March 15, 2020

What I Bought For a Potential Lockdown

With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading across the world, there’s been an increasing panic. Along with panic comes odd behaviors that make us feel like we’re more in control–like hoarding toilet paper. Here’s an empty toilet paper aisle at Target this last weekend.

Consider the largest pack of toilet paper you can buy at a store, a Costco-sized pack of toilet paper has 30 rolls. On average, a man uses one roll every 4 weeks and a woman uses one roll a week. So, for a family of four with two men and two women, a single Costco pack should last you around three weeks. Given the fact that grocery stores are still open in lockdown areas, you only need to buy one or two large pack of toilet paper.

Why do I not recommend buying more? Simple. Hoarding is selfish. For the most extreme case, let’s look at masks. If you are healthy, you do not need to wear a mask. And yet, there are plenty of healthy people wearing and hoarding masks, which leaves a shortage for healthcare workers who actually need them.

In a less extreme case when I was at Whole Foods, I heard about a man who had driven all around town to find toilet paper because he had run out.

Basically, you shouldn’t buy more than you need because other people need these items too.

Don’t be the guy with the toilet paper. Be the guy with the beer and just buy what you need.

So, what do you need?

Well, let’s look at the reality of things. Italy has shutdown everything except for grocery stores and pharmacies. This includes schools, movie theaters, restaurants, and cafes. Where I live, schools announced this week that they would shut down for a month and the farmer’s market will close until further notice. So, I knew that we’d be without some items for a while.

For example, I buy berries at the farmer’s market each week because I can dump them in my mason jar and the farmer, Jesus, will reuse the paper or plastic baskets for another customer. So, for me, it’s completely package-free. I have yet to see package-free berries at the grocery store, so I know we won’t be buying berries until the farmer’s market reopens.

In reality, since even the hot spot areas have kept grocery stores open, you don’t need to keep a large stock of food-related items. You should, however, still have 2 weeks of food at your house at all times, just in case of a natural disaster. So, if your area does go on lockdown, think of all the things you would need but can’t get at your local grocery store. You should have enough non-grocery items to last you a month.

So, here’s my list:

fresh and non-perishable food
medication
cleaning products
health & beauty products
entertainment

This is a great time review what you have in your house in case of a natural disaster or other emergencies.

Food

I read a good line yesterday that said, remember to eat for enjoyment not just nutrition. So, when buying food for a lockdown, yes, make sure you have healthy essentials, but also add on the foods that you love and would eat at a restaurant. Don’t just buy a palette of canned beans if you don’t love beans. Stock up on foods that you love.

Pantry Staples

I love pasta. My Whole Foods started packaging their pasta in plastic, so I go to a different store to get pasta in a paper box. Because of this extra trip, I generally stock up on boxed pasta whenever I go to this other store. I also bought flour so I can make my pasta from scratch. You can find the recipe in my “Plastic-Free Pasta” post. (Like I said, I love pasta!)

Olivia for the Ocean - Plastic-Free Living

Even though I generally make pasta sauces from fresh tomatoes, I grabbed a few extra jars of marinara sauce and other sauces, just in case. I stocked up on bulk grains that we eat such as rice, quinoa, lentils, and black beans. Since there’s a potential they will shut down the daycare my kids go to, I bought some boxed mac and cheese, just in case I run out of fresh cheese.

We also bought some canned soups that my husband likes, as well as canned fruits and beans for an actual emergency.

Don’t forget to check your stock of cooking oils and spices. I grabbed an extra bottle of olive oil since its the only oil I cook with.

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

Since my farmer’s market was closed, I stocked up on the package-free fruits and vegetables I could get at my grocery store.

I also grabbed some extra onions and sweet potatoes which I used in many recipes.

Bread

I stocked up on bread last week before things started getting really hectic. Since I make a special trip to Panera to get bread, I usually buy two loaves of sliced bread and three loaves of French bread. This usually lasts us a month. I bring my Onya Bread bag to Panera and have them put it directly in the bag.

Make sure you keep your bread in the freezer! I also store my breads in the freezer in these Onya bread bags. Putting bread in the freezer is the best way to preserve your bread since it stops the breakdown process. Be sure to slice the bread prior to freezing it. When you’re ready to eat, let it defrost or simply pop it in the toaster and it comes out tasting like it was freshly baked! Also, by freezing your bread it allows you to have a few extra loaves on hand.

