There is soooo many people out of work here. They are doing drive up for free food boxes. No registering at the food banks neccessary anymore. Last week when they started the new procedure cars were waiting 5 hours to get food. Miles and miles of cars. They added many sites since then.

went to local grocery store yesterday. shelves are just empty.. i agree ^^ low to none of ice cream, weird! bread aisle full, cleaning aisle empty, no oatmeal of any kind, no TP, paper towels. no pasta. it looks like they havn't stocked up since last week.

can get eggs readily, BJ's always seems to have them. but their paper products aisle was completely empty this past Sunday.

i did do some panic buying, like beans and tuna. we had TP from a recent BJ's run prior to COVID. i am really trying to buy just want i need for the week and stay out of the stores.

one bright note; we had to go into the city (Philly) to drop off food for DD and the city was empty. it was Friday night, a really nice Spring night where normally everyone would be eating outside and walking etc.. just like a ghost town, very eerie feeling. so hopefully this is a good sign for our area

I always have a nice supply of toilet paper and paper towels, that’s just my comfort level normally.

But, when we saw shelves being emptied and advice about stocking up, we did buy some things that we never buy just to have something on hand.

Cans of chili, corned beef hash, Progresso soup. Yuck. But, hey.

But, I do find it hard to pass up toilet paper when I see it. Knee jerk reaction.

I am glad that there is a one pack limit now.

i go to the store once a week. Will not go early as I have heard the same about lines. The store is not crowded when I go.

I’m not panic buying but I did have to change my buying habits so it almost feels like I’m panic buying when I’m not. In normal times, I will run to the store only as needed; I buy in twos, always have so that when I open the second one at home, I add it to my list for the next time I’m at the store where I normally buy it. I shop several stores depending on what I need, so it may take a while to replenish my shelf. Now, instead of having a routine that keeps my pantry stocked, I’m buying for two weeks and I’m paying more to boot so I can limit the number of stores I go to to one.

Oh, no! At least the driver and dog are okay.

https://whnt.com/news/a-fiery-crash-on-a-texas-interstate-overnight-involved-a-big-rig-carrying-a-load-of-toilet-paper/

From what I’ve read here, I don’t consider what you’ve all done, to be panic buying. We can’t get out like we normally do, so we need to buy the stuff we’re going to need ahead of time. I don’t think that’s “panicking”.

I don’t believe I am panic buying, but I do find when I go to the store I often buy two of something, like pasta noodles for example, when I normally would just buy one. This is only because past experience shows it may not be there next time I need it. I don’t keep many canned goods on the shelf except for basics like chicken stock/broth, tomato sauce and tomatoes and things like that. I have been cooking my own soups. We don’t eat a lot of bread. Me almost none but DH has a sandwich once in a while so keeps some in the freezer. I had just been to the store for TP before all this and have only bought it once since and same for paper towels.

Believe it or not Alexa has been my grocery list friend during this. I just put items on my grocery list as I come across something. So easy.

We are tying to limit trips to the store to once a week for fresh veggies and meat needed for the week’s meals. So far it is working pretty well, but occasionally we have to return for a few items we either forgot/ran out of or decided to buy for a particular meal.

I just went to senior shopping at my closest Publix this morning. Disappointed in how poorly stocked it was today. As I was leaving the parking lot, a supply truck was pulling in. There weren’t too many people in there when I arrived at 7:30 and many shelves were bare. Meat and fresh veggies were abundant. Then I went to Target senior hour and bought a few things Publix didn’t have. There weren’t many shopping there at all during senior hour (8-9 am).

I think some of us are reinforcing the point of your post. Many of us HAVE changed our shopping, even though we don't think of ourselves as "panic buying". It's hard not to buy an item when you see that it's running low, or is back on the shelves after being sold out. You can't help but think to yourself "I better grab it now, while I can". Also, I normally shop a few times a week. I have intentionally started buying more meals, so that I am only grocery shopping once a week, or even less, so that I limit my trips out. Therefore, I am buying more items than I normally would.

