[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

What cheapness? Someone was simply pointing out that tipped employees make less because the government considers tips as part of their wages.

At the restaurant you mentioned, one poster's granddaughter makes $200/night in tips.

That's an additional $25/hour, based on an 8 hour shift... More, if they work less...

And I agree that tipping should be abolished. They should be paid more and not have to worry about tips. But guess what? Most servers don't want that to happen...

what about the slow nights when that same server makes half that or the manager cuts there shifts or just gets rid of them for people he knows , did they get any shifts during Covid or how about when there child gets sick and they have to stay home and not get paid.and how many older servers do you see around in there late 40’s or 50’s and the bartenders male or female who don’t have a certain look anymore (like being old or not attractive)and out they go, this happens everywhere .I eat out mosts night wherever I am and I’m friends with many service people from what I have observed and the stories I’ve been told of all the places I’ve lived there more people here that undertip not a lot but more then I would have thought, I’m saying this from my own observations and from servers and bartenders that are just casual friends but also from some woman I have dated here.So I’ll go on being a sucker and over tip these people that are getting rich while I struggle along on my fixed income ,? Oh poor me I live in the villages , I don’t have to work , gas went up, milk is almost $10 a quart , I can’t go to Publix , hmmm I know where I can cutback I’ll go to a nice restaurant and when the bill comes do I’ll leave 10% because in the old day I worked for a dollar an hour

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by lkagele

Actually, it's not really a good summary. Yes, you can point to certain categories where inflation is due to unusual factors like supply chain issues. The real problem, however, is the government spends more than it brings in. The government issues debt (treasury bonds) and the Federal Reserve buys the government debt simply by printing money out of thin air.

Currently, the Fed is buying $120 billion worth of treasurers per month. The Fed does this by simply printing money with absolutely nothing to back those new dollars. So, with the addition of all those new dollars, the existing dollars are diluted resulting in an increase (inflation) in the cost of everything. $10 dollars used to buy one widget but now because of the artificially produced dollars, it take $11 dollars to buy that widget. As government excess continues, next month it will be $12.

The more government spends beyond what it takes in, the higher the inflation rate is going to be. If you think it's bad now, just wait until these political idiots pass the infrastructure bill. Think about this. How long would it be before you would have to declare bankruptcy if you spent 20 or 30% more each year than you made?

IMO, the best investments right now are gold, silver, canned goods and ammunition.

Good to see that somebody gets just how fiscally irresponsible the Federal Reserve has been for many years running. Their actions were eventually going to hit the fan.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Luggage

That is not entirely true about printing money and inflation but it is a major cause. If you would actually track inflation you would see that it's sometimes is low even with large deficit spending. Just look at the last 20 years. I don't know how you would be able to explain the Carter years of presidency with 15% interest rates and high inflation compared to some of the Bush or Clinton years with low inflation but still high spending

The cause and effects are not instantaneous, there is a significant lag effect that is now starting to come to fruition. Buckle up.

[KAM+6]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

what about the slow nights when that same server makes half that or the manager cuts there shifts or just gets rid of them for people he knows , did they get any shifts during Covid or how about when there child gets sick and they have to stay home and not get paid.and how many older servers do you see around in there late 40’s or 50’s and the bartenders male or female who don’t have a certain look anymore (like being old or not attractive)and out they go, this happens everywhere .I eat out mosts night wherever I am and I’m friends with many service people from what I have observed and the stories I’ve been told of all the places I’ve lived there more people here that undertip not a lot but more then I would have thought, I’m saying this from my own observations and from servers and bartenders that are just casual friends but also from some woman I have dated here.So I’ll go on being a sucker and over tip these people that are getting rich while I struggle along on my fixed income ,? Oh poor me I live in the villages , I don’t have to work , gas went up, milk is almost $10 a quart , I can’t go to Publix , hmmm I know where I can cutback I’ll go to a nice restaurant and when the bill comes do I’ll leave 10% because in the old day I worked for a dollar an hour

Plus, wait staff get NO benefits, especially health insurance. Also ,the $200 tips was occasionally ,but many nights it only a fraction of that. Been there.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Luggage

