Value Buy
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Post by Value Buy on Apr 13, 2020 9:43:43 GMT -5
due the Coronavirus? I know everyone's situation is different, and I have been trying to get caught up on all the threads concerning this pandemic. It seems like some posters are out more than they need to be on a weekly basis. I know it depends whether you are working or other circumstances, etc. Not counting going to work, how many times a day do you venture out? Are they truly necessary?
In my case, it is basically twice a week these days, usually Tuesday and Friday's for usually just fresh produce and meat with looking for the elusive toilet paper search occuring at that time. If a prescription happens to fall in between, and we have enough to get to those two days, we wait. Once, I had to pick up Insulin for the wife (not on 90 day supply) and went out on a day just for that. Most of our scrips are 90 days and we have them at WMT, but considering changing to Walgreen's simply so we can do the drive thru pick up instead of going inside the building.
We have binge watched a lot of things on Netflix and Showtime the last two weeks to occupy our time. Up to last week, I spent time helping people in the neighborhood while still in Florida on grocery runs and scrip pick ups who are unable or scared to go out, but quite frankly I have felt I pushed my health envelope a little to far and am now hunkered down with the wife, facetiming kids and grandkids a lot even though most live close by, and actually spending time on the phone with siblings rediscovering everyone's secrets we never really talk about when together in real life..... What are your experiences?
Incidently we came back to Indiana, and the truckers are out in full force delivering product, including building supplies and industrial equipment. I imagine semi traffic is in the 85 to 90% level of normal times. Car traffic was really way down, most plates were from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan Illinois and Wisconsin. Rest stops filled with semi's but restrooms a ghost town for the most part. Gas stations along the route were packed and almost impossible to social distance inside the building itself, especially the small restroom areas. Interestingly enough in Georgia and Tennessee the attached adjoining fast food places were open with tables and booths being used by customers. Very surprised. Even one attached MCD'S was open with sitting patrons. Traffic speed was good, and no back ups even in Atlanta, and Nashville areas.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Apr 13, 2020 10:02:33 GMT -5
I usually go out 2 days per week. Just came back this morning after going to the post office to mail a birthday card. Another trip last this afternoon to buy dinner at the grocery store as they have THE best fried chicken. Add 2 sides and it's a great deal...total $6. So, that will be 2 times in one day.
This Wednesday will be the beginning of my 6th week of sitting here alone. This is miserable. Looking forward to getting the email that says the VA is again ready for a full staff and all volunteers.
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andi9899
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Post by andi9899 on Apr 13, 2020 10:07:36 GMT -5
Usually one or two days per week. Multiple trips to the grocery store. Since lots of things were out of stock, this was necessary. I'm pretty stocked now, so I should only make one or two trips this coming weekend to get stuff like produce that doesn't last as long. I didn't go out at all this past weekend that I can recall. Now that my fridge and freezer are full, I plan to go to the store once every 2 weeks. One trip to Aldi and one trip to Sam's as needed. I'm staying home outside of that.
I've also tried to support local small restaurants during the excursion days to make sure they are able to stay in business.
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oped
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Post by oped on Apr 13, 2020 10:08:40 GMT -5
Public? we pick up groceries about every 10 days. No contact, put it in the trunk. The kids usually go.
We will drop things off on people's porches but never within 6 feet (we try for 10) as needed... masks, books, materials, etc. and pick up the same way as needed. I have been within 6/10 feet of a neighbor once and the mailman once.
We do takeout once a week. The kids do non contact pick up. Either they put it in the trunk or there is a table for exchange... someone leaves it, one of the kids pick it up.
We need to go to a closing on Friday for a home equity loan I ask for as this was starting. It will be the first time inside a place with other people in over a month.
I'm going to call the post office today to talk about how I can pay for flat rate boxes and stamps and have them dropped to me, and picked up.
