I spent a couple hours shopping yesterday

[The Polack MSgt]

Because there has been panic buying of staples here.

I wasn't hunting for toilet paper or hand sanitizer - Nope.

Rice.

I found some at a Korean market, finally, so my wife & I are spared from the nightmare of eating bread or potatoes during meals.

The shop's owner told me that her supplier in Chicago is out and the 10 or so bags she has left is it.

The Commissary on base has been out for more than a week and they can't tell me when a shipment will get in - "back ordered" they tell me.

The big chain grocers are also sold out. The St Louis metro area has a decent sized Asian population, but this is ridiculous.

I shopped for 2 hours and only found some in a tiny Korean Market in a strip mall I never visited before...

All the rice in America comes from Arkansas Louisiana or California, so the shortage isn't due to issues in Asia, nope.

This is a manufactured shortages - all from hoarding.

So when I called my wife saying I had a 20 pound bag of rice, she told me to get 4 bags... Because feeling powerless and nervous about the future drives people to do things that cold logic would argue against.

Things like stock piling way more than 2 year's worth of rice because "You never know"

I bought a second bag - After all, rice will keep for quite a while frozen.

Told my lovely wife that 2 was the limit.

[hlthe2b]

1. I have been watching the Sam's Club website for 8 days now for their organic brown basmati

(4 pounds--my favorite) to come back, as it and all other rice have been sold out for two weeks.

This morning at 4AM I checked and it was back in stock! Placed that order and voila--an hour later it is sold out again.

Glad you found some rice too.

[Aquaria]

4. I saw that rice looked low on the shelves

When I did my last major run before settling into hibernation here, but thought it was a time of day thing. Never thought it might be from hoarding...

But we still had rice, and different kinds at that. And this in a heavily Hispanic city. Mexican-Americans around here eat as much or more rice than the Asian population.

Maybe that’s why we’ve had plenty on hand: The demand here is constant and high, so the warehouses here are always well-stocked, and well ahead, to weather an unexpected hoarding run.

Want me to send you some?

[hlthe2b]

19. Thanks. Got my order in and still had some left, so should be fine for now

I was just shocked to see the big 25-pound bulk bags of rice had flown off the shelves in Sam's & Costco and none of the CO stores had my own 4 pound bags either.

People are taking this very seriously.

[leftieNanner]

2. I have a ten pound bag of beautiful Basmati rice in my freezer

And I'm heading out now to pick up a few more supplies. Already bought some chicken stock, canned tuna, canned chicken, and some beans. I hate canned veggies, so I may go to the frozen section.

This is absurd.

[BusyBeingBest]

3. I like how everyone blames "panic buying" for lack of supplies, but

in reality it's the first wave of assholes who are the panic buyers, and then the rest of us are forced to buy shit because we don't know when it will be available again. In our Walmart there were literally almost no cans of beans left, I just wanted to make some chili--my husband found a couple cans of organic beans left and bought those. He bought toilet paper (not much left) because we feel we have to now. But he bought one 8-pack, not everything that was left, because he's not a dick. Fuck all y'all for wiping out the groceries. That's my rant for the day.

[The Polack MSgt]

6. Yeah, I get that

My wife was legit worried because we were almost out of rice and hadn't seen any in stores in more than a week.

That's a big deal.

My wife is Japanese and the Japanese word for a meal is also the Japanese word for cooked rice. The thought of going a day without rice bothers the hell outta her

[Aquaria]

12. To be fair...

In my case, it made sense to stock up, ASAP. I’m near the high risk group in age, plus I have diabetes and a heart condition. And thanks to the glorious wonder of Metformin, toilet paper is something I need an abundance of. It’s common for me to go through two or three rolls a week—at the best of times. I could blow through an 8-pack in less than two weeks if Metformin gets cranky on me.

So don’t assume that everyone buying up is one of the selfish jerks. Some of us have to stock up early whenever stuff like this hits the fan.

[BusyBeingBest]

17. I would wager for each person who's higher-risk and shouldn't

chance going out to stores too often, there's probably five more people who are just selfish assholes who think, "why three cans of soup when I can have 20?" The virus isn't even in my county yet.

[misanthrope]

34. Some are buying it with the intention of price gouging

My wife saw a family that set their kids up with a roadside stand doing just that.

[BusyBeingBest]

36. That's really clever, defusing people's anger at their

attempts to resell groceries by using their children as shields. What fucking losers.

[marble falls]

37. ONLY 5? More like twenty here in the Hill Country. I didn't have a high regard for the ethics ....

of these yahoos after I moved out here and have even less now.

We have at least one months of pasta, rice, dried bean at all times. We still have cans of soups from recuperating from my last surgery and tons of broth that we always have.

The only thing we bought for the coronavirus was eight jugs of juice, not to be used until one of gets sick.

We had more than enough TP and towels to last us one month, because the wife and I accidently both bought a months worth two months ago on sale and still have plenty.

We're not panicked, but we are very disappointed in our neighbors.

[renate]

31. I can't begin to guess at the number of times I've seen this advice on Reddit, especially lately

Have you got a bidet?

Thanks to Reddit, even before the TP shortages, I read that having a bidet is life changing. I finally ordered one for about $35-40 (can't remember exactly) but haven't installed it yet, but everyone says it's super easy.

In the meantime, maybe you could use one of those squirty bottles that women use post partum?

[MLAA]

38. Hey, good idea! A manual bidet 😊

Thanks!

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Rice Select's Texmati is grown in Texas

(I get 4-packs of the brown rice)

[The Polack MSgt]

8. Northeast Texas Is Occupied Louisiana!

[BumRushDaShow]

9. ....

[lillypaddle]

24. I love Rice Select

It's really good rice, doesn't gum together either.

