Grocery shopping tips during Coronavirus quarantine

[charminglane]

P.S.
Liquor stores near a laundromat tend to have more cleaning products. Bleach for example. It might not be cheap, however it is there.

 

[MJPeony]

Geez, from now on, I am using self check only. I was at the store tonight, and a checker coughed all over my food. WTH?!

I have left everything in the garage for now, frozen stuff wiped off, put away stuff in garage fridge and freezer to deal with tomorrow. Half the aisles are completely empty shelves. It is disconcerting.

We totally need a mental health thread. My husband is sitting in the car, and then, wants me to go to 2 more stores and pick him up a pizza! He totally does not get it! He lives in this secure little bubble, he hasn't left the house in weeks. Head banging emoticon.

ITA.

Mental health is suffering over here in PeonyLand....

Every time I go out I get anxiety. Whether it’s seeing the empty shelves, someone passing by too close, or accidentally touching my face before I’ve used hand sanitizer.... something always causes me distress now.

I’d say the empty shelves are the biggest trigger for me. Even if it’s not something I need or want - It’s instantaneous anxiety just seeing that the shelves are empty.

 

[mickey2942]

@MJPeony totally. No ground beef, in our town, or even where my daughter lives, 90 miles away. There were quite a few bare areas in the store.

I stocked up our house with food, there is no reason to go to the store. Except my husband wants fresh vegetables. I am done with shopping. Today, set me off, the empty aisles, the coughing clerk, and then, he wanted to go to two more stores for deli items, and other stuff!

He will eat what is at home, or order it via instacart. I am done with shopping.

 

[squareandrabbet]

Walking the dog yesterday and I stopped in the liquor store for a look around. Coffee filters, sugar, crackers, laundry soap, and tons of bandanas. I guess for the gardeners that run in for a beer after work.
Our local Mexican, Mediterranean, and Korean markets are all still well stocked. Flats of eggs, milk, chicken, no problemo. For now.
Oh, my bro bought a dozen cans of Campbell's chicken noodle and tomato soup at the Korean market for our parents. Apparently those are not hot items for that community.
So Cal.

Wow, that's super!! Good thinking outside the box! I was reading about specialty ethnic markets earlier in one of the links some kind soul posted here. It made me smile because when I went to Trader Joe's, the primary things left in the frozen food area were Asian; some of which I have tried before, and some of which I never did. (Though one can't really blame people for looking askance at such odd fusion items as "Kung Pao Mochi Balls", they are designed to be baked, they're not ice cream (lol), and they were quite good, if quite spicy.)

 

[Sunshine95]

We have one grocery store and one dollar store here. And tourists are flooding in despite our pleas to not travel here at this time. The stores are beside each other and the parking lot (which I usually maybe 10% full at most) is jammed packed with out of state tags! That makes us locals feel very frustrated and uncomfortable going to get what we need. A lot of people here can’t afford more than a weeks worth of groceries at a time! I wore gloves and sprayed Lysol all over my bags before heading home but idk it that’s good enough?

 

[JerseyGirl]

I just woke up very early this morning and was able to get a grocery delivery slot for a week from now.

 

[zecats]

I just woke up very early this morning and was able to get a grocery delivery slot for a week from now.

What? You have to make an appt that far ahead? No wonder people are panicking, despite all the assurances that groceries will not run out. DH went to Acme yesterday and he said everything seemed normal as he was walking in..cars in the parking lot, people in and out...but the empty shelves threw him into the middle of a dystopian novel.

Side note: He wore a mask (he actually found a few in the garage that he uses for all the yard work he does at home) so that adds to the scientific nature of it as well.

 

[Laughing]

If you can't find latex gloves, you may be able to find the floppy, non-fitted food prep gloves?

At least you won't have to touch key pads, cheap enough to wear while selecting items.

Easy to take off inside-out to keep microbes inside.

BTW, do you know how to take gloves off safely? Remember, if you touch the outside with skin -- you may have transferred microbes

How to Safely Remove Disposable Gloves | Globus

(No experience with Globus Gloves UK, but looks like the process I was taught.)

Best, Laughing



daffodils for your mental health!

 

[JerseyGirl]

What? You have to make an appt that far ahead? No wonder people are panicking, despite all the assurances that groceries will not run out. DH went to Acme yesterday and he said everything seemed normal as he was walking in..cars in the parking lot, people in and out...but the empty shelves threw him into the middle of a dystopian novel.

Side note: He wore a mask (he actually found a few in the garage that he uses for all the yard work he does at home) so that adds to the scientific nature of it as well.

Yes. ShopRite only offers slots up to a week or so in advance. At 4am this morning I was able to get one of the last slots for late Monday next week.

Peapod (Stop&Shop) also delivers and all of their slots are filled 2 weeks in advance. I was able to take one of the last slots there.

I have never found any availability in InstaCart which offers services from our local Aldi.