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justme
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Post by justme on Apr 13, 2020 10:08:54 GMT -5
Like out to a store? I haven't been in almost 2 weeks. Planning another run either end of this week or next. I fall under the immuno compromised group so debating whether those hours will be better or worse than normal.
If we're talking just outside, I haven't been out much besides getting mail, taking out trash, or hanging on my patio. I need to get out and walk more but the last time I did I didn't like how many people I was running into and don't really want to exercise with a mask on until I have to.
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deminmaine
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Post by deminmaine on Apr 13, 2020 10:09:41 GMT -5
Good for you both! I do go to work, but other than that 1-2 times per week for essentials, max. Two weeks ago I went on Sunday to get the week's groceries. Last Saturday DW went to get them for this week. I need to refill a prescription, so I will have to go out again tomorrow or Wednesday. The pharmacy is at the supermarket, so I can do double duty when I do that.
Traffic in our most populous counties is down 50%+- I agree VB, much of that is passenger vehicle traffic.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Apr 13, 2020 10:13:18 GMT -5
If you mean "out in public" where I have actual contact with other people... It's been a day or two every 10 days. I try to schedule my grocery shopping or other service (had a chip in my windshield repaired) on a weekday when there's fewer people. If I'm out and there are other people around I want to be 'breathing other people's air" as little as possible. I go outside every day - I've been trying to go for a daily walk (with some success) but I've also been doing some "yard" work or something in my garage - to get outside (I have bird feeders and a bird bath that require upkeep). Sometimes I just sit on my front porch with a beverage OR sit on my patio with a beverage for a bit. I see lots of people walking their dogs or just walking/running/biking. As far as I know - the virus doesn't "blow on the wind" so as long as people mind some space when passing other walkers/runners/whatever... it should be ok. (FWIW: most people with dogs naturally avoid other walkers/dogs - or visa versa. I know even BEFORE the pandemic - I'd cross the street or turn a corner to avoid a dog walker if I could - not because I'm afraid of the dog - but so we could both continue on in our mental reverie while out walking. )
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justme
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Post by justme on Apr 13, 2020 10:18:56 GMT -5
Oh wait. I lied sorta more like forgot. In those two weeks my parents dropped off some supplies I couldn't find (as they have unintentionally been preparing for this for years lol) and then met up with them in a Cheesecake Factory parking lot to get some house made masks they had made me since they had supplies and I didn't and I got food from Cheesecake Factory. Though between my parents and the workers it was only 4 people not in the kitchen until 2 more showed up as we left so very limited public.
I have asthma as well as several auto immune disorders so I'm in the you shouldn't fucking go out category. Though I'm anxiously waiting the antibody test because I had what was a bad case of the flu in February that didn't test positive for strain A or B. I'm thinking it's a good chance it might have been Covid - which would be really nice to know if I did have it already.
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kadee79
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Post by kadee79 on Apr 13, 2020 10:19:21 GMT -5
Once every week to 2 weeks depending on our needs.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Apr 13, 2020 10:30:49 GMT -5
Value Buy my Walmart is now offering pharmacy pickup where they will bring it out to your car. They have marked spots to park in. It's probably a store by store decision for those without drive through. oped I have ordered stamps and boxes to be delivered in the past. I ordered online via their website. The box quantity might be a little higher than you need but I've always used them up eventually. I go out once a week to do grocery shopping. Online pick up slots are hard to come by and I prefer to look at what they do have and make my choices. I've gone out at other times to do things that don't require contact like making a bank deposit or dropping cards in the box at post office. DH goes out more. He gets the take out. He delivers stuff to his parents. He puts gas in my car. He picks up my prescriptions and other errands. I'm the high risk one so I'm trying to limit my trips. He's beyond sick of being home so he's eager to do whatever I need. It's hard being in the house all the time. I try to go out and walk but the weather swings from tolerable to cold or raining. He's working on painting the entry way and finishing the living room so he's gone to Sherwin Williams. You call ahead and order and a masked/gloved person hands you the order at the door. Beats the cesspool at Lowe's or Home Depot! I'm sure others are doing better than us. We cut back after the stay at home order. We are normally out of the house 12 hours a day and home 1-2 weekends a month.
