What to stock up on?

O

OldCorpse

Rockin the Boat
I thought that maybe making a list of items to stock up on can be something of use to the readership here at dvxuser, and provide some kind of service in the way of information or inspiration.

WE DO NOT WANT TO PANIC BUY AND CAUSE UNNECESSARY HARDSHIPS FOR OTHERS - so perhaps this could be a kind of PSA. For example, I don't find it useful to stock up on piles of toilet paper - but maybe that's just me, since I use a bidet and soap and water (much cleaner in my experience, ymmv).

My idea is that I'm gathering this stuff NOT BECAUSE I EXPECT SHORTAGES, but because I wanted to avoid having to go to stores while the pandemic is in full swing - enough stuff so I can last about 1-2 months without having to shop outside. Ordering online is also an option, but apparently it's not too smooth due to high demand at the moment.

Here's my list:

FOOD

1)A few canned and jar goods - nothing too crazy quantity wise - enough for 6-8 weeks for me and my wife:

a)tomatoes, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, black beans, white beans

b)salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, tuna

c)jams, honey, salsa, olives, tapenada, hummus, avocado dip

2)Bulk grain & beans - again, nothing too crazy, enough for 6-8 weeks

a)Rice, barley, steel-cut oats, oat bran, wheat bran, flaxseed, psyllium, brewer's yeast, flour

b)black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans

3)Refrigerated items - enough for just a month or so:

a)tofu, cheese, eggs, milk, yoghurt, miso sauce

b)carrots, brussel sprouts, cabbage, potatoes, onions

c)oranges, mandarins, berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries), apples, melons, pears, lemons

4)Frozen items:

a)berries (medley - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries)

b)veggies - broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, green beans

c)burritos, dumplings, ready meals

5)Miscalleneous:

a)coffee, tea, sugar, spices, olive oil, canola oil

b)chocolate, cacao powder, wine, liquor, beer, crackers, cookies

c)loose nuts: almond, walnuts, peanuts

d)dried fruit: apricots, cranberries, raisins, prunes

e)a few trail mix bags, a few boxes of power bars

f)supplements I regularly take - a small reserve enough for the rest of the year

g)bottled water


NON-FOOD

1)Masks, disposable gloves,

2)Baking soda, soap, bleach, dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, toothpaste, floss, shampoo, deodorant, cologne, shaving cream, razors - nothing crazy, enough for 8 weeks or so

3)Trash bags, packing tape, plastic bags, paper towels, napkins, tissues

4)Car fully gassed up

5)Cash on hand - nothing too crazy

6)Envelopes, postage stamps

7)Running shoes, extra tennis balls, extra work-out gloves

8)Bandages, alcohol disinfectant, bandaids

9)Extra stash of medication

10)Extra batteries, light bulbs

11)Stash of cat food for our cat, litter, treats :)

We've bought these over the last few days and feel like we're set for now. I probably missed a few items that might be useful, so I'm interested in what your lists and ideas are like! Again, I'm not afraid of shortages, I just want to limit how often I go to stores.
 
On the west coast its time to get planting! Potatoes go in the ground this week for the early varieties where I live. Everyone I know is going all out on their gardens with all the time they have at home.
 
A wife. If you see one let me know. I may have taken social distancing too far.


I should get fishing supplies and then have a large food supply from the lake in my backyard. Plus I'm finding fish at the grocery store are actually rather expensive and no fun to catch.
 
When I was living in LA, I was once listening to a local radio show and "emergency supplies in case of an earthquake" was the topic of a conversation. A caller says, "You should always have a pair of running/cross training shoes in the trunk of your car, just in case". Well, the host was quite amenable to most listeners suggestions but, at that point, he said, "I am drawing the line right here. If I have to get out of my car and walk somewhere long distance, I am just going to get comfy on the driver's seat however long it takes". And, IIRC, the host lived in West Hollywood, which is not a difficult place to get around on foot. But he probably had a pretty nice auto.
 
The best recent decision we made at our home was to buy an extra freezer for our basement. We now cook really nice meals/side dishes/etc, but scale up so that we can freeze at least 3 extra servings of everything. That way don’t need to cook all the time, still have great dishes, have a good variety with different stuff on rotation, and dont have to dip into canned food, etc. The freezer is nothing fancy. Cost about 300 bucks.
 
Funny how my neighbors are asking about freeze dried food, ammo and water storage when I have been telling them to stock up on those things since I moved to the neighborhood 8 years ago.
 
The ammo is moreso to protect from theft and home invasions if things get worse, such as people stealing food if there is a food shortage. In the movie Contagion, which is rather realistic, there’s a scene where Matt Damon hears gunshots from a neighbor’s house, calls 911, but there is an automated message for 911 saying due to the high volume of calls no one is available. He then breaks into a different neighbor’s vacant house and grabs their shotgun as apparently he didn’t own a gun. Nothing else happens which in reality is likely, but with no 911 and an increase of people stealing to get basic necessities, guns could become more necessary for survival. On shows like The Walking Dead even the kids are carrying around guns, and not primarily to fight off zombies. Things probably won’t get so bad that theft and looting homes becomes common but they could and better prepared than unprepared.
 
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