Shopping List for COVID-19 Panic Buying

LAsashoryu on 27/02/2020 - 12:06

Apparently some people in Australia have started stockpiling for the end times that's somehow to be brought about by the low case fatality rate infection Covid-19.

So in the interests of maximising the survival rate of the Ozbargain community (think of a world repopulated exclusively by Ozbargainers), perhaps we should begin compiling a shopping list for the cost-conscious panic buyer.

What products should we be stockpiling?

I note toilet paper appears to be a valuable commodity in areas affected by the virus.

General Discussion COVID-19

Comments

    • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 23:21

      What's wrong with using your imagination?

      • Archi on 04/03/2020 - 17:02

        you imagining you in the porn

  • zombrex on 27/02/2020 - 13:36
    +4

    Rice
    Flour
    Sugar
    Stock Cubes
    Oil
    Canned Tuna
    Corned Beef
    Spam
    Peanut butter
    Jam
    Fray Bentos Pies (not cheap but delicious)
    Museli (3.50 at coles for 1kg this week)
    Weetbix
    UHT/powdered milk
    soap, shampoo, toothpaste

    • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 14:57
      +10

      And kfc wipes

      • Other on 29/02/2020 - 08:52

        Most important!

        Additional bonus for getting these: Fried Chicken.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 21:43
      +2

      shampoo

      I wouldn't call shampoo a necessity. You can wash your hair just fine with soap if need be.

      • capslock janitor on 28/02/2020 - 23:09
        +1

        on the flip side, i use shampoo as soap

        • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 23:11
          +2

          Why are you using shampoo when soap is way cheaper? Hand in your ozb badge immediately! :P

          • capslock janitor on 28/02/2020 - 23:15

            @[Deactivated]: they dont have soap for dandruff :\

            • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 23:27
              +1

              @capslock janitor: They do. It's called medicated soap. The ones that contains 2% Pyrithione Zinc (ZnP) should work to soothe seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis and dry, sensitive skin. They are probably not cheap though which would defeat the purpose.

  • DarthAntz on 27/02/2020 - 13:39
    +4

    cans of beans

  • big1964 on 27/02/2020 - 13:50
    +8

    Beer beer and more beer

  • Ugly on 27/02/2020 - 14:17
    +12

    End of times? No, but there is the real potential to slow or disrupt international supply routes.

    We make very little in Australia, and most suppliers run on very low inventory levels, so it won't take much for things to run out. In particular, the ongoing mess that is our strategic fuel reserve should now be a national emergency. Any hiccup in international tanker transport and we could quickly run low on fuel. Even if other goods get here, there may be no trucks to distribute them.

    (For the purposes of the list, I would suggest a backup supply of any critical medications that you may require.)

    • RedHab on 29/02/2020 - 05:17
      +4

      Yeah, outsourcing fuel refining to Singapore and everything else to China seems to bad idea in retrospect.
      Who coulda known?

      • AlexF on 01/03/2020 - 09:30
        +1

        Who coulda known?

        less greed and more common sense?

        • Chandler on 02/03/2020 - 14:24
          +1

          But what about the corporations? How are they supposed to make more money for their executives and shareholders if they can't outsource to cheaper countries while still charging the same/more for the same product? (or less - looking at you, [insert latest company to reduce product size])

    • sarahlump on 29/02/2020 - 18:06
      +1

      Erm, I have a bicycle, i am fuel independent :) screw the tankers!
      However I would appreciate a big supply of my hormones!(I'm trans and I don't wanna turn into a boy again)

      • [Deactivated] on 29/02/2020 - 18:29
        +2

        I don't wanna turn into a boy again

        Things like breast development is non-reversible without surgery. Body hair will return but laser treatment pre-SHTF would take care of that.

        • sarahlump on 29/02/2020 - 18:44
          +4

          But my bone health!!!

      • PVA on 29/02/2020 - 20:42
        +1

        But other vehicles need fuel to deliver goods to stores you shop in.

    • Zeusy on 03/03/2020 - 21:39

      We make sorbet toilet paper in Australia

  • garetz on 27/02/2020 - 15:43
    +5

    cans of beans and canned tuna would be my no1 and 2 for non perishable food. and vita wheats for soluble fiber that lasts several months.

  • ego22 on 27/02/2020 - 17:04
    +2

    remember to buy alot of your medication also. aspirin if u take low dose etc.
    buy up panadol and ibuprofen to lower temp.
    and remember your pets. alot of food, lots of litter if u have cats.

    aslo remember
    dishwashing liquid
    laundry detergent
    bars of soap
    and things that arnt food that u buy regularly.

