4 ms·

It seems reasonable to make a run to Costco or Sams club to load up on dry goods and paper supplies. Better to do so now than after a panic hits. You don't have

by sky_rw 7y ago

It seems reasonable to make a run to Costco or Sams club to load up on dry goods and paper supplies. Better to do so now than after a panic hits. You don't have to go all doomsday prepper and get 10 year shelf life cans of beans. But maybe enough toilet paper, ramen noodles, and bottled water to last through 30 days of not wanting to leave the house much. Anecdotally, I was in Costco last week and saw a woman shopping directly from a "Disaster Preparedness Checklist". I strongly suspect that there will be a wave of panic shopping in the next few weeks. Better to get after it now. Actually ignore that, wait until I finish shopping then go out.

davidw 7y ago
It's already happening in Italy, in places.
- sky_rw 7y ago
  Example of waiting too long, this line for face masks in South Korea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZzEhTZOV0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZzEhTZOV0
joshstrange 7y ago
Yeah, I'm not building a bunker or anything. I just wanted to stock up of medicine/water/food in case there was a rush.
- AnimalMuppet 7y ago
  Medicines have me a little worried. I can get a three-month supply, but only when my previous supply is almost exhausted. I can't get three months extra "just in case". Anybody have a good way of dealing with this?
  - banana_giraffe 7y ago
    In the past when I've told my pharmacy I'm traveling somewhere with less medical facilities than the US, they can get a refill sooner from my insurance provider than I'd otherwise be good for. That said, it doesn't work for all drugs. One of the medications I'm on now I can't get filled one day early under any circumstance, nor can I get it shipped to me. For extra fun points, if I'm late by more than a week, it's doubtful I can get it refilled ever again.
maddyboo 7y ago
Try to get things with some nutritional value, not just empty calories. Poor nutrition will make you more susceptible to illness, and any illness you encounter worse. If our healthcare system is overburdened, you don’t want this. Apart from obvious things like canned beans and veggies, dry quinoa is great. It is one of the few plant-based complete protein sources, it is rich in B-vitamins (mostly found in meat - short shelf life and could become scarce) and minerals, has good fat content, has a long shelf life, is relatively affordable, and tastes really darn good. You can get organic quinoa from Costco for a good price. Speaking of B-vitamins, if you’re not able to access meat or eggs, you may want a B12 supplement - it is vital for cellular metabolism and nervous function, and isn’t readily available from plant-derived sources. A supply of multivitamins may be a good idea in general, depending on how long your access to fresh food is impeded. Vitamin C may be important if you’re not eating much in the way of fresh fruit or veggies. Nuts - almonds and walnuts are good. High fat, moderate protein content, good sources of certain vitamins and minerals. Good shelf life. Some non-preserved produce have long-ish shelf lives - squash, sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots. I just got some 10lb bags of organic carrots for $5.75/bag from Costco. It’s rare to find any food for just $0.57/lb. In short, please don’t buy 50lbs of ramen noodles and pasta and expect to come out of this healthy a month or two down the line.

by sky_rw 7y ago

davidw 7y ago

It's already happening in Italy, in places.

sky_rw 7y ago
Example of waiting too long, this line for face masks in South Korea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZzEhTZOV0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZzEhTZOV0

joshstrange 7y ago

Yeah, I'm not building a bunker or anything. I just wanted to stock up of medicine/water/food in case there was a rush.

AnimalMuppet 7y ago
Medicines have me a little worried. I can get a three-month supply, but only when my previous supply is almost exhausted. I can't get three months extra "just in case". Anybody have a good way of dealing with this?
- banana_giraffe 7y ago
  In the past when I've told my pharmacy I'm traveling somewhere with less medical facilities than the US, they can get a refill sooner from my insurance provider than I'd otherwise be good for. That said, it doesn't work for all drugs. One of the medications I'm on now I can't get filled one day early under any circumstance, nor can I get it shipped to me. For extra fun points, if I'm late by more than a week, it's doubtful I can get it refilled ever again.

maddyboo 7y ago

Try to get things with some nutritional value, not just empty calories. Poor nutrition will make you more susceptible to illness, and any illness you encounter worse. If our healthcare system is overburdened, you don’t want this. Apart from obvious things like canned beans and veggies, dry quinoa is great. It is one of the few plant-based complete protein sources, it is rich in B-vitamins (mostly found in meat - short shelf life and could become scarce) and minerals, has good fat content, has a long shelf life, is relatively affordable, and tastes really darn good. You can get organic quinoa from Costco for a good price. Speaking of B-vitamins, if you’re not able to access meat or eggs, you may want a B12 supplement - it is vital for cellular metabolism and nervous function, and isn’t readily available from plant-derived sources. A supply of multivitamins may be a good idea in general, depending on how long your access to fresh food is impeded. Vitamin C may be important if you’re not eating much in the way of fresh fruit or veggies. Nuts - almonds and walnuts are good. High fat, moderate protein content, good sources of certain vitamins and minerals. Good shelf life. Some non-preserved produce have long-ish shelf lives - squash, sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots. I just got some 10lb bags of organic carrots for $5.75/bag from Costco. It’s rare to find any food for just $0.57/lb. In short, please don’t buy 50lbs of ramen noodles and pasta and expect to come out of this healthy a month or two down the line.