container but we all know how that is unwinding! I would give a big thank you to your Doctor as he seems to truly have your welfare in mind!
I was finally able to get more insulin a few days ago. I was out of insulin for almost a week and that was after trying to stretch what was left. I ordered more a couple weeks ago but the pharmacy said they did not come with their orders until a couple days ago. My doctor for some reason won’t prescribe me more than a one month supply and only letting me refill only a few days before I run out. So unfortunately I am at the mercy of the JIT system in one area.
Sam S
Are you type one? Insulin dependent?
That is BS your doc will only allow a one month script.
Be it your doc or your insurance carrier.
Tell your doc to up your med script, that way you can build up a supply.
Insulin is OUR life juice, not the readily available BS scripts that I have no problem getting.
Joe,
I’m type 2. Yeah, it is bull lucky my doc won’t allow me to get a longer term script so I can stock up some more.
As a side note, I finally saw some ivermectin in stock the other day. The couple of local places have been sold out for quite a while. It is apple flavored. I hope the horse likes the taste.
I assume you must be using prescription based short acting insulin like humalog. I recommend obtaining a backup supply of Humalin N or Humalin R and some boxes of syringes as a backup. I have built a decent supply of these for emergencies. Now how to keep it cold when the power goes out. I use an electric and LP gas refrigerator.
Walmart sells both the R and N Humalin without a prescription for $24 a bottle. Cheap insurance…
To keep it cold you can get a small cooler that runs on a 12 volt system. A deep cycle battery and a small solar charger that you should be able to get at any auto parts store will do the rest. I am type 2 but no longer need to do injectables and this was the setup I used
People overall out here dont get it,
At some point no more will mean there is really no more period
KF,
That’s the way it is in 99% of the country. If it isn’t on their handheld brain pacifier then they don’t have a clue. At least there will be a whole lot less of them around 6 months after the balloon goes up.
We live south of Atlanta. On one trip to the store, I noticed that all the canned kidney beans were gone. This was true for a couple of weeks. I didn’t need them, but I spend more time reading the little signs on the grocery store shelves, than I care to admit.
As stated above, bottle juice is in short supply. The fake, sugary stuff is till around. I only found chicken wings once in the past month. Our dried dog food for our 115 Shepard is sometimes out of stock, so I have changed brands and mix what is left of the first one. I saw sugar at a discount grocer for $10..00 a five pound bag. That just blew me away, glad I don’t need it. Many brands of beer and wine are missing (gasp).
We ordered frames for our solar system, and they shorted us. When we told them we can count, they replaced the missing ones with two smaller ones for each side… They were out of China.
Been preaching this for years seems to deft mutes , over the last few months they were suddenly cured . Now its a mad dash to stock up , them and many others . Small town ” mom and pop ” stores are quite well stocked although during the great tp rush down state people drove up and cleaned out our stores and it will happen again ! Locals stock up for winter up here , never know if you can get out . Now theres a big difference in winter four hours south then here , those that moved up this summer will get an education ! Mid november to march I dont leave the house just a walk to the mail box if it ran that day . Just toss another chunk of wood in the stove and relax Life is good !
Labor is in short supply in South FL. Industry supplies are limited in some categories. If you are a small contractor business is through the roof and we are doing well. Larger contracting companies are having a hard time finding workers. Help wanted signs all over the work vehicles. Jobs spilling over to us smaller guys as a result. Entry level jobs in June went from $14/hr. to now $17/hr. I pay out $20/hr. and make sure not to work my guys to death. Keep them happy, buy them cold beers on Friday Afternoon.
Diesel price is now rising and heading to $4/gal. It is starting to rhyme just like 2008 all over again.
Paint, Concrete Pavers, Plastic piping for irrigation etc. are short right now. At least we are still working until the Fat Lady sings.
The shortages/outages are hit and miss here. I never know which stores will have what, or when. This week I visited two different national chain stores, and one regional, to fill my list. The regional store had better supplies of most things than the nationals – but some weeks that is not the case. It’s a crap shoot.
