-WiscoDave
*****
I'm noticing bare shelves at the Walmart, although not any particular thing - one day it's bottled juice, the next day it may be crackers, the day after that it's meats. It's gotten to the point that if I'm in there and see something we might need in the next few days, I'll go ahead and pick it up then, just in case they're out of it when we do need it.
I do as much of my shopping at the Piggly Wiggly as I can and there's no shortages there at all and never have been, but as WaitingForTheStorm commented a few days ago, they have a different delivery system. Unfortunately, they don't have as large of a selection of items as Walmart and they're just a little more expensive.
So why do I prefer Piggly Wiggly?
1) It's locally owned.
2) It's not nearly as crowded, yet they always have more than one cash register open.
3) They never required masks.
4) They ain't Walmart.
It's usually walmart here that has that happen. Sams is better supplied.
ReplyDeleteBut I've been hitting Kroger or Tom Thumb and they were mostly always OK.
What I've been doing is rebuilding a larger pantry. I was at fiesta and bought a 25lbs of rice for like $11. I'll buy in bulk, I'll add a few cans here or there, I'll buy meat, repackage, and freeze it. I've been doing this since late 2019. Build up, replace what you use when you can.
I call it socialism shopping. Can't count on something being on the shelf next time, so if it's something I use periodically, I grab it when it's there.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, comrade. I do the same thing. When there are things on the shelf that we use, I buy out the shelf now. It's that freaking bad. It really is that bad now.
Delete... and when I was a boy, they gave "Gold Bond" stamps. Helped me outfit my first apartment kitchen back in the day.
ReplyDeleteJust left Wally World, not too bad but empty spaces. As we were checking out the woman was telling us that they have not had a cigarette delivery in 7 weeks! She also said that there are a lot more missing items but they are covering by fronting and expanding with other items. Interesting times, these!
ReplyDeleteJust got back from the grocery store this afternoon. Ingles is our local supermarket. The price of meat has skyrocketed.
ReplyDeleteWe have ribeye steaks every Saturday. I buy the big thick ones so we each get two meals out of each steak. Three months ago, $15 a pound. Last week, $19 a pound. Today, $23 a pound. Guess what we're NOT having for dinner tomorrow night.
So I picked up a smoked ham shank for a New England Boiled Dinner. Fifteen bucks for a 7 pound ham.
Beef is almost 100% more than last year, year and a half ago. Next time it goes on sale, might have to dip in my savings and buy up a bunch.
I don't know how seniors are going to make it.
I don't know how seniors are going to make it.—-That’s the idea. Commis gonna commi (murder).
DeleteKroger has shortages here - they're getting shown up big time by H.E.B.
ReplyDeleteWho wouldn't shop at a supermarket with a name like Piggly Wiggly, and a cartoon hog in a butcher's hat? We used to have one here, but it's long gone. The old store and sign are still there, though, re-purposed into something else - you recognize that classic retro-angle sign shape as soon as you see it.
fwiw - don't see any shortages of anything anywhere outside of TP at Costco. Cincinnati.
ReplyDeleteThe local Wal Mart shelves are slowly becoming empty, something new every time I shop. The grocery my daughter works at is a locally owned place. Their frozen stuff is empty. They have ran out of sacks twice and some of the shelves are starting to get bare.
ReplyDeleteWe’re not too bad in AK yet, but then shortages are pretty common regardless up here. Prices on everything have gone way up tho. Meat & fish are self service, at least in my case, it’s fresh produce that’s the killer. Looks like I’m fighting Bullwinkle for the garden harvest next year.
ReplyDeleteI'm not seeing shortages up here at the end of the supply chain but I am seeing much higher prices at Fred Meyers, Safeway, and Costco.
ReplyDeleteLooking to build a barn. In 2015, trusses cost $21,000. This one would be 2.5 times longer, so one could compare at $60,000. The quote is $130,000. Shortage of press plates to make truss, labor cost, lumber cost, & now they won't even bring boom truck to install (used to be included) because they can't keep "licensed" help allowed to run the boom.
ReplyDeleteState minimum wage is going to $14.49, which means our Above minimum wage is no longer as good.
About time to say F*ck it.
Jerry
A 30' wide, high-tunnel with a UV blackout tarp over greenhouse plastic is only a few thousand dollars and works pretty well as a barn. Building one out of decommissioned telephone poles, or even cedar posts is also a cost effective option. I suppose it depends on what kind of equipment you want to store in it though, a combine probably won't fit in a tunnel but modest tractors and other such will.
