Should We Stock Up This Year Before Proposed Heavy Tariff On China?

Aneeda72 said:
I am right there with you. We did not know about the TP issue as we were moving, so we ran out. I was mentally scared forever, and that will NEVER happen again. So. I am stocking up on TP. Only TP. I could go without food, but I’d still need TP. I LOVE TP.
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I feel ya Aneeda! I can't imagine completely running out!! Several years ago I saw a news story about people in Russia standing in line, in the snow, waiting just to get a couple of rolls of toilet paper! 🥶 That was it for me. I knew I never wanted to be low on TP again.
 
Teacher Terry said:
Once severe tariffs are imposed it is likely to cause overall inflation. Because of that I already bought a year’s worth of paper products, toiletries, cleaning supplies, 4 months of coffee which would definitely be subject to tariffs and 6 months of body and face cream. The worst that can happen is nothing and I don’t need to buy this stuff for a year. There’s no downside for me.

I was going to wait a year to buy a new La-Z-Boy chair but just bought that on sale for 500 off. My phone is almost 4 years old but it’s probably good for another 4 so I didn’t replace it. Clothes will be another tariff item so I bought what I needed. Even though I live in a small condo my 3 closets weren’t full so everything fit.

I had my mechanic go over my 16 year old car and he said nothing is wrong with it and should last another 10 years because the mileage is so low. If something major had been found I would have replaced it now.
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3 closets? You have enough clothes for 3 closets? WOW, almost speechless. I have a summer nightgown and a winter nightgown, 1 robe. 10 winter pants 10 summer, shirts winter and summer, a drawer of socks cause I really like socks 😂, enough undies, 2 sweaters, and an appropriate number of coats for changing weather.

One pair of leaky boots, one pair new boots, couple pair shoes. Why would anyone need more? Why would you have to stock up on clothes?

Just curious.
 
Aneeda72 said:
3 closets? You have enough clothes for 3 closets? WOW, almost speechless. I have a summer nightgown and a winter nightgown, 1 robe. 10 winter pants 10 summer, shirts winter and summer, a drawer of socks cause I really like socks 😂, enough undies, 2 sweaters, and an appropriate number of coats for changing weather.

One pair of leaky boots, one pair new boots, couple pair shoes. Why would anyone need more? Why would you have to stock up on clothes?

Just curious.
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You totally misunderstood. My clothes take up half of one closet. I live in a condo with 3 closets as my only storage space. So everything I own has to fit in them and since I don’t own a bunch of stuff I was able to put the items I stocked up with for a year in those closets.

I bought some needed clothes such as a new pair of shoes, some sweaters, pants and undies. I still consult so need to look professional on those days. I only own 5 pairs of shoes, etc.
 
Teacher Terry said:
You totally misunderstood. My clothes take up half of one closet. I live in a condo with 3 closets as my only storage space. So everything I own has to fit in them and since I don’t own a bunch of stuff I was able to put the items I stocked up with for a year in those closets.

I bought some needed clothes such as a new pair of shoes, some sweaters, pants and undies. I still consult so need to look professional on those days. I only own 5 pairs of shoes, etc.
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Yup, I did misunderstand, sorry.
 
Aneeda72 said:
Yup, I did misunderstand, sorry.
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No problem 😉. When I sold my house and bought my condo I sold, gave away or donated a ton of stuff. I brought what I thought would fit and still had a few too many pieces of furniture and about 10 too many boxes of decorative items.

But now I absolutely love the smaller space. It’s quick and easy to clean. With 2 bedrooms I can have guests. I can still have 6 people for dinner. I love to entertain and just the number of guests has changed. I feel so safe being in a secure building on the top floor.
 
Teacher Terry said:
No problem 😉. When I sold my house and bought my condo I sold, gave away or donated a ton of stuff. I brought what I thought would fit and still had a few too many pieces of furniture and about 10 too many boxes of decorative items.

But now I absolutely love the smaller space. It’s quick and easy to clean. With 2 bedrooms I can have guests. I can still have 6 people for dinner. I love to entertain and just the number of guests has changed. I feel so safe being in a secure building on the top floor.
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The senior mobile home park I live in now, is the safest place I have ever lived. Feeling safe can never be underrated; especially as we get older. Too many things make me nervous. I have just enough.

Except socks. 😂. Way too many socks. I’ve got sock issues for sure. They make them so colorful and lovely these days. Sadly, I just can not resist, good thing they are cheap.
 
