ECON Report food and grocery price increases/shortages here - UPDATE, new runs on the stores
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tno5
Senior Member
I don't know what is going on in my area of town, Charlotte, NC. For weeks now there has been no meat, paper products, dairy and bread, just to name a few areas of the stores. It is getting down to slim pickings, lots of stuff in the bakery section or the junk food aisle.
Loretta Van Riet
Trying to hang out with the cool kids.
Yes. I noticed that too, today. My little Jewel food store in Villa Park, IL had a better selection of fresh meat than last week, but some of the frozen convenience foods had holes. No baby wipes for the third week!
In place were the plexiglass shields for the cashiers and overhead announcements for the staff to clean their work stations and wash their hands! More people wore masks this week. I wore vinyl gloves. Some cashiers wore "sport gloves", not all.
SE WI, Milwaukee metro area.
Friday, I ventured out to replenish my martini supplies and get some perishables. The local mega-mart was fairly busy around noon.
A big change was seeing so many people wearing masks. Never seen around here until Friday.
I secured the adult beverages and aborted any grocery shopping after seeing the crowd inside of the store. Too many people for my taste. I grabbed some sanitizing hand wipes on the way in and wiped down the keypad on the credit/debit card machine before and after I used it. People were keeping the 6 foot separation in line.
Late Saturday I placed on online delivery order with Aldi's. The local mega-mart (Woodman's) home delivery was booked solid a full week ahead. Aldi's home delivery was delayed until today.
My modest Aldi's order was completely filled. Just milk, eggs, bread, butter, cottage cheese, coffee, potato chips and canned pork and beans. Delivered to my front door. No crowds, no hassle.
I really like the idea of home grocery delivery or store front pickup. Why deal with the crowds if one does not have to?
Friday, I ventured out to replenish my martini supplies and get some perishables. The local mega-mart was fairly busy around noon.
A big change was seeing so many people wearing masks. Never seen around here until Friday.
I secured the adult beverages and aborted any grocery shopping after seeing the crowd inside of the store. Too many people for my taste. I grabbed some sanitizing hand wipes on the way in and wiped down the keypad on the credit/debit card machine before and after I used it. People were keeping the 6 foot separation in line.
Late Saturday I placed on online delivery order with Aldi's. The local mega-mart (Woodman's) home delivery was booked solid a full week ahead. Aldi's home delivery was delayed until today.
My modest Aldi's order was completely filled. Just milk, eggs, bread, butter, cottage cheese, coffee, potato chips and canned pork and beans. Delivered to my front door. No crowds, no hassle.
I really like the idea of home grocery delivery or store front pickup. Why deal with the crowds if one does not have to?
Ravekid
Veteran Member
I went to a Walmart type store called Meijer here in central Indiana. I went during an "essential worker" time. They basically open one hour before normal. Overall there weren't many people in the store. About 10-15% were wearing a mask of some type and some of them wearing gloves. Some of the employees were wearing masks and gloves as well. The stock was better than what I saw in other stores about a week or so back. I also heard from a friend that a larger Kroger store closer to Indy was basically back to normal with the exception of bleach, Lysol, and toilet paper.
I stocked up well ahead of the rush but now I'm seeing out of stock on many items, today it was apple sauce and tomato paste. It took all my skill as an online shopper to get what I was after. Cheese has been impossible as is some fresh fruits so I'm patting myself on the back for sending myself gift baskets of everything from muffins and bread to cheese and fruit. You cant take it with you so why not. Besides it is fun outsmarting them.
rafter
Since 1999
I went out and filled some empty gas cans today and stopped by Aldi's. Better stocked than it was 2 weeks ago when I was there.
No...tp, paper towels, canned tomatoes, flour. Thin on other canned goods and soup. Plenty of eggs..still 58 cents a dozen, bread, milk, cheese, and meat. Frozen pretty full only a few empty holes and nothing missing there that I buy.
Very few people in the store...maybe 10.
No...tp, paper towels, canned tomatoes, flour. Thin on other canned goods and soup. Plenty of eggs..still 58 cents a dozen, bread, milk, cheese, and meat. Frozen pretty full only a few empty holes and nothing missing there that I buy.