 

[momrids6]

I think the only benefit of growing up with so little in the frig that I could sit in it if I wanted to, is that my food insecurity made sure hubby built 2 pantries, and we bought a deep freezer. Living a half hour from the grocery stores with a big family, bulk buying was a must for a few decades. We live in hurricane alley, so we keep a lot of canned goods, and I can every summer as well. Have plenty of venison and fish.

There are now large empty spots in the pantries. I'm not flipping out : yet.

 

[weepingangel]

Husband placed an order (our first time using peapod) on the 17th due the 29th (first available slot) Maybe that’ll be enough time that most of the order won’t be canceled. Ha
I believe it’s all paper/cleaning products

What? You have to make an appt that far ahead? No wonder people are panicking, despite all the assurances that groceries will not run out. DH went to Acme yesterday and he said everything seemed normal as he was walking in..cars in the parking lot, people in and out...but the empty shelves threw him into the middle of a dystopian novel.

Side note: He wore a mask (he actually found a few in the garage that he uses for all the yard work he does at home) so that adds to the scientific nature of it as well.

 

[JerseyGirl]

I think the only benefit of growing up with so little in the frig that I could sit in it if I wanted to, is that my food insecurity made sure hubby built 2 pantries, and we bought a deep freezer. Living a half hour from the grocery stores with a big family, bulk buying was a must for a few decades. We live in hurricane alley, so we keep a lot of canned goods, and I can every summer as well. Have plenty of venison and fish.

There are now large empty spots in the pantries. I'm not flipping out : yet.

In our ShopRite order yesterday we received a bag of clementines. We were so thrilled!! I told my husband it reminds me of a story his mom said, that when she was a little girl growing up in Germany during the war at Christmastime there was a naval orange in her stocking and how happy she was to get one.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Husband placed an order (our first time using peapod) on the 17th due the 29th (first available slot) Maybe that’ll be enough time that most of the order won’t be canceled. Ha
I believe it’s all paper/cleaning products

Don’t expect to get anything. My $400 order yesterday from ShopRite only contained $68 in items. They also advise not to check “no substitutes” aa you may get an alternate.

 

[jjenny]

I order from amazon fresh. I managed to get a couple of orders despite amazon being overwhelmed with deliveries. I load up my cart and keep checking for delivery window to become available.

 

[weepingangel]

At this point I’m not expecting much

I got a 6 pack of Tp and spray cleaner from Target on Friday
I hear local warehouse stores (BJs) have TP.
Our stop and shop has bare shelves when husband goes (after work) I think it’s probably better early in the day. He’s not overly worried about food /product shortages. I am. But there’s only so much we can do.

eta- Got some Gatorade on Friday I asked for (the juice aisle was wiped out last time) to keep on hand for any sickness.

Don’t expect to get anything. My $400 order yesterday from ShopRite only contained $68 in items. They also advise not to check “no substitutes” aa you may get an alternate.

 

[momrids6]

In our ShopRite order yesterday we received a bag of clementines. We were so thrilled!! I told my husband it reminds me of a story his mom said, that when she was a little girl growing up in Germany during the war at Christmastime there was a naval orange in her stocking and how happy she was to get one.

My kids still get a large navel in theirs: a throwback to when I got one as a kid.
My habit of buying one when we open the last one of anything is out the window. I'm now anticipating when we will open the last one of anything, and placing an order that won't get here for awhile.

 

[MimosaMornings]

Trying to save gloves for my parents.
I washed my hands thoroughly and dried them. Then I put two clear plastic storage bags over my hand.
Used dollar store duct tape to secure.
Got gas and atm. Disposed in outside bin.
Note - can remove hair on arm!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Forgotten Harvest needs donations to continue mission during COVID-19 outbreak

DETROIT – Forgotten Harvest has refused to let the coronavirus outbreak stop their mission, but they need help to keep going.

The organization wants residents to know what they can do to help them and others during the crisis. Forgotten Harvest is in need of cash donations to help re-configure how it helps people and, at the same time, keep exposure risk to coronavirus as low as possible...

DH is venturing out to Nino Salvaggio's for fresh fish, fruit, vegetables. We usually have three or four fish meals a week and only had two during the past week. We eat very little processed food and are longing for fish and fresh produce. He took a mask with him and will use a plastic bag to select fresh fruit and veggies.

 

[epiphany]

NYC DOE

Free Meals

The New York City Department of Education is committed to making three free meals available daily for all NYC children.

• Beginning March 23, meals will be distributed at more than 400 sites across the city.
• Three meals a day, including breakfast, will be available to all NYC children Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 1:30 pm at locations across the city.
• Use our site lookup tool to find a location near you!

How to Pick Up a Meal

• No registration, ID, or documentation required.
• All three meals a day may be picked up at the same time.
• No dining space is available, so meals must be eaten off premises.
• Parents and guardians may pick up meals for their children‎.

Free Meals

 

[MaryG12]

Coronavirus: What supplies do you actually need? We’re not sure where toilet paper frenzy came from

This is a handy list. Interestingly enough, it includes soap, and hand sanitizer. It does not include toilet paper.

Moreover, this article mentions stocking up at home for 2 weeks only.