    • lew380 on 28/02/2020 - 15:54
      +7

      some of these are non essentials, smelly clothes aren't a major problem. Pets are also a good source of food, rather than spending resources on them for too long

      • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 21:49
        +1

        Damn , I knew we should have gotten a bigger dog than the adorable, rescue shih tzu that we got. He's all hair and has barely any meat , yet eats us out of the house. At least, we have the bunny- it is full of protein :p

      • Ferretface26 on 29/02/2020 - 20:52
        +2

        I’ll eat my relatives before I eat my fur babies

    • Other on 29/02/2020 - 08:29
      +1

      Paper cups to stick on the face of your pet when you go out as they can catch Corona Virus too now (go check the news!).

      Or just kill it and eat it. Just remember to tell your kids it went to a farm before butchering it and serving it.

    • sarahlump on 29/02/2020 - 18:07
      +3

      the cat can shit outside along with the rest of us! If water stops and I can't shit inside my cat is definitely not getting the luxury!

      • josetann on 01/03/2020 - 12:35
        +1

        Get one of those toilet lids that go on top of a bucket. Put in a good heavy-doody trash liner (or a few crappy ones), sprinkle a bit of cat litter over top whenever you do your business.

        • sarahlump on 01/03/2020 - 13:54

          I laughed at heavy-doody

  • Diji1 on 27/02/2020 - 19:19
    -3

    Apparently some people in Australia have started stockpiling for the end times

    The news appears to be reporting that it's now a pandemic instead an epidemic in one country for the (profanity) idiots that haven't figured out what the news is yet.

    • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 17:40
      +2

      Wot?

    • lostn on 28/02/2020 - 19:07

      did they also withdraw all their cash like people do when the world ends?

  • macfudd on 27/02/2020 - 20:19
    +20

    Without even stockpiling I reckon our cupboard has enough crap in there that never gets eaten to last us a month or more. Heck, a breakdown in society probably still wouldn't be enough to get some of it consumed.

    Only thing I did differently was refilling both gas bottles and grabbed a few bags of charcoal. With that, we have the ability to boil water from the full water tank in the backyard. Add in the aformentioned pantry of crap- we could go for a very long time.

    A Costco membership has already meant we look like preppers most of the year with bulk boxes of detergents and stuff stacked up in the garage.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/02/2020 - 21:37
      +2

      You would be surprised how quickly you will run out.

      You should calculate based on calories. A week's supply for 4 actually looks like a tower of boxes of cans.

      • macfudd on 28/02/2020 - 20:11

        Realistically we could go a couple weeks with whats there, there's a lot of rice, about 10kg of pasta and a lot of tins of beans.

        But we will be rounding it out with a few more things - because it'd be a shitty couple weeks of rice & beans followed by pasta & beans.

        • Chandler on 02/03/2020 - 14:25

          a lot of tins of beans

          Hope you got a few Costco-sized toilet paper packages…

      • sarahlump on 29/02/2020 - 18:08

        Doesn't gas go bad kinda quickly? Might be a myth, I am not sure.

        • macfudd on 29/02/2020 - 20:39

          Think thats a myth. As far as I'm aware as long as the bottle stays in good condition then the gas inside will be fine for like 10-20 years. Likely longer but I wouldn't trust the bottle itself without a check at that point.

        • josetann on 01/03/2020 - 12:37
          +1

          When you hear about gas going off after being stored less than a year, they're talking about petrol with ethanol in it. Not LPG/propane. That stuff should be fine as long as the bottle is in good shape.

    • PVA on 29/02/2020 - 20:45

      Us as well.
      Just threw out three long life juice bottles that were a year out of date.

  • breezy-boats on 28/02/2020 - 08:50
    +31

    I came across this link several years ago when Queensland was flooded. It's an emergency pantry list of food items that don't require refrigeration or even heating if you're in a desperate situation.
    https://www.qld.gov.au/emergency/dealing-disasters/prepare-f…

    • Luckyalways on 28/02/2020 - 12:32
      +2

      Great list. Thanks for posting this breezy-boars. For 2 people for 1 week. Phew you need a lot of space to stock for longer periods.

    • trapper on 28/02/2020 - 17:55

      This is great, thanks

  • TransportPosters on 28/02/2020 - 08:52
    +7

    Well I already made sure I've got lots of the cheap M&Ms from The Reject Shop, so I'm good.

    I just have to go to Bunnings now to get the equipment to turn my whole house into a potato farm. Then I'll need toilet paper.

    • Ferretface26 on 28/02/2020 - 09:43
      +2

      Did you go to the Mark Watney school of potato farming?

    • jishkebab on 28/02/2020 - 17:21
      +1

      why not use the leaves from the potato plants if you're going to be going to that extent…

  • Archi on 28/02/2020 - 10:22
    +2

    are there any doomsday preppers here

    • Other on 29/02/2020 - 08:30
      +2

      No.

