# So what shortages are you personally seeing?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone
**Tags:** covid-quarantine
**Created:** [July 24, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268 "2020-07-24T23:28:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 80
### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1582 "2023-01-23T17:52:35Z")
I am a terrible terrible gardener and I was easily able to get butter lettuce to grow outside in Santa Barbara. Other than the orange trees, it was the only food I was able to grow successfully. Unfortunately, the gophers figured out about my amazing lettuce and that was that. I bought mini starter plants rather that seed which probably costs a bit more. Yeah, I know it was outside but the point is if my incompetent ass can do it, you’ll have no problem.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1583 "2023-01-23T18:08:48Z")
I’ve grown lots of stuff outdoors. I’ve kinda given up because of the chimpmunks, squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons that eat everything. But I’m specifically interested in the issues with indoor growing. I remember being told to use a fan on tomato seedlings because they needed the stimulation or something, for instance. But this is getting to be a long digression, so maybe I should start a new thread…
> [@Growing veggies indoors](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/growing-veggies-indoors/978673):
>
> Inspired by the shortages thread in QZ. I have new indoor lights in the basement utilty room that are incredibly bright. I wonder if this is an opportunity. Can I grow lettuce down there? Tomatoes? Any advice?
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2023, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1584 "2023-01-23T22:29:48Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> How hard do you think it would be to grow it in my utility room?
Not hard, although I’d recommend actual “grow lights” and not just bright regular lights. I’ve done hydroponics a couple times and lettuce was one of the easier crops to grow (and no, I did not grow marijuana, just vegetables). No reason you can’t use old fashioned soil for growing, it’s definitely less complicated in some ways. Stuff grown indoors in still air tends to be less robust than outdoor crops, to counter that get an oscillating fan to generate a breeze, too. Especially if you do something like tomatoes, otherwise the stems won’t be strong enough to hold the plant up when it starts setting fruit.
And I’ll stop side-tracking now.
Just returned to work after a week’s vacation. Picked up a few items on my way out the door and noticed that some items have been entirely stripped, like granola bars (?) and a lot of the foil/plastic wrap/baggies.
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### Author:  [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2023, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1585 "2023-01-24T00:10:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> No reason you can’t use old fashioned soil for growing, it’s definitely less complicated in some ways.
Not sure what you mean here, but just digging up some garden soil and putting in a pot is unlikely to work. Most such soils will turn into a brick in a pot in fairly short order. Though this probably belongs in the other thread, really (see a couple of posts above.)
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2023, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1586 "2023-01-24T07:47:48Z")
Grocery shopping the other day. There were plenty of eggs.
Regular cabbage, on the other hand, was nonexistent. Not even bagged cole slaw mix.
I went to a different store the next day and they had plenty. They even had cabbage QUARTERS, wrapped in plastic, which was perfect - we didn’t really need a whole head of it.
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### Author:  [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2023, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1587 "2023-01-28T06:06:25Z")
The FoodsCo I went to this evening had signs plastered on the egg fridge that they were limiting quantities (sort of). 2 cartons, regardless of size.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1588 "2023-02-09T02:49:28Z")
At Mariano’s, Kroger brand 5-lb bags of carrots have returned. Still nothing at Jewel.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1589 "2023-02-09T03:13:31Z")
Just curious; what do you _do_ with five pounds of carrots?
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1590 "2023-02-09T03:17:32Z")
I’m noticing a local shortage of packaged bologna. Oscar Mayer is nowhere to be seen.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1591 "2023-02-09T05:20:39Z")
Quite a few of us have mentioned trouble finding distilled water. It’s getting bad here - we checked 3 different grocery stores last week and NONE of them had any in stock.
I did some googling and apparently it is a real thing. Supply chain issues, labor shortages, and one article said that there weren’t enough BOTTLES being made.
We’ve seriously considered purchasing a home distiller - but they range from 80 to 280 bucks, and between that and the cost of electricity, it might be quite a while before it becomes cost effective.
We may resort to using tap water in our CPAPs - supposedly it’s not harmful, you just wind up with mineral deposits building up in the chamber.
