dogman dan
1 PW
No, I'm not a doomsday prepper. But until quite recently, my health was so compromised, I was certain the next flu season would kill me. I was too sick to be working full time anymore, so I did not have to deal with the usual routes of infection getting into the house. I did not go touch things others coughed on at work, or have kids bringing it home. So that helped me self quarantine, or whatever you call it.
I got the flu shot, and I'm sure I got the flu a few times, but it was not as bad as usual. Sick two days but no puking or huge fever, instead of two weeks with a bonus following bacterial infection. No pneumonia and death. Yay.
But I did worry about a Walmart full of infected kids, or even the workers. My simple solution was to do a few things you can always do, like wash the fresh veggies, and for me, I prefer cooked veggies anyway. I shopped in the morning, after the stockers went home, but well before the majority of shoppers got there. The basic idea was that nobody all that sick hauls themselves out of bed at 7 am to shop. Always a few folks in there buying cold medicine and chicken soup, but the very sick ones don't make it till later.
Sanitize the cart of course, then don't touch stuff you bought then rub your eyes. After using the touchpad to pay, or the wand, grab another alcohol wipe on the way out. If they were out of wipes, have something in the car. Don't put the virus that got on your hands on the steering wheel. Come home, put your stuff away, then again wash up.
While the flu was peaking, I simply refused to have anybody touching my food. No fast food, or really any food I don't cook myself. That would usually be January, most of February. Hotter food might be considered, but nobody coughing on my bread for a burger please. A take out enchilada could easily be put on a plate, and heated back up. Same for a Pizza. But no visiting a salad bar.
Anyway, this all served me well for the flu, while I was so sick I thought a case of flu would end me for sure. For anybody still working, much harder to stay self quarantined.
Corona is much different, It may be around longer than just the winter, its a bit more deadly than regular flu, at least for the older folks. And its going to for sure cause interruptions in supply of things. So I went out and did the stock up. But what to stock up on?
First, don't stock up anything you don't use all the time. These are the things you always use. But not a years worth!!! You don't need a pickup truck full of toilet paper. In any case, TP is not a must have thing. You can use an old sock, and then wash it. But a two month supply of everything you use all the time makes sense.
My basic Idea is if Corona is ripping through my town later this year, I can cut my shopping time down to a few min, to grab bread, milk, eggs, and get out the door.
Here is what I stocked up on, simply buying two of most things I'd normally buy one of on payday.
Shampoo
Body lotion
Dish soap
Laundry soap
Rubbing alcohol ,1 bottle
Lysol, one can.
Dog food, two month supply instead of one.
In the food, I do a eat it down to rotate the stock thing in the freezer at least twice a year, so that was low, and I try to not buy a lot of canned food for awhile, after Christmas.
So I just restocked my freezer with the meat I like, the frozen veggies I keep on hand, and such. I did not try to put away a years worth of anything, again, a two month supply.
Dry food, I do like to have a big stock of beans and rice around all the time. I did not need more. This is the one item I do have a years worth around the house. Just in case.
Canned stuff. I got a few extras of miracle whip, ranch dressing, bbq sauce etc. Not a ton, just enough for if the delivery trucks start being late. I restocked the canned stuff I eat all the time, but not really more than usual. I just have some tomato around so I can make a sauce when I want, some beans to go with brats, etc. NO buying canned veggies, or anything I don't eat all the time anyway. Food will be around, but maybe not every item you are used to having. I bought only what I would normally buy, restocking canned stuff to no more than usual, which is a two to three month supply all the time anyway.
Booze, kind of impossible to buy a several month supply of the wine my wife drinks. It would take up too much space. But I did buy an extra bottle of tequila. Like milk or eggs, we will have to get wine periodically. In the store, its right next to the milk anyway. If things get bad, I'll start buying two week supply of milk, eggs, and wine.
So basically, I spent the grocery budget twice, but I did NOT buy a truck load of bottled water, or a flat bed cart full of cliff bars. Saw people at sams club doing that. Two years from now they will be pretty sick of stale outdated cliff bars. :lol: I don't think the water will stop running. Or get dangerous to drink here.
I just got set up to where I won't run out of the stuff we eat or wash with next week, and won't have to go to the store just to buy some soap.
At some point, we are nearly all going to get this virus. But If I can be the last guy to get it, better than the first.
