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debm55

(58,481 posts)
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:05 AM Jan 23

We went to the store yesterday to buy "essentials" --milk, bread, bread, kitty litter.My husband disappears and shows up

with his ""essentials" cookies, popcorn, and chips. What "nonessentials" do you get for a snowstorm.? :


One year, my husband was in Florida for a conference. We had a 3 year old toddler at home. We were supposed to get 6 inches of snow. The storm stalled and stopped over Pittsburgh and we got 26 inches of snow. No school for a week, Next week, Arctic blast for a week. No school for a week That was in 2010

38 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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We went to the store yesterday to buy "essentials" --milk, bread, bread, kitty litter.My husband disappears and shows up (Original Post) debm55 Jan 23 OP
Essentials always on hand: kitty food and litter, coffee, cream, chocolate, wine. niyad Jan 23 #1
I always keep a 5-month supply of litter and cat food. PikaBlue Jan 23 #4
I generally have at least a month's worth of kitty essentials. Fortunately, niyad Jan 23 #5
Great Idea. PikaBlue. Thank you for sharing. debm55 Jan 23 #8
Alfalfa-based rabbit food pellets can be used as litter. Similar to the original Litter Green. highplainsdem Jan 23 #23
We have a pellet stove for heat UpInArms Jan 23 #32
The alfalfa pellets reduce odor, though, and they're flushable, if you don't flush too much at a time, and highplainsdem Jan 23 #34
I was so desperate PikaBlue Jan 23 #35
The only time I buy junk food PikaBlue Jan 23 #2
Thanks, PikaBlue for sharing with us.I can't eat salty foods. I do like unsalted chips when I can find them. debm55 Jan 23 #9
I once took my husband to the grocery store. Once is the key word. Polly Hennessey Jan 23 #3
A lot of us guys will do that on purpose calguy Jan 23 #7
I agree with you calguy. And it works. debm55 Jan 23 #12
Wait a second! You shouldn't wash jeans with whites? Dosn't matter, I have no whites they're all a light blue. retread Jan 24 #37
HAHAHAHHAHHAH. I love it. Thank you very much for your post. Polly Hennessey. debm55 Jan 23 #10
Tuesday was Social Security deposit day, so I was out of a lot. House of Roberts Jan 23 #6
Thank you House of Roberts for your post. State safe and warm. It is very cold and windy in Pittsburgh. No snow yet-- debm55 Jan 23 #11
After the 1967 blizzard when Chicago had 26 inches of snow in a day... greatauntoftriplets Jan 23 #13
HAHAHAHHAAH. Thank you very much greatauntoftriplets. debm55 Jan 23 #19
We try to stay stocked up at all times Americanme Jan 23 #14
Thank you very much, Americanme, for sharing with us. debm55 Jan 23 #20
Enough whole milk justaprogressive Jan 23 #15
Excellent, justaprogressive.enjoy, And stay warm and safe. debm55 Jan 23 #21
During Christmas break in high school and college I hauled manure from the barns. It was steaming in the cold. twodogsbarking Jan 23 #16
Thank you very much for sharing with us, twodogsbarking. Be warm and safe. debm55 Jan 23 #22
In this case, you can send your husband with his selections and I'm done. 🤔🤓😆 littlemissmartypants Jan 23 #17
HAHAHHAHAHAH. that's funny. When he does the shopping, there are even more snacks. debm55 Jan 23 #24
Cookies, popcorn, and chips are "essentials", get used to it KS Toronado Jan 23 #18
HAHAHAHAHAH. OMG, That's what he says. debm55 Jan 23 #25
Costco Tempura Shrimp Keepthesoulalive Jan 23 #26
Yummy, Enjoy, Keepthesoulalive. Be warm and safe. debm55 Jan 23 #28
Kroger had Ben & Jerry's on sale today. Xavier Breath Jan 23 #27
Yummy, Thank you Xavier Breath .Enjoy .I was going to ask how many bought. debm55 Jan 23 #29
I didn't even think in terms of snacks for the storm when I was at the store last, a few days ago. Was highplainsdem Jan 23 #30
Thank you very much highplainsdem. I loved his popcorn. Stay warm and safe. And enjoy your popcorn. debm55 Jan 23 #31
26 inches! SWBTATTReg Jan 23 #33
Yes, the came down the street with constuction vehicles to put the snow in a truck to haul it away. It was a heavy snow. debm55 Jan 23 #36
The '67 Chicago Was Like That ProfessorGAC Jan 24 #38

