Stocking the cupboards in the event of a pandemic in the USA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So now that most/all of us here have stocked up, can you share how you’ll handle life? Are you (1) living off your stockpile so as to avoid stores altogether; (2) holding your stockpile for when it’s necessary but in the meantime still grocery shopping weekly or whenever while it you’re still going to work/kids to school; or (3) planning to use the stockpile exclusively once there is some event signaling things are bad enough that you don’t want to go out — i.e. confirmed cases near you; or your work says no one in the office etc.

My goal in buying ahead was to be able to avoid going to the store and being elbow to elbow w others once bad news hit. But right now I kind of feel — if we’re allowed to go to work, what’s one more stop at the store? (Though even still I want to go as little as possible, at non peak times etc just to have some distance.) How will you handle?

Mostly avoiding any unnecessary trip to the store. The key word ... unnecessary.
Even if you have to leave home for work this is not a choice. However having a choice one can risk more or less. With every contact odds grow. It takes one time, one person.. one sneeze.. one touch.. so logically speaking the more people we see a day the more chances to get it because people we see ... see other people...

With food.. going first through normal stuff until it ends and then moving to resourcess.

My initial goal was to stockpile for an out of control outbreak and carry on as normal until then, but we had questions about sick customers and cleaning after a quick trip to two of our local grocery stores. I watched a woman cough into her hand and pick up packages, then put them back. DH observed a man sneeze directly onto a fruit display. True you would wash fruit, but you have to touch it and bring it into your home to do so. So we’re mulling stopping groceries runs now. And that means giving up fresh foods sooner than I am ready. March is when I crave fresh green things. Planted some peas this morning.

Ageeed. Our freezer is stocked with frozen produce and we are ready to hunker down until this thing passes.

Reality is people are ALWAYS coughing on your fruit and touching your packages with unclean hands -- customers + store workers who stock the goods. There's only so much you can do. It is one huge reason that I'm leery of fruit generally esp during peak winter season when everyone is coughing -- because you eat it raw and IDK how much rinsing really removes. Luckily I don't love fruit either so not missing much. I'm all about vegetables - which can be cooked.

But in answer to the question -- I think it'll become a day to day/week to week decision. Shopped enough that I don't HAVE TO go out and as a PP above says -- risks grow the more contacts you have. So I had planned it so this weekend (which to me means Thurs-Sun bc so many people in this area "telework" and then start their weekend chores starting Thurs/Friday morning), I would NOT be going to the store. I figured they'd be busier than normal as people stock pile or feel that their existing stock isn't enough and add more (plus they'd be picked over). I don't want to be elbow to elbow with people, touching self check outs that are being touched by 50,000 other people (I have seen them wipe down screens at my store but I've seen that happen more at 9 pm when crowds are thin not at peak shopping time on Sunday afternoon). Then I think stores will need all of Monday and maybe Tues to restock given the sheer buying craze that's happening. So I will make a decision Tues afternoon, whether I need or want to go. Ideally I'd go Tues or Wed evening for a quick regular shopping -- milk etc. If I don't feel comfortable by then, really need nothing, etc. then I stay home and start using the stock pile. I just think for a while it'll be about (i) do I really need to go; and (ii) WHEN can I go where it'll be relatively empty -- while that doesn't remove the exposure of touching surfaces, it does remove the exposure of direct coughs and sneezes.

Other option -- if I really feel I don't need much, I may skip the crazy of Arlington altogether and go to a store near work. I work in the city but not in an area that is residential or well to do; those stores are actually well stocked and fairly empty during the day -- so I could pick up what I needed and get in an out quick without the frustration of everything being sold out or being elbowed out of the way by panicked Arlington types.

[Anonymous]

We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

Do you mean AM or PM? If you mean AM as of now most people in the DC area are still going to work, so IDK if they'll be joining you at the store at 10 am. Though I guess that area has lots of stay home types. Now once employers start mandating telework (when? if?) yeah then you'll no longer get the store to yourself. Though if you mean AM, I'd say go earlier. If PM -- people here have bedtimes and aren't going out at 10 pm so if you go then, yeah it'll be empty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

Less old people out in McLean these days, so getting around is much easier.

Also, zero hand sanitizer, good TP, Lysol or wipes to be had as of yesterday. I think the Tysons people are coming in and depleting the shelves - McLean people's worst nightmare! LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

Do you mean AM or PM? If you mean AM as of now most people in the DC area are still going to work, so IDK if they'll be joining you at the store at 10 am. Though I guess that area has lots of stay home types. Now once employers start mandating telework (when? if?) yeah then you'll no longer get the store to yourself. Though if you mean AM, I'd say go earlier. If PM -- people here have bedtimes and aren't going out at 10 pm so if you go then, yeah it'll be empty.

PP here. I should have specified, I meant 9:30 pm. My kids have bed times too but I am usually awake till 11:30, it’s calm and quiet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

Do you mean AM or PM? If you mean AM as of now most people in the DC area are still going to work, so IDK if they'll be joining you at the store at 10 am. Though I guess that area has lots of stay home types. Now once employers start mandating telework (when? if?) yeah then you'll no longer get the store to yourself. Though if you mean AM, I'd say go earlier. If PM -- people here have bedtimes and aren't going out at 10 pm so if you go then, yeah it'll be empty.

PP here. I should have specified, I meant 9:30 pm. My kids have bed times too but I am usually awake till 11:30, it’s calm and quiet.

