Here is another difference living in WORLD COVID-19. Shopping is now done almost exclusively online, except for infrequent grocery store expeditions for spinach, cream, bananas.
I was already a heavy online shopper. So not a big change.
Although the process of online shopping is now a depressing necessity rather than joyful convenience. Hence I make a list throughout the week, and do all my online shopping on Fridays.
The other difference? Amazon used to be convenient, fast, and mostly price-competitive. And talk about one-stop-shopping! From apple cider vinegar, to a toilet brush, to a fax machine. But now everyone is on Amazon, it’s not so convenient. Their “2-day shipping” (Yes, they call it “2-day”) is at best a month. And if things are shipping internationally, then heaven knows how long it will take. I have sprouts (survival growing) stuck in a post office in Parkside Saskatchewan. It has been there for 12 days!
Now I try to shop online at individual stores, and local stores. A lot of them offer free delivery as a new service. And delivery is faster than Amazon.
So the difference? As soon as I think of something I might need, I have to think fast about whether it might be hoarding-worthy. And if so, then it’s a rush to find an online supplier and get my order in before it sells out.
And I do this for everything. Not just hand sanitizer (who needs it, if we don’t go out?), or toilet paper. But every little thing goes through the urgent/not-urgent decision-tree. Mostly done with the feeling of a pit in the bottom of my stomach.
Tonight I scored 200 Shop Towels. Apparently, excellent makeshift masks and mask filters.
An hour ago I didn’t know what a Shop Towel was. There’s another difference to my world.