Not so hidden inflation

[SD Realtor]

Been amazing to see how fast prices on gone up. The other day wifey said that food for our pets has gone up close to 30% over a year ago. Pretty much all staples across the board are up substantially. Also saw the yahoo article about Tide.

Get used to it.

[bearishgurl]

I have several pets and am quite often able to buy them heavily discounted premium food in taped-up (broken) bags and boxes and bent cans (at the Navy Commissary and other stores, such as Vons and Ralphs and occasionally, Albertsons).

Yes, Tide is very expensive and always was but there are much cheaper alternatives out there (with avail $1.50 to $3.00 coupons in the newspaper and pennysaver).

So, there ARE ways to (economically) feed a pet and wash clothes for the persistent shopper :=]

[SD Realtor]

Ignored

[scaredyclassic]

Tide is superior.

[Rich Toscano]

That’s just silly SDR… don’t you know that we are at the brink of a deflationary spiral?

BG, I believe you are misunderstanding the point of the post. SDR’s point is that prices of staples and the like have risen substantially. The fact that you use coupons, buy dented cans, etc, to reduce your shopping bill from what it otherwise would have been is not actually germane to the topic of whether prices of staples are rising in general.

By the way, we are (or at least recently were) BELOW the Fed’s newly stated official inflation target of 2%. This is because the Fed is targeting the core PCE deflator, which last I checked (this might have been Jan or so) was at 1.7% or thereabouts. (This is to say nothing of the fact that they’ve acknowledged that they will allow inflation to get higher than target in periods of high unemployment).

So however high the inflation is that you are observing, SDR, Bernanke thinks it’s not high enough.

[SD Realtor]

Ah yes Rich, this is one our pet topics eh?

Intuitive consumers note this is not a new event. By our own family accounting we have seen these increases for the past few years.

I think over the next few years we will start to see some media awareness (only a couple years to late… kind of like housing eh rich?)

All in all though the inflationary bubble (to me) has been slowly inflating for a few years now and we will start to see that pace quicken.

For those who actually lend credence to any official government or fed statements regarding inflation or even unemployment for that matter, just go back and google what they were saying about housing in 2006.

Nothing to worry about!!

[pemeliza]

Sudden jumps in prices of a few goods end up getting smoothed out in the inflation data. It takes large and sustained (over many months) price increases of many goods to move the needle.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Rich Toscano]That’s just silly SDR… don’t you know that we are at the brink of a deflationary spiral?

BG, I believe you are misunderstanding the point of the post. SDR’s point is that prices of staples and the like have risen substantially. The fact that you use coupons, buy dented cans, etc, to reduce your shopping bill from what it otherwise would have been is not actually germane to the topic of whether prices of staples are rising in general….[/quote]

Rich, I fully understand that prices of food and commodities, gas and everything else a typical household uses has risen substantially in recent years. (For instance, I’ve had pets all of my life and KNOW what pet food/supplies USED to cost.)

All I’m saying is that there is more than one way to “skin a cat” when it comes to groceries. There are several ways to buy/acquire them which does NOT involve “paying retail.”

If one is “hell bent” on paying retail, far be it from me to suggest ways to economize.

I don’t care if you continue to “ignore” me, SDR. Just be prepared to keep opening your wallet wide at the grocery store :=]

[briansd1]

[quote=bearishgurl]I have several pets and am quite often able to buy them heavily discounted premium food in taped-up (broken) bags and boxes and bent cans (at the Navy Commissary and other stores, such as Vons and Ralphs and occasionally, Albertsons).

Yes, Tide is very expensive and always was but there are much cheaper alternatives out there (with avail $1.50 to $3.00 coupons in the newspaper and pennysaver).

So, there ARE ways to (economically) feed a pet and wash clothes for the persistent shopper :=][/quote]

I agree, there are ways to cope with inflation. One of those ways it to consume less, and switch to less expensive products.

How about the Costco powder detergent? I use that and it takes me like 2 years to finish the whole bucket. Personally, I don’t like the fragrance in detergent, and I don’t use fabric softener.

[briansd1]

[quote=SD Realtor]

For those who actually lend credence to any official government or fed statements regarding inflation or even unemployment for that matter, just go back and google what they were saying about housing in 2006.

Nothing to worry about!![/quote]

It sounds like you believe that there is higher inflation and higher unemployment than is reported.

If there is higher than reported inflation, does that mean that higher interest rates are to follow in short order?

Will we see commensurate wage inflation?

It will be interesting to watch it all unfold.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Rich Toscano]BG, I believe you are misunderstanding the point of the post.

[…]

[whatever the heck she is rambling about now] is not actually germane to the topic […][/quote]

Feature request: An automated script that posts the template above to every thread.

[no_such_reality]

My observation is that any fresh food is dramatically increased. Particularly meAt and milk. Meat seemingly has an on sale price today equal to last years regular price. The regular price is really up there. Other places like Phoenix make Cali look cheap

I suspect it will just it worse as more production is converted to organic or grass fed due to the higher profitability and decreased hassle factor

[briansd1]

I’m of the belief there there bifurcation.

There is indeed inflation in food and consumer products such as Tide and pet food.

But there is stability and maybe deflation in imported products such as computers, plastic items such a laundry baskets, cell phone service, etc…

So the net number of low inflation reported by the government is believable to me.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=pri_dk][quote=Rich Toscano]BG, I believe you are misunderstanding the point of the post.[/quote]

[whatever the heck she is rambling about now] is not actually germane to the topic […][/quote]

pri_dk, why don’t you tell us where you obtained the (bolded) “quote” above??

[bearishgurl]

[quote=briansd1]I’m of the belief there there bifurcation.

There is indeed inflation in food and consumer products such as Tide and pet food.

But there is stability and maybe deflation in imported products such as computers, plastic items such a laundry baskets, cell phone service, etc…

So the net number of low inflation reported by the government is believable to me.[/quote]

Agree with this, brian.

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