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justme
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Post by justme on Apr 13, 2020 10:35:37 GMT -5
wvugurl26 Did the stamps ship free with ordering the boxes that ship free? I have post cards from my last trip I want to mail to my nieces but they want to charge me $1.30 to ship 20 stamps to me. Since they're post card stamps that's like a 20% shipping charge!
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Apr 13, 2020 10:36:01 GMT -5
I go to work every day, but my office is closed to the public. I'm doing most work by mail or email, and i have a drop box, so I don't have any contact with anyone when they bring documents by.
I think a week ago I went to a convenience store and bought milk. DH has been doing the shopping.
Friday I picked up dinner.
I've gotten gas and gone to the ATM. I wear a dog poop bag as a glove.
I'll probably go get more milk today.
So, I'm out every day, but I have minimal contact with people.
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Apr 13, 2020 10:36:34 GMT -5
I am doing grocery pick up once a week, where I back into their parking space and they drop the groceries in my trunk. I was hoping to skip this week because things are getting worse around here, but I am missing too many things and I don't want my husband to feel deprived enough to go into a store. We developed a small leak in our sink drain and he wants to go to Lowe's for parts to repair it, but i stuck a bucket under it and asked him to wait a couple of weeks to see if the number of cases around here goes down.
I am out walking every day, but there is a park behind my house that I walk around in. The town chained the entrances shut and put up signs that the restrooms, pavilions, and ball fields are closed, but I just access it through my back yard. Hopefully I don't get in trouble walking around the paths, but the closed sign doesn't say anything about walking paths and i occasionally see people in the distance with their dogs.
DH is still going to work every day, so we have some unavoidable exposure, but I am trying to limit additional exposure.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Apr 13, 2020 10:41:29 GMT -5
Meant add I'm working from home 5 days a week. Most of my family/friends who were working before pandemic are still working - about 1/2 from home full time the one's going to a place of business to work have some schedule using their PTO for a day a week or some such. Only know a handful of people who are out of work completely (a restaurant manager, a dental hygiene-ist, a worker at a shuttered big box store, another worker in food service - they all have a spouse/SO who is still working full time).
Thanks to technology - I'm still able to hang out with friends. I didn't see family/friends on a daily (or weekly basis) before the pandemic so I don't feel that "cut off" - even though I live alone (with 2 elderly health declining cats). Technology has made a BIG difference in my experience of the pandemic - for the better. That and my geeky/nerdy also connected friends - we quickly transitioned to online/virtual contact. (which is weird because pre pandemic we liked to meet in person because it got us AWAY from the technology/jobs that were impersonal/working alone).
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Apr 13, 2020 10:42:43 GMT -5
Good for you both! I do go to work, but other than that 1-2 times per week for essentials, max. Two weeks ago I went on Sunday to get the week's groceries. Last Saturday DW went to get them for this week. I need to refill a prescription, so I will have to go out again tomorrow or Wednesday. The pharmacy is at the supermarket, so I can do double duty when I do that. Traffic in our most populous counties is down 50%+- I agree VB, much of that is passenger vehicle traffic. about the same here, but I only work 3 days a week. I go outside pretty much every day.
I am impressed with how well you guys are doing with SIP. kudos!!!!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Apr 13, 2020 10:45:18 GMT -5
We are out just about every day. We are trying to support the local restaurants as much as we can. We also can't seem to plan meals enough - especially with random outages at grocery stores. So we end up running to the store. Yesterday I went and got coffee.
I also take my son driving every day, but there is zero people contact. We don't even open the windows. 😋
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Apr 13, 2020 10:47:51 GMT -5
Our main sources of social activity were our church and our gaming group. We are missing our friends from church, but are getting as much socialization as normal with our gaming friends on discord and mumble. A lot of the places I used to walk are shut down so the park next to my house is a godsend.