Very few people in the store...maybe 10.
Laurane
Canadian Loonie
Safeway all out of Eggs, Hamburger, UHT milk.
Scored 4 lbs hamburger (2 beef items) and 1 doz eggs (limit) at Sobeys.
What a difference in stores and the numbers shopping too.
Lottery terminals not working in major grocery stores - husband's only vice had to be bought at a gas station.
Scored 4 lbs hamburger (2 beef items) and 1 doz eggs (limit) at Sobeys.
What a difference in stores and the numbers shopping too.
Lottery terminals not working in major grocery stores - husband's only vice had to be bought at a gas station.
Loretta Van Riet
Trying to hang out with the cool kids.
Grock
Veteran Member
I finally went out to get some supplies. Haven't left the farm for a few weeks. Still haven't. LOL
Hit the barn first for a flat of Dinty Moore's Beef stew. Grabbed a few lbs of super lean ground beef and a couple roasts from the deep freeze, then opened up a case of Lowfat dried milk. My fresh milk finally ran out, though I still have a few half and halfs left. Then I hit the coop. The ladies must have heard we're not going out, and left me a couple dozen fresh eggs over the last 2 days, (maybe they thought fresh chicken might be on the menu). Actually I think its more about the daylight hours, but all good anyway. So that was the shopping for today.
Tomorrow I'm heading down to the pond. Large mouth bass better be on the lookout.
Hit the barn first for a flat of Dinty Moore's Beef stew. Grabbed a few lbs of super lean ground beef and a couple roasts from the deep freeze, then opened up a case of Lowfat dried milk. My fresh milk finally ran out, though I still have a few half and halfs left. Then I hit the coop. The ladies must have heard we're not going out, and left me a couple dozen fresh eggs over the last 2 days, (maybe they thought fresh chicken might be on the menu). Actually I think its more about the daylight hours, but all good anyway. So that was the shopping for today.
Tomorrow I'm heading down to the pond. Large mouth bass better be on the lookout.
We went to Harps in our little town. Got most of what was on our list. But there was no flour, toilet paper, canned milk, and cleaning supplies was low or not there at all. Canned food very low. I bought the last two chopped spinach, and 3 cans of the 4 cans of the soup I wanted. No burrito shells or frozen pizza that we like. There is a truck coming tomorrow. Not sure if we will go. There are 5 cases in our county now. I don't want to go out again, but in a month it may really be bad. This is west central AR.
Martinhouse
Deceased
Digger, I am assuming you are north of our bigger town, but I could be wrong. But I'm not aware of any Harp's in other small outlying town. We must be almost neighbors! My daughter and a friend went to Walmart today. She said they have the plexiglass shields up for the cashiers now. She didn't say anything about stock in the store, though.
I stopped going out when there were only a few cases in Little Rock. I will be using the same routine to get my cash from the bank as I've used for years during flu season, and hope it will be good enough. I will mail my bills in the outdoor box at the post office and will not even have to get out of my truck. I have a good method for getting mail from my mailbox, too.
I got some of those little cards from the meter reader guy today, so I can read my own meter and call or email it in. They are quite overworked lately, having to double up on routes, and I think he was glad that he will have one less stop to make for a while. Tomorrow or the next day, my gates get chained and padlocked for sure.
I have been calling my area north central Arkansas, and I see you call it west central. I think we are both right and we are at the northwest part of central Arkansas!
I stopped going out when there were only a few cases in Little Rock. I will be using the same routine to get my cash from the bank as I've used for years during flu season, and hope it will be good enough. I will mail my bills in the outdoor box at the post office and will not even have to get out of my truck. I have a good method for getting mail from my mailbox, too.
I got some of those little cards from the meter reader guy today, so I can read my own meter and call or email it in. They are quite overworked lately, having to double up on routes, and I think he was glad that he will have one less stop to make for a while. Tomorrow or the next day, my gates get chained and padlocked for sure.
I have been calling my area north central Arkansas, and I see you call it west central. I think we are both right and we are at the northwest part of central Arkansas!
Martinhouse
Deceased
Oh, that's rough about the prescriptions. Glad I don't need to take anything.
