View Full Version : Unexpectedly Unavailable?
I went looking for vinegar to clean our coffee maker yesterday. The market had 0 gallons of vinegar, of any type. Also NO white vinegar at all. I settled for 3 small bottles of house brand cider vinegar. Figured an extra rinse should make sure there's no lingering taste.
This surprised me.
As did tapioca when I couldn't find it last year. (Eventually, I did, we found some organic instant at a food co-op.)
What are you having problems finding?
What I know, have seen, or has been commented on here lately:
tapicoa
chicken thighs
vinegar
You?
the vinegar shortage may perhaps be seasonal- in prior years I've found supplies low during canning season (Aug-October).
Not a grocery item but...we went on a road trip recently and booked a hotel in a small town for two nights. Internet showed ten restaurants so we made the dumb assumption we could get meals while there. Asked the hotel clerk for dining recommendations and she said all the restaurants were closed due to lack of help. Somehow we cobbled together dinners from the tiny grocery store. Lesson learned - be prepared.
I've noticed some empty shelves on my grocery shopping routines, but no shortages of anything I've needed. I have had a couple of problems getting bike parts and the bike store said it was due to supply chain issues.
We had some half and half shortages at our local store. They said it was a driver shortage. V8 and ice cream sandwiches are often in short supply. Vinegar does get short during pickling season even non covid times. While on vacation we called for carry out sandwiches at 4 pm and they said they didn't have them due to staffing shortages. Lots of restaurant hours are shorter.
rosarugosa
10-2-21, 10:30am
Canned cat food has been in short supply at local grocery stores in recent months, so we've been getting it Petsmart and Chewy. Yesterday, Market Basket was well-stocked, but it was the first time in ages.
Teacher Terry
10-2-21, 2:13pm
Nothing so far.
happystuff
10-3-21, 12:23pm
Off and on at my grocery store has been whole wheat flour - at least the brand I typically use. Last shopping trip, it was available. The trip before last, it was not.
Building trade supplies, printer ribbons - both at work.
Not unexpected though - supply chains have been messed up for a year and a half.
iris lilies
10-3-21, 12:50pm
The Amish cabinet makers have had our order for condo kitchen cabinets since early February 2021. That’s eight months.
They have now built them and are painting my cabinets. Apparently they are having trouble getting cabinet hardware so I suspect my cabinets are done and they’re sitting around the shop waiting for hardware. Ugh.
Building trade supplies...
Apparently they are having trouble getting cabinet hardware .....
I'm in the middle of a re-build of our rather extensive rear deck, replacing 25 year old wooden planks, stairs and rails with maintenance free composite materials. Apparently railing materials are on the unexpectedly unavailable list, the supplier doesn't expect to have them available till December at the earliest.
What’s getting me now is the huge jump in prices. Cranberries and sugar are very high in price right now. A small 3 cup bag of cranberries (downsized from 4 cups) is $3.97 CAD. A 2 kg bag of sugar (4 pounds) was on sale for 2/$5 CAD.
What I am noticing in our local Nova Scotia grocery stores is that when they have a sale, the shelf is bought out right away, and they aren’t being restocked. Whether this is a shortage or a policy/management issue, I don’t know. But if we don’t get there the first day of the sale, it’s gone.
ToomuchStuff
10-4-21, 1:56am
Canned cat food has been in short supply at local grocery stores in recent months, so we've been getting it Petsmart and Chewy. Yesterday, Market Basket was well-stocked, but it was the first time in ages.
Sorry you are not closer. I just gave a $100+ worth to my niece. I had to put my girl down last week. I've known her all her 22 years, but she was only mine for the last 13 months. (reason I moved into this house) Her kidney's were shutting down (lost 1.5# out of 6.6#).:( I find myself, meowing at an empty house, looking for her still.
Was at a restaurant supply house Saturday. Chicken was 85% gone. Was told by someone I know, whose sibling works at Tyson, that a decent price increase is coming, due to help shortages.
The other thing (debatable about unexpected), I find in REAL SHORT SUPPLY, is patience.
rosarugosa
10-4-21, 5:45am
Sorry you are not closer. I just gave a $100+ worth to my niece. I had to put my girl down last week. I've known her all her 22 years, but she was only mine for the last 13 months. (reason I moved into this house) Her kidney's were shutting down (lost 1.5# out of 6.6#).:( I find myself, meowing at an empty house, looking for her still.
