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Talk about your current living situation. Has anything changed during the pandemic (for example, where you're living, who you're living with, etc.).

I lived alone before the pandemic, and still do. During the pandemic, especially the early months last spring, I tended to hoard groceries and toiletries, spending hours online to get the best deals on Amazon or Walmart.com, usually. I'm vegetarian, so I stocked up on things like shelf-stable almond milk, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, chocolate, cereal and grains in case it got too risky to go to the store. I did such a good job that now my challenge is to use these products up as some have already passed their expiration or "best by" dates. Don't worry, I haven't gotten sick yet. If you<strong> remember the toilet paper shortages</strong> we had last year. Well,<strong> I read somewhere online about someone who had purchased a large set of cheap, white hotel-style wash cloths and was using them, along with a "portable bidet," in place of TP. I latched onto this idea and the practice has stuck</strong> with me, although I have stopped using the bidet, which seemed a little tedious and unnecessary, since I'm only using the washcloths for #1. For a while I spent a whole lot of time cutting the wash cloths in half as they are way more cloth than I need for one use. I realized, though, after washing them, that they would begin to fray and unravel rather quickly if I didn't create a seam on the cut edge and sew them, which I did, by hand, since I don't have a sewing machine. I think I sewed about 20 halves and have another 30 whole cloths, but I've given up on that project. Too time-consuming. <strong> Being environmentally conscious, I like the idea of reusing/washing wash cloths instead of contributing to the felling of more trees.</strong> I bought white so I could bleach the heck out of them. So the TP is on still on hand for those other times when it's not #1, but I am still significantly reducing my use of TP. I also acquired a (free) wicker hamper on my Buy Nothing group which is solely to hold the used cloths (inside a plastic trash bag) until I can do a laundry load. I live alone, so there's no one to object to my admittedly quirky hygiene practices. I still can see the empty paper products shelves at the grocery store, and the prospect of scrambling to grab a 6-pack or two does not appeal.<strong> Even though the shortage as passed, as far as I know, I'll stick with the wash cloth routine.</strong>

March 31, 2021

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