Buying, Selling, and the Fear of Missing Out – Daily Quote

/ JoHawkTheWriter

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I watch the panic buying and high demand items with interest. First to fly off grocery store shelves was toilet paper and milk followed by hand sanitizer, paper products, and anti-bacterial cleaning supplies. Then the sale of gloves, masks, and face shields surged. The locust swooped in, hoarding canned goods and shelf-stable foods like rice, dried bean, and pasta. As business sent employees to work from home, sales of webcams, routers, Wi-Fi boosters, headphones, and videoconferencing software soared. Let’s not forget the run on over-the-counter cold and flu medications, pain relievers, and thermometers, as we learned COVID19’s symptoms.

I found it funny that purchases of gym equipment and alcohol gained in popularity the same week. As we settled in for the long haul, board games, puzzles, and video games claimed their day in the spotlight. Self-isolation has increase home-cooked meals and baking. Store shelves lack yeast and flour as people bake bread, rolls, and cake from scratch. Social distancing coupled with increased videoconferencing, has us scrutinizing our image on the screen. Is it any wonder hair dye, hair clippers, beard trimmers, and other grooming supplies are the latest must-haves?

I have the luxury of observing other people’s reactions because I practice disaster preparedness every day of every year. The chest freezer is stocked, labeled, and the contents cataloged and rotated. I maintain backups for my backups. My grocery list contains mostly fresh fruits and veggies, and staple replenishments. Last week a woman sneered at my 15 items and asked if that was all I was buying. Yep, just the necessities for the next two weeks.

Have your buying habits changed?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

10 thoughts on “Buying, Selling, and the Fear of Missing Out – Daily Quote”

  1. Good for you! I cannot understand this current hoarding. My grocery list remains normal, though I had to hunt for my regular stocking of toilet paper. I guess these behaviors tie to the general populace’s penchant for living in the moment. Still can’t figure out the fascination with stockpiling toilet paper…never will.

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  2. My favorite pandemic scarcity is cake and brownie mix. I envision moms and kids all over the country baking dessert together. Yet another one of the awesome things lurking behind the bad.

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  3. I don’t think my buying habits have changed that much except for not finding things I normally use to buy. I try to keep extras of some things around, but don’t stockpile so much. It’s only me, after all. The hoarding is both sad and maddening, especially as it still continues. I did buy an extra batch of paper towels at Big Lots. I’m pretty sure, the towels will eventually be used. What concerns me as something that is both maddening and sad is that all the frantic acquiring will lead to waste–things thrown out,eventually–against the current scarcity of such things as many need now.

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    • I hate wasting anything, and I don’t understand the hoarding. It is annoying to make a trip to the store only to find the item you need is out of stock. There are alternatives, and you figure out ways to adapt. Glad to hear you are plugging along Christopher. Stay safe, my friend. 👍

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