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### Author:  [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1592 "2023-02-09T05:34:11Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#):
>
> We may resort to using tap water in our CPAPs - supposedly it’s not harmful, you just wind up with mineral deposits building up in the chamber.
In the distilled water thread, someone mentioned using water from a reverse osmosis filter. I’m thinking I might get one. There was also a link to a method of making distilled water at home, but I’m not ready to devote my entire life to the procurement of distilled water (they say it makes a cup and a half per very involved hour).
But if you think it’s hard getting distilled water, you should try getting a replacement CPAP! My daughter’s machine has been making an increasingly alarming noise for almost a year now, and she’s still on the waiting list.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1593 "2023-02-09T08:39:47Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> Just curious; what do you _do_ with five pounds of carrots?
The ones I can’t eat fast enough I run through my friend’s dehydrator. I use the “chips” for soups and stews, and give a few to my parrot. 'Cause I hate wasting food. I do the same for extra mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1594 "2023-02-09T12:21:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> what do you _do_ with five pounds of carrots?
We use carrots in stews, salads, and steamed as a side. If we don’t use them quickly enough, the horses get a treat.
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### Author:  [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1595 "2023-02-09T12:39:09Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> If we don’t use them quickly enough, the horses get a treat.
A horse seems like an expensive way to make sure carrots don’t go to waste.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1596 "2023-02-09T12:46:21Z")
They help out when we over-purchase apples as well.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1597 "2023-02-09T13:07:58Z")
It is quite easy to distill water at home with equipment you already have in the house. It take time, but requires minimal tending once set up.
> **[How to Make Distilled Water for Free—and All the Ways to Use It at Home](https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-make-distilled-water/)**
>
> Learn how to distill water for plants, humidifiers, medical requirements, cosmetics, drinking, and other needs. Making distilled water at home is easier than you might think.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1598 "2023-02-09T13:40:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> Just curious; what do you _do_ with five pounds of carrots?
My husband snacks on carrots every day. We usually buy 2 pounds bags, but sometimes what they have is 5 pounds, and they get eaten.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1599 "2023-02-09T16:10:50Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#):
>
> There was also a link to a method of making distilled water at home, but I’m not ready to devote my entire life to the procurement of distilled water (they say it makes a cup and a half per very involved hour).
>
> But if you think it’s hard getting distilled water, you should try getting a replacement CPAP! My daughter’s machine has been making an increasingly alarming noise for almost a year now, and she’s still on the waiting list.
Huh - I wonder if reverse osmosis filters are getting hard to come by :).
I’ve read the instructions for making distilled water at home - basically a large pot of boiling tap water, a small bowl floating in that to catch the drippage, and an inverted pot lid over it all with ice in the lid (to cool the steam); the low part of the pot lid acts as a focus for the steam to condense then drip down into the bowl. Sounds too involved for me.
I’m planning to try to get a new CPAP machine - I don’t like the one I have because its water tank does not last the entire night if I sleep more than about 6 hours, unless I turn the humidify setting down to zero (which sort of defeats the purpose). I’ll report back if there are delays with that.
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> My husband snacks on carrots every day. We usually buy 2 pounds bags, but sometimes what they have is 5 pounds, and they get eaten.
Mine snacks on baby carrots. Much easier to deal with (no peeling). We buy 3 two-pound bags every week. Oftentimes those are the only ones we have in the house, and they get tossed into soups etc.
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### Author:  [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1600 "2023-02-09T21:51:38Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#):
>
> Much easier to deal with (no peeling).
You don’t really need to peel carrots. When I was a kid, we’d raid the neighbor’s garden and eat carrots right out of the soil. We’d rub off what dirt we could and go for it \
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### Author:  [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-shortages-are-you-personally-seeing/916268/1601 "2023-02-09T22:04:18Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#):
>
> I’m planning to try to get a new CPAP machine - I don’t like the one I have because its water tank does not last the entire night if I sleep more than about 6 hours, unless I turn the humidify setting down to zero (which sort of defeats the purpose). I’ll report back if there are delays with that.
That doesn’t sound right at all. I keep mine on a low(ish) setting and it lasts about 3 days. With that much moisture going through yours, it seems like the rainout would be terrible.
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