Things you can’t find right now

[Arcadia]

7 hours ago, lewelma said:

I can't figure out why you guys are having such supply problems and we are not.  (I'm in NZ). We are further away from ALL standard shipping options, and we don't make these products in house. Somehow our supply chain is more resilient to shocks and I don't know why.

Does New Zealand government keep warehouse stockpiles of essentials? My country of origin is smaller than New Zealand and it is easy for the government to have warehouses with stockpile of essential goods. That helps buffer supply chain issues but does not buffer the increase in cost of goods to consumers. 
 

ETA:

For example $134.10 (about US$96) for Enfamil Pro A+ Infant Milk Formula - Stage 1 (1.8kg, about 4lbs)

Edited May 16, 2022 by Arcadia

[fairfarmhand]

On 5/11/2022 at 5:57 PM, Terabith said:

I keep reading articles about "what to do if you can't get formula for your baby" and all it says is "keep looking and under no circumstances should you try to make your own formula."

Which, I mean, WTH are you supposed to do if your state is one of those that doesn't have formula?  Making my own would not be my first choice, but I'm pretty sure I would be feeding whole milk or goat's milk to my infant if there was truly no other recourse.  

I have a family history of Milk Protein Allergies, as in, even breast milk was not good for my dd. (she pooped blood, until I switched her to Nutramigen) I told my Grandma about that and she said my aunt was the same way, She tried to raise her on the breast and it was BAD.  So she put my aunt on goat;s milk. If I had an allergic baby right now and couldn't get the Nutramigen, my dh would go buy me a goat and I'd milk the thing. 

 

Thankfully, my dd is nursing my grandson and she can cut dairy out of her diet and he does just fine. 

I cannot imagine how nerve-wracking it would be to have an infant and not know how to feed the baby.

Edited May 16, 2022 by fairfarmhand

[fairfarmhand]

OH, and Concrete is hard to find. 

 

Lowe's had just sold out of all of theirs. The young man said they are over 5 days behind on what they need. I went to ACE hardware and bought a few bags. The man who loaded me said he's hearing that there may be a shortage in the workds.

[fairfarmhand]

On 5/13/2022 at 10:08 PM, Quill said:

Yup. I would be whipping out that Evaporated Milk/Karo Syrup recipe from many moons ago in the Tightwad Gazette. It’s not my first choice but it’s better than letting the baby starve. Many depression-era moms fed their babies this at times because it was better than starvation. 

My MIL couldn't breastfeed my dh, so this is what he was raised on. He did have a difficult time pooping, so I hear. Isn't it odd to think of a time when there really was no commercially available baby formula?

[Murphy101]

On 5/13/2022 at 10:08 PM, Quill said:

Yup. I would be whipping out that Evaporated Milk/Karo Syrup recipe from many moons ago in the Tightwad Gazette. It’s not my first choice but it’s better than letting the baby starve. Many depression-era moms fed their babies this at times because it was better than starvation. 

I would have to be pretty bad off to go that route bc there’s better recipes out there that would provide a LOT more nutrition.  Granted just not starving is more important than a balanced healthy meal.  But people do need to understand that malnutrition does not look as seen on tv. And I second the goat milk suggestions and there’s recipes that tell you how to fortify either cow or goat milk to make it healthy and safe for a baby.  I think people should print those recipes just in case they get removed from  internet TPTB and they later need them.

[Jean in Newcastle]

29 minutes ago, fairfarmhand said:

OH, and Concrete is hard to find. 

 

Lowe's had just sold out of all of theirs. The young man said they are over 5 days behind on what they need. I went to ACE hardware and bought a few bags. The man who loaded me said he's hearing that there may be a shortage in the workds.

There is a concrete worker strike here which is why in this area concrete is hard to find.  (Though some things have eased locally with negotiation.) 

[vonfirmath]

I had to go to three stores to find Children's Flonase last night.

Went ahead and bought two since one is going off to camp and might get lost in the multiple tradeoffs

 

[Carrie12345]

Just got back from Shoprite.  Q-tips, of all things.

 

Saw Similac on the shelves with the recall warning. It looks to me like they’re allowing parents to decide if they want to buy it.
Otherwise, there was one choice for standard infant formula, and one for toddler formula. No pic, because it was a busy area of the store.

Plenty of chicken, surprisingly.

[KungFuPanda]

9 hours ago, lewelma said:

I can't figure out why you guys are having such supply problems and we are not.  (I'm in NZ). We are further away from ALL standard shipping options, and we don't make these products in house. Somehow our supply chain is more resilient to shocks and I don't know why.