We were advised to stock up to shelter in place, and so I did. But I just added to my stuff I always keep on hand. As I've mentioned several times, that's how I was raised, when there were no fast food places, and the trip to the grocery store was once every couple of weeks. I raised my kids doing the same, and right now we still have 3 generations living in this house. (6 people total)

I missed out on some things, but I'm going to assume (hope) those things will be restocked by the time I desperately need them. I've been to the grocery store a couple of times and replenished other things--mostly produce, dairy, and eggs, which are still available, if limited. I've found, though, that I'm paying more, because I'm not hitting other places for items they might have for less cost. One stop--in and out as soon as possible.

Can you imagine how much food will be unused--by people who had good (but panicked) intentions, but will probably never use all that yeast and flour for baking bread? Pasta and TP are still missing from our grocery shelves, but I've already made noodles once, and I'm planning to make my own lasagna noodles today. They won't have wavy edges, but no one will care. My adult kids are thrilled that Mom has taken over the cooking again, every day--just as it was when they were little. Maybe we're all comforted by the return to things as they were in earlier times.

Ordinarily I do food storage anyway, but now I have more flour on hand than usual because I'm experimenting with different flours and baking. This morning I made biscuits with cake flour and they were wonderful.

We now have Covid cases in our area and, because husband is over 60 and I have asthma, we are turning into hermits and trying to shop as infrequently as possible. Went to the store today and they are still out of jam, honey, olive oil, kleenex, flour, yeast, sugar, peanut butter, dish soap and many other staples. They have been out of these for several weeks, so if they are in stock next time I will buy an extra or two.

I bought a lot of TP, 384 rolls (4 cases), due to shipping communication delay, I thought my orders were cancelled, so I ordered again, and again. Lol

summersrhythm, how much do you like lasagna? ;)

I haven't been out in over two weeks.... but last time I was out I did pick up an extra tin of coffee- it was on sale for a good price so I would have picked one up anyway, and a second carton of eggs. A container of dry buttermilk- I wasn't quite out, but running low enough.

I think 'panic buying' is a bit disparaging. It isn't panic buying if you want to be prepared. I've done food storage for years and I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea.

Has it not occurred to anyone that 'back to normal' might not be for quite some time? That glitches in the supply chain are going to happen, with people dying, social distancing continuing, businesses closing, the possibility the virus may mutate for the worse?

Can you imagine how much food will be unused--by people who had good (but panicked) intentions, but will probably never use all that yeast and flour for baking bread?

People who do food storage label and use the oldest foods first. If one has a years worth of canned/packaged food stored, most will still be good to eat in a year. I'd personally rather gamble that I'd have too much rather than too little, especially when some of what one has put up may go to family/friends who have suffered disaster due to Covid that has vastly changed their financial outlook.

From Aesop: One bright day in late autumn a family of Ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

"What!" cried the Ants in surprise, "haven't you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?"

"I didn't have time to store up any food," whined the Grasshopper; "I was so busy making music that before I knew it the summer was gone."

Just got back from an early morning run to the grocer.....my first in at least 2 weeks. Still no TP or paper towels available and the cleaning supply aisle was pretty bare as well. Some shelves were a bit picked over and with some gaps but there was still product there if you needed it - might not be the size or type of flour/rice/beans/sugar you were looking for or the shape of pasta but there was at least some of it available.

I did double up on some things because I go through them fast or they were on sale - breakfast sausage, bacon, butter. Also got a smallish spiral ham and some Easter candy!! Easter is probably going to be a solo celebration here, so I might as well indulge myself a bit :-) The extra ham can be frozen and there are so many things to do with the leftovers.

mama goose, that's funny. I can't have cheese. :-)

I also purchased 2 Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara, 2 eyeliners, also some perfume bottles, 3 big bottles, 4 mini...... since I don't cook much, I bought a lot of frozen food, ice cream, and a lot of water bottles (4 cases).