[SWBTATTReg]

7. It's always amazed me that people obviously don't stock much at home worth a hoot, just in ...

case something does happen. I guess I grew up in an environment where we were taught to always, always have more than enough, to stock up so just in case something did happen, we're were prepared (maybe as part of a post world war III mentality when the Cold War was raging).

Best wishes to all. And you're right. It is the hoarding causing the shortages. Not an immediate need of hunger or anything like that.

[brooklynite]

11. While we normally keep some emergency supplies...

...the usual recommendation is a weather based 3-day interval, not a 14 day quarantine.

[Aquaria]

15. This

I’m always prepared for a weather emergency, but this is way different. Having to isolate for a month or more is a lot tougher to prepare for. Plus, some people don’t have room for it. I’m grateful that I do have the space, when necessary, but I know how lucky that makes me as well.

[SWBTATTReg]

22. Amen. It is tougher to prepare for. When we lived out in the rural area, we didn't get out to...

go to town for shopping very much, except perhaps to the MFA, MO. Farmer's Association, etc. Thus, the stocking up which is natural to us (and neither my grandmother and great grandmother had a driver's license or car either). Thus, we were stuck, unless the mailman was nice enough to pick something up for us (didn't happen very often).

[SWBTATTReg]

16. I just plain hate shopping and also the environment I grew up in, which is why I generally keep ...

up to several months at a time on hand. But I do the shopping spread out over the entire year, and not concentrated over a one or two shopping trip adventure.

Take care of yourself and be well!

[brooklynite]

18. Conversely, I apply the European model of buying only what I need for that day.

[jberryhill]

26. Yep

No surprise that people don't eat enough fresh vegetables.

[The Polack MSgt]

20. I have MREs, batteries, water and such like in the garage, plus a cord of firewood out back

For an emergency.

We had an ice storm a few years ago that stranded us in the dark for 3 days, so that "Be Prepared" lesson was quite strongly reinforced to my wife and kids...

But we don't really keep a pantry stocked up with enough to last weeks

[Doreen]

28. There are people like me however that live in dinky apartments

in which the storage space is close to nil and for some reason also poorly set up. It is a good thing that I have a knack with organizing things but I can only take it so far. I am lucky to have a very small storage closet in my apartment building but I can only get so much in there and it is full. I wish I could store more.

[brooklynite]

10. The local Trader Joe's has a line outside...

...normally seen only for Hurricanes and Blizzards

[Chainfire]

13. Local shopping

I was in a small town grocery store this morning. No shortages of anything. There was plenty of alcohol and all kinds of paper products. Meanwhile, a medium size city 20 miles to the East of this town is out of most everything that hoarders want. I bought a six pack of paper towels because I was out.

It is only a matter of time before some good Republican finds the stash of TP, paper towels, alcohol, hand wipes, and hand sanitizer, buys the lot and drives 20 miles and profiteer off the panic.

It is just good business, Trump would be proud.....

Actually, since the governor declared a state of emergency, gouging is a crime and the guilty party may end up facing a jury of his or her peers. (not a comforting thought) It is amazing to me, that in any emergency, there are people who blatantly gouge the citizens without regard to ethics, morals or respect for the law. I get great sanctification when I hear of their prosecution.

[Vinca]

14. Yesterday I couldn't find toilet paper. Today there was a partial shelf of it with a limit of

5 per customer so I bought 5. I know I've never spent $45 in one trip on toilet paper before! No Lysol or Clorox wipes, no rubbing alcohol, no anti-bacterial hand soap. I decided to start hoarding cat food just in case. It's a toss up which is worse - running out of toilet paper or running out of cat food. LOL.

[Danascot]

25. Cat food. You can always use your cat to ...

(sorry, warped mind)

[Doreen]

30. Don't worry, I have been eyeing my cats too.

[Danascot]

32. Softer than Charmin

Though they can be scratchy

[Doreen]

33. I do not really want a hairy ass either.

[msongs]

21. literally tons of rice available yesterday in hawaii. but we use it more than most states anyway nt

[GulfCoast66]

23. We always have tons of rice because I use so many types.

Jasmine for Asian food.

Calrose for Spanish

Sushi for, well

Arborio for risotto

And Mahatma long grain got my Louisiana dishes.


Maybe I’ll pick up some more tonight.

[trueblue2007]

27. i will tell HUBBY to buy some rice at fred meyer

[clutterbox1830]

29. Find a 24 hr grocery store and shop at 2 or 3am like I do. lol

[Awsi Dooger]

35. I have a 24 hour Walmart 6 miles away

I might have to go that route. My preferred hours are 2-4 AM anyway

[alfredo]

39. I was only able to score 2lbs.

I make my own bread, so far there is no run on WW flour.

Whole Wheat no knead WW bread Dutch oven

4 cups WW flour
2tsp salt
3/4 tsp yeast mix the dry ingredients
2 cups water. Adjust as needed
Mix until dry ingredients are mixed in

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 16 to 18 hrs Punch down and Turn dough out on well floured board. Stretch fold over , turn 90 degrees. Form into ball. Put dough in a floured towel , cover and let rise. Let rise 1 1/2 hours. After 1 hour, turn stove on at 400 degrees.


Bring the dutch oven out when the 1 and 1/2 hours have passed and put the dough in the pan.

Cook for 30 minutes, then bring the pan out and remove the top and return the pan back in for an additional 12 - 15 minutes. Take the bread out and allow to cool for several hours.

I add some 2 Tbs gluten to the dry ingredients. Adjust water accordingly. Caraway seeds taste great in this bread.

[Glimmer of Hope]

40. The bodega across the street from me has

Toilet paper, Clorox wipes, alcohol and bleach. It is my secret source.