  • MontyMacaw on 28/02/2020 - 13:05
    +1

    Just watch and adapt to the world of The Purge. You’ll do fine. If unsure go for the sequel and the TV series:
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2184339/

  • sheepzpal on 28/02/2020 - 14:46
    +1

    sex doll

    • Cluster on 28/02/2020 - 14:56
      -1

      I suspect many Ozbargainers already have a waifu

  • Cluster on 28/02/2020 - 14:49
    +1

    Rice, dry beans, and multivitamin tablets. You can live off that for months in your bunker if you have a supply of water and electricity.

    Canned food is a delicious alternative but it's very bulky.

    • Other on 29/02/2020 - 08:31

      what happens if you hate beans?

    • [Deactivated] on 29/02/2020 - 19:46
      +4

      No need for electricity: with all that bean, you'll be producing your own bio-gas…

  • Cluster on 28/02/2020 - 15:03
    +3

    A warning about buying hand sanitizer: Unless it states the actual ethanol percentage, chances are it's well below 50% and ineffective.

    Case in point: I purchased some 1L 1st Care Hand Sanitizer from Cheap as Chips for $3.50/bottle. I tried to set fire to a sample, as it's a quick test for 50%+ content. It extinguished the match. When I set fire to some 62% sanitizer it burned very well.

    Here's the kicker. Businesses are price gouging. Last night I had a look at this product online at this address.
    https://www.superbuys.com.au/1st-care-hand-sanitizer-1lt

    The price was $25/bottle. Incredibly expensive. Now It's $42. And I paid $3.50 at a store 5 days ago.

    The 1st Care product has ethanol as the first ingredient but that's a lie. It's mostly water.

    • takezo on 28/02/2020 - 15:45
      +1

      Still $3 less than RRP. Someone should post it as a bargain.

    • ProlapsedHeinous on 04/03/2020 - 00:08

      $89.99 a bottle now!. they are raking it in baby! (profanity) maggots.

  • iampoor on 28/02/2020 - 15:05
    +1

    I don't have a bunker, I shall just have to rely on ubereats or menulog.

    When I was in Singapore I just used the equivalent since my whole family was paranoid about getting sneezed on or somehow a mutated germ would miraculously infect one of us.

    • Kamsi on 28/02/2020 - 17:58

      Rely on ubereats or menulog, asking other people to make a meal for you that is no no ….

      • Ferretface26 on 29/02/2020 - 20:56

        Food delivery is how the locked down people of Wuhan and other cities are generally making do. Unethical? Maybe. Convenient? Yes. Cheap? Depends on surge pricing.

  • s1Lence on 28/02/2020 - 17:15
    -1

    make sure you have some extra tinfoil hats in case the one you've got on at the moment breaks

  • OzzyOzbourne on 28/02/2020 - 18:12
    +4

    Eneloops

  • weee on 28/02/2020 - 18:29
    +3

    Lots of popcorns and a nice couch

  • syousef on 28/02/2020 - 18:49
    +1

    Cyanide pill and cult user guide.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/02/2020 - 18:54
    +3

    Lock up garage full of Coopers Pale Ale. Very effective against that insipid Corona beer virus. Best tasting antiviral medication in my opinion. Might want to add a few Beroccas too.

    • Forfiet on 02/03/2020 - 20:50

      Sigh…. As a South Aussie take my +…. Could do with a Pale atm….

  • lostn on 28/02/2020 - 19:10

    Cupboard full of MREs, lots of water, guns, crowbar to break into stores in the post apocalypse, and as much beer as you can get. It won't last all that long though.

  • beefmaster on 28/02/2020 - 19:54
    +3

    I really dont understand the idea of stockpiling toilet paper. If you run out then wash your shit off in the shower.

    • PAOK11 on 29/02/2020 - 14:09
      +2

      How you gonna wash your shit with no running water?

      • beefmaster on 29/02/2020 - 16:05
        +16

        If it have come to point where running water is no longer available then cleaning my ass with tissue is the least of my problem.

      • wendellX on 04/03/2020 - 13:38

        How you gonna flush your shit?

  • SupeNintendoChalmers on 28/02/2020 - 20:30
    +2

    firstly, water buy heaps of good quality BPA free containers, fill them up with water and store in a dark, cool place. Should the proverbial hit the fan, first thing, fill up your bath with water- use this water first.