Was at a restaurant supply house Saturday. Chicken was 85% gone. Was told by someone I know, whose sibling works at Tyson, that a decent price increase is coming, due to help shortages.
The other thing (debatable about unexpected), I find in REAL SHORT SUPPLY, is patience.
I am so sorry for the loss of your girl.
Teacher Terry
10-4-21, 12:36pm
TMS, I am so sorry about your kitty. She had a long life.
happystuff
10-4-21, 12:39pm
Condolences, TMS. So sorry for the loss of your cat.
iris lilies
10-4-21, 12:47pm
Wow! All of these 20+ Year old cats around!
TMS I’m glad you were able to stay in the cat’s house for the last months of her life so she was not rousted out of her home at an advanced age.
There’s a very elderly cat in my neighborhood whose mom and dad have been transferred back to Germany. She lived in Germany a few years ago and then traveled to the United States, but now they’re going back to Germany. At this point she’s 21 years old, in kidney failure, being treated of course because they’re quite obsessive about it, and the mom of the family is staying put here until the cat dies.
Oh how I wish all the cats in the world were this well treated. Well, I wish all the children in the world were this well treated!
Stopped by our local Long John Silvers today, they were out of fish.
Stopped by our local Long John Silvers today, they were out of fish.
Seriously?
Seriously?Yep, had to settle for chicken planks.
Chicken lady
10-4-21, 7:29pm
RedSpruce, 25 years ago I lived in a small Midwestern town with three grocery stores - aldi, which was basically aldi. A warehouse store where you never knew what they would have or what the quality would be, but the prices were cheap and you could bring your own containers or buy their cardboard packing boxes for 5 cents each as available. And the “fancy” store. Every week the fancy store put out a flyer that we referred to as “the list of things we won’t have this month.” Deep discounts, very limited quantity. They didn’t restock more than a few items until the rainchecks expired. The theory seemed to be “ if you’re here anyway, you’ll buy something, and if you keep coming back for the raincheck, you’ll buy something then too.”
mschrisgo2
10-4-21, 10:20pm
Dog food, again! Kitten food. Bottled water.
Chicken wings, legs.
“regular” crackers, i.e. no low sodium, flavored, etc.
green vegetables.
hose washers!
basically, there’s not much point in making a grocery list anymore, half of it will be out of stock.
RedSpruce
10-4-21, 10:30pm
The theory seemed to be “ if you’re here anyway, you’ll buy something, and if you keep coming back for the raincheck, you’ll buy something then too.”
:laff: That about sums it up Chicken Lady! Totally annoys me. If it’s not there, I don’t bother with a raincheck anymore. I have better things to do than spend my time running around to grocery stores all the time.
ToomuchStuff
10-5-21, 1:28am
Stopped by our local Long John Silvers today, they were out of fish.
What was your response?
Argh.......
Shiver me timbers?
I remember being able to eat that when I was young. The last time I tried it, tasted good, but all the grease didn't settle.
Teacher Terry
10-5-21, 12:42pm
I have friends that shop at 3 stores for the best price on certain items. I prefer going to the store that consistently has the best price on everything. However, Winco is only in 5 western states.
What was your response?
Argh.......
Shiver me timbers?
No, but I wish I'd thought of it. ;)
iris lilies
10-5-21, 4:42pm
For our Hermann house I want to start ordering things because so many large pieces are out of stock. Buy “things “I mean kitchen stove, bathroom vanities etc. But I don’t have any place to put them. Oh wait I can put them in the garage.
But the garage door is on back order and will not be here until next January! So never mind. I guess in January when it’s actually installed I’ll start ordering stuff.
Teacher Terry
10-5-21, 5:45pm
I ordered a in stock dishwasher from Lowe’s and it took them a month to find a installer. If I hadn’t been nagging them the past two weeks I would still be waiting.