I did not read the responses... but I can tell you, I was lucky that my daughter did some panic buying/stocking up.

In my/our case it turned out for the BEST. I came home since she picked me up at the airport, and was lucky to eat a fresh (well, relatively) salad every night till today. I have none left now.

We are in self quarantine.

We still have potatoes, but no more fresh food vegetables... but we do have frozen.

We should be fine till next week, when we can go to the grocery store again.

Oh, and yes, we do have plenty TP, cause a of a wrong purchase prior to my trip.

Moni

Before Covid, I was an every day shopper, just picking up a few things for dinner and such on my way back from my walk. I now shop 1x per week and my cart is full, only doubling up on just a couple of things. I'm a senior, but the designated days have lines that are the longest. I shop at 6 am on non senior days and there is barely anyone in the store. I live in SF bay area. This morning I got everything on my list for the week, plus I shopped for a few other seniors who are not able to get out. I am not seeing the panic buying that I did a few of weeks ago, even at Costco.

I haven't panic-bought a thing. I have always been a buy more when they are sale shopper, thanks to my mother. A year ago we bought a half cow's worth of meat from a local farmer. We still have a ton of meat in the freezer. I am self-rationing my toilet paper to 4 sheets when possible! lol

The only thing I'm afraid we'll run out of is paper towels. Having a dog that is not housebroken, and may never be (puppy mill survivor), we go thru a lot of paper towels daily. Those I pretty much bought every time I went to the store. Now I'm glad I did! I've started using a dish rag if she potties on the kitchen floor then I just throw that in the laundry.

I always buy ahead. When a container gets opened that item goes on the chalk board. I have lived in some very remote places in my varied life and so it just became second nature even when I lived in town. It is a relatively frugal way to shop. It prevents the $50 gallon of milk scenario-you need milk and find a few other things to buy...$50. I have a pantry and keep up with what is in it. We have a freezer. I buy sales. We normally shop about every two weeks for fresh stuff but are putting off going in to limit our exposure. Our part of Washington has multiple cases. It is out there and as we know most people have few or no symptoms. We will make do with what we have. We were in town ten days ago and wont go back for two more weeks unless something major comes up. I have a dental appointment then.

"Panic buying" is a bit disparaging. I buy in bulk as much as I can - enough to last until the next sales cycle, usually 6 weeks to 6 month supply. NOTHING ever goes to waste.

I went to ALDI'S two weeks ago, the day we were all sent home to work from home (1200 of 1500 employees are now working from home at least through May 1st.) I had not been there in two months due to an injury. I clerk I lnow welcomed me and asked where I had been - you see, I am the pasta and chunky cheese lady. They have great prices on those, so I buy them there. She assured me that even though the store looked sparse, my stuff was still there...but every package of shredded or sliced or stick cheese was gone, but the 8 oz wheels and chunks of cheese were still there! I bought 24, a 6 week supply.

Likewise, all pasta mixes were out, and the regular spaghetti was sold out. I bought 12 packages of imported italian pasta in shapes I'd seen before. No one buys them !

Am I a hoarder? No, I'm just prepared to weather a blizzard, an injury, an illness. The only thing I'd miss if I was locked down for two months is cream for my coffee (but the vanilla ice cream in the freezer will stretch out my coverage for a month!)

I'm kind of like Patriciae--I've always kept a very well stocked pantry, and I use the same system--when I open the last (or next to last) bottle, etc--it goes on the grocery list. The result of this way of shopping/stocking is that we can manage easily for a couple of months before we need to restock. We might not like it--but we'd survive.

I did buy a few more grains & dried beans than usual when we initially started hearing about Wuhan situation in late January. I'm glad I did--we have plenty and have shared with the sweet older lady across the street.

Oh my gosh!