In all stores there is limited supply of ramen noodles, everything imported (packaged Asian foods in particular), and pasta now has large gaps on the shelves. All stores are fronting huge open spaces with 1 and 2-deep displays, empty shelves behind the front row. Canned fruit went down to only about 24″ of shelf space in all stores, those are now maybe half-stocked in all stores. Plenty of sugar-filled syrupy fruit in plastic cups, though. Canned beans are now thinning out. Dried beans going for $1.60 – $2/lb at all stores. Many packaged goods looking light… for people who eat mac & cheese, box dinner mixes, that sort of thing – all the stores in my area are getting lighter on all of that. Bottled water very light here, stores still having a hard time keeping distilled water in stock, glad I do not require that. Also, ice cream novelties (like popsicles) continue to be sold out or vey limited in all stores.
I needed some bed linens for the BOL and when I went to a big box store, their shelves were maybe 25% stocked. Kitchen utensils, canning jars, glass flip-top mason jars and the cheapie water filter stuff they advertise on TV were all very light… and all had much higher prices.
Cheapest 87-grade gas in my area just broke the $4 mark, now at $4.05. Most stations closer to $4.50… but no shortages.
Many dealerships have very light car inventory here. Wondering how long some will stay in business. Odd, though… I drove by a Mitsubishi dealer that looked fully stocked and a Car Max used car store that had at least 200 cars on the lot – that was the fullest of any lot (new or used) I have seen in months. Not sure why.
1 pound bags of beans at my local Safeway are running 2.99 so your price is good. I don’t need to buy as I store lots of beans and if I am adding I’m buying in 20 pound bags at Sam’s or Costco but the same bags wer 1.29 less than a year ago
poorman, I’ll take your Safeway…. my Safeway is $3.79 a pound, plus tax!
On our way out of town yesterday to visit friends I glanced over at our area’s large auto dealer megaplex where all our auto dealers are located. It took a moment for it to register, but instead of rows upon rows of new trucks and cars for sale, I saw mostly empty parking lots with cars scattered around here and there. That was such a creepy visual for me of where we’re at. It was so bare! And until that moment I hadn’t thought about what will happen to all the car salespeople who are trying to make a living. Everything, everyone, is being affected by all these shortages.
NW Gal,
same thing here in the east, empty lots.
Same here in small town Midwest. Bigger town Chevy dealer not far away was shockingly empty.
Same here in the Midwest. The dealerships are sparse of new and used vehicles. Friends vehicles needs a replacement board in his NAV unit but it is backordered.
NW Gal. The chip shortage they talk about is going to hurt the automotive industry bad. They are saying very few new cars till maybe 2023. It’s going to hit everything that runs on electricity soon.
2023 is the date Biden has put out for 50% of all vehicles produced to be electric. Maybe the chip shortages are planned so they gas vehicles will be gone and we the people, will only have electric cars from which to choose.
Which I find amusing, in an odd way. When the grid does rolling blackouts under normal load, what do you think is going to happen when that load is increased by 120% just for charging cars? When they get rid of the nuclear, hydro, and gas power plants (which they’ve already said they plan to do), then what?
Currently solar and wind account for what, 3% of the power production? So power production goes down by 90+% and usage goes up…
Lauren,
Back of the envelope calculation: if all vehicles go electric we will need to increase our generation capacity by 15-20%, if we have heavy battery storage systems by then. Renewable energy (wind , solar hydro ) account for maybe 5% now. Good luck trying to triple or quadruple that in 10 years. (Sigh, it’s simple math people)
They want the hydro gone as well. Not “green” enough, apparently.
MinerJim
This is why the more i think and stew on all of this the more i want to just withdraw from society.
What is simple common sense calculations for us is white supremist garbage to the wannabe rulers
Not only food, automotive repair products as well, including tires.
I need, should replace the starter on my plow truck, before winter.