This got expensive, but not one penny more over the next year than normal. DONT buy shit you won't use this year! The cost was covered by a modest savings we keep. But the main thing is I did not go buy face masks at ten bucks a pop, or ten bottles of alcohol. I just made sure we had enough soap in the house for the spring.
I got the flu shot, and I'm sure I got the flu a few times, but it was not as bad as usual. Sick two days but no puking or huge fever, instead of two weeks with a bonus following bacterial infection. No pneumonia and death. Yay.
But I did worry about a Walmart full of infected kids, or even the workers. My simple solution was to do a few things you can always do, like wash the fresh veggies, and for me, I prefer cooked veggies anyway. I shopped in the morning, after the stockers went home, but well before the majority of shoppers got there. The basic idea was that nobody all that sick hauls themselves out of bed at 7 am to shop. Always a few folks in there buying cold medicine and chicken soup, but the very sick ones don't make it till later.
Sanitize the cart of course, then don't touch stuff you bought then rub your eyes. After using the touchpad to pay, or the wand, grab another alcohol wipe on the way out. If they were out of wipes, have something in the car. Don't put the virus that got on your hands on the steering wheel. Come home, put your stuff away, then again wash up.
While the flu was peaking, I simply refused to have anybody touching my food. No fast food, or really any food I don't cook myself. That would usually be January, most of February. Hotter food might be considered, but nobody coughing on my bread for a burger please. A take out enchilada could easily be put on a plate, and heated back up. Same for a Pizza. But no visiting a salad bar.
Anyway, this all served me well for the flu, while I was so sick I thought a case of flu would end me for sure. For anybody still working, much harder to stay self quarantined.
Corona is much different, It may be around longer than just the winter, its a bit more deadly than regular flu, at least for the older folks. And its going to for sure cause interruptions in supply of things. So I went out and did the stock up. But what to stock up on?
First, don't stock up anything you don't use all the time. These are the things you always use. But not a years worth!!! You don't need a pickup truck full of toilet paper. In any case, TP is not a must have thing. You can use an old sock, and then wash it. But a two month supply of everything you use all the time makes sense.
My basic Idea is if Corona is ripping through my town later this year, I can cut my shopping time down to a few min, to grab bread, milk, eggs, and get out the door.
Here is what I stocked up on, simply buying two of most things I'd normally buy one of on payday.
Shampoo
Body lotion
Dish soap
Laundry soap
Rubbing alcohol ,1 bottle
Lysol, one can.
Dog food, two month supply instead of one.
In the food, I do a eat it down to rotate the stock thing in the freezer at least twice a year, so that was low, and I try to not buy a lot of canned food for awhile, after Christmas.
So I just restocked my freezer with the meat I like, the frozen veggies I keep on hand, and such. I did not try to put away a years worth of anything, again, a two month supply.
Dry food, I do like to have a big stock of beans and rice around all the time. I did not need more. This is the one item I do have a years worth around the house. Just in case.
Canned stuff. I got a few extras of miracle whip, ranch dressing, bbq sauce etc. Not a ton, just enough for if the delivery trucks start being late. I restocked the canned stuff I eat all the time, but not really more than usual. I just have some tomato around so I can make a sauce when I want, some beans to go with brats, etc. NO buying canned veggies, or anything I don't eat all the time anyway. Food will be around, but maybe not every item you are used to having. I bought only what I would normally buy, restocking canned stuff to no more than usual, which is a two to three month supply all the time anyway.
Booze, kind of impossible to buy a several month supply of the wine my wife drinks. It would take up too much space. But I did buy an extra bottle of tequila. Like milk or eggs, we will have to get wine periodically. In the store, its right next to the milk anyway. If things get bad, I'll start buying two week supply of milk, eggs, and wine.
So basically, I spent the grocery budget twice, but I did NOT buy a truck load of bottled water, or a flat bed cart full of cliff bars. Saw people at sams club doing that. Two years from now they will be pretty sick of stale outdated cliff bars. :lol: I don't think the water will stop running. Or get dangerous to drink here.
I just got set up to where I won't run out of the stuff we eat or wash with next week, and won't have to go to the store just to buy some soap.
At some point, we are nearly all going to get this virus. But If I can be the last guy to get it, better than the first.
This got expensive, but not one penny more over the next year than normal. DONT buy shit you won't use this year! The cost was covered by a modest savings we keep. But the main thing is I did not go buy face masks at ten bucks a pop, or ten bottles of alcohol. I just made sure we had enough soap in the house for the spring.