Written by Bernie Carr
Just a quick post today, as we look at multiple shortages going on in the country right now.
It’s summer – a time to go on a bike ride, take a dip in the pool, perhaps cook some hotdogs on the grill, or serve some chicken wing appetizers. Or you may want to take a road trip or two. Well, you may not be able to do these traditional summer activities, because of all the shortages going on.
Bicycles
Bikes are in short supply as most new bikes are manufactured overseas. Inventories or bikes and bike parts have been low since the pandemic. There has also been an increased demand for new bicycles, so prices have gone up. Supplies are not expected to rise until 2022.
Pool Chlorine
Pool owners are experiencing sticker shock as they find pool chlorine selling for double the normal cost. Chlorine has been in short supply due to a fire in at a chemical plant in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.
Computer chips
The computer chip shortage has affected the auto industry and any other product that includes a computerized component.
Cars
Because of the computer chip shortage, new cars are impacted. Which then caused a demand for used cars. Speaking of cars, rental cars are also in short supply. During the pandemic, rental car companies sold off a large portion of their inventory. Now that people are traveling again, demand for rentals is way up, but not enough cars are available to meet that demand.
Gasoline
We’ve all felt the pain at the pump as we are paying much higher prices than in previous years. You’ll have to increase your budget for that summer road trip.
Meat products
Hotdogs, bacon and chicken are all in short supply these days.
Lumber
I know a couple of friends who were planning to remodel their homes ended up postponing their plans due to the high lumber cost. Lumber is in short supply, which is also impacting new home building.
Oxygen
Now that I am on oxygen (details on what happened here), this one is alarming to me. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a short supply of oxygen – there is high demand for oxygen, especially in hard-hit countries like India, but the supply is limited.
Tampons and toilet paper
We’ve already seen a toilet paper shortage in 2020. This year, companies are raising prices for common household goods like toilet paper, tampons, diapers as they find paper pulp in short supply due to high shipping costs and port delivery delays.
The list above does not even include every shortage going on – there are more things in short supply such as ketchup, pet food, metals, appliances, etc.
Below is a discussion on some of the reasons behind this shortage crisis.
Have you been affected by shortages? Please share in the comments.
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About the author:
Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
