Pandemic deja vu: Fears of higher tariffs are leading some to stockpile goods

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Business

Published 6:30 AM EST, Mon December 16, 2024


New York CNN — It’s not March 2020, but it sure feels a lot like it for Herschel Wilson.

Wilson started building up a small stockpile of essential goods for his three pets and family of five based in Tacoma, Washington, in August, after Donald Trump had been named the Republican presidential nominee, with an economic agenda that called for higher tariffs.

Once Trump won the election, “that changed everything again, and I started to stockpile pretty much everything,” Wilson told CNN. That includes canned goods, bottled water and, yes, lots and lots of rolls of toilet paper. So far, he estimates he’s spent $300 on stockpiling goods since the election. Going forward, he said he plans to spend $100 extra each month on top of regular grocery spending.

Unlike the onset of the pandemic, when Wilson was also drawn to stockpiling, this time around his chief concern isn’t necessarily that he won’t be able to find these goods. Rather, it’s his belief that they’ll cost him a lot more if President-elect Trump follows through with the tariff threats he’s made.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16/economy/stockpiling-fear-higher-tariffs/index.html

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Tariffs are a broad-based green light for Greedflation redux

Retailers understand.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I expect that would be their latest excuse

including claiming "supply chain issues".

[cstanleytech]

9. They milked that excuse so much that the udders shriveled up and are bone dry.

[Bengus81]

13. +1000%

[Lovie777]

3. It has already started.....

[IronLionZion]

4. Trump and MAGA will blame Biden for it

Make America Greedy Again

[GoreWon2000]

10. Prices will skyrocket on tRump/maga watch

because their tariffs are nothing more than a tax on American consumers. That's going tgo be much harder for the tRump/maga crowd to escape blame for. This is why I'll only be buying gas, food and car maintenance for these next 4 years.

[Bengus81]

15. Not if we don't let them

[LiberalLoner]

5. I've been stocking up on rice and flour and oils and other basic pantry goods. As well as paper products.

[Historic NY]

6. Our big grocery has a can can sale in Jan

they been doing it for decades, so I stock up .

[BumRushDaShow]

7. I miss those "can can" sales!

(now I'm gonna lose a brain file )

[Marthe48]

8. I've been stocking up

Not just the pantry, but items for trade, as if we'll be in a cashless society or prison.

I am trying to get at least 1 year ahead. We'll have an idea by then how far the drop over the cliff the idiots take the economy. If there is a mid-term election in 2026, maybe enough people will come to their senses and the criminals will be ousted.

[drmeow]

11. I'm not stockpiling

but I have purchased some things now that I might have waited to buy otherwise!

[maxsolomon]

12. My Sister In Law has been "stockpiling" for years.

We call it hoarding - half of her food is long expired.

BTW, MFer is completely full of shit and won't be imposing tariffs on toilet paper - which is 99% MADE IN AMERICA.

[Bengus81]

14. True....but the price on it will go up as if it had a tariff on it.

Greedflation v2.0

[MissB]

16. I keep a deep pantry

I’m pretty well stocked with a years worth of dry goods and have been adding more. I rotate in the new purchases. Most of the bulk dry goods that I keep are stored in quart jars.

For example: I go through, on average, about six quart jars of red lentils a year and two dozen quart jars of quinoa. I’ll always have that many jars of each, adding them to my shopping list when I use up a jar. The next shopping trip, I hit the bulk bin and estimate a quart jar’s worth. A jar is filled, vacuum sealed and labeled with the year I sealed it and then placed at the back of the storage rack. Lather, rinse and repeat for other pantry staples.

I will be doing some meal planning between Christmas and New Years for the first 3 months of the year. Trying to not spend much at all as I know I’m keeping more than a years worth of food in my storage area.

Also, Costco has our favorite TP on sale after Christmas for $6 off per pack. Yeah, I’ll be buying more. No danger of running out.

I’ve tried to be somewhat strategic about adding additional stock of food items that I know are imported. Dh and I have a favorite Japanese curry base, and I made sure I have almost 2 years worth, where usually I’ll keep maybe one years worth.