It works, occasionally, (starter gear is random in engaging), but before I pull it, I’m gonna call and make sure I can get a sameday replacement.
Joe, We got new tires put on our ’91 Chevy truck a few weeks ago. We waited for the Michelin sale through Costco, then ordered online and had an installation date set up. When I talked with an employee at the tire center, he said they were having problems getting their Michelin tires which were coming from California. They were delayed over a week, but at least they got them in and we’re all set now. I certainly would recommend getting tires now if anyone is going to need them soon anyway.
Went to Sherwin Williams paint store last week. I’d estimate about 10 to 20 percent empty holes where product should be. Back in the day you’d be fired if there was that much unstocked. It seemed to be a general hit or miss shortage, brushes, paint filters (which are great if you’re looking for filters in 5 gal. or one gal. size) varnishes, sand paper, all kinds of items were missing.
The manager said there was supply problems for several items & limits on what he could order.
I bought 5 spare quarts of oil for each of my vehicles and 15 for the diesel. 2 sets of wiper blades. Going to get 2 tires for each just to store. The prices are only going to go up. Bought 4 more new 5 gallon propane tanks at the highest I have ever paid – $45 each. Filled them up at $3.75 per gallon. Buying extra clothes, more Mylar bags,O2 absorbers and buckets. Ok on canning. Have about 70 dozen jars and 600 dozen lids. Freezers are all topped off. Ammo – check. Trying Gossner shelf stable milk for the first time tonight. Hope I like it. If I do it’s back to Dollar Tree for another 50 quarts. Prepping about as hard as I can right now. The future looks bleak. I guess I am about as ready as I can be. Maranatha.
I store Gossner milk myself though not in that quantity. Not really fond of drinking it but it works great for coffee or baking. I generally have 5-10 quarts on hand
Burt G,
I too have the gossner milk and really don’t mind it. I have also drank/used it well beyond the expiration date as well, at least 6 mos beyond, maybe more. You can order by the case on the dollar tree website and have shipped to store for free. Just did an order this past weekend and is expected to arrive in store on 11/01. Hoping that’s an accurate time frame but we’ll see. I still have some left so I’m ok if it’s late.
@Mitten Mom – I never knew about ordering online from Dollar Tree. Thanks for sharing!
Mitten Mom, let us know how long your order takes. I’m in Texas and my order took over two weeks to get to the store. No biggie but it used to be just over a week. Just curious how it’s going for other areas
Did a quick run into SAMS yesterday just to get a couple things. No TP, no paper towels. In 3 consecutive aisles there was no stock on the second or third tier of shelves. You could see straight thru! Just placed an online order and did a little surfing. Seems lots of things I didn’t notice are OUT OF STOCK. Not just in the store, but in the warehouse too.
I have everything I can think of we might need, but I have this nervous panicky feeling that I’ve missed critical supplies. NOT at all my normal demeanor!
Our closest wally world has bare shelves on every isle. It is a small one in a small town.
Every year our church is able to get 50LB of Yukon Gold and Yukon Red fresh dug from CO for $25 a bag. Also it is honey time in AZ. We can get 4 different kinds of honey from a man who puts hives out every year and makes us raw honey. $12 a quart. I am in charge of the ordering and have been trying to get orders. I keep getting, oh we have a bag of potatoes, or I still have a jar of honey on the shelf. I have been telling them all year how bad it is going to get but nobody listens. It is frustrating.
These days, due to spotty availability, I find myself going to different stores for different items. Ramen noodles were not to be found at Walmart and another retail outlet yet I have been able to find them at my local Winco market. and some locally based companies. My local city has numerous “warehouse” type of stores and I find myself going to more of then in order to lay in supplies. I have been able to find rimfire ammo at farm supply stores more than I have at sporting goods or gun shops. I pre-ordered some new studded tires to be placed on my truck in November. This winter, I have been making contact with local farmers and ranchers for beef and pork. Most all of them are interested in bartering for reloaded ammo for hunting or target use. (having a few boxes of primers from me got my name in their rolodex.)