Chicken lady
10-5-21, 7:19pm
I ordered an in stock dishwasher from Lowe’s and the first delivery date (after 5 days) they drove all the way up my driveway, called the wrong (totally random) phone number, and went back to the store. (Dh was upstairs working). The second attempt a week later they drove to my empty house, called no one, and left it in the driveway. I’m married to the installer.
Stopped by our local Long John Silvers today, they were out of fish.
You say that like it was a bad thing...
We bought the fridge we wanted by looking at every appliance dealer within about an hour of here. We ended up buying a floor sample, because it was the only copy of the fridge we wanted that we could find. We'd put a deposit on one at a shop where they thought they had one in the warehouse. Nope! Ends up it had to be ordered. It may be next week, or a year from now...? We bailed and started calling every store we could find.
You say that like it was a bad thing...Well, it ain't Arthur Treacher's but it's not bad.
Well, it ain't Arthur Treacher's but it's not bad.
I remember Arthur Treacher’s very affectionately from growing up.
I am eternally thankful that the big box store had the washing machine we wanted and oh so lucky we got an experienced delivery team. Really hoping nothing breaks in the near future.
happystuff
10-6-21, 10:43am
Loved Long John Silver's! Used to ask for extra crispies - which became so popular, they started charging a bit more for "extra". LOL. We used to have one not too far away, but last time I drove by, it was gone.
rosarugosa
10-6-21, 1:14pm
Reading this thread, it occurs to me that I was lucky to be able to get the parts for our recent washing machine repair.
I’m now just telling people to give cash for Christmas gifts. Easy, no shopping, and you don’t have to worry about it being out of stock. :D
I’m now just telling people to give cash for Christmas gifts. Easy, no shopping, and you don’t have to worry about it being out of stock. :D
I get it, (and I know you're responding to a kind of unrelated topic about store shelves) but that reminds me of my DIL, who used to say that they would go to the annual family Christmas party and exchange gift cards. Cash is even more mundane if everyone does it because, why give anything?? No thought, no benefit (equal exchange, I would assume). Save the trip to the bank and send a card.
I don't think worrying about what's in stock has anything to do with Christmas, unless you're the type who has stood in line since 5am for a Cabbage Patch doll (I'm sure you haven't done that, Tradd!). My favorite gifts have been those odd things that people make or find. I think it was frugal-one who recently said she just finished making Christmas gifts from scraps (someone correct me if I'm wrong). One of the things that made "The Purge" was a set of 3 dishtowels that my DIL's mother made me. She crocheted a border on towels she purchased, and that simple border made all the difference. They are beautiful. I use them as mini-runners, or basket liners, but I NEVER use them to dry dishes. They are "A few of my favorite things."
[To stay on topic, I haven't run into anything that seems to be chronically out of stock]
Pool chemicals have been hard to come by. Not exactly the siege of Leningrad, but still irritating.
Pool chemicals have been hard to come by. Not exactly the siege of Leningrad, but still irritating.
I wonder if that may be a regional problem? I haven't had scarcity problems although my chlorine purchases this year have cost twice what they did last year.
ApatheticNoMore
10-6-21, 2:30pm
Give gifts for kids (up to 12 maybe), cash for teenagers, and nothing for adults, well a card is fine for adults. But gifts for adults are mostly silly unless you just happen to find the perfect something, you know they will love, that you would give anyway.
I wonder if that may be a regional problem? I haven't had scarcity problems although my chlorine purchases this year have cost twice what they did last year.
Chlorine was in short supply here. As was bromine. Our normal pool stuff guy was rationing both. The algae was not very understanding about the situation, however.
Chlorine was in short supply here. As was bromine. Our normal pool stuff guy was rationing both. The algae was not very understanding about the situation, however.
Ha, we opened our pool this year in late May then gave it a very healthy dosage of chlorine in early June before leaving for a 2 month road trip. When we returned you could tell the algae was unimpressed with our efforts.
One of the two plants that make chlorine tablets for pool use had a big fire last year. That’s why the shortage.
One of the two plants that make chlorine tablets for pool use had a big fire last year. That’s why the shortage.
