Thanks to Hoarders

[Tom Bender]

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Guess it's time to learn a new skill

[Jim Falsetti]

Well, we could do lot of jokes with that opening line.

We just ordered bidet seats for two of the toilets. Not inexpensive, we had been thinking about it for a while, and decided to buy them now. When I ordered them, the sales agent said these were there hottest seller right now, other than freezers.

Funny thing, they put a hold on the order and sent an email asking me to call them. When I called, they said gimme a minute, and came back and said everything was fine, they will be delivered via UPS next week. I asked what was the problem, and they replied there was hoarding of bidet seats, so they were verifying customers first and also limiting orders.

[Michael Weber]

I noticed at Sam's Club earlier the only thing on the tp isle were a few boxes of bidets for sale.

[bob pfohler]

Must TP we buy now days comes 24 to a pack, most people I know haven’t bought more than 1 or where limited by the store. What ticks me off is the eBay sellers trying to get $25k for a 24 pack.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I live in Lewiston, ID which is the location of the Clearwater Paper Company. Yes, they do make TP. Clarkston, WA is a drive across the Snake River on one of 2 short bridges to the west of us where our local Costco is located. An article in the local paper this morning stated that Clearwater Paper had shipped 216,000 rolls of TP so far this month to the local Costco. That was more than they shipped to the local Costco for the entire year of 2019.

[Mark Daily]

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Not much left at my local grocery store...:mad:

[Lisa Starr]

Our local Dollar General has TP. It is not on the shelves, but if you ask for it, they will sell you 1 six-pack of mega rolls. The clerk indicated that if they see a "repeat" customer, they are to decline selling a 2nd six-pack.

[Gary Ragatz]

Tom,

I've heard that the shelves are getting restocked, but cleaned out early in the morning. If you have a Meijer store nearby, you might give them a try on Tuesday or Thursday. They've announced that on those mornings, they'll open the store for senior citizens and people with chronic health issues only, at 7:00 am, before opening to the general public at 8:00.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Lucky us. About a month ago, while in Costco, I picked up a bale, as last time I was in storage room, there was three rolls left. We keep extra rolls in each bathroom, so the shelf wasn't totally bare. I forgot that I had a bale in the shop, so we are "good to go" for a long time. With there being only wife and I, a bale will last us about three months, or more.

[Thomas McCurnin]

I don't get it. We buy large packs, like 24-30 rolls to a pack and it lasts the two of us about 6 months. Are these hoarders with super large families or does the virus give you the runs?

[Mike Cutler]

Thomas
The virus gives people the opportunity to be “profiteers”.
They’re buying it to resell on social networks.

[Mike Henderson]

Eventually everyone will have a big stack of toilet paper in their house and people will stop buying. Then they'll be a glut of it until the manufacturers slow down production.

I don't understand the shortage of milk. What are people doing with all that milk? Are they freezing it? Dairies have to milk their cows so production has to be about the same as it was before this scare.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Yea, the milk thing is interesting, Mike...either folks are suddenly drinking a lot more of it or are starting to drink it for the first time. Most stores have now put a limit on it, especially on the more specialty types. Our older daughter uses Lactose free milk and that's been even more limited. Fortunately, the market she works in has been getting a good supply and limiting customers to one or two for a purchase. I do have a little more of it in the fridge than normal but that' simply because I could only get it in a gallon container...I only use it for my morning latté. About 6 oz a day, give or take.

[Mel Fulks]

Jim, I agree it's interesting. We also use the Lactaid stuff ,and buy 2 or 3 at a time. I might try keeping a usage log for
a week or two ,really don't know how we use so much.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Same goes for flour. Walmart, and Aldi's were out of flour earlier this week. Yesterday, Aldi's had a new pallet of flour. I use Aldi's all purpose flour for most baking. I use a locally produced brand of self rising flour to make biscuits. Walmart dropped them last October, along with Blue Bonnet margarine, both of which I use in my biscuit making. Walmart marked down existing stock from $2.08 (five pound) bag to $1.50. I bought all they had. Opened last bag Saturday week ago, so I needed to restock. Food Lion sells same bag for $2.68, so I had to "bite the bullet," and buy four bags at their price (OUCH!) Went to two stores to find a total of four bags. In each store, only the most expensive flour was on the shelf. I guess there are going to be a lot more bakers now. Here, Costco dropped milk to $1.74 a gallon. Nearest Walmart dropped theirs to $1.79 a gallon, but Walmart in next town is still $2.93 a gallon. In Sanford (25 miles away) there is a Super Walmart, Lidi's, and Aldi's within a half mile of each other, so their price has always been lower. "Life is what you bake it."

