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Sorry folks there is no way I'll ever use Scott tissue.  1st I like my rear end too much to subject it to that and a big 2nd it's Koch product.  If I want single ply I find I'm pretty happy with Charmin Everyday, with that I can still use my standard 4 squares...

 

That said I scored today. Stumbled across a freshly loaded cart of Charmin Ultra mega rolls at Kroger, they didn't even make it to the shelf before they were in my basket, it's a 12 pack  good shape for a few months. 

 

I addition to that I picked up about 10 lbs of assorted pasta products, 4 lbs of lentils, 4 lb of Navy beans,  50 lbs of bread flour, couple of pounds of uncooked shrimp plus some sardines. Also picked up a 10 lb box of Kogel's  natural casing hot dogs. I think I'm good for  quite a while now.  I am worried about supply chain down the road and prices seem to be going up rapidly.

 

So in addition to the bread flour I still have about 20 lbs of AP flour and 2 lbs of yeast from previous outings, baking won't be an issue.  My freezer is fully stocked now and still have room for a bit more if I come across a deal.

 

One thing stunned me today - I was in Kroger and they had a 3 pack of steaks, family pack pricing, and it was $44.89!!!  Insane.
 
Not at all.  Gordon's had 10 or 12 50 lb bags of flour on the shelf, I've learned to buy it when I see it. Growing up we always bought the 10 lb box of hot dogs, I buy it for my cousin in GA too and ship it to her from time to time, not unusual.  Buying in bulk the hot dogs are $3.90 a lb vs $5.49 in individual packages, good cost savings. Gordon's had 2 LB bags of pasta so I bought 2, Krogers had pasta 10, for $10 so I bought some.

 

I typically buy 25 lbs of flour every 4 months or so, so I'm stocked for the rest of the year.  Don't see it hording see it as being pro active.  This is stuff I will use at some point.  After hunting for flour and other stuff for weeks early on, I"m not going to pass it up.

 

Growing up we always had a well stocked pantry, my mother always believed in -can't type the Polish words - but it translates to "Just in case".  I got away from that but the current situation brought it all back.  I'm used to going to store and just picking up what I need, not so any more. Quite honestly, I see a dark fall and winter coming up with lots of shortages.  I'm also planting a "victory garden" I've expanded my tiny home garden a moderate amount. Not sure I'll be able  to get stuff from the farmer's market this year  - or at what cost.

 

Was talking to a cousin on Monday, she initially was excited to see a farm in Ohio was selling whole hogs since they can't be processed at this point, was going to drive down and get one until she discovered that you had to buy 10 and they were live.  She was going to buy another freezer until I told her "good luck" finding one.
 
I went to my local IGA earlier but there were a few things I wanted they were sold out of. So I thought I'd try Hannaford, nope, hour long wait line. Off to Walmart and another hour long line. No way am I going to wait in a line to spend my money. This foolishness of only 50 or 100 allowed at any one time in a big grocery store has to stop.
 
We Went to Target

this morning for their Wednesday morning “geezer hour” every week from 8 to 9 am.  Got there at 7:50, there were only about 8 people ahead of us and the store opened promptly at 8.  

 

The shelves weren’t stocked too well, but I was able to get enough fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy to last for the next two weeks.  No flour or yeast, lots of sugar.  I too have always kept a fully stocked pantry, and was raised to do this.  

 

But I’ll be damned if I’ll succumb to the idea that I have to get every last thing on the shelves.  There are plenty of unfortunate people that can only buy what they can afford and aren’t able to buy large quantities of essentials.  These people have a right to eat too.

 

We were home and had everything put away by 9:15 am, and this was taking the back way, longer route so I could try to charge up the battery.  Since the shelter in place I hardly drive at all.  Last fill up was on 3-5, still have 2/3’s of a tank  and have only driven 108 miles.

 

Personally, I won’t shop at any store that doesn’t limit the number of shoppers in the store.  Crowding people in will only contribute to a higher rate of infections and make it more likely that WE may become infected.  I’ll wait patiently if I need to, even if it is an inconvenience.  It’s just one more of the many we have to endure during this pandemic if we want to come out of it alive.  The longest I’ve had to wait in any line to shop was less than 10 mins.