That would explain it. I’m a little surprised there are only two plants in the country. Makes you wonder how vulnerable we are in more important areas.
frugal-one
10-6-21, 5:02pm
I get it, (and I know you're responding to a kind of unrelated topic about store shelves) but that reminds me of my DIL, who used to say that they would go to the annual family Christmas party and exchange gift cards. Cash is even more mundane if everyone does it because, why give anything?? No thought, no benefit (equal exchange, I would assume). Save the trip to the bank and send a card.
I don't think worrying about what's in stock has anything to do with Christmas, unless you're the type who has stood in line since 5am for a Cabbage Patch doll (I'm sure you haven't done that, Tradd!). My favorite gifts have been those odd things that people make or find. I think it was frugal-one who recently said she just finished making Christmas gifts from scraps (someone correct me if I'm wrong). One of the things that made "The Purge" was a set of 3 dishtowels that my DIL's mother made me. She crocheted a border on towels she purchased, and that simple border made all the difference. They are beautiful. I use them as mini-runners, or basket liners, but I NEVER use them to dry dishes. They are "A few of my favorite things."
[To stay on topic, I haven't run into anything that seems to be chronically out of stock]
Nope... not me. I was the one who said they really enjoyed gift giving. I love thinking about the gift a person would want. I used to keep a book with everyone's name in it. When they made reference to something or I thought of something they would like, I wrote it down. I guess it just takes being observant??? Sadly, I have very few people to give gifts to now.
Nope... not me. I was the one who said they really enjoyed gift giving. I love thinking about the gift a person would want. I used to keep a book with everyone's name in it. When they made reference to something or I thought of something they would like, I wrote it down. I guess it just takes being observant??? Sadly, I have very few people to give gifts to now.
Hmm... who was it? Someone here said they had finished their Christmas crafts by making potholders and other fabric things out of scrap quilting fabric.
Anyway, frugal-one, you're the type of giver I have in mind. The giftee is always thrilled to get things chosen with real consideration.
Teacher Terry
10-6-21, 6:13pm
Our Hoa has been having difficulty getting the chemicals for the pool also.
Hmm... who was it? Someone here said they had finished their Christmas crafts by making potholders and other fabric things out of scrap quilting fabric.
Anyway, frugal-one, you're the type of giver I have in mind. The giftee is always thrilled to get things chosen with real consideration.
It was flowerseverywhere!
SteveinMN
10-7-21, 10:56am
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by SteveinMN
You say that like it was a bad thing...
Well, it ain't Arthur Treacher's but it's not bad.
Well stated. LJS kind of lost it for me when they had display cases for the finished product and rivulets of cooking oil were all over them. As were those little fried droplets of batter. Then I moved away from their market for many many years. They probably don't have those displays any more.
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by SteveinMN
You say that like it was a bad thing...
Well stated. LJS kind of lost it for me when they had display cases for the finished product and rivulets of cooking oil were all over them. As were those little fried droplets of batter. Then I moved away from their market for many many years. They probably don't have those displays any more.
When I was a kid, Arthur Treacher’s was one of those things you had to drive into the city (Chicago) for. Sort of like White Castle. That gave it a certain cachet. Do they still exist?
Do they still exist?
I believe there's only one left, outside Akron Ohio. It's about a 250 mile roadtrip for me so even though I loved their fish, I didn't love it that much.
Oh how I wish all the cats in the world were this well treated. Well, I wish all the children in the world were this well treated!
Wish the same.
Loved Long John Silver's! Used to ask for extra crispies - which became so popular, they started charging a bit more for "extra". LOL. We used to have one not too far away, but last time I drove by, it was gone.
Brings back memories of my high school part-time job at LJS. 2 pieces of battered cod and fries for $1.69.
I have my tiny Christmas list mostly checked off--maybe one or two food-type items left. So I'm covered, no matter what happens.
Amazon has been reliable and prompt, as always.
I really haven't noticed any bare shelves in Santa Fe. The only thing there seems to be a shortage of is staff in every store and nurses. New Mexico moved to Crisis Standard of Care this week, which probably means I won't be able to get my little wrist surgery in December after all.
frugal-one
10-23-21, 3:36pm
Leaving for the Rio Grande of Texas next week. Hopefully, there are no/few shortages there. The landlord is providing a freezer we requested so we will not have to grocery shop as often. Will be happy to leave the miserable, cold north clime.
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