DH is missing his tool shows and auctions but I parked my car outside and am letting him use my parking space in the garage for his woodworking project. He seems quite content to putter around in the garage.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Apr 13, 2020 10:54:39 GMT -5
I go grocery shopping every weekend, often with DH because he's doing his mother's shopping since she's high risk. I get takeout 1x a week usually. I'm going to work still so the takeout is on the way home. 2 days a week the kids go to my parents' house. DH drops them off and I pick them up. I hang out for a bit, then we go home.
DH is going to acupuncture 3x a week. He may or may not stop at Whole Foods/local co-op for fresh veggies, etc. on those trips, it depends on how he's feeling about the fresh veggies. And he runs the groceries over to his parents on the weekends.
The kids go to my parents house during the grocery shop. They're not ready to be home alone yet. They're 10 and almost 12.
I will be swinging past a school later this week to pick up the packets of assignments for the kids. They're actually the generic assignments for grade levels that the district is providing. But my kids are in a German immersion program so it's really not what they're actually working on. It's math and English though. My son's teacher is providing a PDF that is set for his classroom too. I think it's just busywork, in all honesty, because I'm not aware of a way to return the completed stuff to any teachers.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Apr 13, 2020 11:03:36 GMT -5
wvugurl26 Did the stamps ship free with ordering the boxes that ship free? I have post cards from my last trip I want to mail to my nieces but they want to charge me $1.30 to ship 20 stamps to me. Since they're post card stamps that's like a 20% shipping charge! I don't think I've ordered both together. I put boxes and stamps in the online cart and it was charging $1.30 shipping.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Apr 13, 2020 11:06:17 GMT -5
Take out pizza to tonight. Tired of eating my own cooking.
Other than that, food shopping about every ten days.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Apr 13, 2020 11:06:22 GMT -5
I work from home most of the time. I absolutely hate it as I am not as efficient at home as I am in the confines of my office at work. That leads to me working even longer each day. It isn't that I'm afraid to go to the office. I shut my door, use my own phone and have my own printer.
My issue is my youngest. I have an aide through an agency to take care of her and they are considered essential workers. She is an awesome person and an extremely hard worker. But she also relies on her paycheck. To the point that she put her life in jeopardy right before Christmas. One day she didn't look right and she said she just had a little pain, like she pulled something. Three days later she showed up and I could tell she could barely walk and had been crying. I refused to allow her to stay and told her that I can't force her to go to the ER but I highly recommend it and that she wasn't coming back until she was cleared. She had emergency surgery later that day! Her appendix were close to rupturing.
The last time she was here was on 3/16. She actually came to our house with a cough. A freaking cough! I left before she got here but when I got home from work my oldest told me not to let her back because she doesn't know enough when to stay home.
She also is part of the ethnic group that is extremely hard hit in my county for many reasons...cultural (several generations live together), language barrier (a lot do not speak English) and type of work/poverty. And before I get bashed AGAIN and accused of being a white women saying I know all about brown people, there are plenty of articles about why this population was so hard hit (in my area only). So instead of risking it, I work from home. And I am extremely grateful to have a job where I can work from home.
DF on the other hand is in and out of stores all day long. He is the one that is at risk of catching it, which means we are all at risk. He follows all guidelines to do his best to prevent it but other idiots out there are not respecting social distancing guidelines, coughing without covering their mouth, etc.
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Apr 13, 2020 11:11:06 GMT -5
I was trying to shop only once every 2 weeks. I had to shop a few days earlier than that - realized most stores were closing for Easter Sunday, which meant Saturday would be mobbed, but Friday they were predicting a snow storm, so Thursday was the day. DH came along to drive, I went in Aldi, he went in a hardware store. Then drive thru for Tim-bits. Unfortunately, a faucet began failing badly on Sunday (of course), so DH had to go to Home Depot for parts (tried calling closer hardware stores, but closed for holiday). DH probably needs to go in to work one day this week for stuff that can't be done remotely. And his secure work email password expired, on Sunday. Needs to reach someone to reset it, and no one's responding.
