Originally Posted by Nancy@Pinellas (Post 2339870)

The new car wash on 466A will charge you $25 a month for as many times as you’d like to go.

Originally Posted by oneclickplus (Post 2339819)

This isn't about car washes. It truly amazes me that the vast majority of people (especially the newly uneducated pro-Hamas college graduates) don't understand the cause of inflation.

It is very simply defined as "too many dollars chasing too few goods". So, there are two parameters there: the # of dollars and the quantity of goods.

The government is "printing" dollars at a phenomenal rate. This is the direct result government spending more $$ than it takes in. At today's debt levels, we are past the point of no return. Mathematically speaking, it can no longer be fixed. Debt and money printing will continue until the USD is equivalent to the Zimbabwe dollar in buying power. Yes, it will be completely destroyed. Governments around the world are slowly diminishing the purchase of (and even selling) US treasuries. Google "BRICS" if you are unaware. With no one left to buy our debt at low interest rates, the end will come quickly.

On the other side of the coin, with regard to specific products / commodities (oil, gas, etc), the price goes up (seen as inflation) when supply is constrained (artificially or not). Many products in the USA have been inexpensive because they have been plentiful ... such as clean water. Watch what happens out west and elsewhere as water demand outpaces supply for farming and human needs. This is going to get ugly.

Then you have government interference on the other side such as the $20 min wage for fast food workers in CA. I'm sure most of you have read what kind of havoc that is wreaking on businesses there with many closing up shop. Food delivery drivers are virtually out of business because ... surprise surprise ... people don't find it reasonable to pay $30 to have a meal delivered. And they're not willing to pay $18 for a Big Mac, fries and a Coke.

Of course, the primary driver of this insanity is the government "printing" of dollars mentioned already. More dollars chasing the same things (food, housing, gas, etc) forces prices up which in turn creates the push for higher wages.

This cycle can never be broken unless / until the feds have a completely balanced budget with no deficits whatsoever; spend only what is taken in in taxes. Since we know that is not going to happen, the borrowing will continue simply because the debt service will continue to grow. That's the monkey on our backs ... $1 trillion dollars of tax revenue is now required to pay the interest on the $35 trillion of debt. This huge interest payment crowds out other budget priorities which, in turn, provokes even more borrowing to maintain the status quo. And the debt and interest payments grow even more. Anyone who doesn't see this coming was sleeping in math class. The system will eventually collapse in on itself (Zimbabwe revisited).

I'll leave you with this thought: if your savings, your retirement, your kids' college fund, your future is denominated in US dollars, you are one of the pigs that will be led to the slaughter. 2028 at the latest and, to emphasize that this is NOT a political post, it will happen no matter who is elected president or which party controls either chamber of congress. The USA can not side step this future. It is a certainty. It could happen even sooner if the USA is hit with a black swan event.

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580 (Post 2339899)

Yes. Yours is a political post when you realize one choice is freedom, and the other is a fascist dictatorship. Be careful what you vote for. The choice is yours.

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC (Post 2339847)

Or raise interest rates and curb govt spending.

Originally Posted by jimbomaybe (Post 2339916)

I like the idea of waving a magic wand and have all those goods appear

Originally Posted by Cliff Fr (Post 2339815)

Another big factor in food costs is the Russia/Ukraine war. The cost of fertilizer has increased substantially because of that conflict. Also remember that when the value of the dollar decreases 20% a company's profit also decreases by 20%. Then there's fuel cost too. Publix is a high class store and if you compare prices they are often not much higher than a store like Walmart. If you shop the Bogos at Publix they can be cheaper

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2339928)

“Publix is a high class store” lol, is that the reason why the checkout people are instructed to say how much you saved today, instead of admitting how much more you paid than if you shopped somewhere else? Also people who know what they would like to eat at home are unlikely to be influenced by BOGOs. That’s just what the store has, not necessarily what you are planning to buy.

Originally Posted by jimbomaybe (Post 2339912)

I think it is very apparent which post is politically motivated

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC (Post 2339923)

Next time you see the tooth fairy ask her to help you out

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580 (Post 2339935)

There are several on this thread. Some more veiled than others, but they are here. I admit to a knee-jerk reaction, but don't assume that makes me R or L. I could remove my post, but our administrators enjoy doing the removals in a fair and balanced way. Bye, for now. I have to go sit in the corner for a while. 😉🖖

Originally Posted by jimbomaybe (Post 2339945)

Come on Stu your not supposed to see the fairy , tooth or otherwise just accept the gifts given, I have a lot of teeth invested in an eventual return , keep the faith

Originally Posted by hypart (Post 2339794)

The CPI does include food and energy. You are referring to CPI-U for All Items Less Food and Energy. This index is closely watched by many economic analysts and policymakers under the belief that food and energy prices are volatile and are subject to price shocks that cannot be damped through monetary policy.

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2339966)

Does anyone know if any of the CPIs factors in insurance?
Health, home, and auto?

I just got home and auto quotes for next year. Each up between 15-20%.

Originally Posted by Velvet (Post 2339975)

My guess is insurance companies factor in things that are more relevant to their circumstances, such as hurricane and flooding damage, as compared to say, increases in the price of groceries and fuel.