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debm55

(56,851 posts)
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:05 AM 7 hrs ago

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

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
We went to the store yesterday to buy "essentials" --milk, bread, bread, kitty litter.My husband disappears and shows up (Original Post) debm55 7 hrs ago OP
Essentials always on hand: kitty food and litter, coffee, cream, chocolate, wine. niyad 7 hrs ago #1
I always keep a 5-month supply of litter and cat food. PikaBlue 7 hrs ago #4
I generally have at least a month's worth of kitty essentials. Fortunately, niyad 6 hrs ago #5
Great Idea. PikaBlue. Thank you for sharing. debm55 5 hrs ago #8
Alfalfa-based rabbit food pellets can be used as litter. Similar to the original Litter Green. highplainsdem 4 hrs ago #23
We have a pellet stove for heat UpInArms 3 hrs ago #32
The alfalfa pellets reduce odor, though, and they're flushable, if you don't flush too much at a time, and highplainsdem 2 hrs ago #34
I was so desperate PikaBlue 2 hrs ago #35
The only time I buy junk food PikaBlue 7 hrs ago #2
Thanks, PikaBlue for sharing with us.I can't eat salty foods. I do like unsalted chips when I can find them. debm55 5 hrs ago #9
I once took my husband to the grocery store. Once is the key word. Polly Hennessey 7 hrs ago #3
A lot of us guys will do that on purpose calguy 6 hrs ago #7
I agree with you calguy. And it works. debm55 5 hrs ago #12
HAHAHAHHAHHAH. I love it. Thank you very much for your post. Polly Hennessey. debm55 5 hrs ago #10
Tuesday was Social Security deposit day, so I was out of a lot. House of Roberts 6 hrs ago #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 5 hrs ago #11
After the 1967 blizzard when Chicago had 26 inches of snow in a day... greatauntoftriplets 4 hrs ago #13
HAHAHAHHAAH. Thank you very much greatauntoftriplets. debm55 4 hrs ago #19
We try to stay stocked up at all times Americanme 4 hrs ago #14
Thank you very much, Americanme, for sharing with us. debm55 4 hrs ago #20
Enough whole milk justaprogressive 4 hrs ago #15
Excellent, justaprogressive.enjoy, And stay warm and safe. debm55 4 hrs ago #21
During Christmas break in high school and college I hauled manure from the barns. It was steaming in the cold. twodogsbarking 4 hrs ago #16
Thank you very much for sharing with us, twodogsbarking. Be warm and safe. debm55 4 hrs ago #22
In this case, you can send your husband with his selections and I'm done. 🤔🤓😆 littlemissmartypants 4 hrs ago #17
HAHAHHAHAHAH. that's funny. When he does the shopping, there are even more snacks. debm55 4 hrs ago #24
Cookies, popcorn, and chips are "essentials", get used to it KS Toronado 4 hrs ago #18
HAHAHAHAHAH. OMG, That's what he says. debm55 4 hrs ago #25
Costco Tempura Shrimp Keepthesoulalive 4 hrs ago #26
Yummy, Enjoy, Keepthesoulalive. Be warm and safe. debm55 3 hrs ago #28
Kroger had Ben & Jerry's on sale today. Xavier Breath 4 hrs ago #27
Yummy, Thank you Xavier Breath .Enjoy .I was going to ask how many bought. debm55 3 hrs ago #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 3 hrs ago #30
Thank you very much highplainsdem. I loved his popcorn. Stay warm and safe. And enjoy your popcorn. debm55 3 hrs ago #31
26 inches! SWBTATTReg 3 hrs ago #33

PikaBlue

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

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

(129,922 posts)
5. I generally have at least a month's worth of kitty essentials. Fortunately,
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:36 AM
6 hrs ago

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

highplainsdem

(60,426 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
4 hrs ago

highplainsdem

(60,426 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
2 hrs ago

give them a few seconds to dissolve in water.

PikaBlue

(458 posts)
35. I was so desperate
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 03:33 PM
2 hrs ago

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

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

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

(56,851 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
5 hrs ago

Polly Hennessey

(8,613 posts)
3. I once took my husband to the grocery store. Once is the key word.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:26 AM
7 hrs ago

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

(6,081 posts)
7. A lot of us guys will do that on purpose
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 11:34 AM
6 hrs ago

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

House of Roberts

(6,426 posts)
6. Tuesday was Social Security deposit day, so I was out of a lot.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 10:39 AM
6 hrs ago

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

(56,851 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
5 hrs ago

coming Sunday.

greatauntoftriplets

(178,677 posts)
13. After the 1967 blizzard when Chicago had 26 inches of snow in a day...
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 12:38 PM
4 hrs ago

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

Americanme

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

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

twodogsbarking

(17,696 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
4 hrs ago

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

littlemissmartypants

(32,028 posts)
17. In this case, you can send your husband with his selections and I'm done. 🤔🤓😆
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:00 PM
4 hrs ago

J/K obviously

You can keep the chips. 🤪

Xavier Breath

(6,525 posts)
27. Kroger had Ben & Jerry's on sale today.
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 01:29 PM
4 hrs ago

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

highplainsdem

(60,426 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
3 hrs ago

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

(56,851 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
3 hrs ago

SWBTATTReg

(26,103 posts)
33. 26 inches!
Fri Jan 23, 2026, 02:26 PM
3 hrs ago

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.

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