Delete-arc
Something like that wouldn't last a year out here where we typically get straight line winds upwards of 70 mph every spring, and then there's tornadoes too.
Deletere -- recycled telephone poles
Delete.
After the grid collapse, riff-raff will chop the poles to salvage the copper.
Or maybe, during the grid collapse.
Or maybe, prior to the grid collapse.
.
Irregardless, poles ought to be cheap.
Ribs - I have a pic of them. In April 2020 they were $3.00 / pound. Right next to it was some for $5.50 / pound in March 2021. Fürer Biden be praised.
ReplyDeleteAll Hail Biden!
DeletePlease disregard previous comment. I meant to say "Abort All Bidens"
DeleteI'm surprised at the $27 tray of chicKen wings that cost $8 last year.
Deletefuck walmart. I rather shop local for most things, weis is a very good store around here and
ReplyDeleteyou can get some deals as well. meat is high compared to last year big time. nut there are
some local butchers that sell great cuts for a fair price. weis has can chicken for 2 bucks
s can if you buy 4. a very good deal ! the meat is better than any other canned chicken I tried so far. and it's good for 5 years too.second best is hormal brand, tyson is iffy at best
veggies where like 47 cents per can if you bought 10, but I think that changing here soon.
meat not much of a problem as I am surround by state game lands if need be. lots of farms
too. life is a lot better in the country side.
I haven't seen supply shortages yet in my area but I don't doubt they are coming. I'm getting my "dream list" of nursery toys together to order over the fall / winter for next spring.
ReplyDeleteA soap making station is also on the list but I'm not made of money.
-arc
Equipment for making soap is cheap. I remember my grandpa making it in an old battered up enamel water-bath canner. He'd set it on the potbelly stove in the machine shed and brew up another batch all winter whenever he was doing something in there. And the wood ashes were right handy.
DeleteThe focus is on shutting down grazing so red meat is the target. Better get used to chicken or go veggie.
ReplyDeleteBut the military Commissary is fully stocked with 92% lean ground beef at $2.53 a pound. I do a good portion of my groceries locally as the Commissary is 90 miles away. If I am near it I will stop by to fill the freezer with meat and the pantry with canned/dry goods. I am there 4 to 6 times a year.
ReplyDeleteHey, when people decide to go for communism, they get the profits as well as the piss-offs. Unfortunately, with communism, the "profits" are just more piss-offs.
ReplyDeleteWake County, NC (Raleigh) here. The largest WM super center in the state is near me. Many empty shelves that are constantly changing from one group to another each week. I do not buy bottled water (good thing!) as that is consistently out-of-stock. Prices are up.
ReplyDeleteMy take? The real objective of the Dems is social disruption; the more intense, the better for their plans. If folks are scared and there is widespread societal collapse, then they figure they can glom on to more power and the masses will roll over for more safety.
ReplyDeleteA manufactured crisis is as good as a real crisis. I have said this before, but farmers have been paid to plow their crops over before going to market. I have heard it most in terms of corn (human food, livestock food, ethanol production). Closing down the pipelines from Canada while allowing Russia and the Middle East to control oil (energy) production and prices. Relying on questionable electricity generation (wind, solar) and not allowing utilities to spin up fossil fueled generation in the face of severe weather events, even when these excess reserve are maintained for exactly this eventuality.
I know it sounds like conspiracy theory, and I am normally not a conspiracy guy. But, the signs are all around us and Rahm Emmanuel bragged about using crises to shape the will of the electorate. The Dems openly stole the election and the gov in place appears to be driving the country down the shithole.
Buy in bulk. For example, I buy flour 25 lbs at a time (last time it was $7 for a bag). I keep between 25 and 50 lbs. The current bag is used as needed and the future bag is stored in a six gallon mylar bag that includes a few high capacity oxygen absorbers. When the current bag is empty, I open the future bag and try to find another 25 lbs of flour. I am eating food that is paid for at last year's prices for a small increment of expense. I believe that this strategy will allow me to get more value for my food spend. I have a longer period of time to replenish my depleted stock. Of course, you have to stock a small amount of baking soda, baking powder, and salt to make full use of it.
I don't know if this is SHTF or not. The unrest in the cities seems to be worse than I have seen in my lifetime, as much for the casual disregard (embrace?) the gov is showing for open lawlessness in the name of social justice as for any other reason. Damn, I have had a good run. I pray for my children.
But, my dear wife and I have decided we will enjoy our lives as much as we can and will respond to whatever comes as reasonably as is possible. As much as I am told that my life is a result of white privilege, I have worked my ass off for a long time in order to have this small slice of heaven.
