Today is Monday, April 13. I decided to go shopping, thinking the stores would be less crowded before payday. A lot of people didn’t pay rent this month. The military is distributing food to its members, even though many families still have the same income as before, with one partner usually staying at home.

I get that some people are being cautious, thinking this situation might last for months. But for the military, it’s not like they’re losing their jobs.

My fridge was still pretty full, but I wanted to shop before payday and also try to shop smart. When I lived in the Guatemalan jungle, I would go shopping twice a month, traveling about an hour to the next town. I hate shopping and supermarkets, and those days were exhausting. But I did it to save gas and enjoy a few weeks on the beach afterward.

Those shopping trips took 6 to 8 hours. I’d start with hardware stores for house improvement items like concrete, paint, and electric wires, usually needing to visit two or three stores. Then, I’d go to the supermarket for guest house supplies like detergent, toilet paper, and dry goods. Finally, I’d hit the market for fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, and dairy. The market was cheaper and had better quality but was crowded and hard to park at. I often needed extra stops for dog medicines, candles, and other random items. Overall, it was a long, horrible day.

Here, I’ve been conflicted about my shopping strategy, but my goal is to keep a high supply level to avoid going out when I don’t want to or can’t because I’m sick. Living in the RV, we already had weeks of beans, rice, lentils, and canned goods. I also buy lots of frozen meat in bulk from the commissary.

Usually, I shop at Costco for finer foods like cheese, salmon, and pesto, which come in bigger containers for cheaper. I then go to the Mexican chain El Super for fresh food, covering 90% of my shopping. Once a month, we hit Trader Joe’s for cheap wine and beer, and the dollar store for energy drinks.

These days, I can’t bring myself to queue everywhere on the same day. While I don’t like driving for the sake of it, it’s been getting me out of the house. So today, I just went to Costco. The lines were okay; I showed up at 9:30 am, and they usually open at 10, but they were letting people in early. I was inside within 15 minutes. When I got out, the line was at least five times longer.

I’ve also driven by supermarkets several times, and having reserves allowed me to avoid the lines and decide to shop later. While I don’t expect the country to run out of food, I do expect some supply chain disruptions and people panicking when stores run out of certain items.

There have been talks about meat plants closing and reducing the meat supply. I’m not too worried about that. I bought a 4lb pack of bacon at Costco, and with a little bacon seasoning, I can go without meat in a meal for a long time. We also have canned tuna, salmon, chicken, and other proteins.

I don’t plan on shopping for another 10 days or more, ideally just before payday again. How are you handling shopping during quarantine?