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I am not concerned about the tariff issue until it looks like that will actuallly become an issue. However, we still have that dockworker’s strike, which they put off until January, and if that happens again, and is not settled in between now and January, then there is maybe going to be some shortages of items coming in from China.
Most of what I buy is just groceries and household necessities, and that should all be from here in the United States.
 
bobcat said:
Also, I really don't understand the hoarding of toilet tissue because most of it is made right here in America or in Canada.
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Hoarders empty the shelves, forcing the rest of us to also "buy ahead" so when we'd normally go to buy it, we won't find empty shelves... doesn't matter if it's imported or not, the hoarders control the supply. 🤷‍♀️
 
Knight said:
... Does anyone posting know what items are expected to have the tariff increase?
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Based on what I've read and seen, items that are also produced here in the US will be #1 targets, and stuff produced in nations friendly to the US 2nd. The idea behind that, obviously, is to help US producers and manufacturers grow.

Personally, I prefer quality over bargain prices on things I expect to last, like small kitchen appliances, for example, but not necessarily stuff like hair combs and gift bags.

China produces a lot of the common medications we use, both OTC and Rx, so I'm curious to see what happens there.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Let's not make this political. But I've seen reports that the proposed tariffs on China in 2025 will be 60%. Of course, that will cause a rise in prices for American consumers on goods produced in China. Social media influencers are warning us to stock up now. But a financial analyst addressed the concern on GMA and said no need to panic.. He said it would take months for the tariffs to be instituted and start affecting prices. Here's a video clip.
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/...ck-trumps-tariffs-potentially-raise-116041014

We always keep well stocked anyway and I'm actually thinking maybe we should stock up on certain items ahead of what might be another Canadian container strike.
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No. I feel no desire to stock up on cheap plastic crap. :D
 
Most products imported from China are not the type one "stocks up" on but rather are one time trivial buys, like computer accessories. But some that are:

face masks
batteries
replaceable appliance parts like filters
replaceable auto parts like oil filters, windshield wipers
LED household bulbs

I'll soon be purchasing some extra N-95 face masks. The China issue will likely be bad for Walmart and Target corps but good for smaller traditional businesses like drug and hardware stores. And that won't bother this person much.

edit: just purchased for $24 30 each of these Benehal, N95 Face Mask, 30 Pack NIOSH Certified N95 Disposable Respirator 5-Ply Safety Breathable Face Masks, Filter Efficiency 95%.

https://www.amazon.com/Disposable-R...ncy-Comfortable/dp/B09FLK43L9/ref=sr_1_3_sspa

Bought these in past that are not the cheapest but fit very well on my face after adding a tiny craft glue gun glue at bottom to make them absolutely snug. Given we are entering prime head cold and flu season that I greatly dislike catching, I'm already wearing them at my KP medical offices, hospital and supermarkets, etc. Note I don't dispose them after single use but rather use each a few times allowing enough rotation time for any virus to die off.
 
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bobcat said:
Imposed tariffs are lame.
Also, I really don't understand the hoarding of toilet tissue because most of it is made right here in America or in Canada.
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Because we RAN OUT. During Covid, we had no TP. Finally, stores had to run senior shopping times so us, old people had something to wipe our hind ends with and so we got other essentials, like distilled water for c-pap machines. You cannot put nose tissues down the toilet. Or cloth. Or grass. Or big leaves.

Plus some insane person challenged us when we were buying baby wipes as if old people don’t babysit grandchildren. Course we didn’t. They were out of baby wipes in Seattle. I bought baby wipes in Utah, mailed them to my sister in law in Seattle cause she has bag, and baby wipes are used to clean it and the hole in her side. El Paso was out as well. Mailed them to my daughter as she had a baby.

How soon people forget about the shortages. I will never be out of TP again. NEVER. Hmm, or socks. I have a ton of socks. 😂. And frankly, when we ran completely out of TP, and couldn’t buy any until the senior shopping hours started. Well, I had a lot of socks.

When the world returned to normal, I had less socks, but a clean dry butt. I bought more socks and TP. 🤡.
 
Michael Z said:
The only thing I will try to stock up on are items NOT made in China!
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OMG…… I live in South Australia …..which is one of the largest fruit growing states in Australia…..and our local supermarket who claim to stock all the Aust food….. it can …..has only got canned fruit from you know where :sick::sick::sick:
Fruits that are grown under 3 hours drive away from me ….are all stone fruits / grapes both wine making and table grapes / avocados/ every citrus you can think of ….so there is no excuse for supermarkets to buy from China ….the only reason is profit making ….greed at our expense ..

I grow / can ..bottle my own fruit ….even some of our fresh / veggies / produce in supermarkets is coming from China


Added extra …We had a huge fruit and vegetable cannery in the above areas I mentioned …..but it was closed down ..the area still has huge wineries …
@Michael Z
 
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bobcat said:
Also, I really don't understand the hoarding of toilet tissue because most of it is made right here in America or in Canada.
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I remember during the tp shortage time hearing about an 18-wheeler I think on the east coast with at least one trailer full of toilet paper, that the driver stepped away for just a moment with the engine left running and someone jumped in and drove it away. So the stores that it was all to be delivered to were stuck with empty shelves.
 


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