Product shortages in your area ?

[MichaelB]

It's not only pasta, but the spaghetti harvest is severely affected by the weather too:

 

[Amethyst]

I know - being cheaper but just as good as the name brands, it sells out fast.

I've even driven to the Supercenter, west of town where I dislike to venture due to traffic, and not found it there.

One per cent milk tends to go fast, too.

I've mentioned this before that Walmart is constantly out of their house brand yogurt which I really like.

 

[Car-Guy]

Don't currently have a cat, but I love them and always talk to people whom I see buying cat food. It seems that the better canned cat food is still on the scarce side. People grab what they can, when it appears.

Unfortunately, just because they are buying cat food doesn't always mean they have a cat.

 

[Amethyst]

I know what you're saying, but I believe that's a myth.

Cat food smells horrible, and isn't cheap. I remember trying the cat's food when I was little, just to see, and spitting it out in horror - how could our cat stand to eat that?

Dog food smells much more appetizing, but you can still find cheaper protein for human consumption. And honestly, beans and rice smell better

Unfortunately, just because they are buying cat food doesn't always mean they have a cat.

 

[Major Tom]

A good 50% of my diet is made up of a British meal replacement shake called Huel. I found out about it as a result of a desire to find a food product that I could carry in my campervan, and would sustain me for long periods of time when boondocking. I liked it so much that it forms about 50% of my diet at home too. I carry several month's worth of Huel at home, and there has been no problem getting new shipments delivered (they come via UPS).

As for my traditional grocery shopping, I don't shop for a wide variety of food products, and get all of those at Trader Joe's. Although I have noticed slight "lumpiness" in the stock levels at my local TJ's, it's nothing that has prevented me from getting what I want. This is helped by the fact that I keep a stash of non-perishable food products always on hand at home. When the "lumpiness" occurs at TJ's, I draw a little more from the stash. When stock levels go back up, I replenish the stash.

My cat has an Amazon subscription for Fancy Feast. (Well, I have the subscription for her, as she seems oddly averse to using the internet.) Some months, they cancel the delivery, so I have had to cycle to Target to buy it. As with my food, I keep a small stash of her food too, so never get even close to running out of cat food. She also eats a dry food called Nature's Logic. There has been no problem buying that locally.

Being single, and having very simple needs and desires helps a lot in this respect. My cat is a model for simple living.

 

[Major Tom]

I know what you're saying, but I believe that's a myth.

I think it's a myth too. When living in Hollywood, I used to know an old feller who lived in the back of a store. He had nowhere to live, but did get a Social Security check. The store owner felt sorry for him, so let him live in the back of the store. There were no cooking facilities, so he lived mainly on cold canned goods. I never once saw him eating cat food. It was always human canned food and other non-perishable human foods, which makes a lot more sense.

 

[Amethyst]

Don't know how far back the urban legend, of old people eating cat food, goes; I first became aware of it during the 1970's double-digit inflation. Probably some poor soul actually did try it, but it's hard to believe anybody made a habit of it no matter how poor they were.

Beans are, and always have been, cheaper!

I think it's a myth too. When living in Hollywood, I used to know an old feller who lived in the back of a store. He had nowhere to live, but did get a Social Security check. The store owner felt sorry for him, so let him live in the back of the store. There were no cooking facilities, so he lived mainly on cold canned goods. I never once saw him eating cat food. It was always human canned food and other non-perishable human foods, which makes a lot more sense.

 

[Music Lover]

I know what you're saying, but I believe that's a myth.

I think it's a myth too.

When my GF moved in with her 2 cats I was shocked at what she was paying for cat treats. The next time we went to Costco we bought a 10-pack of tinned sardines made for humans. Way cheaper.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

My cat is a model for simple living.

I dunno. She seems to rely pretty extensively on her staff...

 

[JoeWras]

If simple living includes lack of showers and relying on self cleaning, I'm not sure I want to be part of it.

And BTW, cat food isn't cheap!

 

[Gumby]

I forgot cat food. The canned stuff has been very sparse for months now. I went shopping today and to my surprise they had more than the usual 6 small cans. Our little princess mostly eats dry food, but she likes to snack on some canned food occasionally, so I pick up a few cans whenever I go to the grocery. They are now 79 cents per 3 ounce can.

 

[Amethyst]

Not to mention that one's bathroom is a box, and one's feet and hands are in it!

If simple living includes lack of showers and relying on self cleaning, I'm not sure I want to be part of it.

And BTW, cat food isn't cheap!

 

[aja8888]

When I was in college, I had a part time job at a family run grocery store (remember those?). I used to stock the shelves with canned goods (one of my tasks).

I recall frequently restocking cans of expensive crab meat. I always wondered who the heck was buying all the crab meat in those expensive, small cans.

One day as I was stocking the crab meat cans, an older lady stood there until I was finished filling the shelves with the crab meat cans. She immediately started taking the crab meat cans and putting them in her basket. I asked her if she really liked the crab meat and she stated it wasn't for her, but for her cat.

 

[Major Tom]

If simple living includes lack of showers and relying on self cleaning, I'm not sure I want to be part of it.

It's not too different from the way I live when camping, though I clean myself a little differently from the cat. One has to draw the line somewhere

I dunno. She seems to rely pretty extensively on her staff...

