Anyone else feeling this way??

[boop0524]

Things did get a lot more expensive:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/13/prices-continue-to-riseheres-whats-getting-the-most-expensive.html
Here's a good indicator about used car prices:

https://publish.manheim.com/en/services/consulting/used-vehicle-value-index.html
And look at what happened with social security. Up 5.9%. That's what I'm using as my inflation gauge to back into a real return for my portfolio.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/13/soc...djustment-will-be-5point9percent-in-2022.html
What I have done is buy the maximum amount of I Bonds I can. My goal is to avoid losing buying power right now.

This is just beginning. The banks have started to report, and credit card balances haven't really grown. This is mostly driven by people spending from their savings. I'm expecting inflation to persist until those balances are drawn down.

Wow, really interesting to look at the data here!

 

[dvcgirl67]

Things did get a lot more expensive:

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/13/prices-continue-to-riseheres-whats-getting-the-most-expensive.html
Here's a good indicator about used car prices:

https://publish.manheim.com/en/services/consulting/used-vehicle-value-index.html
And look at what happened with social security. Up 5.9%. That's what I'm using as my inflation gauge to back into a real return for my portfolio.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/13/soc...djustment-will-be-5point9percent-in-2022.html
What I have done is buy the maximum amount of I Bonds I can. My goal is to avoid losing buying power right now.

This is just beginning. The banks have started to report, and credit card balances haven't really grown. This is mostly driven by people spending from their savings. I'm expecting inflation to persist until those balances are drawn down.

I expect this inflationary period to last a bit longer than was originally anticipated because the supply chain and labor shortage ssues are going to continue for awhile. I've also read a few articles about energy prices for this coming winter. Anyone heating with natural gas should anticipate their bills to be 30% higher than normal and if the winter is 10% colder....prices could hit 50% higher. That's going to sting.

 

[mikehn]

Steak used to be my go to. Now Im eating more shrimp and lobster, but that's starting to get old.

 

[kanerf]

I survived the 70's, we will survive this.

 

[mefordis]

And look at what happened with social security. Up 5.9%. That's what I'm using as my inflation gauge to back into a real return for my portfolio.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/13/soc...djustment-will-be-5point9percent-in-2022.html

This is great news about soc security increase. I'll have to tell my mom.

As for increases in prices I'm not noticing that much personally, except for gas.

 

[Kitty 34]

I survived the 70's, we will survive this.

Me, too but we can still be frustrated. Besides, the 70's had Disco!!

 

[snappy]

I am definitely seeing the increase in gasoline prices. Reminds me of the price gouging after hurricanes over the years. Luckily we still aren‘t traveling much on a day to day basis, compared to before March 2020. So a tank of gas lasts a while.

 

[NYCgrrl]

My elder sister and I were just discussing the weekly sale circular for a supermarket we both use that is known regionwide for great meat prices.
Hot dang!?! This week they have whole turkeys on sale for $1.99/lb. and we wondered if it would cook and serve itself at that price; nice if it would wash the dishes too.

Glad my freezer is already filled up but will be “witchy“ replenishing it again in Feb or Mar.

 

[boop0524]

My elder sister and I were just discussing the weekly sale circular for a supermarket we both use that is known regionwide for great meat prices.
Hot dang!?! This week they have whole turkeys on sale for $1.99/lb. and we wondered if it would cook and serve itself at that price; nice if it would wash the dishes too.

Glad my freezer is already filled up but will be “witchy“ replenishing it again in Feb or Mar.

Good grief! We may be eating ground beef or ham from the freezer this Thanksgiving

 

[HopperFan]

It’s particularly difficult for those of us who are unemployed. Trying to stretch my fixed budget at the grocery store is no fun. Between the high prices and limited supply, I bring home fewer and fewer items each time. I have already cut out every single expense that isn’t absolutely necessary. The hardest thing to get rid of was the satellite TV. I don’t go out for entertainment, so the satellite was my one splurge, but it was just too expensive to keep. The sad thing is, I know I am better off than many others are who aren’t working.

We cut our cable out. But we share a couple streaming services with our kids since they let you have several users. DD lets us use her YouTube TV, DS let's us use his Hulu, Paramount, Netflix. I have Amazon. I let the kids and a friend use my Disney+ (I had prepurchased 3 years). Perhaps you know family or folks who would include you on their plans. I have an Amazon stick to watch with and it was only $20.

 

[RamblingMad]

We cut our cable out. But we share a couple streaming services with our kids since they let you have several users. DD lets us use her YouTube TV, DS let's us use his Hulu, Paramount, Netflix. I have Amazon. I let the kids and a friend use my Disney+ (I had prepurchased 3 years). Perhaps you know family or folks who would include you on their plans. I have an Amazon stick to watch with and it was only $20.