PikaBlue

(479 posts)
4. I always keep a 5-month supply of litter and cat food.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:30 AM
Jan 23

I learned the hard way in January/February of 1994. There was no ice melt, sand, or kitty litter to be had in my area between January and late February 1994 due to multiple ice, sleet, and heavy snow storms. I was cutting newspaper into strips to put in the litter box. The cats took umbrage and the resulting battle of the cat pan resistance faction almost broke me. Since then, I always have enough litter on hand to last from December through April.

niyad

(130,853 posts)
5. I generally have at least a month's worth of kitty essentials. Fortunately,
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:36 AM
Jan 23

we have never experienced what you did. That had to have been ghastly for all of you.

highplainsdem

(61,057 posts)
23. Alfalfa-based rabbit food pellets can be used as litter. Similar to the original Litter Green.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:21 PM
Jan 23

highplainsdem

(61,057 posts)
34. The alfalfa pellets reduce odor, though, and they're flushable, if you don't flush too much at a time, and
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 02:39 PM
Jan 23

give them a few seconds to dissolve in water.

PikaBlue

(479 posts)
35. I was so desperate
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 03:33 PM
Jan 23

that during the February 11th and 12th sleet and ice storm, I sprinkled dry Quaker Oats on top of the newspaper strips just to provide the cats with something to use for "cover". My daughter joked that it was an extension of s ### on a shingle.

PikaBlue

(479 posts)
2. The only time I buy junk food
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:23 AM
Jan 23

Is in advance of a major snow or ice storm. In the past, I would have tackled an elderly lady in a walker for the last package of Oreo cookies. This time around, it's cheese danish and UTZ potato chips. I have no sweet tooth whatsoever. I do like salty foods such as pretzels and chips, but rarely if ever purchase them.

debm55

(58,481 posts)
9. Thanks, PikaBlue for sharing with us.I can't eat salty foods. I do like unsalted chips when I can find them.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 11:46 AM
Jan 23

Polly Hennessey

(8,719 posts)
3. I once took my husband to the grocery store. Once is the key word.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:26 AM
Jan 23

He had his own cart. After checkout, I discovered he had bought eight quarts of ice cream 🍨 Yep, you are right, grocery shopping no more, honey.

calguy

(6,106 posts)
7. A lot of us guys will do that on purpose
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 11:34 AM
Jan 23

just so our wives will ban us and we don’t have to go grocery shopping anymore. Just like doing the laundry and throwing a pair of jeans in with the delicate whites so that we’ll be banned and be free from ever having to do laundry again. Ever.
Sometimes there’s a method to our madness. lol

retread

(3,905 posts)
37. Wait a second! You shouldn't wash jeans with whites? Dosn't matter, I have no whites they're all a light blue.
Sat Jan 24, 2026, 07:23 PM
Jan 24

House of Roberts

(6,451 posts)
6. Tuesday was Social Security deposit day, so I was out of a lot.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:39 AM
Jan 23

We were coming off a five week month, and my funds were depleted.
Needed cat food and cat litter whether it snowed Sunday or not. Also bought popcorn chicken at Publix on B1G1 free, and chips, dip and peanut butter, mostly from Kroger. We have a quickie trip planned for Saturday morning to get some more from Kroger's Saturday-Sunday-Monday sale, which will surely only be a Saturday sale this weekend.
I have been splitting firewood this past week to get extra wood ready for the cold also.

debm55

(58,481 posts)
11. Thank you House of Roberts for your post. State safe and warm. It is very cold and windy in Pittsburgh. No snow yet--
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 11:51 AM
Jan 23

coming Sunday.

greatauntoftriplets

(178,729 posts)
13. After the 1967 blizzard when Chicago had 26 inches of snow in a day...
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 12:38 PM
Jan 23

Family friends called my parents to make certain they had enough booze on hand to get them through the aftermath. They did.