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Get them in bulk. It’s cheaper too.

 

[anethum]

Strange, as pasta is basically shaped forms of wheat powder and eggs. How is there a shortage of these ingredients?

Russia is the world's largest exporter of wheat, and Ukraine is also an important exporter. The main buyers of Russian wheat are supposedly in the Middle East and North Africa. USA & Canada are also major wheat exporters (#2 & #3), so there shouldn't be any shortage in North America. However, the price of wheat has spiked since Russia invaded Ukraine. A bakery near me recently increased their bread and pastry prices 20% across the board. A supermarket near me recently increased their in-house "artisan" breads by over 10%.

I haven't seen any shortages in the DC area. I'm finally starting to see whipped or soft cream cheese available again. It was hard to find for a while, supposedly due to a cyberattack, not a supply chain problem. Brick cream cheese remained readily available.

 

[Koolau]

I think it's a myth too.

When my GF moved in with her 2 cats I was shocked at what she was paying for cat treats. The next time we went to Costco we bought a 10-pack of tinned sardines made for humans. Way cheaper.

I agree that the cat food thing is probably a myth because of all the stuff said so far (smells bad, is expensive, etc.) BUT I w*rked with a guy who had previously w*rked for an animal products company. Their work group had it all worked out how they would put one of their products (a drug - maybe a heart worm prevention??) into dog food. They proudly passed their idea up the line and were shocked to find out that 1/3 of all canned dog food is eaten by humans. So, instead of an "attaboy" they got an "awcwap!" Yeah, I was surprised too.

By the way, I've tried dog treats and I didn't care for them, but they would have been much preferable to starving and WAY preferable to cat treats or cat food (wet or dry.) YMMV

 

[JoeWras]

By the way, I've tried dog treats and I didn't care for them, but they would have been much preferable to starving and WAY preferable to cat treats or cat food (wet or dry.) YMMV

"a friend told me" that dog treats are unpalatable because they are grainy and gritty.

 

[Ronstar]

Baltic birch plywood is commonly used in making cabinets, Harvested in the Baltic states and processed in Russia and Finland. I need one sheet - I hope my favorite hardwood supplier still has some.

 

[Car-Guy]

One day as I was stocking the crab meat cans, an older lady stood there until I was finished filling the shelves with the crab meat cans. She immediately started taking the crab meat cans and putting them in her basket. I asked her if she really liked the crab meat and she stated it wasn't for her, but for her cat.

I'm sure that still goes on. Our dog loves these and we buy them by the case for him. He prefers the BBQ flavored ones the best but he'll eat all flavors. I tried one but I guess it's one of those things that's an acquired taste.

 

[statsman]

And then there are people like this:

 

[Amethyst]

One-third? You sure he wasn't having you on?

I found this tale of a lady who ate the same food as her dog for a week. She was on a paleo diet, and the dog's food not only qualified as paleo - it was much cheaper. At least, as long as she stuck to kibble. The canned food turned out to be quite expensive, because humans need a lot more calories than dogs do.

It's pretty funny, but the line that cracked me up was when her mom reminded her to walk herself!

https://www.ozy.com/true-and-stories/i-did-it-6-days-of-eating-dog-food/36846/

I agree that the cat food thing is probably a myth because of all the stuff said so far (smells bad, is expensive, etc.) BUT I w*rked with a guy who had previously w*rked for an animal products company. Their work group had it all worked out how they would put one of their products (a drug - maybe a heart worm prevention??) into dog food. They proudly passed their idea up the line and were shocked to find out that 1/3 of all canned dog food is eaten by humans. So, instead of an "attaboy" they got an "awcwap!" Yeah, I was surprised too.

By the way, I've tried dog treats and I didn't care for them, but they would have been much preferable to starving and WAY preferable to cat treats or cat food (wet or dry.) YMMV

 

[cyber888]

Well, I went to the grocery today. I was able to buy Prime Ribeye and T-Bone steaks for $7.99/lbs. My favorite bread was on sale at $1.99 from $2.99 So, that's good Gas prices (regular) in my area $4.19 - $4.29 .. not as high as the Iraq War yet. No shortage yet.

 

[RobbieB]

I think "cat food" was really "chunk light tuna" (human consumption grade) which on sale is about 50 cents a can.

I used to snack on this stuff all the time right out of the can and someone said "you're eating cat food"?

 

[38Chevy454]

I agree that the cat food thing is probably a myth because of all the stuff said so far (smells bad, is expensive, etc.) BUT I w*rked with a guy who had previously w*rked for an animal products company. Their work group had it all worked out how they would put one of their products (a drug - maybe a heart worm prevention??) into dog food. They proudly passed their idea up the line and were shocked to find out that 1/3 of all canned dog food is eaten by humans. So, instead of an "attaboy" they got an "awcwap!" Yeah, I was surprised too.



By the way, I've tried dog treats and I didn't care for them, but they would have been much preferable to starving and WAY preferable to cat treats or cat food (wet or dry.) YMMV

I always wondered why cat food doesn't come in mouse or wild bird flavor? My cats sometimes eat their catch.
As bad as canned cat food smells i can't imagine a person eating it.