What to stock up on in case of quarantine

[knapplc]

It's looking more and more likely that a lot of us will be working from home for a portion of the next several weeks, or even quarantined at home if things get bad.

 

We've also seen that people are panic-buying supplies - but the wrong ones! Sure, toilet paper is nice to have on hand, but it's not an essential when you're house-bound for two weeks.

 

Here's a common-sense list of stuff you should have on hand in case of quarantine:

 

FOOD

Dried beans - You have to soak them for 24 hours, but they're better than canned. Or just buy canned.

Rice - world-wide staple that can be used in 1,287,236 dishes. The one thing you HAVE to buy.

Canned meats, soups, stews - Something soothing like chicken noodle if you're sick. Something wholesome & filling if you're just hungry

Canned veggies & fruit - they last longer than fresh fruits & contain tons of vitamins

Salt & Pepper

Coffee or tea (if you drink foo-foo drinks, you're going to have a bad time)

Dried fruits & nuts - Healthy, easy snack food requiring no prep

Potatoes - I just bought a 10lb bag for maybe $3.50. There's a million ways to make potatoes, and they're filling.

Onions - a 3lb bag should set you back about $3.00 and they'll add a ton of flavor to your food

Garlic - A few heads of garlic can be a godsend, and like onions they'll stay edible for a two-week quarantine

Cooking oil

Big bag of frozen Chicken Breasts

Hamburger - 5lb, frozen

A couple of roasts like chuck roast or pork shoulder. You can get several meals out of this if they're big enough. Easy to make, filling & long-lasting.

Bullion cubes! These things aren't the best food in the world, but they can make a palatable broth and they're cheap & shelf-stable.

Spices - go through your spice cabinet & make sure you're topped off.

 

Get your favorite sauces, too. Sriracha, ketchup, mayo, soy sauce, whatever. Don't eat bland food if you don't have to!

 

I know not everyone has a huge freezer, so if you're dealing with a relatively small fridge/freezer in an apartment, buy more canned meat than frozen.

 

Some people are buying up water. OK, that's not an awful idea, but it's not crucial. We're not likely to lose utilities like water & gas, so save your money. If anything, buy a water filter, like this.

 

MEDS & STUFF

Refill your prescription meds! Talk to the pharmacist and/or your insurance provider now about refills. Don't wait until you're stuck in the house - or sick - to try to refill these.

OTC Cold/Flu medicine. Don't wait until you're sick to get cough syrup, ibuprofen, TheraFlu, Gatorade (for electrolytes) or pedialyte if you don't want the sugar

Soap. Cannot stress enough how crucial this will be.

Shampoo, body wash, etc.

All your feminine hygiene products. This doesn't apply to most of us here, but if you're the purchaser for your house & you have girls, get what they need.

All your baby products - diapers, wipes, formula/baby food, aquaphor, all that stuff.

 

Also, for those of you who have pets, get enough food to last the little guys, including treats.

 

 

CLEANING SUPPLIES

Laundry soap, dish soap... anything you need to clean your dishes.

Paper towels

Rags, sponges, or whatever you use to clean up.

 

Here's a list of the EPA's essentials for COVID-19 cleaning products.

 

 

 

 

If people get shut in and need some simple recipe ideas, ask and I'll post some basic stuff here.

 

 

 

[suh_fan93]

Man this has been on my mind the past few days.  My wife and I generally go grocery shopping on Fridays after work or on Saturday.  I am dreading our next trip to the store. 

[Enhance]

Potatoes were completely wiped from Baker's yesterday. It was fascinating.

[RedDenver]

Don't forget frozen foods. Can get a variety of vegetables that will last.

 

And make sure you're buying things you and your family will actually eat.

[knapplc]

11 minutes ago, RedDenver said:

Don't forget frozen foods. Can get a variety of vegetables that will last.

 

And make sure you're buying things you and your family will actually eat.

 

I have two fridges & an upright freezer, so I'm pretty well stocked on frozen stuff. Most people don't have that kind of storage, so canned meats/veggies make more sense. But if you've got the space, load up!

[RedDenver]

Also, buy winter squash - it'll last for months on your counter.

[NUance]

Whiskey.  

[GSG]

Good tip on how to save on TP

 

 

[The Dude]

I basically keep my place stocked at all times and just rotate the food out.  It's not a crazy prepper thing, I view it as a sensible adult thing, especially if you have kids in the house. We're probably comfortable for a month if it came to it.  6 weeks would be doable if we rationed.  

 

My advice is get food you'll actually want to eat.  Beans and rice is fine if you have no other options, but get as much of the food you normally eat as possible (considering shelf life).

 

If you can't find disinfectant or hand sanitizer on the shelves, water with a little bleach is adequate for all your disinfecting needs.  Hand sanitizer is super simple to make by mixing 2 parts rubbing alcohol and 1 part aloe vera gel.

[JJ Husker]

I don't understand why anything needs to be overly stockpiled or horded. We always have a pretty good stock of non-perishables.  What is happening now is ridiculous.  I get that some people may have not had much hand sanitizer or things like that and those type items may be sparse for a bit but this sh#t is crazy. It's not the zombie apocalypse unless we make it that.

[RedDenver]

25 minutes ago, JJ Husker said:

I don't understand why anything needs to be overly stockpiled or horded. We always have a pretty good stock of non-perishables.  What is happening now is ridiculous.  I get that some people may have not had much hand sanitizer or things like that and those type items may be sparse for a bit but this sh#t is crazy. It's not the zombie apocalypse unless we make it that.

It's preparation in case you or someone in your house gets coronavirus and you need to self-quarantine for 2 weeks. It's more about doing your best to limit the spread of the virus.

[Redux]

[knapplc]

3 hours ago, The Dude said:

My advice is get food you'll actually want to eat.  Beans and rice is fine if you have no other options, but get as much of the food you normally eat as possible (considering shelf life).

 

This is good advice.

[knapplc]

2 hours ago, JJ Husker said:

I don't understand why anything needs to be overly stockpiled or horded. We always have a pretty good stock of non-perishables.  What is happening now is ridiculous.  I get that some people may have not had much hand sanitizer or things like that and those type items may be sparse for a bit but this sh#t is crazy. It's not the zombie apocalypse unless we make it that.

 

This is a post that is not likely to age well.

[HuskerInLostWages]

Apparently people don't can foods anymore?  I have 20 jars of spaghetti sauce just from last season, pickles, zucchinis, carrots deer meat and elk.  I would think most Midwestern folks did this with grandparents, I know very few do it on the west coast but I don't want to waste my home grown veggies.  We could easily live for a couple months with all my canned foods.  Must not be something done anymore because I see nothing ever mentioned about it.