I have never liked my ex like I like him now!!! My son packed away his care package from his father. And it has all kinds of things for a week or two! If you can't guess, it's sat unused, until now. But now we need it. Maybe he taught a lesson? Have backups. Go Ed go! And thank you.

People are going to buy what they need to feel safe and comfortable. This is the same type of buying that happens before every major weather situation like hurricanes, ice storms or normal expected winter weather, except this is a more prolonged situation without anything in our lifetimes to really compare it to. I believe there have been warnings for probably at least two months and folks were told to have a two week quarantine supply. That only covers the two weeks where you can't go out and buy food. It doesn't cover the amount of time everyone is spending trying to avoid other humans.

Many of us have been forced from our normal buying patterns. I live in a city with great food. I enjoy eating out on a regular basis. No way am I ordering takeout right now. I don't feel safe. My husband and children are home from work and school. They expect to be fed every single day so I am back to cooking more meals than I have in a long while. My buying habits have changed. The limits are keeping me from buying what I normally buy so I substitute as I can. I do have stuff bought ahead because I always have. It's back up in case of emergencies, natural disasters, bad weather or even job layoffs.

Interestingly, one of the tv spots from the grocery stores suggests adding some extra to your cart each time and stocking up that way. That's the recommendation I've seen for years.

It's not ok they take what they want. I don't care how they worry. If they don't worry about everyone, they f'ing suck. They don't care who else who feels safe and comfortable. Only themselves. F them

My normal grocery trip is to buy a few days groceries at a time. Now I am trying to buy for a couple of weeks of groceries in a single trip and I am more open to substituting items on my list. Not what I consider panic buying as I am just trying to avoid going out to the grocery store often, too stressful. The only thing I can think of that might be considered panic is my buying an extra carton of eggs, as friends have been having a hard time finding them and I did not want to run out. However next trip to the grocery I saw more and did not buy any. Lol, I did check for toilet paper hoping to extend my time between trips to Costco but no luck.

I have seen more limits on what can be bought...after being out of eggs for awhile I saw Walmart had eggs...and a sign that said one carton limit. No wonder they had eggs, good idea.

I am like LoneJack when I first heard that it was going to be suggested that seniors isolate I started adding extra of what I was purchasing. In looking at what was happening in other countries I decided that I needed to have at least four months of food for myself and several more months for my cats. I could not get the dry catfood that my cats like but I have enough for I hope six months. Last day I went out was March 9 and I went to the store for coffee, which I forgot. Now I wish I had purchased all ten of the ten for $10 of store brand pasta. I am hoping that enough of the old veggie seeds I have germinate so that I will have some fresh veggies during the summer. I will be eating some of the things that I purchased then just could not bring myself to eat rather than donating them.

Olychick,

I don't know if you go to Dollar Tree, but my local DTs carry shelf stable milk (brand is Gossner). It's not something I buy, but just thought you might like to know about it.

I've used the shelf stable milk from Dollar Tree on camping trips. It's fine. Too bad I didn't stock up for our planned spring camping trip (now cancelled) since I did not see any the last couple of times I shopped there. No soy milk either. I was in two weeks ago. Since then I have been in one store, a regular grocery store.

I tried that Gossner UHT milk from Dollar Tree once. It was decent.

Not too long ago I heard that slightly more than 50% of meals eaten by USAmericans are eaten away from home. So now, if everyone is going to cook and eat all their meals at home, on average they will need to double their food purchases. That's a big change. It helps explain why some restaurants are re-selling fresh foods that they have regular deliveries set up for. It is not needed at the restaurants; it is now needed at homes.

Even toilet paper is somewhat like that. Obviously people are needing more at home since they are no longer using it away from home to the extent that they previously were.

So when we see people with grocery baskets filled to the top and beyond, they might not even be really stocking up, much less hoarding, but just trying to fill their family's ordinary needs.

BJ’s has a lot of TP now. Check your local BJ’s if you need any.