Food Stores are stocked fairly well where I am, there are no gaping holes per say. Soda pop is always stocked light. As are most frozen foods. Walk around freezers usually have one maybe two layers of goods throughout which is a change from how they used to be stocked to the top.
Sale meats (fresh/frozen) are limited to one or two per day per family. They often sell out within 3 days or less depending on what it is. Canned meats that go on sale typically sell out the morning of the first day of the sale. My experience is that if you are not at the store for the canned meat within 20 minutes of it opening, you don’t get any! Other canned items on sale sell out by day 5 of a sale. Few new cars on lots. Used cars sold out before summer started! Clothing stores are stocked light. I was shopping for a parka and found stores have 6 of one style only (two of every size).The discount store that liquidates stock from stores that folded is overstocked right now!
I went to several stores this past weekend (Wally, 2 DG, TSC) and noticed that the stock is inconsistent. There was only a couple of bags of dog and cat food at one DG, but moderately stocked at another. Seasonal decorations across all stores is not near what has been in years past (not a necessity per se, but a sign perhaps). Wally was completely sold out of gateraid and very limited soda and snacks; frozen foods and meats seemed to be stocked adequately. Livestock feed prices seems to have stabilized for the time being.
I am only now beginning to notice shortages to any extent. The grocery stores appear to be well stocked until you realize they just move items to the front of the shelves and often there is just empty space behind them. A friend in the meat dept. of the grocery we shop says they only are getting about half what the order and they can never be sure what meat products it will be. Yesterday a pound of hamburger was $8. We mainly shop the outside edges of the store, leaving the overly processed stuff alone, and we cook from scratch.
Gasoline shortages are showing up. Some area stations are out totally on any particular day while others may only have one blend. We are paying $3.20 per gallon for regular and $3.45 for diesel if you can find it. Premium is $3.60. I never let our vehicles get below 3/4 tank because we just do not know day to day what issues will arise.
A few months ago I visited a local tire store and ordered four new tires for my truck, knowing that it will need tires prior to winter. I brought them home and stored them. I just recently had them installed. The salesman might have thought I was nuts, but now, not so much.
This morning on Fox Business they had a segment about “empty shelves” and shortages at a Chicago food market. The problem was the shelves were not empty. There were certain products that were missing but overall there was still products available such as on the bread aisle there were loaves of bread, buns etc. it just might not be the brand or type you want.
America was a land of plenty and has become accustomed to entire aisles devoted exclusively for breakfast cereal, crackers, potato chips so when their “non-gmo, organic, gluten free, whole grain, only baked on Tuesday” bread is not on the shelf they claim there’s a bread shortage. When I was a kid there were usually two brand choices of ketchup, mustard, mayo, chips, bread as well as can goods, cereal and nearly every other product and some how we survived and thrived.
I agree there are supply chain issues, prices are skyrocketing and it will probably get worse but keep in mind we have enjoyed the greatest selection of food brands and specific types in history and have been spoiled by the JIT delivery system. America has had it good for a long time and as soon as they can’t get the exact product they want the begin screaming. I told my wife that the downfall of America began when we became so prosperous kids refused to eat the crust on bread and the parents accommodated them and cut it off and threw it in the trash. That type of wastefulness will come back to haunt those that don’t know the difference between want and need.
Forgot to add it’s going to be real fun for those parents who have allowed their kids to dictate what they eat i.e. “Little Timmy only like to eat chicken nuggets and mac n cheese”. They will finally have to reap the weeds (they never planted seeds) they have sown and will get to see just how useless their crop really is.
Well said, Romeo Charlie !!
We can Make do. Those that can’t well, that’s on them
Most of the TP aisle is empty, the chips and snack aisle is thread bare, the meat sections is slim pickings, the juice aisle is damn near bare
But I havent seen any empty shelves in the produce section or the cannedgoods so far
Have the same “now you see it and now you don’t” with lots of items. I notice that some things that used to have, say, 12 ft of shelving now have less than half of that. High prices also. Store ads don’t seem to have meat on sale anymore either.