Americanme

(440 posts)
14. We try to stay stocked up at all times
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 12:39 PM
Jan 23

but absolute essentials are coffee, milk, microwave popcorn, bathroom tissue. Close behind are ice cream (several varieties), meats, cheeses, breads.

twodogsbarking

(18,101 posts)
16. During Christmas break in high school and college I hauled manure from the barns. It was steaming in the cold.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 12:59 PM
Jan 23

Tractor muffler doubled as a hand warmer. Snow was annoying. Tractors went through most everything. Stay warm.

littlemissmartypants

(32,806 posts)
17. In this case, you can send your husband with his selections and I'm done. 🤔🤓😆
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:00 PM
Jan 23

J/K obviously

You can keep the chips. 🤪

Xavier Breath

(6,570 posts)
27. Kroger had Ben & Jerry's on sale today.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:29 PM
Jan 23

I took the necessary action to sustain myself throughout the storm.

highplainsdem

(61,057 posts)
30. I didn't even think in terms of snacks for the storm when I was at the store last, a few days ago. Was
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:47 PM
Jan 23

feeling sorry for myself reading this thread, thinking I had no snacks on hand, then remembered a large box of Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Butter microwave popcorn I'd bought over a year ago and shoved to the back of the cabinet and forgotten about. Half of the dozen bags are still left, and the only reason six are gone is that I realized it was a ridiculous amount of popcorn and gave half the box to my sister and brother-in-law before putting it away and forgetting about it.

It's a few months past the "Best by" date but according to this Reddit thread should still be okay:

https://www.reddit.com/r/popcorn/comments/1d1cnf6/can_i_eat_old_microwave_popcorn/

debm55

(58,481 posts)
31. Thank you very much highplainsdem. I loved his popcorn. Stay warm and safe. And enjoy your popcorn.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:52 PM
Jan 23

SWBTATTReg

(26,157 posts)
33. 26 inches!
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 02:26 PM
Jan 23

Last time we had that much snow in STLMO, it was in the 1980s and it took us ages to dig out. We were even stuck at a business for a bit, the snow storm hit so suddenly and massively that we literally had to run to the car, jump in, and slowly make our way home. Ended up w/ a massive amount of snow and I had a couple of friends w/ me that ended up crashing overnight, until they could safely travel. A good thing that I had extra bedrooms, extra couches.

You never know when you might need it, couches, salt, etc. They didn't even predict this snow either.

debm55

(58,481 posts)
36. Yes, the came down the street with constuction vehicles to put the snow in a truck to haul it away. It was a heavy snow.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:02 PM
Jan 23

I lost a Cherry tree that blocked the garage entrance so I could not get the car out.The odd thing was the day before was very nice, to nice, as my son and I were out in the back yard playing with spring jackets on.

ProfessorGAC

(76,270 posts)
38. The '67 Chicago Was Like That
Sat Jan 24, 2026, 07:43 PM
Jan 24

3 then 2 days before the snow started falling it was in the high 50s then mid 60s.
The day before the temperature fell all day. It was probably 60 when I went to school, but 30 when I came home.
The next day it started snowing and didn't stop for 30 hours.
My dad left on his truck route in snow flurries than took 3 hours to get back to the dairy. from 35 miles away.
He didn't get home until after 9pm.
Pretty sure that was a Thursday, so only one snow day. Things were close to normal by Monday, aside from the snow mountains in the parking lots.
We're only looking at 1-3" tonight. Given how it looks now, I'm guessing closer to 1"

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