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buystoys
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Post by buystoys on Apr 13, 2020 11:38:23 GMT -5
We've changed our semi-weekly shopping trip to once weekly. We go on Mondays before 9 am. The store has been quiet then the two times we've done this. There was actually toilet paper today! It was a 4-pack of small rolls, but it was there and we got one! Yay! We just do without the fresh produce we like as the second half of the week rolls around. I do have an in-person doctor's appointment next week. I need a new pain management doctor due to my change of insurance and I can't let it go too long without one just in case. DH takes the dog for a couple of drives during the week. They don't go anywhere, just drive around. Other than that, we're house bound.
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sesfw
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Post by sesfw on Apr 13, 2020 11:39:37 GMT -5
I go out 2 days a week for fresh produce and looking for TP. So far the TP has been zero.
This Easter weekend was a little different. Got dinner from a local restaurant that cooked on an outside grill. Yummy
Had one stool back up yesterday so a plumber was here for about a half hour this morning.
Oh well, it had been acting up for a while and yesterday it decided to quit.
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chiver78
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Post by chiver78 on Apr 13, 2020 11:47:03 GMT -5
I'm out every day, I have dogs. usually we walk the neighborhood, but occasionally we go to the dog park - a very large open area where you can still socially distance if others are there. I don't touch anything and open the gate with my elbow. I may be adopting the poop bag glove idea, though. that's brilliant. over the weekend, I met a friend at the canal and we walked my dogs, one each, also socially distancing.
I have been WFH since March 6th, so I'm good there. I haven't set foot in a grocery store in over 2w, using up what I have here. if I do need something, I've been going to my village market. they have a full deli/meat case and a lot of fresh produce.
the only outing that has caused me agita lately was last Thursday. I had to take the dogs up to meet the homeowner of the short term rental I am moving to in a couple short weeks. AFAIK, my house sale can be done completely remotely. I just need to pack up the house and go.
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Apr 13, 2020 12:03:59 GMT -5
I went grocery shopping on Apr 1 and Apr 11. On Apr 6, I went to the post office to mail some facemasks to family members.
Don't plan to go anywhere again for a week to 10 days.
DH and I walk our dog every morning around the neighborhood loop. We wave and talk to neighbors from a distance. When the weather is nice, a neighbor brings her dog over for a playdate - we sit 6'+ apart.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Apr 13, 2020 12:16:54 GMT -5
I go out 2 days a week for fresh produce and looking for TP. So far the TP has been zero. This Easter weekend was a little different. Got dinner from a local restaurant that cooked on an outside grill. Yummy Had one stool back up yesterday so a plumber was here for about a half hour this morning. Oh well, it had been acting up for a while and yesterday it decided to quit. The sighting of TP in stores is even rarer than spotting the Wyoming jackalope or sasquatch.
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irishpad
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Post by irishpad on Apr 13, 2020 12:24:35 GMT -5
About once a week for groceries. Daily for Mass. It has never been over 10 people including Holy Week. The thing that is more unpredictable is the funerals, another one today. All under 10 but still getting exposed in a manner I can't help.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Apr 13, 2020 12:28:41 GMT -5
About once a week for groceries. Daily for Mass. It has never been over 10 people including Holy Week. The thing that is more unpredictable is the funerals, another one today. All under 10 but still getting exposed in a manner I can't help. Be as careful as you can (under those circumstances).
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saveinla
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Post by saveinla on Apr 13, 2020 12:45:34 GMT -5
Twice in a month - one to just get out of the house for a drive and the second one to pickup groceries and get my meds.
My DH goes out once in 10 days to pick up groceries. We don't have small kids or pets and have always had the ability to work from home - so don't need to go out unless absolutely necessary.
We have 2 senior living places close to us that have a lot of infections and a few deaths, so have been limiting even collecting the mail to once every 2 weeks.
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