[Zachary Hoyt]

We routinely buy white and whole wheat flour and rolled oats in 50 pound bags from a Mennonite store about 20 miles north of here, and right now we're around 1/3 to 1/2 a bag of each so we're all set for at least another month. We keep the bags in plastic garbage cans in the pantry so that any mice that get in the building can't get into the bags. My sister has milk goats so milk is not an issue, and we have a lot of canned and frozen vegetables, fruits and meat from last year's garden, pig and meat rabbits, so if we had to we could go a long time without going to the store, though we normally do go once a week or so. Sometimes being a troglodyte is not a bad thing, at least for the duration of a crisis.

[Jim Becker]

The supply chain is still adjusting which is why there's nothing one hour and a pallet of something the next...and this is all fueled by folks "over-buying". If people would go back to normal buying quantities or only minor bumps, things would smooth out a little.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The supply chain is still adjusting which is why there's nothing one hour and a pallet of something the next...and this is all fueled by folks "over-buying". If people would go back to normal buying quantities or only minor bumps, things would smooth out a little.


Went into town earlier to day to get Sunday paper. Because of delivery problems here, we get paper at daughter's house which is on our way to church. Ran by Food Lion to get a box of Black Cherry Ice Cream. They were only putting four rolls of paper towels out at the time, to prevent hoarding. Meat case was basically empty, along with paper goods.

[Robert L Stewart]

A friend of mine received her order of TP from Amazon

[Rob Luter]

About a week before the feces hit the fan my bride found “our brand” on sale at Costco. She grabbed three bales of TP and one bale of paper towels. We’re good until this summer. I was in the local grocery store on Thursday and the meat department was out of everything except expensive steaks, chicken legs, and baby back ribs. I grabbed a couple packs of drumsticks. The produce department was fully stocked, but they were completely out of flour.

[Jim Becker]

Costco just announced that they will now have special shopping hours for "mature" folks (60+) on Tuesday/Thursday 8-9am nationwide. That should hopefully help a little around getting some of those things that many of us enjoy buying there but have been unable to get. Rob, when I was in last week, there was no fresh fish, no pork, no chicken, no soup and no eggs. They had kombucha staying cold in all the fish/chicken/meat coolers. :) They did have some Prime beef, but in the paper products isle were...tulips. Fresh tulips. Interesting alternative to TP for sure. LOL

[Ronald Blue]

The virus clearly gives the "runs". The brain done "runs" out the door. SMH

We are on Stay in place shelter since 5 PM yesterday. I will still go to work tomorrow because it's "critical infrastructure". I have documents issued by the company to present if I am stopped. People can still get gas, groceries and prescriptions. I stopped at several stores yesterday not because we need TP but because my daughter in Ohio is struggling to find it. 4 stores and nothing. They said they can't keep it in stock. I grabbed a gallon of milk. No shortage of that. There might be ovens used that haven't been used in years. One would think that some of this would level out in a few more days. It's the same thing when they predict a blizzard. Bread and milk fly off the shelves. When is the last time they have been stranded at home for more than 24 hours?

[jim sauterer]

People overreact they tell us There is no food shortage just delivery delays because of hoarders.we went to three stores Saturday morning for bread milk and a few other items.milk is no problem bread we finally found at the last store.oh well hope all are well and stay well.

[Mike Henderson]

I went to the store today and there were more things on the shelves. I didn't check for toilet paper but they had lots of milk. I was looking for dried Great Northern beans to make bean soup but they were sold out of all dried beans. I did get some Great Northern in cans and I can use that.