Have heard on the news of school districts that can’t get enough food for the cafeteria. Some are trying to fill empty spots on the menu with food from places such as Costco.
In my town seems that bus drivers are hard to come by. Some routes have been cancelled and they are paying parents $5 a day to drive their kid to school!!
The city were I was raised still buses students all over the city. They pick up kids in the downtown area and bus them out to other schools when there is a school near their neighborhood. Not only is the City paying millions of $$$ annually maintaining the transportation department, but now they are short on bus drivers. Instead, dissolve the dept., sell the buses, and let the kids return to neighborhood schools. The city is well enough desegregated now that it wouldn’t matter.
aka,
“they are paying parents $5 a day to drive their kid to school!!”
They should be refunding every property owner $5 a day for the school taxes they’ve paid that aren’t being used.
yep. If the bus route has been cancelled they are paying $5 for you to get your kid to school- but they hope to have fixed the problem soon. hahaha It was on the local radio station yesterday.
Picked up Kirkland brand tp this weekend. Contained 30 rolls with 380 sheets per roll at 1435 sf. Noticed when I added the package to the stack that all the others had 30 rolls with 425 sheets per roll at 1593.7 sf. Price was same or higher.
Glad I’m not a coffee drinker. We are starting to see huge price changes: a 930 gram (approx 2 pounds) can of coffee for $16.97 has just been restocked as a 630 gram can for $16.97(Canadian) … Less in the package but the same price!
Want to know how the rest of the world sees us?
Americans actually BUY (spend money) on what’s called ‘Kitty Litter’, special material just for their pet cat to shit
on !
‘ Rich, Spoiled Americans ‘
Now they are crying because of ‘ shortages ‘.
Boo Hoo !
Reply to Traveler: Yep, I am one of those that spends money on kitty litter in a house where the cats outnumber the people 2/1 and outnumber the dawg on order of 4/1. I also spend a fair amount of money on toilet paper, soap and laundry detergent. If a cat does not have a clean litter box as a place to do their business, they will find other places to do their business like: your furniture, jackets that do not get hung up or your expensive shoes on the floor. I keep my cats indoors so they do not hunt song birds or get killed by automobiles. My wife and I rescue the “tough placement cats” from the Humane Society and we had a number of old cats that outlived their human owners over the years. We love our critters and they like us back. I have trouble sleeping away from home these days because I need at least 1-2 cats asleep on the bed covers. I have a big fat one purring on the floor beside me as I type this. He was a Humane Society turn-in because a young couple that originally adopted him found out the wife was pregnant. (sad fact: in a growing house, the animals are frequently the losers). They provide me with joy and they lower my blood pressure. I guess that qualifies me as a rich and spoiled American and I am proud of it.
I have barn cats that used to be feral but now are tame. I feed them ( I have 4) one 5 oz can od wet food per day as a treat. I care barely find any cat food on the shelves at the grocery store, WM. Costco has their brand but haven’t tried it. I usually get the dry food okay, but dog food is always scare. If people haven’t prepared for tough times-like Venezuela, they will be in for a surprise. And then we will all need to protect our animals. When people are hungry, they will resort to rating anything they can get, including your pets. Sad and horrible, but true.
OK…these shortages are getting scary….
Told my wife to be sure and pick up a few bags of the Wally World store brand iced oatmeal cookies…my favorite survival snack with a shelf life akin to a keg of nails…
Seemed like for years they cost 88 cents a bag…eased up to 99 cents about a year ago…then$1.29…then $1.59 two weeks ago…aaaannnndd…now there are none on the shelves….
I’ve been known to swipe a few condiments from fast food places in the past for trips, camping..
(This is common so nobody getting righteous on me here.)
So two weeks ago I went to three different restaurants to “borrow some tartar sauce, mayonnaise and ketchup”
There was nothing available, you had to ask and they gave you 1.