Z28Camaro6D9
Veteran Member
Went to the QFC in Northgate today (North Seattle) and noticed it was fairly well stocked. Something in the parking lot however caught my attention. The Seattle Police have mounted a solar powered portable surveillance camera rig that towered about 20 feet featuring several 360 degree dome cameras to observe the store and any goings on in the vicinity. Why ? What are they anticipating ?
nchomemaker
Veteran Member
I am not far from you. Have you tried doing an Aldi order online and have it delivered?
Mary Contrary
Inactive
I went to the Mennonite store near me and ordered a 20 lb bag of lentils. Pick up in a couple days. Only $20. Then gonna order big bag of barley. I got buckets up in the attic, but don't want to climb up there unless i super have to. Rather have a few big buckets downstairs where i can get to it easily. I can make barley soup with chicken and mushrooms. I love soup.
dioptase
Veteran Member
CA again... DH went to our favorite grocery store on Sunday, close to closing time, in an effort to avoid crowds. (The previous time he had gone during senior hours on a senior day (we are seniors), and he said it was a mob scene, no social distancing, and he wasn't doing that again.) He looked for hot dogs for the second trip in a row - none available. (Note this was both when the store was supposedly fully stocked, and also at the end of a non-senior day.) No sausages of any kind were available, except for some weird chicken mumble thing which he passed on.
He had no trouble getting hot dog buns, though (we have sausages in the freezer), nor a loaf of bread, pre-packaged sliced cheese, fresh asparagus, oranges, broccoli, potatoes, and refrigerated bottled juice, marinara sauce, and ravioli. (I was actually a little surprised that he was able to get the cold marinara sauce and ravioli. I would have thought those would have been snapped up as they make an easy-to-fix meal.)
He had no trouble getting hot dog buns, though (we have sausages in the freezer), nor a loaf of bread, pre-packaged sliced cheese, fresh asparagus, oranges, broccoli, potatoes, and refrigerated bottled juice, marinara sauce, and ravioli. (I was actually a little surprised that he was able to get the cold marinara sauce and ravioli. I would have thought those would have been snapped up as they make an easy-to-fix meal.)
tno5
Senior Member
no, I'll look into it, thanks - We didn't want to already have to start eating beans and rice as our protein source
Marseydoats
Veteran Member
I had to go to Walmart this morning. I didn't want to, but had to replace some things. The window fan pretty much blew apart when we tried to install it for the season, and we can't do without one. Dh left the hose in the water trough unattended and one of the babies bit a hole in it. I only had 1 extra hose, so I needed to replace it.
About 50 shoppers in the store, half of them wearing masks. Everyone maintained their distance and was polite. Unbelievable. Did not see a single kid in the store, but more than a few of the folks who looked like they were just wandering around the store for something to do. I don't usually shop in this store because I don't like the way it's laid out. They have half their aisles set at an angle, and they're narrow and you can't get thru them. I've always thought they did that to hide the fact that they don't keep much inventory.
They didn't have the fan that I needed. BUT! I got some hand sanitizer! They had limits of 1 on it, rubbing alcohol, water, TP, and Kleenex. They had very limited stock, but they did have some. The only TP they had was 20 roll Scott and I decided I didn't want to pay that much for it, and when I got home, I wished I had bought it.
Scored some sugar and flour that I couldn't get last week when I shopped. They didn't have any Spam, but I think I got everything else on my list, just not enough of it. I normally only shop every 2-3 weeks.
About 50 shoppers in the store, half of them wearing masks. Everyone maintained their distance and was polite. Unbelievable. Did not see a single kid in the store, but more than a few of the folks who looked like they were just wandering around the store for something to do. I don't usually shop in this store because I don't like the way it's laid out. They have half their aisles set at an angle, and they're narrow and you can't get thru them. I've always thought they did that to hide the fact that they don't keep much inventory.
They didn't have the fan that I needed. BUT! I got some hand sanitizer! They had limits of 1 on it, rubbing alcohol, water, TP, and Kleenex. They had very limited stock, but they did have some. The only TP they had was 20 roll Scott and I decided I didn't want to pay that much for it, and when I got home, I wished I had bought it.
