My local (30 minutes away) Costco is offering "senior only" hours, 8-9 AM, only on Tuesdays. I missed my shot this morning but that's okay as I still have plenty of meat, but something I may consider in the next week or two.

Local groceries offer early morning senior hours also but from what everyone is saying on Facebook they don't enforce it in any way and the stores are filled with 30-somethings during the senior only hours.

I should have bought more meat when I was last at Costco (early in March) before all the craziness started, and I thought about it, but knew I had no room at home in my freezer. At least I got my usual bit Costco stash of toilet paper and paper towels.

I am so guardedly excited for you!

I was alert and snagged a 36 roll pack before the frenzy. Good thing, too, because I haven't seen it since.

I have started arriving at the store as soon as they open: the one time I tried going at 1 they had Mongol hordes sweep through. I noticed they always have plenty of the fake meat. Har de har.

I am also getting really tired of those "eat for $1 a day!" kinds of posts that rely on rice and dried beans.

I am going to be thrifty at the supermarket moving forward: I've been furloughed. I still have my job, at the moment, because the organization hopes to start up again. But I'll be getting unemployment instead of a paycheck, and I don't know how that will shake down. I already pared our budget down to afford the new vehicle this summer, so there really isn't much fat to burn here.

I'll buy what we are out of and eat some of the stockpile we built.

My local grocery store (HEB) decided against any sort of senior-only hours but they have, apparently, hired a lot more people to service curbside pickup because one can now easily reserve a curbsite timeslot no more than 10 days out. Previously, there was NOTHING available for the entire 2 solid weeks in advance that they allowed reservations... and not just at my nearest HEB. The same thing was true at all the HEBs within 25 miles of my home.

Earlier this week, I finally managed to snag a curbside reservation date at my local HEB that was two full weeks out by staying up until midnight and reserving it as soon as their calendar update to add another date. Then, yesterday I was actually able to get a reservation for 3 days earlier than my previous reservation, so I canceled the later reservation.

I am noticing too that HEB is putting limits on how much one can buy of some of the more popular products. That should put an end to empty shelves being caused by hoarders.

Unfortunately, some of the limits seem to be based on the assumption that everyone eats a SAD diet. So, for example, you can only get 2 dozen eggs. Hubby and I together easily go thru more than a dozen eggs per week. A family of 4 eating LC could easily eat a dozen or more eggs per day. But, being able to get 2 dozen eggs each time one shops is a whole lot better than not being able to find ANY. So I'm okay with reasonable limits until folks settle down.

One thing that I don't like...but that is probably necessary to keep people from just grabbing a reservation time and holding onto it in case they decide to shop...is that 1) you have a limited amount of to fill your cart and check out and 2) after you check out, HEB only allows you to add a maximum of 4 additional items to your cart. With so many of the things I normally buy (canned coconut milk, canned coconut cream, full fat unflavored yougurt, etc) not available, I need to take time to look at labels before I add things to my cart...and that takes time. And, trying to figure out what one is going to need 10 days to 2 weeks in advance is really difficult. I'm sure I'm going to wind up realizing that there are 4 items that I should have added but forgot about.

I don't think we'll starve tho. And I think we'll manage to stay LC although it is going to get more expensive.

While walking the dog yesterday, one of my neighbors drove by and stopped to holler-chat. She had a packet of toilet paper visible in window and said Walmart had it in stock again and was limiting purchases to a single package so that there was plenty for everybody to at least get one packet.

I have high hopes that by the time I go to pick up my April 2 curbside delivery, all of the items I ordered will be in stock.

I'm still bummed that HEB doesn't include their bulk bin items in their online shopping for curbside pickup. I detest buying spices in little overpriced jars. I've already got PLENTY of spice jars! Would much prefer to just be able to buy a small packet of spice and refill the jars. Fresher spices at a lower price...but not available without going into the store. <sigh>

I also don't like paying the premium prices of prepackaged nuts and thing like almond meal and flax meal. I've still got a reasonably good supply of almond and flax meal but I'm almost completely out of nuts. I might spring for bags of the almond and flax meal when I run out but I guess nuts are off the menu for the time being.

On a very positive note tho, by sticking to my LC diet, I've lost 3 lbs since going into self-isolation a little over a week ago! Not sure if its because I'm eating fewer nuts or if the extra exercise from the around-the-house projects that Hubby and I decided to go ahead tackle is having an impact.