And if you went to aldi's the cost be 10 to $20 less! I find it incredible that some people still shop at Publix all the time or some of the other stores around here. I'm not saying everything is cheaper or better but for a lot of goods, Save-A-Lot and aldis, are much cheaper. Until covid 18 months ago, aldies was selling a dozen eggs for 58 cents! And their liquid egg whites was always a dollar a carton less than Publix. Fresh salmon at $7.79 compared to Publix sometimes 11.99.
The main problem with Aldi is that they have a very small selection of fresh fish, and few national brands as well as I have found almost no Chinese or some other ethnic products except for Spanish. They do have a great wine selection and a chocolate selection as well as an aisle of nuts . You do have to put a quarter in for a cart which you get back afterwards and you have to bring your own bags. Most vegetables and fruits are very good and very cheap as well, so if you really want to save money change your grocery store

incredible that people still shop at Publix , maybe they like it there and I see young families as well as retirees shopping there maybe they like it for the well run store and the quantity of products and that if something isn’t there the manager will get it , or maybe they just don’t want to stick a quarter in the cart machine and come back to get it or bring there own germ filled bags that I think most use over and over , This thread seems to be all about everyone is suffering but it doesn’t feel that way to me , we’ve had inflation before and the prophets of doom banged the drum that this surly was close to the end well it wasn’t and it won’t be this time either

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by PJackpot

Better look again, friend. The current inflation rate is over 5%. When Trump left office it was 1.5%. You must also not have a need for gasoline if you haven’t noticed a substantial rise there.

Governments do not set gas prices.
Demand, and how much comes out of the ground decides what a gallon costs.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

98% of debt was on the books in January didn’t anyone think that rates would go up and that many had a pent up urge to spend and hit the road again or to just go to mall again or fly home to see relatives they hadn’t seen in 2 years or that business would want to try and get back some of the money they lost during Covid ????

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

incredible that people still shop at Publix , maybe they like it there and I see young families as well as retirees shopping there maybe they like it for the well run store and the quantity of products and that if something isn’t there the manager will get it , or maybe they just don’t want to stick a quarter in the cart machine and come back to get it or bring there own germ filled bags that I think most use over and over , This thread seems to be all about everyone is suffering but it doesn’t feel that way to me , we’ve had inflation before and the prophets of doom banged the drum that this surly was close to the end well it wasn’t and it won’t be this time either

If people are as old as they claim they are, they must know this time the inflation is different.

Keeping artificial crap interest rates on investments to push money into the over-leveraged, over valued market has caused this catastrophe. There is debt in this country that is out of control due to our government, right or left and not making this political.

Anyone with financial savvy can see what’s happened and going down won’t be pretty. I wonder if Nero is still fiddling?

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Governments do not set gas prices.
Demand, and how much comes out of the ground decides what a gallon costs.

Not totally correct. When govt takes action to restrict supply (pipeline project that was cancelled for example) prices will rise as a result.

[jimbomaybe]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

It should. Minimum wage/entry level jobs are not intended to "earn a living wage" or to be the sole support of a family. Traditionally they were jobs teenagers could pick up for some spending cash and to gain job experience. Then there were those that earned minimum wage by doing jobs no one else wanted, or because they lacked any skills or education that a "better" job required. Then there are those that are unemployable at any job----we support them as well.

Every society in history has had socioeconomic stratification. The fallacy of progressive thinking is that somehow everyone should earn equally, which is a joke. Salaries are generally determined by the level of responsibility a job requires, not just because you breathe the same air. And of course the corollary fallacy that a government can tax that concept into reality. Margaret Thatcher put it best---"you can't make the poor richer by making the the rich poorer". Or if you prefer, Jesus Christ-----"the poor, they shall always be amongst us"

Oh, and BTW----the economy is built on the backs of venture capitalists, mega-corporations and billionaires, not those "making less than a living wage". How many people do they employ? How many factories do they build? As usual, the progressive mentality has everything upside down and backwards.