Maybe it’s one of those things that’s just logistically easier to pull off on a much smaller scale?  I’m in Maryland and we have more people than New Zealand. We’re not even a very big or particularly populated state. I also haven’t witnessed all of the supply issues that others here are reporting, so there are regional differences. 

[Clemsondana]

Our stores have generally had plenty of food.  I go to either Trader Joes or Ingles (a regional chain) depending on what I need.  They are out of things, but only if I want something specific.  I buy a particular brand of frozen chicken breasts, and I haven't seen those in a couple of months.  That same brand has plenty of nuggets and wings (2 flavors of heat-and-serve and also raw).  But, there is usually whole raw chicken from the same brand and also a couple of different ways to get chicken breasts at Trader Joes, so I don't think of it as a shortage.  I guess because I'm used to TJs having a weird limited inventory anyway that I've always kept a TJs list and a regular grocery list in my head.  Our area is also near a good bit of food production - local dairies, all summer Ingles will have fresh vegetables from regional producers, etc.  Buying our big portions of meat from small farmers won't work for everybody, both from a storage perspective (we have a large chest freezer just for meat and another for vegetables) and an up-front cost perspective, but I feel like it helps to take some pressure off the stores if those of us who can make it work buy local.  

As for why the US is having problems, I wonder if it's in part because we have so many products in each category and it affects shipping.  Like, if a store gets a shipment from a big packaged food producer, it might be 20 products, but 6 are different flavors of Special K cereal and 8 are different flavors of stir-fry sauce and 6 are different flavors of BBQ sauce, and every producer is doing the same thing.  This was prompted by my trip to the grocery store today, where there must have been 20-30 different BBQ sauce flavors.  There used to just be Reese's cups, but now there are mega and regular and those with reeses pieces inside and white chocolate and...  Normally we like our choices, but I wonder if that's affecting the ability to get things places.  Does everywhere have that?It's not like I imagine that there's one choice everywhere else, but this seems pretty extreme.  When applied to everything...BBQ sauce, yogurt flavors, an entire aisle with different flavors of chips, etc...everybody wants their favorite products, but I wonder if trying to provide that in limiting conditions is making it hard to get things made and where they need to go?  I don't know...we threw a wrench into a really complex system and I don't think anybody really knows what kept all the pieces fitting together properly or how to put them back.  

[Arcadia]

14 hours ago, mathnerd said:

Thank you! I will check the Trader Joe's near me tomorrow.

Come over to my Safeway 🤣

 

[Guest]

You know what’s hard to find? Snails, for my aquarium. 😩I grant you it’s not the most pressing problem, but my tank is going to be covered in algae if I can’t get some magical suckers in there to clean up. 

[Arcadia]

37 minutes ago, Quill said:

You know what’s hard to find? Snails, for my aquarium. 😩I grant you it’s not the most pressing problem, but my tank is going to be covered in algae if I can’t get some magical suckers in there to clean up. 

We use sucker fish (hypostomus plecostomus, suckermouth catfish, common pleco) instead of snails. They aren’t pretty but they do the job.

[Katy]

I saw something on Facebook or maybe Reddit that there is some sort of deal where Americans CAN import baby formula from Canada so if you know someone in need order it from Canadian Amazon. 

[Katy]

Oh and I also saw on Instagram this morning some reports of men trying to flip baby formula for 10x the cost. He got kicked out b/s/t group immediately, but I imagine that’s a factor in several places. 

[Carrie12345]

The latest formula issue recommendation appears to be offering cow’s milk to infants over 6 months. That was a pretty dramatic shift!!!

[Jaybee]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

You know what’s hard to find? Snails, for my aquarium. 😩I grant you it’s not the most pressing problem, but my tank is going to be covered in algae if I can’t get some magical suckers in there to clean up. 

I just saw on our local NextDoor that a lady has too many snails and was offering them to other people with aquariums. Sadly, I don't think they would make it to you...

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Jaybee said:

I just saw on our local NextDoor that a lady has too many snails and was offering them to other people with aquariums. Sadly, I don't think they would make it to you...

Oh, bummer! 
 

I was planning to try a different store today, but there was such a crazy storm coming my way I abandoned that plan. 

[Clemsondana]

2 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

The latest formula issue recommendation appears to be offering cow’s milk to infants over 6 months. That was a pretty dramatic shift!!!

I had wondered if they'd adjust that down from the 1 year (I think) that they currently recommend.  When my older was a baby, the dr told me to use milk and yogurt and anything else with fat because kid was skinny - kid was eating table food and still nursing 2-3 times a day but they didn't want kid drinking water most of the time because they needed calories (there was nothing wrong - kid just has a high metabolism and still eats a ton).  I did the same thing with my second since it had been fine for older.  I had wondered if, under the circumstances, doctors would start recommending milk for the older kids.  It would seem like that could free up a lot of formula.  