I think the run on the grocery stores is starting to wind down.

Mike

[Ronald Blue]

People overreact they tell us There is no food shortage just delivery delays because of hoarders.we went to three stores Saturday morning for bread milk and a few other items.milk is no problem bread we finally found at the last store.oh well hope all are well and stay well.

My daughter is in Avon Lake. Close to you.

[Thomas McCurnin]

Wow, special hours for seniors, what a relief! I can finally get a two week supply of Depends, laxatives, fiber, and Dentucreme.

Seriously, we found plain white and wheat bread gone, but the expensive 12 or 21 multi-grain breads (which we eat) are in stock. Lean Cuisine gone, but the expensive Stouffers brand (which we eat) were plentiful. Cheap Campbell's soup gone, but Progresso Soup (which we use) is in stock. This may be more of a statement of our crappy neighborhood than what people are actually hoarding.

[Andrew Seemann]

I don't get the flour and sugar hoarding thing. Canned soup, ramen noodles, maybe even cheese, make sense (sort of) but flour does not. The only people I personally know that bake are a few 70 year old women and me. And people like us normally keep 10 pounds on hand as it is (you never know when there might be a bake sale emergency. That actually happened to me:) ). Most people wouldn't know what to do with a sack of flour if their life depended on it.

The shortage of eggs makes a little more sense. From the note at the grocery store, it sounds like a fair amount of them are being used in vaccine research for COVID19.

[Mike Wilkins]

What you need is a wife who is a serious coupon clipper. We never had to suffer crazy crowds, as we have stashes of TP all over the place.
I remember as a kid visiting the grand parents who did not have indoor plumbing and the use of an outhouse was the plan. Piles of newspaper and such was the order of the day. You do what you gotta do.

[Bill Dufour]

Hoarding actually makes sense now that we are not supposed to go out shopping for two weeks or maybe the duration. I do not have two months worth of canned goods and frozen food in the house.
Bil lD

[John Goodin]

Besides hoarding general shortages of food many mentioned above may be linked to a downturn in people going to restaurants. Less food consumed at restaurants translates to more food bought at grocery stores. Foods are packaged differently for Commercial use and Sysco is probably sitting on warehouses of product intended for sale in restaurants, hotels, etc. Hopefully, they can offload the perishables before they go bad.

I have completely filled a shopping cart twice in the last five days with just food — no paper products. It doesn’t last long when making three meals a day for a family of four.

On another note making homemade bread can be quite rewarding and a great way to pass a little time if you are home bound.

[Jim Becker]

Jon, I saw an article that actually validates what you mention about restaurants...many of the food distributors that normally focus on the restaurant trade are shifting goods toward the consumer market to both maintain themselves and adjust to market needs. While takeout services are flourishing, the volume is very much below normal restaurant supply run-rate.

[Edwin Santos]

While takeout services are flourishing, the volume is very much below normal restaurant supply run-rate.

This is true in my area. A local boutique restaurant I know well normally does 80-120 plates on a good night. The day restaurants were closed, they turned to social media with an aggressive take out campaign. First night they did 6 take out orders. Second night they did 6 take out orders. Third night they laid off all staff and shut the doors.

Their theory was that in a crisis, people are not thinking so much about gourmet, high quality food like they would if they were going out. Many are in a mentality where they are looking for food that will simply get the job done, i.e. take out pizza, fast food, things like that. This may not be the case everywhere, but it is the story this one restaurant reports. I think we'll go through phases. As stay-at-home becomes more familiar as each week goes by, habits may change. And this will surely vary area by area. But you have to wonder if smaller restaurants that aren't cutting it can hang on that long.

[Jerome Stanek]

I just went to the Ag store and they had TP on the shelves. Needed to get some stuff to carry over till I can get back out and work.

[Jim Becker]

Edwin, there are a lot of the smaller, family run restaurants in this area that are doing decent business for take-out. That's less true for the larger places that were not already supporting a takeout business prior to the current event. There's even an evolving published list constantly circulating on social media that includes participating restaurants with links to their menus offerings and terms. In this area, lots of folks are still craving these meals. Yes, some are pizza type places, but the local Peruvian/Mexican/Latin, Indian, "nice" Italian and boutique places so far are doing more than enough business to stay in business. Yes, they only have minimal staff working, but they are open and generating revenue.