Meats

I generally cook vegetarian and about 80% of our meals have no meat. However, when dining out, we eat generally order meals that include meat. Since restaurants will likely close in a lockdown, my husband stocked up on bacon and steaks. Like I said, don’t forget to buy foods you enjoy and would order at a restaurant because they might shut down all restaurants in a lockdown.

Snacks

Now that you have the essential foods, consider the snacks. If your kids are going to be out of school for a whole month, then you’ll need some treats to help pass the time.

I bought some extra bulk candies while the store still lets me use my own bulk bags. And also bought some strawberry ice cream since we normally get an ice cream cone after eating dinner on the weekends. If we have a shutdown similar to Italy, our local ice cream shops would be closed as well.

And for the adults, I have a lot of wine…thanks to my rebate check at Costco. It just so happened we stocked up on wine and Girl Scout Cookies last month.

Coffee & Tea

If you’re a Starbucks, Peet’s or, Philz regular, go grab a pound of coffee beans from one of those places. In the event of a shutdown, it is likely that coffee shops will be closed as well. You don’t want to be without your daily caffeine for an entire month, right?

I stopped by my local Peet’s last week to grab a pound of water-processed decaf coffee beans. (I gave up caffeine when I was pregnant with my first child.) I asked the barista to dump the beans in my bag but she said she had to use one of their plastic-lined bags to dump it in mine because of the Coronavirus.

So, not entirely plastic-free but I remember the Mother of Zero Waste, Bea Johnson, saying that companies who wish to use an intermediary piece of plastic to give you something are generating extra waste on their part and that this doesn’t bother her because she can’t control it. So, while I would have preferred that they dump the beans directly in my bag, I have bigger fish to fry and didn’t let it bother me for too long.

Long story short, I have a lot of coffee and tea to last me a while.

Pets

I don’t have any pets but make sure you have enough food and treats for your pets as well!

Medications

Now would be a good time to refill that prescription and see if it can be mailed to you, if you want to avoid going to the doctor’s office right now. Or if you’re out of any pain relievers or fever reducers, pick some up just in case.

Ladies, don’t forget your birth control! Don’t have an accidental Coronavirus baby!

Cleaning Products

As mentioned in Plastic-Free Cleaning, I clean my whole house with Castile soap, vinegar, and baking soda. I purchased a gallon-sized bottle of Castile soap last year. Given the small amount I use, this should last me five years. Vinegar and baking soda are generally available at grocery stores.

Hand washing with soap is the best way to kill the virus. It’s even more effective at killing viruses than hand sanitizer. Basically, the lipids in soap break the cell walls of the virus, once the walls are broken, the virus dies. Read this piece by the Guardian if you want to nerd out over the biology for a bit.

So, while everyone was stock piling on hand sanitizer, I picked up a few extra bars of soap. We use them to wash our bodies as well. Which brings me to my next point.

Health & Beauty

If you’re low on any of the items you use to get ready in the morning or shower, pick up those items. Reports from Italy and China have mentioned that food and medical supplies have been steady, since that is what the government prioritizes, but people are running out of toothpaste and shampoo.

I have an extra shampoo bar in my bathroom and a spare one in my travel bag, so I’m good for at least two months. You can read more about shampoo bars in my Plastic-Free Showering post.

I make my own toothpaste with coconut oil, baking soda, and peppermint oil–see the recipe in my Plastic-Free Dental Care post.

The deodorant bar I purchased months ago has more than 75% left, so my beauty routine is covered for at least two months.

Entertainment

If all of the movie theaters, restaurants and events were shut down in your area for a month, what would you do with your time? I’ve been trying to brush up on a few languages I learned when I was younger, so I bought a few foreign language phrasebooks. Maybe now is the time to pick the piano back up? Or learn to cook? Whatever you think you’ll want to do, go pick up those extra items today.

And for the consenting adults, since there will be a lot of time to pass, make sure you pick up the necessary contraceptive items. Don’t have an accidental Coronavirus baby!

What do you think? Have you already gotten everything on this list? Or did I remind you of something you need to get? How are you preparing for a potential lockdown? Tell me in the comments!

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