It's not ok they take what they want. I don't care how they worry. If they don't worry about everyone, they f'ing suck. They don't care who else who feels safe and comfortable. Only themselves. F them

I think the reason people worry is that they see that others put themselves and their families first and to me that is natural. It may be unrealistic to expect everyone to share and share alike when one has a lifetime of experience that shows others don't always share.

Should people have any kind of savings accounts while other people in the world starve? Should they own houses when others don't? Should they own a car when some people have to walk?

They do have savings accounts, because experience has shown them that when they don't have the rent $ the landlord most of the time isn't going to tell them to pay when they can.

I don't think I panic bought anything. I did stock up on a few things so I wouldn't have to go out for a long time. I have asthma, am nearly 60. I bought quite a few more canned goods and pasta than I used to since the cupboards were pretty bare 2 months or so ago.

Well, I did my normal shopping today.

It was eerie, the roads seemed much emptier, the stores weren't crowded and, thankfully the shelves were pretty well stocked.

I was able to get everything on my list but bread flour, and that's no big deal, I can use AP flour to make bread, the texture is just a little different. I didn't even check out the paper goods or cleaning supplies aisles since I didn't need any.

I'm also happy to say I didn't do any panic buying, I stuck to my list. :)

I realize others might by impulse shoppers, but as someone running a household of 6 that lives in the country and only goes shopping twice a month, I operate by a list. It's the only way I've found things can function.

Daughter 2 might need deodorant, hubby needs contact fluid, and daughter 3 needs body wash.

I CAN'T go around the house before my shopping trip and analyze for 5 other people what they may or may not need.

The same holds true for the pantry. Daughter 1 likes mustard and uses it a lot but I don't. So I don't know or notice it is out unless I happen to need it and can't find it or...if she PUTS IT ON THE LIST!

Thank you to rockypointdog for getting my point.

Sure, there are those outliers who are panic buying/hoarding six months of toilet paper or dried beans or pasta, etc. They do exist.

HOWEVER, I would be willing to bet that the main reason supplies seem so low is because of a collective choice to, "buy an extra or two" by the vast majority.

Lucille- I am not bashing anyone who practices food storage. I would count myself as one of those people, though I don't store enough food to last 6 people for months on end.

I do keep an amply well stocked pantry with enough food that, should I not be able to procure any other source of sustenance, what I have could easily sustain us for several weeks.

My whole point was that, buying an extra bag of flour, or some extra canned goods, or some extra dried pasta that isn't even the kind you would normally buy, IS a form of panic buying.

YOU aren't being overly excessive. Neither is your neighbor, or your coworker, or the person in line behind you. ALL of you are just "buying an extra or two" of what you see is available.

But when everyone does it, it results in a panic and frenzy.

If you already practice food storage, there is literally NO reason for you to get any extra.

Your method of food storage ALREADY means you have more than others do. You don't NEED to buy an "extra" bag of flour.

Nobody thinks they are "panic buying", they are all just deciding to "stock up"...at once....on the most commonly used/needed items...

But no one is panicking alright?!?!? ;)

TG, you have a valid point, although, as almost every post here has proclaimed, I don't think most of us have done panic buying. The first incidence of 'panic' buying I encountered was the day the schools closed in Ohio. I didn't know until I heard a couple of young women discussing it outside the grocery store. That day I bought the items on my list plus a couple of other things--peanut butter, applesauce, TP; knowing that my grandson would be spending more time at home prompted those purchases. I suppose my purchase of a pack of paper towels could be seen as panic buying, since we use mostly cloth, and cloth napkins, and I didn't absolutely need the paper towels.

I think people that day were stocking up to take care of kids who were suddenly going to be eating at home more. Since then, a lot of people have probably stocked up due to the fact that they no longer eat out, or do take out, so they necessarily must have access to more food at home--if one normally eats most of their meals out, then just buying their usual list of items isn't going to work. So people who don't keep much food in the house would suddenly be clearing the grocery store shelves.