 

Eddie

[this post was last edited: 5/20/2020-16:57]
 
The store has to abide by the state rule on limiting people. But last time I went in Walmart was a 1 hour and 10 minutes wait. I will not be patient waiting to get in and watching people exiting with big screen tv's, lawnmowers etc. when they are only allowed to sell items deemed necessary, like groceries, period.
 
Guilty as charged...

A month or two ago I picked up a 15 lb carton of luscious bacon at the local Costco business center. Per lb it's more reasonably priced than the usual 1 or 2 lb packages, plus it comes in extra long lengths and different thicknesses. I chose the thickest one.

Now before someone gets on my case for hoarding, this carton was obviously designed for restaurant use. But since restaurants are in a sort of recession now, this is probably why the product showed up at the business center (I'd never noticed it before). IMHO the quality is excellent, perhaps even better than the smaller packaged/thinner sliced stuff. I vacuum packed most of it and stuck it in my freezer, and have been working through it as time goes on. Bacon heaven! LOL.

Do I feel guilty of hoarding? Not really. I figure I was doing someone a favor by not buying an equivalent amount of smaller packages. This carton came all in one big slab, in a bag with some waxed paper separating the sections. BFD!
 
I wasn’t aware that Matt bought the 50 lbs of flour in one 50 lb. sack from his original post.  

 

I’ve never shopped in a store that has 50 lb. bags of flour for sale, so I was under the impression that he purchased either ten 5 lb. bags or five 10 lbs bags, that to me would be akin to hoarding during these times of scarcity when for the past two months there hasn’t been a 5 lb bag of flour at Target, the flour shelves have been bare.  

 

So good for you that you have the room to store this 50 lb. bag of flour, I don’t have the room for this quantity.  

 

Now the purchase of one 50 lb. sack of flour if its offered in the way is certainly NOT hoarding and I apologize for my inference.  

 

And Rich, the same would apply for the purchase of a 15 lb. carton of bacon, if its offered in this packaging that would also not be hoarding.  So calm down.  

 

I don’t shop at warehouse stores like Costco, so excuse me, I haven’t a clue how that works.  I’m coming from the perspective of the average shopper who can’t find squat in the normal  stores, because people ARE grabbing up everything in sight.  

 

Eddie

 
 
I'm having difficulty even being able to buy whole wheat pasta online.  And this is something I need for my diet.  I grew up with a very well-stocked pantry and brought that tradition in my home as I went out on my own.  The last couple of years I began to get lax.  I'm like Matt, no more.  I will revert to my previous ways when that ever happens again.  
 
Anyone buying and using that much flour for themselves is going to be looking at some serious weight issues.

 

I buy 2 loaves of cheap wheat bread a month, if that, and put them in the freezer. Then take out 6 pieces at a time so the loaf doesn't go bad before I use it all.

 

 

-----

 

I wish people would realize the world isn't coming to an end and if it were, would filling an electricity consuming frig or freezer with food only for the electricity to go out when "the end times" arrive really be a good idea?

 

This bulk buying also screws up suppliers because if several people do this, the supply chain gets messed up.  Next month there will be fewer people buying those items and likely more waste.

 

The people paying big bucks for meat is awesome.  The stores wringing easy money out of the fools.   LOL

 

Believe it or not there is a HUGE industrial complex set up to provide food so people don't starve.  Especially in the U.S. we waste 1/3 of our food in one way or another.  The idea that people would PAY over the top prices is foolish.

https://theconversation.com/awareness-of-food-waste-can-help-us-appreciate-holiday-meals-105798
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Eddie, no worries.  As I mentioned I do use a fair amount of flour, I do give bread to a few people and it goes.  Gordon's is a restaurant supply house open to the general public, and everything is in bulk. They had an assortment of 25 and 50 lb bags  of flour and it took me a bit to decide between them.  I will say historically I was paying about $7 for 25 lbs of bread flour, I paid $20 for 50 lbs so that is a substantial price increase.