I generally cook 5 nights a week and Professor Dr. SWMBO cooks on Sunday night. Historically, we eat out on Fridays before food shopping, although clearly that's not happening now. We are planning on supporting some of these local businesses for take-out meals, both to "catch a break" and because they deserve to be supported. One of those places will be the restaurant where our younger daughter works...she's still employed for her back-of-house accounting work, even though her front-of-house hours are obviously lost because they went take-out only. They are also facilitating her internship credits this semester for Penn State, so I appreciate them greatly! There are a lot of folks in the area here who are similarly inclined to support these families/businesses that are keeping things going.

[Stan Calow]

At least one local restaurant chain (steaks mostly) is selling raw meat to customers to reduce their inventory. Its a gamble here in tornado country, to fill up your freezer when storms and power outages are likely.

[Edwin Santos]

Jim,
From the sounds of it, you live in a great, old style community. In urban large cities like where I live, one of the biggest issues restaurants are reporting is that even when they get take-out business, people rarely if ever order alcohol. Around here many of these restaurants make their money at the bar, not the dining room. Even a $5 beer is marked up 150% or more. Wine, usually more mark-up. Many jurisdictions have suspended the rules that prohibit sale of alcohol with take-out orders, but the local restaurants here are finding people are not accustomed to ordering drinks with their take out, especially those that have stocked up on beer and alcohol at home. The other report I'm getting locally is that some people are reluctant to order take out not because they are unwilling to support their local family run businesses, but because they are anxious about their own financial future and pulling in their spending horns. Call me a skeptic, but I do not believe a take out only model for most restaurants could do more than slow the death of the business if the crisis goes on for a prolonged period of time.

For anyone ordering take-out as part of their support for local business, consider ordering drinks (alcohol if you imbibe).

Last night I heard an idea from the President of the Michigan Federal Reserve that one stimulus strategy could be forgivable loans. This means a federal loan to small businesses with the provision that so long as you keep your business open and your entire payroll intact for a certain set duration of time, the loan will be forgiven and not need to be repaid. The loan would be enough to support the average payroll and operating costs prior to the pandemic, and no more. They can police it by the wage reports and tax filings that all employers file. I'd love to hear what others think of this idea.
Edwin

[Jim Becker]

A lot of the restaurants around here are BYOB...it's too expensive to get one of the limited number of authorizations to serve alcohol from the state as well as the wait for one to become available by closure of another establishment. So their margins are not suffering through loss of alcohol sales and those that do have licenses still have to follow the same rules as previous around take-out alcohol sales which pretty much limit things to beer in bottles/cans in most cases. In that, they have to remain competitive with pickup at a supermarket..."bar margins" do not apply to take out.

Forgivable loans and other moneys to businesses that are tied to supporting payroll and workers could be a valuable resource to help keep things afloat for the weeks or months necessary to combat this health crisis. The key has to be that it's tied to actually helping the worker and that's what the major part of the debate currently is relative to stimulus. While our discussion of this here absolutely cannot go into the political...that's our hard rule at SMC...what we can say is that all of the parties working on this have got to come together in a way that the stimulus relief is for the people and that the individuals, organizations and businesses who are charged with getting it to the people are held accountable for their actions in support of that. Hopefully, that will be accomplished "real soon now"...

[Edwin Santos]

Forgivable loans and other moneys to businesses that are tied to supporting payroll and workers could be a valuable resource to help keep things afloat for the weeks or months necessary to combat this health crisis. The key has to be that it's tied to actually helping the worker and that's what the major part of the debate currently is relative to stimulus. While our discussion of this here absolutely cannot go into the political...that's our hard rule at SMC...what we can say is that all of the parties working on this have got to come together in a way that the stimulus relief is for the people and that the individuals, organizations and businesses who are charged with getting it to the people are held accountable for their actions in support of that. Hopefully, that will be accomplished "real soon now"...