I was beginning to think that after the initial rush, purchases would go back to normal, and in theory, the food and other items that restaurants would normally be using would trickle out to grocery store shelves--but then my sister told me she saw a story about shortages to come, due to difficulty the farmers are having finding seed and other supplies (maybe another result of panic buying?), and a possible shortage of workers due to illness. I think I saw the same story on MSN, but I can't cite the source.

So...as people who have never baked bread--and probably won't bake bread--have bought up flour and yeast in their panic, I'm sure some of those who have bought seeds for planting--with good intentions, but have never raised a garden--will let that seed go to waste, or will be doomed to failure due to inexperience or unrealistic expectations.

Maybe there are people buying food and cooking supplies, like yeast, who normally eat out all the time.

A redirection to possible food shortages. It was decided late last year or in January to limit H2 workers to 40,000. They are the ones that work in food harvesting from pruning the trees and vines to increase the number of eatable fruit to picking and processing fruits and vegetables. Last week the number was raised slightly but the question was asked if there would be enough people healthy enough to do a 12 or longer work day that can come. Some Politian wants to cut that 40,000 even further so that US citizens can have those jobs. While it may happen US citizens used to do those jobs and stopped. I had a aunt whose husband thought it would be romantic to follow the crops as a picker. The working conditions are not what most would accept even for a day or two.

Well maybe you should donate those to health care workers so they don't die.

I got lucky enough to find some n-95 masks in my garage. We always have a few in stock in our garage/shop for when we are doing heavy woodworking, cleaning, yard work, etc.

I keep one in my car now for the few times I've had to go to the store over the past few weeks.

If I had extra, I would donate them, but I've only got 3 and 2 are already used by hubby and myself.

If you, anonymous person HU-562811403, actually did come across a large stock, I hope you donate them to those in need.

I think that this might be a spam post. Bought hundreds, gave price and email address. I flagged it.

HU-562811403, I don't think giving a link instead of an email is going to help any. Pretty sure none of us here are going to panic buy hundreds of masks.

Perhaps you should put your panic buy to good use and donate most of them to local places that need them.

I can't begin to express how disappointing it is to see so many justify why extra for themselves is acceptable.

:(

Don't you think any supposed N-95 masks sold online at this time are likely to be FAKES not capable of filtering out 95% of particles? Don't be taken advantage of. And don't donate FAKES to healthcare workers either.

I think most of people who stock up items during this difficult time are doing it for their families . The singles in my family don’t stock up anything. I help them out.

summersrhythm, people who buy alot of one item might well be buying for multiple households, I don't think anyone would dispute that. But this "H...403" person has only posted two times, both very recently. They are not to be trusted. I suspect the website they'd direct you to would take your money, and deliver either no product at all or else a very shoddy product that would end up hurting your health, not protecting it.

I’d love to learn how to identify a fake N95 mask. I know the contractor’s N95 mask from HD is not the same as medical N95. A lot of contractors donated theirs, but I am wondering if hospitals could really use those. They have different protection levels.

Just saw your post Nickel. Thanks!

Trying to think like the likely spammer:

//start speculating

The new poster started with a tease. They gave no link in the first post, knowing it would probably be flagged as spam.

They were hoping someone would ask for a link but no one did.

A post or two later, since no one asked for a link, they gave an email, thinking that might lead to a request for a link and be somewhat less likely to get flagged.
At some point, even if not asked for, they would have come back and inserted the link. At that point they'd have nothing to lose.

//end speculating

I searched for the email address. The results lead me to what looked to be a Chinese listing of masks that may or may not have been okay.

But what I most noticed was that they sure weren't anywhere near fifty cents each. Even buying a quantity they were closer to nine dollars each.

To me, it appeared they were hoping to snag desperate buyers in order to profit from the pandemic by selling masks at an outrageous price.