 

Overall the shelves in the various stores were spottily filled, Aldi had two or thee cases of beans, but limit two. Kroger had a lot of pasta but not a limit if you bought a variety.  The thing I'm concerned with is something similar happening to various plants that happened to the meat plants.  Ford reopened Monday but shut down 2 plants today.  Will there be farm labor to plant and harvest?  A cousin told me of a story where farmers were leaving potatoes along the road vs. plowing them under.   I've seen stories of plants smashing eggs in fields due to over supply or no one to process them.  This all bodes poorly for the fall, food insecurity is a very real possibility.
 
Matt

you’re a gent!  I too am very alarmed and concerned with whats happening with the food supply and especially the labor force.  They are being taken for granted and being considered to be disposable and that ain’t right!

 

I like the observation of the farmer leaving the potatoes on the roadside vs ploughing them under.  You are also so right that the fall and winter are going to be worse.

 

I grew up in the country, my teen years anyway,  and we always kept 2 or more of everything, just in case, and it was also driven home by both parents having lived through the deprivation of the Depression, so it was always, plan for the worst.

 

I’ve done this too, always have at least one extra on hand of all staples.  Now I try to keep at least 2, but only buy the items one at a time as a rule when they are on sale, or now when they are available. I don’t believe its bad to have extra of what you’ll use and won’t spoil.

 

 It’s the people that sweep into the regular stores and clean off a shelf of pasta or flour, or whatever.  Buy a couple, or what your family needs, but not a shed full for later sale on ebay, or wherever.  That’s not who you are. 

 

Eddie
 
I was having a hard time finding yeast a couple of weeks ago and went to a restaurant supply biz about 30 miles away that is now open to the public because their business is down.. They had yeast in 2lb packages but a limit of one.. lots of 50lb sacks of flour.. Most people don't buy that size.. and then the other day I was in the smaller size grocery store up the road from us and lo and behold,, they've been out of flour for a few weeks, and what do I see.. 50 lb commercial size bags of all purpose. Why people who normally don't bake bread keep buying flour is odd seeing as here there hasn't been any bread shortages on the shelves. Maybe they found that after making home made bread for the first time they enjoy doing it.
 
I really think there are people in the world who get bored and need things to fill their time.

 

Baking bread, taking care of pets, whatever......

 

I can not imagine what that is like.  I have never been bored.
 
I swore I wasn't going to buy more freezer meat, but listening to the woes from others, I went to Market Basket and grabbed 2 medium packs of chix thighs (6 in each @ $1.29/#) and an 8 pack of boneless skinless thighs @ $2.49/#. I grabbed a 7.5# pork shoulder and had them strip and grind it for me- I'm freezing it in 1# packs and freezing the bone for sauce in the fall. No beef on sale- I think they're suspending their meat sales. The rump strips I bought a couple of weeks ago for $4.99/# were now $7.99.

I see Price Chopper has T-bones for $6.99/#- maybe I'll check them out. Chick lobsters are $6.77/# and Rich has been jonesin' for lobster so maybe this weekend.

Here's an oddity- For those who don't know, Market Basket is a family-owned chain in New England, and probably the cheapest full-sized, full-service market here (excludes places like Aldi). Stop and Shop is known as one of the more expensive chain markets. I saw a S & S semi pulling up into the plaza where MB is. Sure enough it went around back to the loading dock area! I wonder if they were sharing a load? MB providing S & S with something? It was an odd sight, that's for sure.

Chuck
 
A lot of stores have been carrying brands they usually don't; apparently they're stocking whatever they can get.

As I was taught you should have enough at home for 2 weeks without grocery shopping. As for stocking up it was "If you normally buy 2, but 3 instead".

I'm good for about a month, I think...... except for yogurt

As for non-food..... I have a sterno stove and a half dozen cans, a fold out solar panel to keep my phone charged, and a bunch of candles..... somewhere....

"Just in case" ..... I looked it up and the only thing that sounded vaguely familiar was "tylko w przypadku". "Przypadek" is something that crops up, except it's in the opposite direction; it arrives by falling (like rain). Wow, that sounds dramatic in English but it's not in Polish.
 
I like Price Choppers.  I used to shop at the Brattleboro, VT store.  Good bakery.  It's a mid tier store.  Prices are better at Aldi.

