Grocery Shopping

United States
January 5, 2010 10:16am CST
People here have gone absolutely crazy. They are calling for a "dusting" of snow on Thursday night so everyone has started rushing to the grocery store to stock up. They are buying what they call the essntials - milk, eggs, bread and toliet paper. Now we are not talking about getting several feet of snow, we are talking maybe 1-2 inches. Why do people find it necessary to run out and buy up all these items in anticipation of snow? Do you rush to the store to buy items when they call for snow? If so what is it that you just can not live without? I hate to shop when they call for snow but unfortunately it is time to get groceries in my house so I have to go hastle with the crowds.
3 people like this
11 responses
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
5 Jan 10
well i know what you mean but i guess it depends on where you live. we are in canada and a mere dusting of snow is nothing! people tend to be like that even here when a big snowfall is called for though.
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Jan 10
I could understand if they were calling for several inches of snow but not an inch. Us getting an inch of snow would probably be like you getting 6 inches of snow. You know it is coming and that you will not be locked in your house for days. Give the sun a little time and the snow will go away.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
5 Jan 10
Hi sleepylittlerose, I know. I work in a store and it gets crazy busy at any even slight prediction of snow. its just insane. When exactly was the last time any of us got snowed in enough that we could not make it to a store if we needed to? Beyond all that, don't most people keep some food and things on the shelf? I mean if we were to get suddenly snowed in, I do have enough in my cupboard that we would not go hungry. I almost always have extra gallons of water and a couple extra rolls of toilet paper. So in answer to your question, no, I don't go running out to the store when the weather forcasts snow. In fact, If i don't have to work, I use it as an excuse to stay in and get some things done around the house.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
6 Jan 10
I hear ya!
• United States
5 Jan 10
LOL. I am glad that I am not the only one who sees this. I usually wait until after it has started to snow and everyone is bunkered down in their house before I go to the store. That is the best time in the world to shop. No one is in my way in the aisles or at the checkout. I can run in get what I need and get out.
2 people like this
• United States
5 Jan 10
That's hilarious. However, just before Christmas we got surprised with almost 14 inches of snow. The first reports stated we'd get an inch or two. I think no one thought it would happen here! But it did and we were all surprised!
• United States
5 Jan 10
We got snow the weekend before Christmas also (about 18 inches) and it is still in pile where the roads/parking lots were scraped but we were able to get out the day after the snow stopped. The road crews did a great job and made it possible for everyone to move around.
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
6 Jan 10
If I hear it is going to snow I will go and get my groceries but just what I have on my list. I do not get anymore than what I usually get for the week. I just go before the snow hits so I do not have to be on the road with some people who should not be driving in the snowy weather.
• United States
6 Jan 10
Getting your normal groceries is ok. Makes sense so you don't have to try carrying in the bags with snow on the ground; but the people that buy enough to last them a month are the people I find funny. I can't remember ever being snowed in so long that I couldn't get out after a couple of days. And as far as people driving in the snow, some of those people should not be driving on dry pavement much less the snow.
@Java09 (3075)
• United States
5 Jan 10
Where I live people get all crazy if they hear we're getting a dusting of snow.It's insane and it's hard to go shopping.I do not go to the store when I hear snow.Think about it if it wasn't going to snow they would not go raid the stores.It don't make sense.
• United States
6 Jan 10
People go nuts over the mention of snow. It is so funny that I sometimes like to just walk around the store watching the people all in a frenzy. It is good for a laugh, as long as I have time to waste. But if I am in a hurry they just irriate me to no end. People watch is one of my favorite hobbies because you can see some real interesting characters if you take the time to watch them.
@hoodwinks (157)
• United States
6 Jan 10
That is the same thing in my town, if they hear we are having a big snow storm everyone is over crowding the store and you can't move in there it is crazy. all the food is like all gone, its kind of crazy actions if you ask me. the snow doesn't last forever. worst to come would be no lights that would suck. I hate it when the lights go out! have to wait till they figure out why its acting up or what has happened. gets on my nerves and the weather doesn't help at all :/
• United States
6 Jan 10
Losing power is the worst becuase you lose your heat also. Thank goodness we have a generator we keep on the back porch. We fire that up and get a couple of space heaters running. Hopefully you will not lose power this winter and the snow fall will be at a minumum.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
5 Jan 10
The reason many people do this even though a large amount of snow is not predicted is because predictions can be wrong and the last thing you want to do is to be housebound and to run out of something. When I lived in Maryland, I would make sure I had everything I needed even if the forecast was for an inch or two. Sometimes it turned out that I wasted my time but at other times, not. Now that I live in Florida I keep hurricane supplies on hand all year long and stock up on perishables and other things long before a big storm arrives because, down here, storms can change their track and, if power is knocked out, the stores without generators can't open.
• United States
5 Jan 10
Being prepared is one thing but going crazy is another. Have what you would need to last a week or two. I saw a people at the store in a buying frenzy. They were gathering stuff like they were going to be snowed in for a month.
• United States
5 Jan 10
It would make my day if we only got a dusting. It is really annoying how frantic people get about snow, especially out of towners. I'm used to it but it doesn't mean I like it.
• United States
5 Jan 10
Out of towners? They might as well find a motel room if it starts snowing becuase people around here will tell them how bad it is going to be and that the traffic will not move for days. That is when people from the north start laughing at us like we have completely lost it. I remember a couple of years ago that the Greyhound bus station shut down all traffic going north becuase we have like 6 inches of snow but the busses kept coming in from areas to the north with 8-10 inches of snow still piled on the top of the bus.
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
5 Jan 10
There is so much snow here that people barely bat an eyelash to a little bit of snow. However, I have other places that are a bit more fanatical when just some snow appears. People go to the grocery store so fast, that you would think that nuclear war was going to break out tomorrow, instead of just a little snow. That is how panicked I have heard some people getting. We always have some items stocked up ahead of time, as when it snows, it snows.
• United States
5 Jan 10
That is what it is like here. People rush to the store and get stuff that they otherwise would never need. They get enough toilet tissue to last 2 month and the milk will sour before they can drink it all. I on the other hand will be out driving around in it. So like you said if it snows, it snows.
@Torunn (8607)
• Norway
5 Jan 10
No, I most definitly don't :-) But then we get quite a lot of snow, so it would mean quite a lot of stress. Pluss I have about 3 minutes to walk to a grocery store, so it would have to come more than half a meter, possibly even a meter, before I had problems with getting what I want. People here buy lots of fire wood and heating logs at the moment, it's supposed to be cold for some weeks so whenever there's a sale lot of people show up with the biggest car they can find.
• United States
5 Jan 10
It is good that you live so close to the store that you have no problems getting what you need. And you probably get a lot more snow than I do, so being close would be an important detail. Stocking up on fire wood makes some sense as it is hard to move large amounts of wood in the snow and also if the wood is wet it will not burn as well. Thanks for sharing.
• United States
5 Jan 10
Here in CHICAGO theres lots of snow people dont ussually go like crazy its kinda normal that theres lotsof snow..I really dont go crazy and go buy eggs lol..i keep it calm
• United States
5 Jan 10
I bet you see your fair share of snow in the Chicago. I guess people there are a little more acustomed to snow so the insanity is not quite as bad.