Uh-oh, I think I'd better clarify so I'm not inadvertently spreading mis-information. The Michigan Federal Reserve President I'm referencing, Neel Kashkari, is not an elected official, legislator or someone speaking on behalf of any political party. It was more of an economics discussion, so I *think* we're SMC legal.

What he was saying was the forgivable loan could be tied to the small business payroll reports pre-crisis and post-crisis. If the business kept it's FTE's and PTE's intact for a prescribed period of time, the loan would be forgiven. This would be absolutely directly help the worker by securing their job. If the small business took the money and let staff go, the loan would then have to be repaid. And the loan size could be limited to the amount necessary to cover the payroll and operating costs reported in prior quarters, hence no blue sky. And I think most small businesses are not looking for blue sky, they're just trying to keep their businesses intact.
I think this is more of a novel idea coming from an economist, and I do not know it to be on the discussion table in any of the stimulus discussions in the legislature.

However, the more I think about it the more I like the basic idea. For example, the last thing you would want is an employee who thought they could not be fired and hence stopped performing or showing up timely. So if the forgiveness is tied to FTE, not particular individuals, the employer has the right to fire or react to a resignation, etc. by hiring a replacement so their FTE count remains intact.
He also made a point that this is a crisis, and it may be that there will be people who will figure out how to game the system no matter what is done, but the focus should be on the people that will be helped so if that means erring to the side of generous, it might be better to do so if it limits the damage at large. It's an interview worth checking out from 60 Minutes last evening.
Again, love to hear what others think, or if anyone else has creative ideas on how small businesses could be helped.
Edwin

[Lee DeRaud]

I went to the store today and there were more things on the shelves.Same here. (I hit "Geezer Hours" at Smart&Final.) There were a couple of things on the list that I couldn't find, but one of the worker bees I know said to try back tomorrow: apparently Monday night is one of their main delivery slots. I'm starting to wonder if Monday and Wednesday deliveries are the norm at Vons/Pavilions too, maybe that's why the senior hours are Tuesday/Thursday.

[Jerome Stanek]

I read where Cosco won't let you return TP hand sanitizer Rice and other hoarded stuff

[Jim Becker]

What he was saying was the forgivable loan could be tied to the small business payroll reports pre-crisis and post-crisis. If the business kept it's FTE's and PTE's intact for a prescribed period of time, the loan would be forgiven. This would be absolutely directly help the worker by securing their job. If the small business took the money and let staff go, the loan would then have to be repaid. And the loan size could be limited to the amount necessary to cover the payroll and operating costs reported in prior quarters, hence no blue sky. And I think most small businesses are not looking for blue sky, they're just trying to keep their businesses intact.

This is exactly how it can address the concerns of both the workers and the system putting up the money. Accountability so that the funds are used as intended.

[Lee DeRaud]

I read where Cosco won't let you return TP hand sanitizer Rice and other hoarded stuffMakes sense. My supermarket just went ahead and instituted a blanket "no return" policy for the duration. (There will be exchanges for defective items.)

[Brian Elfert]

I was at Walmart for groceries today and they actually had TP, paper towels, and tissues in stock! First time in a while. I didn't need any (or buy any), but I looked at the aisle as I walked by.

[Kev Williams]

I was at Walmart for groceries today and they actually had TP, paper towels, and tissues in stock! First time in a while. I didn't need any (or buy any), but I looked at the aisle as I walked by.
Got a 12-pak of Angel Soft at Walmart last Tuesday. They have virtually everything on the shelves needed 'to survive', bread, dairy, veggies, meats, cheese... What I still can't find anywhere is Lysol, alcohol, peroxide, most anything that sanitizes..

[Ole Anderson]

Looking for Tylenol or equivalent today, none to be found.

[Brian Elfert]

Got a 12-pak of Angel Soft at Walmart last Tuesday. They have virtually everything on the shelves needed 'to survive', bread, dairy, veggies, meats, cheese... What I still can't find anywhere is Lysol, alcohol, peroxide, most anything that sanitizes..

