More on the shrinkage at Sam's

We stopped by Sam's Club Friday, and yes, in Indiana, bags of rice are going quickly. Nearby, pasta wasn't being touched.

Quick thought: Wouldn't it be great if people didn't panic? By spending money on rice, we're forcing prices to go up more quickly, causing more panic about prices, resulting in more people buying quickly at higher prices...

And we're hurting the people who might rely on rice as a staple the most.

It's that whole supply-and-demand thing missed when sleeping in Economics.

Your challenges this week: Branch your menus out of your comfort zone of rice and pasta. Try a new grain. Or, at the least, refrain from stocking up on high-demand items at the grocery.