Scored some sugar and flour that I couldn't get last week when I shopped. They didn't have any Spam, but I think I got everything else on my list, just not enough of it. I normally only shop every 2-3 weeks.
Why didn’t you just get a hose coupling, cut out the chewed part, and splice the two clean ends back together. Cheaper than a hose.
get some leak ender 2000, fix the hose, spray the screen door and sail it to Tahiti.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
This is beginning to sound like a 3rd world country...
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
Not everyone thinks like we do.
I’d just rather pay the $2.50 for the coupling. But I’m notoriously cheap.
Come to think about it, everyone should have misc. hose repair stuff as part of preps.
Come to think about it, everyone should have misc. hose repair stuff as part of preps.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
I do. If fact, It has been a decade or two since I actually bought a new hose.... just keep repairing them.
Wife wants to get on of those squishy hoses.... not so sure....
TxGal
Day by day
Went to the Kroger and HEB in Huntsville TX yesterday morning. Kroger much less stock than HEB. No paper products to speak of, pasta and rice wiped out, not much in baking goods (some sugar, zip flour). Bread aisle almost empty except for some generic brands, and just a few of those. Fresh vegetables well-stocked, frozen vegetables empty. Dairy in pretty good shape, milk, eggs, etc...meat sections looked good from a distance. Peanut butter gone. Canned goods hit and miss, soup almost empty. Some bottled water. Saltines gone, most graham crackers.
HEB was better. Paper products very low, pasta and rice almost gone there, baking goods had some stock, bread aisle pretty good. Vegetables, both frozen and fresh, pretty well stocked. Lots of dairy and meat products. More peanut butter and canned items than at Kroger, more bottled water. Saltines and graham crackers gone.
Only saw a few people wearing masks, and they were older. People were very conscious of social distancing, and everyone was calm, just intent and focused, but polite.
HEB was better. Paper products very low, pasta and rice almost gone there, baking goods had some stock, bread aisle pretty good. Vegetables, both frozen and fresh, pretty well stocked. Lots of dairy and meat products. More peanut butter and canned items than at Kroger, more bottled water. Saltines and graham crackers gone.
Only saw a few people wearing masks, and they were older. People were very conscious of social distancing, and everyone was calm, just intent and focused, but polite.
Marseydoats
Veteran Member
Horses are like puppies, except worse. When they destroy things, they do it to the extent they're not fixable. I've got hose repair kits, but they wouldn't have worked in this case. I'll keep the chewed up hose for patch parts.
Marseydoats
Veteran Member
The squishy ones are great for winter time when you have to fight frozen hoses. You can just get multiples of them and keep them in a 5 gallon bucket in the house except when needed. They're great for older folks who have to have a way to water livestock. They don't do well in direct sunlight though.
Doc1
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Poplarville, MS:
Went to our local Dollar General yesterday (wearing anti-viral mask and with hand sanitizer wipes). DG has a senior's hour from 7 to 8AM where only those over 60 are allowed to shop. In recent years DG has greatly increased their grocery and chilled food inventory.
They were very well stocked, except for TP, bread and canned milk. Lots of gallons and half-gallons of all kinds of milk in their chilled products section. Lots of chilled and canned meat products and lots of soup. Canned milk was low, with only a few dented cans available. No bread and only a few picked over hotdog and hamburger buns. The produce section was well stocked and amazingly, I was able to get a package of garden salad and roma tomatoes for DW. There were various types of flour available, but no cornmeal. We didn't really need it, but I bought a couple of 5 lb bags of self-rising flour.
Overall, I was surprised at how well stock the store was and other than myself, I only saw one other person wearing a mask.
Best
Doc
Went to our local Dollar General yesterday (wearing anti-viral mask and with hand sanitizer wipes). DG has a senior's hour from 7 to 8AM where only those over 60 are allowed to shop. In recent years DG has greatly increased their grocery and chilled food inventory.