I was at Walmart a week ago Friday and the only thing on your list they had in stock was veggies. The paper products aisle was totally empty at that point.

[Jim Becker]

Looking for Tylenol or equivalent today, none to be found.

This is because of a wide circulating message that some other analgesics supposedly speed up the infection so only acetaminophen should be used for pain and fever...which my understanding is isn't necessarily true. But someone said it on the Internet...

[John K Jordan]

I was at Walmart a week ago Friday and the only thing on your list they had in stock was veggies. The paper products aisle was totally empty at that point.

Brian, a gentleman buying peacocks lives in an area near a small town but removed 30 miles from the nearest larger towns and 50 miles from the closest city.

He said ALL of the local stores had no shortage of foots plus hand sanitizer, TP, disinfectants. However, when he went to a Walmart in a more populated area the shelves were bare. I wonder if there was something about the cultures of rural vs urban that might account for the hoarding impulse, people who grew up on farms vs those daily in crowds of people and traffic jams.

Also, the networking in rural areas is different - for example, I don't keep livestock for food but I know plenty of people who have beef or pork for sale or trade or sharing and there are so many chickens around here you usually can't give eggs away. (We are finding more people who will take them now!)

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

The small grocery store our older daughter works in had a whole endcap yesterday of local distillery manufactured hand sanitizer for $6.99 a bottle. These are clear whisky bottles...even with frequent use, one of those will last a long time! Many distilleries are doing this, so check out the more neighborhood/specialty type of stores where it's more likely to get unique offers like this that the big-boxes don't offer.

-----
John, local SPCA has two peacocks currently.

[Jon Nuckles]

This is because of a wide circulating message that some other analgesics supposedly speed up the infection so only acetaminophen should be used for pain and fever...which my understanding is isn't necessarily true. But someone said it on the Internet...

This is from U.S. News and World Report on the source of the message:

On March 14, the French minister of health, Olivier Véran, issued a statement recommending that people infected with the novel coronavirus, which causes a potentially deadly upper respiratory disease called COVID-19, not use ibuprofen or aspirin to treat symptoms of the disease. Instead, he urged followers to take acetaminophen, noting that use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen could actually worsen the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

The story goes on to note that there is little support so far for his statement. In another article I read that discussed Véran's claim, a health expert recommended not taking any fever reducer for a mild fever, saying that fever is one of the body's defenses against viruses and other infections. I think that was in the NYTimes health section, though I can't recall. There was no mention of this advice in the U.S. News and World Report story.

[Doug Dawson]

This is from U.S. News and World Report on the source of the message:

On March 14, the French minister of health, Olivier Véran, issued a statement recommending that people infected with the novel coronavirus, which causes a potentially deadly upper respiratory disease called COVID-19, not use ibuprofen or aspirin to treat symptoms of the disease. Instead, he urged followers to take acetaminophen, noting that use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen could actually worsen the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

The story goes on to note that there is little support so far for his statement. In another article I read that discussed Véran's claim, a health expert recommended not taking any fever reducer for a mild fever, saying that fever is one of the body's defenses against viruses and other infections. I think that was in the NYTimes health section, though I can't recall. There was no mention of this advice in the U.S. News and World Report story.

Recent research has indicated a statistically significant link between acetominophen use by pregnant women, and the onset of ADHD and autism in the child.

One reference among many: https://www.medpagetoday.com/obgyn/pregnancy/83040

I absolutely hate that stuff. It has liver toxicity issues as well.

[John K Jordan]

The small grocery store our older daughter works in had a whole endcap yesterday of local distillery manufactured hand sanitizer for $6.99 a bottle. These are clear whisky bottles...even with frequent use, one of those will last a long time! Many distilleries are doing this, so check out the more neighborhood/specialty type of stores where it's more likely to get unique offers like this that the big-boxes don't offer.

-----
John, local SPCA has two peacocks currently.

Hmmm... Wonder if they would email them?