Good luck and good fortune to all of you. This forum seems to be a bunch of rational and reasonable folks. Fuck Joe Biden.
Amen brother, thank you,
DeletePatrick
Make sure you have a good, manual can opener.
ReplyDeleteI got the local grocery store flyer in the mail yesterday which advertises next week's specials.
ReplyDeleteT-bone and Porterhouse special at $7.99/lb starting tomorrow, save $4.00/lb.
Last time I looked at t-bone in the meat case it was $15.00/lb, a couple weeks ago, so I don't know where they're calculating that savings from.
Nemo
Not finding pants in my size. I have a ton of old jeans, and only 2 new pairs.
ReplyDelete36x36, if you see any, give a shout.....
I shop the 'husky' section in the Big&Tall department at the local Farm Ranch Supply.
DeleteI have probably two decades of Carhartt bagged, worshed and ready-to-wear.
After that, I am embracing my 'natural' side...
No grocery shortages, but prices up quite a little. Auto parts is where I see both prices through the roof and unavailability for weeks or months. Should have replaced the head in the spring when it first started being a problem rather than saving it for a fall project. It's now roughly double what it was 4 months ago, and I can't get it until sometime in November.
ReplyDeleteEugene, Oregon.
DeleteI weld and fabricate.
Trailer axles -- 10k tandem-dually -- were us$1,300 prior to the 2020 Economic Lock-Down.
Then... triple that.
Last check, one axle was around us$5,600 each... and we need a pair.
Steel is more than doubled, and my suppliers are 'iffy' take what we can get.
I would like to tell everyone to keep commenting, both here and elsewhere. It's a good way to get out very local information.
ReplyDeleteWestern SoDak: no shortages/outages of products at Safeway or FamilyFare (regional grocer) except those on sale. Haven’t been to Sam’s so cannot comment on TP or paper towels or limits for purchase. 87 octane is $3.47.9 and ethanol-free 91 octane is 4.07.9 (one of my vehicles requires premium). Today about 10% of customers (off-the-cuff estimate) in Safeway wearing masks. Some were elderly, so perhaps they are/felt vulnerable. No requirement or recommendation for masks locally except, of course, in medical facilities. Restaurant staff are typically masked, inc in a nicer upscale place where we dined a few nights back. Lobbies of Culver’s, McDonalds, BurgerKing, Arby’s are all closed with “drive up” only. That may be due to hiring difficulties even tho the gov’t stay-at-home giveaway just ended a month ago. Hereabouts people mind their own business as I have never encountered anyone attempting to “shame” others for no mask. I am a summertime docent at a local aerospace museum and encounter people from all over, about 98% of whom do NOT wear masks outdoors, so there is still some sanity. Of course this ain’t MA, IL, CA, OR, western WA, NY, NJ etc. Stay sane, guys.
ReplyDeleteEven when prices seem stable, check the weights/quantities. Kroger's sausage packages are still on sale for 2 for $5, but the weight dropped from 16 oz to 14 oz. Also orange juice bottles are several ounces lighter. They call it "shrinkflation".
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK, shortages are becoming noticeable. Nothing predictable, just more gaps on shelves and 'temporarily unavailable' stickers. Costco are definitely more expensive for things like meat.
ReplyDeleteSo why do I prefer Piggly Wiggly?
ReplyDelete1) It's locally owned.
2) It's not nearly as crowded, yet they always have more than one cash register open.
3) They never required masks.
4) They ain't Walmart.
Amen and Amen especially 4
Eugene, Oregon.
ReplyDeleteFriday, we were in BigLots, a grocery and furniture (weird, right?) store.
.
From about ten rows, they removed an 8-10' segment from each aisle rack shelving unit.
The remaining shelves are mostly full.
.
If the original lengths were there (marked by rusty stains on the linoleum), those shelves would be embarrassingly sparse...
...and raise a 'Paul Revere' alarm to non-preppers.
.
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Wal*Mart did the same last month.
For years, aisles were a squeeze for two carts passing.
Now, aisles are 'three carts plus' wide.
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The clothing department is shockingly under-stocked.
Circle-racks about ten feet apart; before 2020 Economic Lock-Down, squeezing a cart through was tough without knocking stuff off.
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The electronics department may as well shut-down.
Despite widening the aisles, the stock is limited and low.
Impulse grab-and-go is replaced by cards -- present a card to the clerk, and she "can see about ordering it".