I cut cable back in 2013. I haven't looked back. Streaming services cost more now than back then. But I'm still paying far less than cable and not watching ads.

 

[HopperFan]

I cut cable back in 2013. I haven't looked back. Streaming services cost more now than back then. But I'm still paying far less than cable and not watching ads.

Yeah my DD's husband is grandfathered in with their YouTube TV and it's now double what he pays. Sharing with them really keeps our individual costs down. I don't even count Amazon because I have had Prime for years nothing to do with the tv part. I'm liking my MUCH smaller bill each month for just internet.

 

[fla4fun]

Me, too but we can still be frustrated. Besides, the 70's had Disco!!

Well, ABBA is putting out a new release next month, so maybe Disco will come back!

 

[boop0524]

We canceled our SlingTV and Sirius radio this week Thankfully we share a bunch of streaming services with family so that helps. Also scored a great deal on Peacock so I can still watch my Bravo shows...it's 30% off with code TODAY30 for anyone interested. Got six months for $20

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

You hit on the reason in your sentence. Something few people buy will remain in inventory longer because less people are depleting that inventory.

Take a high end watch vs a cheap Casio for example. That $30,000 watch sitting at a jewelry store has already been produced, shipped, and is in stock at the retailer so it has passed the supply chain disruption at this point. It will also likely remain in inventory for a substantial amount of time making it available for purchase. Lastly, it is very likely that watch is using full mechanical movements without any silicone what so ever so some of the supply chain disruption won't impact it.

Conversely the $20 Casio for sale at Walmart is constantly selling meaning the stock has to be replenished weekly or monthly. The pipeline of inventory is possibly depleted because the replacement inventory is stuck on a ship or in China at a factory. Lastly, they may have 100,000 partially built housings waiting for the chips to arrive to complete assembly.

You may wonder why you can go buy a $30,000 watch so easily while finding a $20 is impossible but it isn't some global conspiracy, it is pretty fundamental supply chain math.

I’m not even sure this is entirely true right now. It’s been well known that luxury goods have been quite a bit harder to get this past year and tons of high end stores have been completely bare shelves for periods. Most luxury goods are at least partially hand made and those workshops have been shut down off more than not in many European cities. I think there actually issues no matter the price point.

I actually read an article that they’re having trouble sourcing private jets, something extremely high end lol. Supply chain issues are making parts for repairs harder to get so planes are sitting idle and there’s apparently more people traveling private than ever before.

No question, it’s crazy out there!

 

[Travel60]

Before Covid, many of us were thoughtless consumers. Fast fashion clothing worn one season then tossed, eating out many days a week, buying without thinking and throwing away the excess, new cars, remodeling our houses because some influencer said green was 'in". With Covid we were forced, by isolation and circumstances to change our actions, if not our attitude. Some of us found out we can do with a lot less and we are more careful with what we buy and how we use it. We may come out of this better citizens.

 

[GreatLakes]

Before Covid, many of us were thoughtless consumers. Fast fashion clothing worn one season then tossed, eating out many days a week, buying without thinking and throwing away the excess, new cars, remodeling our houses because some influencer said green was 'in". With Covid we were forced, by isolation and circumstances to change our actions, if not our attitude. Some of us found out we can do with a lot less and we are more careful with what we buy and how we use it. We may come out of this better citizens.

Hopefully we do become more mindful consumers. We by a lot of unnecessary things and many of them are damaging to the environment. We also tend to put ourselves into debt unnecessarily in order to do that and, if not debt, at a disadvantage to our savings and retirement. That is on a macro level of course, each individual needs to look inward.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Before Covid, many of us were thoughtless consumers. Fast fashion clothing worn one season then tossed, eating out many days a week, buying without thinking and throwing away the excess, new cars, remodeling our houses because some influencer said green was 'in". With Covid we were forced, by isolation and circumstances to change our actions, if not our attitude. Some of us found out we can do with a lot less and we are more careful with what we buy and how we use it. We may come out of this better citizens.

I suppose that’s something good that comes out of tough times.

To the bolded, some of us were always that way, with many of us being primarily influenced by people who lived through the Great Depression.

 

[overdisney]

My parents were depression era children-- in our family if something broke you tried to fix it if it could not then and only then did it get trashed. My father taught me carpentry, how to wire a house and how to do plumbing how to fix a car Only once have we called a repairmen to fix the refrigerator. Being self-sufficient has its rewards when the SHTF my family will survive. Passed this on to my 3 sons.

 

[fla4fun]

My parents were depression era children-- in our family if something broke you tried to fix it if it could not then and only then did it get trashed.

My parents were also depression era children. But Dad took it a step farther. If something couldn’t be fixed, it was kept for parts. It wouldn’t get trashed until any useful bit had been used elsewhere and it resembled a thanksgiving turkey carcass. He was a master at making do.