[Corraleno]

Apparently Abbott has reached an agreement with the FDA that will allow them to restart production at the closed plant, with outside supervision, in about 2 weeks, but they say it will still be another 6-8 weeks beyond that before they get formula on the shelves. 

[mommyoffive]

anyone looking for this

Enfamil NeuroPro Gentlease Formula 20oz Canister 2-Pack Only $42.99 Shipped on Costco.com (hip2save.com)

[Lady Florida.]

On 5/16/2022 at 4:27 PM, Quill said:

You know what’s hard to find? Snails, for my aquarium. 😩I grant you it’s not the most pressing problem, but my tank is going to be covered in algae if I can’t get some magical suckers in there to clean up. 

That's interesting. Ds works in a small family owned aquarium/fish store and they aren't having a problem. He's been able to buy snails for his aquarium and they have plenty for customers. Regional shortages seem so random. 

Also, I feel for you. I've seen his tank when it gets too much algae.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

That's interesting. Ds works in a small family owned aquarium/fish store and they aren't having a problem. He's been able to buy snails for his aquarium and they have plenty for customers. Regional shortages seem so random. 

Also, I feel for you. I've seen his tank when it gets too much algae.

I was able to get two snails and a Pleco today. It was at Petsmart. But two different Petcos did not have a single snail and they only had little bitty plecos. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Ausmumof3]

On 5/17/2022 at 5:57 AM, Quill said:

You know what’s hard to find? Snails, for my aquarium. 😩I grant you it’s not the most pressing problem, but my tank is going to be covered in algae if I can’t get some magical suckers in there to clean up. 

Buy some plants! We never bought snails but there must have been eggs on our plants because we got them anyway

[Wheres Toto]

On 5/16/2022 at 4:27 PM, Quill said:

You know what’s hard to find? Snails, for my aquarium. 😩I grant you it’s not the most pressing problem, but my tank is going to be covered in algae if I can’t get some magical suckers in there to clean up. 

 

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Buy some plants! We never bought snails but there must have been eggs on our plants because we got them anyway

Definitely the plants.  We actually have a quarantine tank for the plants we buy for our aquarium because they come with so many snail eggs on them.  We would have tons of snails if we didn't keep them separate for a little while.  As it is, we have about 10 snails in our main tank. 

[Ausmumof3]

Gah! My fridge didn’t adjust to the temperature drop and froze all the salad. Do we eat frozen salad, soggy salad or just carbs this week? I probably have enough veg that will taste ok in curry etc. but my people aren’t great with cooked veg salad is better.

[Jean in Newcastle]

4 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Gah! My fridge didn’t adjust to the temperature drop and froze all the salad. Do we eat frozen salad, soggy salad or just carbs this week? I probably have enough veg that will taste ok in curry etc. but my people aren’t great with cooked veg salad is better.

What veggies do you have?  Broccoli, carrots, bell peppers etc can all be eaten raw. Especially with dip. 

[Ausmumof3]

Just now, Jean in Newcastle said:

What veggies do you have?  Broccoli, carrots, bell peppers etc can all be eaten raw. Especially with dip. 

Pumpkin potato, onion and zucchini. I do have bell peppers but they are frozen solid along worth the lettuce and celery

[Jean in Newcastle]

3 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Pumpkin potato, onion and zucchini. I do have bell peppers but they are frozen solid along worth the lettuce and celery

Will they eat roasted vegetables?

[Drama Llama]

19 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Gah! My fridge didn’t adjust to the temperature drop and froze all the salad. Do we eat frozen salad, soggy salad or just carbs this week? I probably have enough veg that will taste ok in curry etc. but my people aren’t great with cooked veg salad is better.

Can you put the frozen greens in smoothies?

[Ausmumof3]

2 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

Can you put the frozen greens in smoothies?

Thank you! Great suggestion, I think that could work. 

[Ausmumof3]

12 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Will they eat roasted vegetables?

Potatoes, yes.  I’m sure we will survive for a couple of days, one way or the other. It’s just frustrating when I’m paying $5 each for lettuce and celery right now. (Typical price is $3 or less) But I’m going to try smoothie at least with the lettuce. If not, the chickens will get a win and I might be able to forage a few leaves from DDs garden for the next couple of days.