 

I think Albertson's is trying to change the names of all or most of the stores to "Market 32".... don't really care for but whatever. 
 
Took MIL to Walmart today.  Hardly anyone was following the rules.  We had on N95 masks.  Had most things, bleach back in stock, a few paper towels, but no TP!  The ham I take to work was completely out, but I have a fresh pack in the fridge ready for this week.  Still need to go to Kroger for some items only they have.
 
Was notified by the neighbors yesterday price of beef went up again in less than a week, they went grocery shopping yesterday morning and said they saw a beef brisket for $135.00 at H-E-B. I kind of second guessed that when they told me. So decided to go pick up some milk and a few things, and indeed, beef did go up just from last week. Pic below is a brisket, $90.00. Who was saying brisket was a poor mans meat??!??!
Decided to fix a big pot of ham & beans with a skillet of cornbread, side of onion to eat on this next week. Bought SOME chopped ham, they didn't give that away either. Bacon is getting expensive also. I'm trying to think of good food to fix that isn't priced in the orbit. Maybe I'll start a thread on foods to fix that is reasonable price wise for those of us on a budget.

Barry[this post was last edited: 5/22/2020-13:41]

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I bought 2 lbs. of 93% lean ground beef at Target on Tues. for $10.99.  I’ve been stretching lean ground beef with recipes that I can get 6 servings, or 3 nights of meals for two from 1 lb. of GB.  We have no aversion to eating leftovers.  If its good on the first night its good on the 3rd night too.

 

We are all going to need to think and cook like this is WWII and rationing is on.  It can be done.

 

 Sunday I made Salisbury Steak with 1 lb. of lean GB and used a cup of stale bread crumbs that I made a panade with using a bit of milk, a beaten egg and Worcestershire sauce, along with very finely chopped onion, some thyme and lots of black pepper.  It was really good with the gravy and mashed potatoes.  

 

We ate this Sun. thru Tues., with freshly mashed potatoes and cooked vegetables each night, along with a salad, so it didn’t seem like leftovers at all.

 

No way am I going to spend ninety bucks on a brisket.  But in fairness, that was an 18 lb. brisket and $4.99 and lb. is about what I’ve been seeing for cuts of beef like this for a few months.

 

Eddie
 
Eddie- I was gonna ask- is $5/# for Angus brisket high?

As for poor man's meat, chicken wings and flank steak used to be the dregs of the animal. Now they're pricey! Wings here are routinely more expensive than boneless/skinless breast or thighs!

Chuck
 
Eddie,
You are right! When I picked up that package it seemed small to me. When I think of a brisket, I think of something that takes up most of the oven. Family always bought huge ones. Thank-you for pointing that out. But still, no way could I afford that.

While at the store I saw a mother & daughter going through the meat section trying to decide what to get. They were picking various packages up and then putting them back. They were obviously on a tight budget, and shopping for a family. I felt sorry for them, my heart ached. Food bank lines are long these days and there are many families one step away from going there.

Barry
 
Chuck,

$4.99 for brisket is about the going rate here for at least the past 6 mo.  I guess its all relative whether or not one would consider it to be a high price.  

 

With lean GB being $5.49 to $5.79 an lb., $4.99 for brisket isn’t so high. But for someone my age on a fixed income spending $20.00 or more on a decent sized roast is high.  So I just don’t buy it.

 

Now I do like to buy the 1.5 lb. Hormel Pork Loin Roasts for $4.99 on sale, $6.99 reg price.  They are all nice lean meat, no waste and I get 6 servings from these.  They are easy to cook and delicious. 

 

Eddie
 
Tom,

By the time that 18 lb. brisket is cooked and allowing for the shrinkage and loss of weight from the fat cooking out of it if you get 72 sandwiches they aren’t going to be 1/4 lbs.of meat in each.  The way most people are so lavish with meat I’ll bet the average cook would only get about 25 to 35 sandwiches out of this roast.

 

I know I’m a skin flint, but I come from the old school of watching the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. If I hadn’t lived my life this way I wouldn’t have a paid for home and car and a secure retirement. Life is all about making choices.

 

Eddie
 

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