They were very well stocked, except for TP, bread and canned milk. Lots of gallons and half-gallons of all kinds of milk in their chilled products section. Lots of chilled and canned meat products and lots of soup. Canned milk was low, with only a few dented cans available. No bread and only a few picked over hotdog and hamburger buns. The produce section was well stocked and amazingly, I was able to get a package of garden salad and roma tomatoes for DW. There were various types of flour available, but no cornmeal. We didn't really need it, but I bought a couple of 5 lb bags of self-rising flour.
Overall, I was surprised at how well stock the store was and other than myself, I only saw one other person wearing a mask.
Best
Doc
TerriHaute
Hoosier Gardener
Made a quick dash to both Walmart and Kroger this morning. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Kroger was close to normal as far as stocked shelves except paper goods were still wiped out. The butcher counter was still shut down but the self-serve meat counters were full. Best part was they had heavy cream and potatoes back in stock! I didn't spend long enough in Walmart to see what the state of the inventory was, just long enough to get my eyeglasses repaired. Eyeglass technician did not charge me and said she was thrilled to have something to do.
Bumblepuff
Veteran Member
Seeker22
Has No Life - Lives on TB
What did my store just run out of? Honey, honey.
They put limits on what people can buy (2 bottles of honey per customer in my case) and that's good because it keeps the city dregs from raping our grocery store. However, I may have enough for one recipe of Summerthyme's Elderberry syrup.
Get honey while you can, it's going quick. There was enough yesterday (large bottles) and one bottle on the shelf (small bottle) this morning. I can still make the syrup with sugar, but didn't want to. Local honey helps with allergies. I'll take all the healthy I can get.
God Bless you Summerthyme for your recipe.
edit for the newbies: small town in South Texas
They put limits on what people can buy (2 bottles of honey per customer in my case) and that's good because it keeps the city dregs from raping our grocery store. However, I may have enough for one recipe of Summerthyme's Elderberry syrup.
Get honey while you can, it's going quick. There was enough yesterday (large bottles) and one bottle on the shelf (small bottle) this morning. I can still make the syrup with sugar, but didn't want to. Local honey helps with allergies. I'll take all the healthy I can get.
God Bless you Summerthyme for your recipe.
edit for the newbies: small town in South Texas
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Profit of Doom
Dismember
The major brands of ice cream have apparently shut down. Only oddball non-milk stuff available. The word is the milk is being used for milk, which is limited to 2. Eggs limit one dozen. Frozen potatoes and veggies virtually gone. Raleys Modesto.
(NM) The chocolate bars are not getting re-stocked at Family Dollar. Overheard parking lot chitchat indicates that other places are out of stuff, and people are stopping at multiple places. I haven't been out shopping anywhere in the last couple of days, so can't say first hand.
Staff at Family Dollar (now masked and gloved) have begun enforcing the previously posted 5 customer at a time policy, and are allowing only one person inside per household. (Per the cashier, kids actually have to stay outside, which makes me think....someone didn't think this through.) I'm sensing some impatience brewing. While I was waiting for someone to exit so I could get in the door, the guy who showed up after me went in, got ugly about it with the cashier, and left saying he wasn't ever coming back. Whatever. A brief chat with the cashier revealed that this requirement was broadcast on the local news and is for all retail (first I've heard of it, but I don't listen to local radio), and and that the cashier has also getting THREATENED by customers for enforcing this policy.
Might be prudent for him to find a new job.
Staff at Family Dollar (now masked and gloved) have begun enforcing the previously posted 5 customer at a time policy, and are allowing only one person inside per household. (Per the cashier, kids actually have to stay outside, which makes me think....someone didn't think this through.) I'm sensing some impatience brewing. While I was waiting for someone to exit so I could get in the door, the guy who showed up after me went in, got ugly about it with the cashier, and left saying he wasn't ever coming back. Whatever. A brief chat with the cashier revealed that this requirement was broadcast on the local news and is for all retail (first I've heard of it, but I don't listen to local radio), and and that the cashier has also getting THREATENED by customers for enforcing this policy.
Might be prudent for him to find a new job.
Profit of Doom
Dismember
I have “routine” meds that I get refilled periodically. Turned in a refill request last night. Got a call a couple hours ago that they didn’t have enough quantity to fill one of them.
H-E-B pharmacy Austin area.
H-E-B pharmacy Austin area.
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