I don't think many appreciate "productivity" that being the reason for our standard of living. Make Bill Gates and Steve Jobs the poster boys of the digital age, (sure many others have also contributed) the productivity of the computer, internet has made the use of goods and basic materials much more efficient as it has all manor of the use of labor itself, Good ol Bill and Steve made Amazon possible , delivering goods right to your door, several business entities bidding on your patronage, Bill , Steve and Bezos are fabulously wealthy but compared to what they have saved others they got "Chump Change" When you get promoted or find a better job you become a bigger part of the effort to make thing work efficiently, you become more PRODUCTIVE and earn more, paying people more for the same work is non productive, inflationary.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

No one said it’s not a problem and there will be some problems ahead well I am the age I say I am and your welcome to see my birth certificate for $100 the blame that it’s all happening in a year is ridiculous , where we’re all the gloom and doom people last year and I remember all the tough times but I never remember a plague in my lifetime which called for more spending by both guys to help things get better , we should stop just thinking of ourselves and worry about those who come after us a little when my father was getting beat on Union picket lines all over USA in the 1930’s he was asked many times why he did it and it wasn’t helping him , he always said it was for the greater good not just for him but those who came after him

[jimbomaybe]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Governments do not set gas prices.
Demand, and how much comes out of the ground decides what a gallon costs.

Sure supply and demand play a part, but the point is that our government cause prices to rise by the policies they take, it raises all costs of production and delivery as well as material assets such as oil in the ground

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by JSR22

The cheapness makes me sick. We never tip under 25% and if the service is really good 35%.

I think most of us folks give 20%, or at least I THOUGHT others did. We all know how servers earn their money. I don't base it ever on the level of service, I just think about standing on their feet and being polite to folks who often are not polite to them...but...that said........

I think the thrust of this thread is that some will have to cut back and eat at home if their fixed income is not going to keep up with current much higher prices in restaurants and everywhere.

[Koapaka]

I had my first job at 14 years of age....during the summer, working the lunch rush at a local diner. They only hired 3 of us that young because they had a huge lunch stampede to keep happy with quick service, so several of us got on for a 3 hour shift, M-F. $.25 per hour and tips.

NOONE ever considered it a "living wage" because it was a starter job. I took the hours they were "willing" to give me, and was grateful. Then, moved on to the next job and increased salary once I was old enough to drive before graduating HS. I did not get sent to college. Nope, back then, the attitude was that most women would get married and stay home with kids, so why bother.

Worked for a while realizing I wanted more in life, so put myself through school.

Bottom line here is that there are FAR more opportunities in this current atmosphere (COVID) than there were anytime in my memory because lots of folks don't WANT to work. If you choose to settle for a "entry" job, expect entry wages. If you go to grad school, expect to make significantly more. YOU DRIVE YOUR OWN TRAIN, SO SELECT THE COURSE YOU TAKE.

Each person has to decide for themselves....we have one of our kids that is a total minimalist. Wants for nothing, except enough to get by and all the free time to do what he enjoys doing outdoors at his disposal. His choice, but he is very happy with it. He NEEDS a job he enjoys that allows all the flexibility he has, so he is totally content (and totally self sufficient).

His sister is driven, constantly looking to upgrade that ring from brass, to gold. She is happy. She is able to meet the challenges she sets for herself goal wise both in timeline and satisfaction. Truth be told, her brother is wicked smart, but to him, free time and enjoying life is far more valuable than possessions. She is the exact opposite, always excited about her next accomplishment career wise.

We are just thrilled our kids are HAPPY and CONTENT. Too many people these days don't seem to know what they want, and find themselves very discontent with everything, regardless of income level. Really sad part is they don't want to take responsibility for their position in life when less than satisfied (which is the ONLY way they might be able to see the change they seem to want), so throw the victim card as the cause of all their problems. A goal without a plan is a dream.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Aces4

If people are as old as they claim they are, they must know this time the inflation is different.

Keeping artificial crap interest rates on investments to push money into the over-leveraged, over valued market has caused this catastrophe. There is debt in this country that is out of control due to our government, right or left and not making this political.

Anyone with financial savvy can see what’s happened and going down won’t be pretty. I wonder if Nero is still fiddling?

rates were 16.63 and stayed there and we all survived, and I’m sure no one blamed Ronnie for it either