Supply Chain Upheaval

[tortoise]

Looks like we will experience shortages of general items for a year or more, and between fires, floods, drought, and hurricanes, a lot of crops have suffered. It's getting hard to separate the educated predictions from the fear-mongering. Panic buying has begun, while others stock a reasonable amount of essentials. It's interesting for sure. Not what I envisioned for SHTF, and I'm not convinced it will be that bad. I'm already needing to grow my pantry - it was smallest ever - and random shortages sure make it interesting.

 

[Hinotori]

And a lot of people may re-discover CLOTH diapers.

Last fall, Mom had to explain to my SIL about how they used to cut cheap paper towels into pieces that would fit into a baby wipe tub and add baby oil to make their own wipes. Just enough to wet them. (They could use wet wash cloths at home. This was for when going to town.) My nephew is autistic and won't tolerate a wash cloth. She couldn't get wipes there for a bit because she sucks at planning ahead.

Oh and making wipes like that doesn't cause bacteria to grow and infect babies like all the homemade wipe 'recipes' you see online. I've seen too many news articles about babies that got some infection because of that. The mineral oil doesn't cause the paper towels to fall apart unlike water based stuff.

 

[Hinotori]

Mom had to get a new dishwasher last spring. She ordered because they guaranteed the shipment would be in the next week. 3 months later, she got it and she showed the written guaranteed on delivery time (she always gets it written). Then she argued them into $200 back because she'd have bought a different, cheaper one that they did get in stock during that time.

 

[tortoise]

I'm trying to make decisions informed by 2020 panic shopping, and also by products I cannot use a substitute for.

Appliances are in short supply. My oven broke- the relay for the broiler fried, so that when the oven is turned off, the broiler turns on! That was an exciting discovery 🤣 DH bypassed the broiler wiring and we are hoping to wait out the appliance shortages, or we will settle for a used stove.

Tires have been an issue. We put new tires on most of our vehicles in the last year, but the one done last month we couldn't get the tires we wanted. Fortunately our tractor tire could be patched.

Rumor is that CO2 shortage is or will cause poultry meat shortage because [some?] processors use CO2 to stun/kill. WI isnt affected yet but I'm seeing pictures of prices in pockets around the country that are getting high. I'm also seeing people posting pictures of very large cuts of meat at low price per pound and being outraged over "inflation." 🤣 Perception is a funny thing.

My goal is 6 weeks worth of consumables because that's what I used/needed last year. And up to 12 weeks for items I can't substitute other brands.

 

[baymule]

Most people have too many clothes anyway. Professional shoppers that follow the trends and styles.
My style is blue jeans, T-shirt and tennis shoes. Pretty cheap, the latest in Farm Fashions!

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm not a clothes horse but, my own supply is better than a many stores.

Truly, I've watched styles & colors change, still able to dress pretty much up to date with clothes on hand. Always bought classic and well made, so they last. Last year I opened a box of 32 turtle neck shirts...yep. Jeans, a turtleneck and flannel shirt -- daily dress all winter. 😁 Jeans never go out of style -- nowdays, even the ragged ones Are all the rage some things I have are now "vintage"

 

[FarmerJamie]

Last month, I threw out two cotton t-shirts I have had for 20 years. Thick Levi cotton short sleeves. The collars were almost falling off. Too bad grunge went of style, could have sold for some coin. Lol

Sad part? I felt guilty for no repurposing of the material - rags, ties for staking tomatoes, etc.

 

[baymule]

Stand firm. Get you oven if you can swing it. It is a tool for you to prepare good food for your family.

 

[Mini Horses]

You can heat the oven a little, turn off and put the dough in to raise. I like bread but, I'm with hubs....besides, I've stopped most in oven bread baking and let the bread machine do it all! should add that there's only me to feed and I have a couple recipes I use 99% of time.


As to clothing, I have some shirts fraying in places and think, this is last wearing, as I slip them on! They magically appear in the next washer load. we apparently are a bunch of "ragamuffins" on here!

Just this week I reglued a sole on an old tennis shoe.....I mean, all else is good!! So not ready to toss yet -- they're my farm shoes! Previously work ones, replaced with new.....just like hand me downs, a new life.

 

[flowerbug]

You can heat the oven a little, turn off and put the dough in to raise. I like bread but, I'm with hubs....besides, I've stopped most in oven bread baking and let the bread machine do it all! should add that there's only me to feed and I have a couple recipes I use 99% of time.


As to clothing, I have some shirts fraying in places and think, this is last wearing, as I slip them on! They magically appear in the next washer load. we apparently are a bunch of "ragamuffins" on here!

Just this week I reglued a sole on an old tennis shoe.....I mean, all else is good!! So not ready to toss yet -- they're my farm shoes! Previously work ones, replaced with new.....just like hand me downs, a new life.

my current main pair of garden shoes are on their third or fourth life. first Mom had them until she didn't want them (about 10 years) so i got them from her. purple crocs. very comfy. nice and wide so my feet don't feel pinched at all, good cushion in the bottom. by the time i got them the tread was all worn off and i kept wearing them until the tread started to get wear holes in the bottom so i glued on some el cheapo foam sandals for a few years until those worn off and then i took an old pair of water sandals that broke the strap but the tread on the bottom of those was good so i had a wire brush on a drill to strip off the foam and then glued the new treads on the bottom of the crocs. they should last another 5-10 years at least.

with the gravel we have all over the place it is very important to have some cushion. i have another pair of shoes for working in the dirt in the gardens when it gets muddy so that i can switch shoes when getting out of a garden and not track mud all over the pathways. i have a garden knife or trowel around to scrape the mud off the mud shoes. there are times when i work barefoot in a garden as scraping the mud off the shoes or losing shoes in the mud takes more time than just cleaning up at the end. i'm glad though that i don't have to do that very often - i just wait more now until things dry out enough.