    • Chlorine tablets to make any water potable
    • Carbon Filters for clean water also
    • Consider Solar and battery solution for your home to ensure some power. Even 3 hours worth of electricity is enough each day
    • Canned goods, pasta, rice
    • Condensed milk, powdered milk
    • Doritos
    • Batteries (all sizes)
    • Several good quality torches
    • A flare gun
    • Compass, analogue map- learn how to use them
    • Good quality boots, shoes and a wide brimmed hat
    • Insect repellent
    • Over the counter painkillers
    • 2 first aid kits, proper ones
    • A dymo radio
    • A survival book, that teaches things like what plants\fungi not to consume
    • A good, all purpose knife
    • Rope
    • Rugged backpack
    • Good quality bike with pannier and basket
    • a small handgun with sufficient ammo (hopefully never use it)
    • lette on 28/02/2020 - 22:15

      Which survival book do you keep/use?
      I only ask because I compiled my own from mostly out of print books or handwritten notebooks like sail the farm and people I've met along the way in life, such as foragers and Roo shooters. A I'd love to add more to it, but the majority of currently in print books are t very useful.

    • Other on 29/02/2020 - 08:38
      +3

      You can shoot zombies with flare guns. Apparently they catch on fire. I wonder if it applies to people infected with corona virus.

    • adam on 29/02/2020 - 13:14
      +4

      Why would water supply be a concern in a coronavius outbreak? I see no reason to stockpile water, or to worry about my electricity supply going out.

      • AlexF on 01/03/2020 - 09:39
        +1

        Machines breakdown or shutdown without maintenance.

      • SupeNintendoChalmers on 01/03/2020 - 11:05
        +1

        What if the reserviors get containminated with the virus and no practical sanitation method is possible because the virus has adapted?

        • sarahlump on 01/03/2020 - 13:58
          +3

          What? I feel like preparing for this is like preparing for the sun suddenly disappearing, it might happen.

          • gimme on 03/03/2020 - 09:19
            +1

            @sarahlump: Yea exactly. If it gets to that stage, a few rations won't help you. People have been watching too much Hollywood and reading crap on the internet

        • mattythecapybara on 08/03/2020 - 17:17

          Viruses need hosts, they can hardly live in a reservoir.

    • deelaroo on 01/03/2020 - 01:37
      +1

      a small handgun with sufficient ammo (hopefully never use it)

      What?

      • SupeNintendoChalmers on 01/03/2020 - 11:09

        Without order and structure people become irrational, even more so in packs

        • AlexF on 01/03/2020 - 12:53

          aka. “survival instinct”.

    • sarahlump on 01/03/2020 - 13:57

      Consider getting a book on water purification. In strong enough concentrations chlorine will burn you.(trust me, if it can happen somebody will do it)
      Consider a book on how to use a flare gun, see above.
      A book on land navigation.
      A book on first Aid.
      A book on gun safety.
      *I suggest these books because they included a book on survival/foraging.

      • Archi on 02/03/2020 - 09:04

        So many books you wont run out of something to burn to cook and keep warm

    • Archi on 02/03/2020 - 14:31

      what exactly are you preparing for?

      • badarz on 02/03/2020 - 14:33

        Zombie acopalypse

  • Lexan on 28/02/2020 - 21:00
    +6

    The day when humanity collapsed. The virus took away 80% of the planet population. Later, 10% died in wars for
    supplies and ammo.

    • Other on 29/02/2020 - 08:39
      +2

      Feels like the fallout universe.

      • [Deactivated] on 29/02/2020 - 12:28
        +3

        that's still 795 million people alive.
        Still Too many.

    • AlexF on 01/03/2020 - 09:44
      +2

      Worse: survivors turned squatters don’t pay rent - house prices collapse.

  • Oofy Doofy on 28/02/2020 - 21:32
    +3

    There's no way I'm not catching it, my kids will probably catch it first and then give it to me.

    In my opinion the only thing you need to buy is some balls, if you find you don't have any.

    Most important in my belief;

    Make sure you have a good amount of life insurance, worst case scenario for your dependants.

    Other than that I'd say a private hospital admission (priv health insurance, even if temporarily) if you are one of the 20% of those who might get a significant illness. Public hospitals would get tested quite a bit, if m m m my corona ends up infecting a lot of people.

    If the CDC is only saying people should buy 2 weeks worth of food, worst case, seems like they're not expecting it to be all that bad, even if it does the rounds.

    All in all, we are testing a vaccine here in QLD already, which was developed before a lab in Texas USA, just that we didn't shout it out loud.

    I predict this to be sorted by mid year, not all that different to the swine flu scare of 2009.

    • treeman on 28/02/2020 - 23:05

      I thought the vaccine was like a year away?

      • Oofy Doofy on 29/02/2020 - 12:13
        +3

        With new developments, process will be quicker. Even Israel has a vaccine on the way, depends who gets it tested thoroughly and approved first. I'm pretty sure we had one developed first here in QLD, due to a patented molecular clamp technique developed by UQ scientists. It's not going to take long at all, as long as the testing proves the immune response is sufficient.

        • treeman on 29/02/2020 - 13:39

          Hope you are right.

    • Other on 29/02/2020 - 08:40
      +5

      Schools are disease vectors.

      Teach them good hand cleaning.

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