I was surprised, these little things that usually-normally get wasted as unwanted, thrown out by the millions every year here in the US and now I had to ask for and was handed one single packet.
Central WI
I’m sure they are still being wasted as normal at some locations, somewhere.
Horse, There’s a “normal” someplace? Would love to hang out there for a few days.
Restaurants and fast food places tend to take all condiments, sugar and sugar substitutes off the tables from late fall to late spring in our area. It seems “snow birds” tend to borrow a little too much! :) No offense intended!
Went to Safeway for a quick shop. Regular bananas up .20 lb. Organic bananas were almost doubled in price. Pork hocks/shanks both in stock with more hocks than shanks and were $3.49 lb which seems at least 50% higher than a couple of months ago. Maybe it was just me but the atmosphere seemed more than a little tense, grumpy. Definitely not a lot of smiley faces. Oh, and one guy tired of waiting (I guess) for help at self check out just walked out without paying.
At wallmart this morning, a very large amount of holes/missing product not on the shelves.
They are multi-multi facing as normal, spreading out the empty spaces.
paper, tp stuff was completely full.
Limited water.. I still don’t understand why people are so dependent on water in plastic it’s pathetic.
I like it for convenience, I don’t buy or have much it’s mainly to freeze to keep my cooler cold and can drink it later.
sports drink area was sparse.
Plenty of crap/junk food.
Meat area was stocked but I don’t know how to describe it other than thin.
I have noticed some products went away to be replaced by the store brand.
Candy area reduced, cereal area reduced- that happened a couple months ago.
Freezer area limited stock, pizza’s very limited stock and those pizza’s are thinner and cheaper.
The dry rice/beans area looks full but it’s what they have up front stacked 2 or 3 high, empty behind.
–
Went to the farm store, bought 6 tubes of mystic hi temp grease while it’s available.
Big tractor maintenance day ended up being 2 days, usually use up 2 tubes every time I do this
And I didn’t have enough 30 weight for the two engines.
Been doing that with many things lately, get extra now so no looking later.
The Biden administration is talking of using National Guard troops to help with the pitiful port situation…seems I recall a former commenter posting once that China was running training ops with their troops taking over operations at their own ports…and that all major ports worldwide operated almost identically….
I wonder how much training the Guard has at running a port?…I would hazard a guess little or none…Wonder if China, good friend that they are (sarc), might offer to send a battalion or two of their troops to help us out?….
I know that our supply chain has more problems than just the ports…but……have we heard Biden say one single negative thing about China?….do you thing he would balk before allowing Chinese troops to “help us out of this jam”?…you know…just till we get things back to normal………..
I apologize….I just let my mind wander sometimes………
Ya,
A few weeks to flatten the curve eh.
Biden has gotten rich from the Chinese and will never say anything bad about them. They are HIS friends and as soon as they are done with him and his family, he will be sent packing, or just missing, never to be heard from again. All that money doesn’t do you any good if you aren’t around to spend it. I think this entire mess is completely political, beginning with COVID-19. It was designed and planned to get US in particular to give up freedoms and become dependent on the government. Wonder how all this WOKE people will like the new totalitarian government….
Dennis, The National Guard seems to be the go-to for this Administration. They seem not to know that a NGman with a CDL is going to be driving a truck in real life, too. Put him at the port, you’ve taken him off the road. Truck drivers have been in short supply here in the West for years, and it’s only gotten worse under the pandemic. With CA limiting licenses to newer updated trucks, and doing away with the gig (self-employed) business, which was most truckers, I understand, there are going to be problems no matter what. Crane operators are few and far between, have been for more than a decade. Any in the NG will have to be pulled off a crane somewhere else and sent to CA. Just like using NG to replace nurses. Which hospital is going to lose a nurse who is also a NGman so they can be sent somewhere else? Red state hospitals, maybe? .. ..