I'm with you. I'm in Arlington near the Clarendon/Ballston bros, so the timing of this area skews a bit later than McLean but I do find myself going out after 9 or 10 pm. You'll run into said bros but honestly not many of them esp if you go on a big going out night like Thursday-Sat + they're never buying what I'm buying + the store starts restocking in the evenings when the crowds thin. I do enjoy watching that young demographic stock up though -- last time I was there there was a guy who bought 4 six packs of peer + 15-20 ramen and that's it; clearly he's prepped for the next 2 weeks. But fine by me, it leaves all the frozen spinach in the world for me to buy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

Less old people out in McLean these days, so getting around is much easier.

Also, zero hand sanitizer, good TP, Lysol or wipes to be had as of yesterday. I think the Tysons people are coming in and depleting the shelves - McLean people's worst nightmare! LOL.

Tyson’s IS McLean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

By 9.30pm, everybody has been putting their germs hands on everything in the late afternoon early evening rush. Noone will cough on you, but their cough droplets will be nice and fresh on everything you touch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

By 9.30pm, everybody has been putting their germs hands on everything in the late afternoon early evening rush. Noone will cough on you, but their cough droplets will be nice and fresh on everything you touch.

I don’t think so. These days I wear gloves and then clean my hands with sanitizer once I am back in the car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

By 9.30pm, everybody has been putting their germs hands on everything in the late afternoon early evening rush. Noone will cough on you, but their cough droplets will be nice and fresh on everything you touch.

LOL and when you go shopping at 7 am at that time, a robot surgically takes the items out of the delivery truck and places them on every shelf and pallet for you, right? You realize tons of people have touched and coughed on your products by the time you get them right -- from the distributor to the guys loading your distributors' trucks to the stockers at the supermarket. Where did Americans get the notion that their boxed Rice Krispy treats are pristine upon arrival with nary a germ near the box. Come on . . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live a stone’s throw from McLean Giant, for last 10-15 days I do my grocery run after 9:30, typically it’s empty and my exposure is reduced by a lot. I have feeling that now there are others who maybe doing the same and I may have to push my time even further.

Less old people out in McLean these days, so getting around is much easier.

Also, zero hand sanitizer, good TP, Lysol or wipes to be had as of yesterday. I think the Tysons people are coming in and depleting the shelves - McLean people's worst nightmare! LOL.

Tyson’s IS McLean.

Not anymore...

[Anonymous]

I’m a frequent reader and poster here in DCUMlandia but I live in Richmond. I went to a dollar tree in a not great neighborhood- found bleach - Clorox wipes - and bought 4 (3) packs of the small travel size purell. I also went to the local Aldi‘s and got some crackers and cheese, pasta, canned fruit and other snacks that I will be hiding in the trunk of my car. Anyways just wanted to let you guys know to try the dollar stores and ethnic stores in the not so great neighborhoods

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a frequent reader and poster here in DCUMlandia but I live in Richmond. I went to a dollar tree in a not great neighborhood- found bleach - Clorox wipes - and bought 4 (3) packs of the small travel size purell. I also went to the local Aldi‘s and got some crackers and cheese, pasta, canned fruit and other snacks that I will be hiding in the trunk of my car. Anyways just wanted to let you guys know to try the dollar stores and ethnic stores in the not so great neighborhoods

How are the surrounding Richmond areas looking generally? If you went to a Target or Publix in say Short Pump, would they be wiped clean?

FYI applicable everywhere not just Richmond, if for any reason you can't find rice and/or lentils, find an Indian grocery store in your area. I went last weekend and they are fully stocked -- in large part bc many Indian families (mine included) aren't stocking up any more than their normal grocery shopping bc it is very common for them to have 10-20 lbs of rice and lentils in their home already as that is daily fare; most of those stores also sell snacks like cookies (Indian/middle eastern brands though - but they're good) + produce so if you really feel you can't find food (not that I'm seeing food shortages yet), one of these stores can be a one stop shop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a frequent reader and poster here in DCUMlandia but I live in Richmond. I went to a dollar tree in a not great neighborhood- found bleach - Clorox wipes - and bought 4 (3) packs of the small travel size purell. I also went to the local Aldi‘s and got some crackers and cheese, pasta, canned fruit and other snacks that I will be hiding in the trunk of my car. Anyways just wanted to let you guys know to try the dollar stores and ethnic stores in the not so great neighborhoods

How are the surrounding Richmond areas looking generally? If you went to a Target or Publix in say Short Pump, would they be wiped clean?

FYI applicable everywhere not just Richmond, if for any reason you can't find rice and/or lentils, find an Indian grocery store in your area. I went last weekend and they are fully stocked -- in large part bc many Indian families (mine included) aren't stocking up any more than their normal grocery shopping bc it is very common for them to have 10-20 lbs of rice and lentils in their home already as that is daily fare; most of those stores also sell snacks like cookies (Indian/middle eastern brands though - but they're good) + produce so if you really feel you can't find food (not that I'm seeing food shortages yet), one of these stores can be a one stop shop.

My sister lives on the south side of the river, Forest Hill which is also A nice neighborhood like short pump, she went to target today and sent us pictures of 100% empty shelves of cold and flu medicine for adults and children. Also completely empty shelves of all cleaning products Clorox wipes bleach etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

I’m actually starting to think I should stock up on more food. I’m worried about quarantines - probably next month. In May the exponential growth will fill all the hospitals in the nation.