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Pumpkin potato, onion and zucchini. I do have bell peppers but they are frozen solid along worth the lettuce and celery

Pumpkin, potato, onion and zucchini could be used for cold weather soup e,g, https://ohmydish.com/recipe/pumpkin-and-zucchini-soup

For the frozen bell peppers, lettuce and celery, thaw and cut into strips, then stir fry with olive/sesame/peanut oil. I usually add strips of pork but vegetarian is fine too.  If I am lazy to thaw, I air-fry the vegetables before stir frying with meat. 

[Grace Hopper]

On 5/16/2022 at 11:48 AM, fairfarmhand said:

I have a family history of Milk Protein Allergies, as in, even breast milk was not good for my dd. (she pooped blood, until I switched her to Nutramigen) I told my Grandma about that and she said my aunt was the same way, She tried to raise her on the breast and it was BAD.  So she put my aunt on goat;s milk. If I had an allergic baby right now and couldn't get the Nutramigen, my dh would go buy me a goat and I'd milk the thing. 

 

Thankfully, my dd is nursing my grandson and she can cut dairy out of her diet and he does just fine. 

I cannot imagine how nerve-wracking it would be to have an infant and not know how to feed the baby.

I had twins on nutramigen. Took a while to pay off that VISA bill. 

[mommyoffive]

Two children hospitalized in Tennessee due to national baby formula shortage (msn.com)

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Two children hospitalized in Tennessee due to national baby formula shortage (msn.com)

Oh man 😞 

[Corraleno]

Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act and has also authorized importation of formula from other countries:

"The Defense Production Act order requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfill orders from those companies before other customers, in an effort to eliminate production bottlenecks. Biden is also authorizing the Defense Department to use commercial aircraft to fly formula supplies that meet federal standards from overseas to the U.S., in what the White House is calling "Operation Fly Formula."

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/18/1099937734/biden-invokes-defense-production-act-for-baby-formula-shortage

[mommyoffive]

Ukraine war could cause global food crisis - UN (msn.com)

[Kanin]

I read this title to mean, Things You've Lost In Your Own House, and Can't Find. I was like... everything! I can never find anything in my house! lol. 

[KungFuPanda]

On 5/16/2022 at 3:33 PM, Clemsondana said:

Our stores have generally had plenty of food.  I go to either Trader Joes or Ingles (a regional chain) depending on what I need.  They are out of things, but only if I want something specific.  I buy a particular brand of frozen chicken breasts, and I haven't seen those in a couple of months.  That same brand has plenty of nuggets and wings (2 flavors of heat-and-serve and also raw).  But, there is usually whole raw chicken from the same brand and also a couple of different ways to get chicken breasts at Trader Joes, so I don't think of it as a shortage.  I guess because I'm used to TJs having a weird limited inventory anyway that I've always kept a TJs list and a regular grocery list in my head.  Our area is also near a good bit of food production - local dairies, all summer Ingles will have fresh vegetables from regional producers, etc.  Buying our big portions of meat from small farmers won't work for everybody, both from a storage perspective (we have a large chest freezer just for meat and another for vegetables) and an up-front cost perspective, but I feel like it helps to take some pressure off the stores if those of us who can make it work buy local.  

As for why the US is having problems, I wonder if it's in part because we have so many products in each category and it affects shipping.  Like, if a store gets a shipment from a big packaged food producer, it might be 20 products, but 6 are different flavors of Special K cereal and 8 are different flavors of stir-fry sauce and 6 are different flavors of BBQ sauce, and every producer is doing the same thing.  This was prompted by my trip to the grocery store today, where there must have been 20-30 different BBQ sauce flavors.  There used to just be Reese's cups, but now there are mega and regular and those with reeses pieces inside and white chocolate and...  Normally we like our choices, but I wonder if that's affecting the ability to get things places.  Does everywhere have that?It's not like I imagine that there's one choice everywhere else, but this seems pretty extreme.  When applied to everything...BBQ sauce, yogurt flavors, an entire aisle with different flavors of chips, etc...everybody wants their favorite products, but I wonder if trying to provide that in limiting conditions is making it hard to get things made and where they need to go?  I don't know...we threw a wrench into a really complex system and I don't think anybody really knows what kept all the pieces fitting together properly or how to put them back.  

This is the reason I ADORE small stores. I will pass up a Wegmans and Giant to shop at Food Lion, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, or Lidl. I like to get my food and get out fast. It’s so much easier in a tiny store. I don’t 5000 milk choices. I just want to grab the basics and go home. 

[lewelma]

Apparently New Zealand is completely out of drywall.  " Plasterboard is now in such short supply that it's causing building projects nationwide to grind to a halt. "

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/300591111/builders-forced-to-the-wall-as-gib-shortage-becomes-critical