[Velvet]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I tried to use Walmart to save $4 on roasted chickens. Then, I found out that at least half of the time I went to Walmart, they didn't have any chickens. Product availability was seriously lacking at Walmart, and the checkout line was ridiculous. Now, I do most of my grocery shopping at Publix, but I can afford it. I do take advantage of the Publix BOGOs that come out on Saturday. You can almost always get half price on ice cream, coffee, cheese, and other products. I buy a lot of non-perishable products from Amazon. Paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, soap, batteries, beverages, cleaning products, napkins, vitamins, medicine, etc. Cheaper and more convenient.

By the way, I just received 14 bars of Dove bar soap from Amazon that I ordered yesterday. $1.15 per bar. The Walmart price was $1.50 per bar.

Well, I select the time when I go shopping at Walmart. The first time I went, I couldn’t believe the lines. I talked to the checkout people about off peak times. Sometimes it has to do with the parking lot because other business use the same lot. Now days I’m in and out in a jiffy. And if they don’t have the rotisserie chicken, I stop on my way home at Publix. My grocery bill is literally almost half now that I actually look at prices. Before my husband passed away recently, he did all the shopping and I had no idea at all about prices. I can afford Publix and Fresh Market and etc… but I also like to get value for money.

[kcrazorbackfan]

Originally Posted by Keefelane66

I wash my own cars about 20 minutes total haven’t been to a car wash in years.

Same here. I’m meticulous so I’ll spend a hour or so on a Saturday or Sunday morning washing, drying, vacuuming and cleaning the interior of the glass.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Velvet

Well, I select the time when I go shopping at Walmart. The first time I went, I couldn’t believe the lines. I talked to the checkout people about off peak times. Sometimes it has to do with the parking lot because other business use the same lot. Now days I’m in and out in a jiffy. And if they don’t have the rotisserie chicken, I stop on my way home at Publix. My grocery bill is literally almost half now that I actually look at prices. Before my husband passed away recently, he did all the shopping and I had no idea at all about prices. I can afford Publix and Fresh Market and etc… but I also like to get value for money.

You can get a larger and cheaper chicken at bj or sams

[HORNET]

And you just noticed!

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Isn’t that the definition of inflation having gone down? If inflation had remained the same then prices would have continued to go up as fast as they were back then.

If a river is within its banks on day 1 and is 10 feet above flood stage on day 2 and is 12 feet above flood stage on day 3, and 13 feet above flood stage on day 4, would you say that the water has gone down?

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Pennyt

It's not minimum wage and taxes. Have you seen the difference in what CEOs are paid vs the workers in a company? "The median CEO in the S&P 500 was paid 196 times as much as the median employee in 2023, according to an analysis by Equilar and The Associated Press. That’s up from a ratio of 185 in 2022. The widening divide is driven by the fact that CEO pay — which is closely tied to share prices — is rising notably faster than that of employees." (compensationresources.com)

If you spread those "massive" CEO salaries among the employees, it would amount to a few dollars per paycheck for each employee...

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Isn’t that the definition of inflation having gone down? If inflation had remained the same then prices would have continued to go up as fast as they were back then.

Doesn't make anything cheaper though, does it?

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

If a river is within its banks on day 1 and is 10 feet above flood stage on day 2 and is 12 feet above flood stage on day 3, and 13 feet above flood stage on day 4, would you say that the water has gone down?

I would say it is rising far less on day 4 than it was on day 2. It is still rising, but it is rising less. Water will not go down until the rate of rising has peaked, slowed, stopped, and then reversed.

Prices are still going up because there is still inflation. Prices are not going up as fast because inflation has decreased. For prices to go down inflation will need to drop to zero and then go negative (deflation). But the rate of increase in prices is the rate of inflation so if prices are going up more slowly it is because inflation has decreased.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Doesn't make anything cheaper though, does it?

It makes things cheaper than they would have been if inflation was still high.

[Philipd411]

Originally Posted by Robbb

Respectfully disagree. I think inflation has given many businesses "permission" to raise prices to whatever they think they can "get away" with, regardless how their costs have increased.

Businesses have always set their prices at what they could get away with. The average profit margin for a grocery store is 2 to 3%. A restaurant is 3 to 5%. Airlines about 1 to 2%. A car wash is 35 to 50%. They may raise their prices but the margin stays the same.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

I was in a bakery two years and took this photograph. It explains why prices have gone up. And for those who claim that inflation is down since then, that is wrong. Inflation has not gone down. Prices just aren't going up as fast as they were back then.

Where was that photo taken? I mean what part of the country?

Also - that's kinda really scary, if you think about how Dunkin Donuts prices haven't gone up that much. Neither has a chocolate croissant at Panera.

So what are these stores doing, that your bakery didn't do? Or what are they NOT doing, that your bakery did?

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Where was that photo taken? I mean what part of the country?

Also - that's kinda really scary, if you think about how Dunkin Donuts prices haven't gone up that much. Neither has a chocolate croissant at Panera.

So what are these stores doing, that your bakery didn't do? Or what are they NOT doing, that your bakery did?

I was in Minnesota. I was just passing through but I thought the sign was interesting. It was my first and only visit so I don’t know how much they raised prices.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

If a river is within its banks on day 1 and is 10 feet above flood stage on day 2 and is 12 feet above flood stage on day 3, and 13 feet above flood stage on day 4, would you say that the water has gone down?

Inflation is the rate of change of prices, a comparison of price levels at different times.

In your example, Inflation is the rate of change of flooding, not the level of the water. In your example the inflation (water rising rate) has gone down. The water level does not go down until the rate of change goes negative.

Only deflation, negative price changes, will result in price levels going down.

There are many, many economic reasons why deflation is avoided at all costs.
There are also many unintended consequences of near zero inflation, which in the long term, is not good for everyone in today's world.

Normal inflation is within the 3-5% range, and so today is more about normalization than recent history has provided, which is an exception. .

[tophcfa]

I wouldn’t disagree that inflation has gone wild. Although complaining about each individual thing may seem petty, they all add up to aggregate amounts that are not petty at all. It’s been a game changer for many, and not in a good way.

[Rainger99]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

Only deflation, negative price changes, will result in price levels going down.
There are many, many economic reasons why deflation is avoided at all costs.

Not everyone agrees that deflation is bad.

Can Deflation Ever Be Good?

I think we all agree that 10% inflation is worse than 4% inflation. But if you have 10% inflation one year and 4% inflation the next year, prices are up a little over 14% in that two year period. Prices aren't going up as fast - but they are still going up.