A Crumble cookie store is opening up on 466A. I can’t wait to hear the remarks abkht their pricing. In my opinion they're worth every penny.

Cheesecake Factory
 

One of my nephews managed a Cheesecake Factory. The profit margin on their slices of cheesecake were always obscene!

I buy birthday cakes from the grocery bakery every year. I usually order them online, 3 layers, cream cheese frosting etc. I can’t remember them being below $25 for many many years. At lease 5-7 years or more. My requests usually run $30-$40 now. For Thanksgiving this year I bought an entire Cheesecake Factory cheesecake and it was $75. You apparently don’t shop much. It’s been this way even before the pandemic. .

They don't make normal semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies. Their M&M cookies have peanutbutter chips in them, and I hate peanutbutter on or in any confections. Also not a fan of frosting on any cookies at all, and not a fan of buttercream frosting, at all.

So - in my opinion they're worth less than nothing. If you gave them to me as a gift I'd either politely decline to accept them, or I'd accept them and give them to someone else as a gift, or throw them away. Depends on who the giver is.

Great cake
 

You can save a lot by baking your own. A lot of bakeries use box mix, and the recipe on the back, but just substitute butter for the oil and add an extra egg.

I went to a local grocery store here to pick up a fruit bowl for New Year's. It was maybe a 10 inch bowl with strawberries, cantaloupe, muskmelon, and watermelon. It was $18. A dozen eggs were $9.

This is why I go to Costco. Two dozen eggs are $7

Inflation! It's frustrating, I know. But it is, sadly, like death and taxes, another normal part of life. The upward spiral is never ending. Looking back only makes it worse.
I remember big candy bars for a nickle. Coke machines that charged a dime. Gasoline for 19 cents a gallon with service (check oil and coolant and tire pressure and cleaning the windows for free). Staying at Motel 6 was $6.00! Hence, their name. (Thanks for leaving the light on, Tom Bodette).
Everything was cheaper! But the "old timers" still complained about Inflation. So, we let off a little steam, but solve nothing. If there is something we need or want, it's gonna cost more than it used too. ☹️☹️☹️😠🤬

A whole lot of folks believe a whole lot stuff. Much of what they believe makes no flippin' sense. Even absolute proof won't change their minds. When things don't work out as planned, they will have a myriad of reasons (excuses) why.
Hope for the best. Expect the worst. Try to deal with what comes. Good Luck!

I can remember that 60 years ago, most new golf balls cost about $1.25 each. Today, you can still buy a new regulation golf ball for about the same price. Go figure.

Automation.

Yes, but automation certainly hasn't kept the price of other golf equipment down.

Isn't it funny how simple it is to come up with an answer.....then find out later the answer is not that simple?

Didnt end well for Marie as I recall.

You said golf balls. Some items benefit more from automation than others. I toured a golf ball factory in MA that showed the impact of automation in manufacturing over the decades.

It's been ages since I had a hostess cup cake. I forgot about them but always thought they were so good. It's best that I go back to forgetting them ... and the other cake too, at any price. :-)