Down time requirements for truckers and congested ports are also impacting shipping – in and outbound. I put out a suggestion a bit ago that the CA ports should offer a valet service for truckers. Let them downtime in a nice truck stop inside the port, in their trucks, or even off-premises if it’s going to take hours to reach the head of the load/unload line. Since CDLs are only required on public access roads, drivers without CDLs could pilot the trucks inside restricted port areas. That would put more truckers on the road rather than idling in the ports.
Anony Mee,
it’s the DOT that has driven experienced OTR truck drivers out of the trucking industry, ask anyone of them about the DOT restrictions and they will tell you why. it’s a long, long list. don’t believe me, ask them.
they cannot make money at it anymore. i wouldn’t work for nothing. and i don’t blame them.
nyscout, One of my favorite words is concatenation. That’s what we have here. It’s not just one thing, it’s several, all interacting at once.
Living in rural Canadian prairies with small towns around us we are finding the local grocery stores are missing a number of things. I asked about 1 sale item that seemed missing & was told it had been ordered but didn’t come in. I mentioned that I had read that a number of USA stores were reporting that they were only getting about 40% of what they ordered. She told me that was about the same for them. She said they were having the hardest time getting items that were coming from the USA. She mentioned the Cheese Whiz had been hard to get for a while but now they has gotten some for this sale. I had not been planning to buy any but took her last 3 jars & was glad I had as I found I was down to my last jar & the sale price was less than half the reg. price. The stores don’t have as big a variety of many items. eg salad dressings are getting down to the most popular & not the less popular items.
Just talked to a greengrocer friend. Told me his Saturday order, which normally runs $600 jumped up to $790 for tomorrow. 30% increase in wholesale prices overnight.
Listened to part of a Mike Adams podcast. He said that the shipping price that had been quoted at $3500 per pallet (heavy grains) jumped to $5500 when actually ready to be shipped.
Local WM has had signs posted about reduced pharmacy hours and an overhead announcement said that the auto shop was only open for about 3 hours and was closing at 11am.
If you have the cash now, I would suggest buying your essentials in bulk before the prices climb even higher next year. Buying now ensures you get the maximum purchasing power from your already-diluted dollars. I don’t like these prices either, my money has lost 1/3 of it buying power.
Shortages, not just food, shortages of everything are here. Soon, you will have a whole hand full of money, but there will be nothing to buy. Don’t wait. It is not going to git better.
Many God-fearing conservatives are concerned, worried, and frustrated as they see the present lawlessness within our nation.I believe that the next year in particular is going to be chaotic beyond what we have already seen in 2020-2021. There are two sides of America that are now completely opposed in almost every way. Something has got to snap, and I suspect this will happen sooner rather than later.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, I feel how weak and fruitless any words of mine are, my give a damn is busted, now I just prep and don’t try and convince any how important it is. to most people, hollow words in their hollow minds. So, why should I care? I’m just so frustrated with this train wreck that’s happening. SHTF is here. I see so many people who just don’t understand how important prepping is. I do not understand how so many can be that stupid, but they are.
End game? You can’t fix stupid, but we may be forced to deal with these un-prepared people, and that will be a train wreck.
StandmyGround : Hey. I’m new here but I have read a ton of comments on this and other posts. I agree with so much of what you say !
You might think I’m a Pollyanna but, don’t give up hope. It’s true that there’s no changing some people, but I gotta say that I have seen more people having their eyes opened since the start of the pandemic. Combined with on going shortages and now inflation… I’m sorry it took running out of TP and soap for some people to learn but the point is, they did learn.
I have seen this happen with a few people and hey, everybody’s gotta start somewhere, right ? Extra tp here, few cans of extra food over there. Add some bottled water and suddenly they’re realizing how little they have that could actually keep them alive !
Definitely don’t throw your pearls before swine, but I’m holding out hope. Every person who starts preparing for themselves is one less person we have to worry about later !
Thanks SoulSurvivor !
I’m doing my best. Still have a lot to learn and much I’d like to try. I don’t think we should ever be ‘done’ learning