Even when the pandemic started rearing its ugly head, I had no idea how severe supply shortages would get in the short term future.
There were people talking about global famines and food lines going down around the block, but we were all genuinely afraid when toilet paper suddenly became a serious commodity. I know some people who drove 6 hours just to find a pack of toilet paper for their families. This was insane levels of desperation coming from people who just wanted to go about their bathroom routines without constant fear and hopelessness. It got to the point where people who would never consider using a bidet were purchasing them en masse and installing them on their toilets. But the supply line shortages did not end with toilet paper. My best friend Ricky was trying to finish building his house when the pandemic started in early 2020, but by the summer he said it became extremely difficult just to source plywood. He said that all of the sellers of wood were raising their prices too because the demand was high but the supply was low. Then it happened with rebar and rebar wire ties. If you work in the construction business doing concrete foundation work, you cannot get a house started without rebar. It’s essential for creating a solid foundation. If you needed stainless steel type 304 rebar, it was even harder to find a steady supply. Galvanized rebar, which comes with a zinc coating to repel corrosion, was also in short supply for months throughout the pandemic.