Both my Instacart grocery deliveries came today, with few substitutions. Tomorrow morning I'm going on a scouting expedition to one of the stores which supposedly has senior hours, just to see if they're lying and to check out what they have on the shelves.

Today I had two different stores with different delivery persons and I asked them what times are best and which stores. One told me that the online inventory is a lie in most cases. I'm fairly certain that will change with time. They just haven't needed accuracy for online shoppers before. Now they're dealing with thousands a day.

Sam's club had a limit of 1 per customer on bone-in skin-on chicken thighs but was allowed to buy 2 hot rotisserie chickens. Go figger. They were out of only one product which was the Instant Oatmeal. I didn't order any paper products. I was able to get tons of fresh fruit for DH and coffee.

The SO and I are going to Sam's Club tomorrow. We're hoping that the panic buyers have run out storage space and will be staying home.

Can you order from multiple stores on the same order? What about delivery charges and fees, if there are multiple delivery persons? Do they charge one fee and then you tip each delivery person?

I think the delivery people are assigned by Instacart so no two stores on the same delivery at this time. My first delivery extra charges were delivery charge, service charge, and tip. The second order on the same day from a different store, delivery was free, but the other two still stood. I chose the percentage of tip and I also tipped at the door. In Las Vegas everybody expects tips because so many people live off tips.

You can check it all out for yourself online and they have a Facebook page.

My wife wanted an egg mcmuffin, so I drove out and was first in line at the drive through. Waited about a minute before they opened and took my order at 5am. I had nitrile gloves on - no mask. Normally I never use the drive through, but times they are a changing.

Got an email from Whole Foods that they will open one hour early for seniors 60 and older and I'm contemplating a visit. I sure could use some meat (I've never bought meat there). I could fit some eggs also. Maybe some bacon too.

I'm impressed that when a lot of the stores are implementing the seniors/disabled hour, they're opening the store an hour early. People who are on their way to work and rely on being able to jump in at the usual opening time can still do so.

Meat, eggs, canned goods and toilet paper are still disappearing here. I wonder if a lot of it has to do with people like me who are laid off and/or worried that they will be, realize they can't afford restaurant food like they used to, and are suddenly cooking for themselves.

That makes sense. It's part of the same impulse: hoard TP, hoard money.

P.S. My DiL just texted me from Costco and says they bidet attachments for your toilet on sale. 😂

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COVID-19 coronavirus discussion at Active Low-Carber Forum .. includes this War Zone as well as the journals

Sadly the bacon was rationed at Costco and my DiL was only allowed to buy me one package. Bummer, that sure won't last long.

Ok, as of today, I seem to be managing my time in potential contact (nothing within 6 feet) with others while I still get the food I need without hoarding. The routine of going to Costco early on Tuesdays enabled me to purchase some NY steaks, a couple wild salmon sides, and some reasonably fatty ground beef. I was able to grab my protein and go right to self-checkout where I found no line and was out of the store this morning in 5 minutes. People (customers and employees) were respectful and smiling. Very well organized.

Also, my online grocery shopping with Harris Teeter locally is also manageable with express pickup. I put in an order about 6 days in advance, and I arrive at my reserved time with an HT "shopper" loading my order in my car. HT also waives my fee, as I'm over 60 y/o. So far, so good.

I also put in an order through Amazon with Whole Foods and received a 2-hour delivery slot later in the same day. We'll see how this plays out, and I realize that not all will have the options I have in Northern VA. Given the more rigid lock downs we are experiencing now in Virginia, this makes it far more manageable.

My heartfelt salute to those who are working in these stores and to those who are essential first responders and medical employees, as they enable us to function and remain healthy while minimizing our own risk.

Here in semi rural America we do not have all your choices. No delivery that I know of but the food coop where I shop is doing a good job of controlling things so shopping there is pretty safe, hours are limited (2-7PM for in store shopping) and only a limited number of people are allowed into the store at one time. Of course this means that you have to stand in a line where people are voluntarily keeping themselves 6' apart. No self check-out. They also offer curbside pick-up. I just found out that I can use it even though I do not have a car. Hours that you can call in an order are also controlled and limited. So far I have not been able to get through. My freezer is well stocked with meats. I am used to buying meat in bulk. It is my normal way of purchasing meat. I only need my food coop for veggies which I do eat every day (no carnivore here). It's weird but working.