Speaking earlier of alcohol and aloe vera, I found a good price on aloe vera on Amazon, 48 oz for $20, but out of stock with an estimated ship date of April 14th. I ordered four days ago without confidence it would even arrive by the 14th but it came today! With plenty of 99% alcohol and squeeze bottles I can make lots of hand sanitizer now. Anyone in the area who can't find it swing by and I'll throw some over the fence. :)

JKJ

[Jim Becker]

I absolutely hate that stuff. It has liver toxicity issues as well.

A friend's sister lost her life to an overdose of the stuff a number of years ago. Unfortunately, while I'm not fond of it, it's all I can take for pain management...I developed a sensitivity/toxicity to Ibuprofen while it was prescribed for joint pain over a longer period of time so acetaminophen is my best and only OTC choice that doesn't cause me other issues. It's a balancing act...

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Frankly, both I and the Mrs had parents who grew up in very hard times. There was ALWAYS enough supplies in the house to survive for a few months if the stores closed. Mom canned and froze food, Dad knew several farmers and we got a side of beef and a hog every year. Dad's buddy raised chickens and we helped process them for the freezer in exchange for a share. Flour and rice in the freezer, potatoes came in 50 lb bags. (There were 7 of us at home) Dad came home with a large case of eggs every couple months. He went to a produce auction and brought home cases of fruit and vegetables. Well forwrd fo years and Mrs. and I do similar. It isn't hoarding when you buy things when on sale and stock up for a few months. Bought a box of 72 rolls of TP between Christmas and New Years. Usually buy again when down to 5 or 6 rolls. We have our own beef, cases of vegetables in the pantry. Last october I bought 4 cases of limes and 2 cases of Lemons at the same produce auction for $ 2 dollars each. Juiced and froze them. Sipping on a hot Limeade with a little fortifier right now. Heck we have a freezer full of berries down stairs from our own berry bushes (50 blueberry bushes, 12 black berries) As long as the power holds out, we can survive for several months. It seems strange to us that many people can't.

[Ole Anderson]

If folks are supposed to be staying home, why the big push for hand sanitizers? Just wash your hands with soap and water as recommended. I have a tiny pocket bottle of sanitizer I use when out. Still using the first bottle. You don't need a whole lot.

[John K Jordan]

If folks are supposed to be staying home, why the big push for hand sanitizers? Just wash your hands with soap and water as recommended. I have a tiny pocket bottle of sanitizer I use when out. Still using the first bottle. You don't need a whole lot.

When I got diesel fuel for the tractor yesterday I also carried wipes for the gas pump handle AND wore disposable gloves. After I took the gloves off I used a sanitizing wipe on my credit cared and the hand sanitizer in the car before I touched anything in the car. I make the hand sanitizer and put it in 4oz plastic squeeze bottles for the cars, the pocket, and for others. So far I've given out maybe 10 bottles.

I always use hand sanitizer before I get out of the car when I come home and wash up with soap in the house. May sound paranoid but...

JKJ

[Andrew Joiner]

I always use hand sanitizer before I get out of the car when I come home and wash up with soap in the house. May sound paranoid but...

JKJ
I just watched a CNN interview. It was 2 DRs with 3 kids. One Dr is staying home with the kids on the main floor. The other Dr (the mom) is working at the hospital with covid exposure. She is trying to live in the basement and stay separated from the main floor family. Both Dr parents use bleach to clean up constantly and say they feel it's still not enough!

It's crazy but it really helped me to watch that interview. My wife and I had just had a huge argument about how to mix the extended family with the science of this virus. I'm not so crazy if Drs are feeling the same way!

[Stan Calow]

How about using leather, cloth, garden, or work gloves as an option for touching and handling things? They can be washed easily.

[Jim Becker]

Soap and water is always the best solution for sanitizing one's hands...the soap/detergent breaks down the fatty glob that surrounds the virus which effectively ends its life pretty quick while also sending it down the drain. But there are still those times when having sanitizer is a good thing...washing one's hands isn't always possible. Gloves help but I actually use hand sanitizer on those before I take them off so I don't transfer anything to be hands during that process. The issue with sanitizer is that a lot of folks decided to buy and hoard it and many folks didn't already have some in their possession.

Thankfully, many of the distilleries are starting to make up for that and providing it in nice size glass containers for very reasonable cost.