[Rodneysblue]

Originally Posted by Steve

For all the people who believe inflation is under control:
I just came back from Walmart. Went to buy potato chips. Last week a bag of Lay's Potato Chips was $4.68. Today $5.38. That's a 16% jump. AND the bags are smaller than they used to be!!

I was just at Walmart yesterday and eggs were only $1.24 a dozen. So it may be an isolated price increase on certain items.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

we are all suffering. .

1) grocery store margins are 2-3% so the majority of the cost is a supply chain issue. .
2) There is a shipping component to grocery store prices (fuel prices major component)
3) There is a labor component to grocery store prices (local labor market component)

April Retail sales up 0.4% over prior month
April CPI up 0.4% over prior month. .

Retail sales increase is all inflation, also known as STAGFLATION
however, too short of a time period for a trend. .

CPI has peaked and prices increases are slowing in GENERAL . . .

best answer is avoid junk food, and invest in junk food companies
a personal spread trade to profit at the expense of others.. .

[Steve]

Originally Posted by bowlingal

Lays at Publix this week $4.79 and it's BOGO. Same for Winn Dixie this week. You should learn to read the Winn Dixie and Publix inserts in the Wednesday paper. OR go to the stores and pick one up

Maybe you should go into the store. The Lays BOGO was last week.

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I have chosen. I go to Publix almost every day. Walmart is a zoo, and they often don't keep their regular products in stock. I think that Aldi's quarter cart deal is one of the cheapest and dumbest things I have ever seen. And, I don't believe that it helps their bottom line.

When you return the cart, you get your quarter back. It costs you nothing to use their cart as long as you return it. That saves them having an employee from having to retrieve carts. Cost saving that translates to their bottom line.

[cjrjck]

How long will it last? The last time year over year inflation was this bad, it lasted about a decade. All of the 1970's. They measured it differently back then, but the effects were the same.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by fdpaq0580

When you return the cart, you get your quarter back. It costs you nothing to use their cart as long as you return it. That saves them having an employee from having to retrieve carts. Cost saving that translates to their bottom line.

I understand the concept, but you also need to factor in the customers they lose by having such a cheap policy. I am one of them. If it increases their bottom line, why don't other stores have the policy? I would also point out that, unlike other stores, they have their own parking lot, so it would cost less to maintain the carts.

[Regorp]

Originally Posted by Steve

For all the people who believe inflation is under control:
I just came back from Walmart. Went to buy potato chips. Last week a bag of Lay's Potato Chips was $4.68. Today $5.38. That's a 16% jump. AND the bags are smaller than they used to be!!

Publix was bogo this week.2 bags for $7.99.

[Two Bills]

Inflation is a world wide problem at the moment, and the US is in a lot better place than many countries, and handling the problem quite well
9+ down to 4.93 and falling.
You lucky people!

[Joe C.]

Inflation never ceases. It's always been there. You notice it more when your income doesn't keep pace with it.
The more people handle an item before you purchase it, the more expensive it becomes.
Remember when bread was 15 cents a loaf? That's when the hourly wage was about 75 cents an hour.

[Whitley]

Inflation is higher than the government figure for the following reason: If inflation is defined as the increase in cost to buy a set of products from one period to another. One dozen large publix eggs purchased January 1st compared to one dozen publix large eggs purchased May 1st.

What economists have done (come to your own conclusion as to why) is they use substitutions, which suppresses the figure. Lets say the above dozen large publix eggs cost 1.00 on Jan 1. Instead of comparing it to 1dz large publix eggs on May1, they will compare it to a different, less expensive brand of eggs (ie uncle googies eggs). A consumer that purchased a cheesecake each week for desert for the family may now buy cheaper jello. In this case it would show a decrease in spending.
They try and take into account that people would substitute cheaper, even different products. IMO inflation should be comparing the exact same items from one period to another.
THey even try to take into account the consumer buying fewer items (again, you figure out why they would go through such gymnastics to come up with a lower number). The example given:
A consumer may change their behaviour due to rising prices. instead of buying a container with 12 cupcakes, they buy a container with fewer cupcakes, switch to a cheaper brand or shop at a discount store where cupcakes are cheaper. To factor in that behavior, the government tweaked how it calculates inflation.

[Bellavita]

If you crave them, even if they are not healthy generic are just as good at a fraction of cost.

Or make your own potatoes are cheap

Originally Posted by schwarz

Eat healthy and eat at home and you will be a lot better off. I am fortunate to have a wife who enjoys cooking and prepares healthy meals for the both of us. We eat out a couple times a week but always at lunch, with lower prices and less crowds. We eat fruits, no junk potato chips. Be smart and live longer.

[OhioBuckeye]

Steve, you’re exactly right! Wish I was like you. Eat right & live longer! Good thumb of rule!

[Whitley]

Originally Posted by Joe C.

Inflation never ceases. It's always been there. You notice it more when your income doesn't keep pace with it.
The more people handle an item before you purchase it, the more expensive it becomes.
Remember when bread was 15 cents a loaf? That's when the hourly wage was about 75 cents an hour.

From my experience, there is very little chance the average working person, with an 8% increase in salary, can even maintain their standard of living from 2021 to 2022. Rent in Sarasota has increased 25.77 percent. In December of 2020 fuel per gallon average was 2.14 a gallon. December of 2022 $3.04 a gallon.

[retiredguy123]

When you compare the inflation rate to the standard of living, there are two factors that are often overlooked. First of all, not all people spend 100 percent of their income. And second, when you shop, you can pick and choose which items to buy to reduce your individual inflation rate.

[Whitley]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Inflation is a world wide problem at the moment, and the US is in a lot better place than many countries, and handling the problem quite well
9+ down to 4.93 and falling.
You lucky people!

Yes, we are mostly lucky up top the past 2 years. See below annual inflation:
2013 = 1.5
2014 = 1.6
2015 = 0.1
2016 = 1.3
2017 = 2.1
2018 = 2.4
2019 = 1.8
2020 = 1.2
2021 = 4.7
2022 = 8.0
2023 = 5.58 first four months