Why is Everything so Damn Expensive?

[El Capitán]

I live in the US and over the past three years inflation is up around 17%, previous trends a three year run rate should be around 6-7%. That additional 10% is likely never recoverable for those of us lucky enough to have a pension (which is not indexed to inflation).

I feel for my sons in their early 20’s and other like them trying to break into the real world.

Get them into farming if you can. Even our little goat farm turns a decent profit. Now breaking in is tough since it requires decent capital to get started.

We are way overdue one and instead of letting it happen in 2008 they put bandaids on it all and exacerbated the problems. Always……….always you have to do the pain, putting it off is disastrous.

That is the reason I'm a Marxist (not a Stalinist). No sharing personal property, freedom of the press, one Political Party with an elected leader. Regulated wages. It's a federalist democracy unlike the bastardized form of Communism most people know.

 

[georged]

Big trouble will come soon, Great Depression type stuff, difference this time is that we have devolved. We take pictures instead of helping, says it all really!

Indeed. Societal values start with parents and early schooling. In the absence of those, things go to shit in a hurry.

It's why parents and schools in the post-WWII decades pushed back so hard on drugs, personal conduct, and freedom-minded "hippie" ideas. THEY had all just seen two world wars and the Great Depression, and understood cause and effect.

Then they aged out, the USA became a wealthy superpower, and the old adage "rich kids never amount to much" was proven right again.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Indeed. Societal values start with parents and early schooling. In the absence of those, things go to shit in a hurry.

It's why parents and schools in the post-WWII decades pushed back so hard on drugs, personal conduct, and freedom-minded "hippie" ideas. THEY had all just seen two world wars and the Great Depression, and understood cause and effect.

Then they aged out, the USA became a wealthy superpower, and the old adage "rich kids never amount to much" was proven right again.

This is probably the most accurate post in a long time

 

[fireground_piper]

We are way overdue one and instead of letting it happen in 2008 they put bandaids on it all and exacerbated the problems. Always……….always you have to do the pain, putting it off is disastrous.

Speak for yourself. I guess I could have actually become homeless, if more pain is what I needed.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I can't say how I really feel or I'd be banned from the forum so ibtl .

 

[El Capitán]

View attachment 280650

 

[Servant King]

Well... to be clear ... you and I can't. ...

Technically, that's not true. Any time someone takes out a loan, the bank literally types the currency into existence (and charges interest on it! On something they just summoned into existence from nothing! It really is quite comical at this point). It's legalized counterfeiting that's just the same as what the Fed does all the time, but this type is entirely the consumer's fault, in terms of being the point of origin. If more people stopped supporting this madness, that'd negate a lot of the financial smoke & mirrors coming out of that sector. Which is not to say that they wouldn't come up with something real quick to replace it, but hey, it's a start!

The borrower is always servant to the lender, after all...

 

[VDL_Piper]

There is also a certain amount of “piss taking” when a smoking forum has a thread about cost of living. We literally take $$$, put it in a chunk of wood and burn it!

 

[FurCoat]

I can't say how I really feel or I'd be banned from the forum so ibtl .

If I let loose they would send the Blackhawks to get me.

 

[bobomatic]

The politicians that create these problems are the ones in charge of providing solutions. Let that sink in.

 

[jpberg]

Technically, that's not true. Any time someone takes out a loan, the bank literally types the currency into existence (and charges interest on it! On something they just summoned into existence from nothing! It really is quite comical at this point). It's legalized counterfeiting that's just the same as what the Fed does all the time, but this type is entirely the consumer's fault, in terms of being the point of origin. If more people stopped supporting this madness, that'd negate a lot of the financial smoke & mirrors coming out of that sector. Which is not to say that they wouldn't come up with something real quick to replace it, but hey, it's a start!

The borrower is always servant to the lender, after all...

Are you telling me I don’t deserve to have a 3 million dollar home?
I put ten grand down….

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I’ve a grocery list of reasons why things are the way they are. However, since one or many of those on my list would likely offend one or many of our esteemed members… I’ll play nice & keep my rather large mouth shut. Damn, I’m actually being thoughtful…that’s growth isn’t it?!️

 

[El Capitán]

I’ve a grocery list of reasons why things are the way they are. However, since one or many of those on my list would likely offend one or many of our esteemed members… I’ll play nice & keep my rather large mouth shut. Damn, I’m actually being thoughtful…that’s growth isn’t it?!️
View attachment 280672

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

View attachment 280681

Trust me …no one wants to hear my feelings. ️

 

[Servant King]

Trust me …no one wants to hear my feelings. ️

I have a feeling the deaf wouldn't mind...

 

[warren]

The borrower is always servant to the lender, after all.

You really need to learn how to use the bank's moneys to your advantage. I use banks to my advantage, not necessarily theirs. Often, a loan is a win-win. Hell, in many cases you deduct interest paid from various taxes. That's a good thing. The bank gets their interest and you get to use their money to make even more than they do. Win-win!

 

[Briar Lee]

Whatever else the United States Congress did in early 2020 wrong in response to Covid we are not in the middle of a 1930 style economic collapse where prices fell by one third, economic output by fifty per cent and unemployment was at twenty five per cent and wages declined twenty five per cent.

I drove a two hundred mile round trip today and never looked up at all the contrails of the jet planes above me:
——-
Every day, the Federal Aviation Administration provides air traffic service to more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers traveling across the more than 29 million square miles that make up the U.S. national airspace system ( NAS ).Apr 20, 2023

——-


Gasoline at Warrensburg was $2.47 a gallon. My Hemi powered Chrysler gets 25 miles to the gallon and runs for a dime a mile. Gas cost $20 for the trip.

My 12 ounce sack of Jamaican Rum tobacco I didn’t need cost $20.

Inflation and unemployment are both three some odd per cent.

I drove past more public schools than I could count, and every kid in there got a hot lunch and cold half pint of milk and childhood obesity, is a problem. They don’t remember the way things were. They’ll make this world a more prosperous place than we did.

Whatever a dollar was worth five or ten or fifty years ago a 2024 dollar is worth one dollar in 2024.

It’s the strongest currency in the history of the world. We operate 11 super carriers and are building 3 more.

Corn is $4.44 a bushel.

The stores are just bursting with food.

The roads are full of shiny cars.

Trains run down the track every few minutes.

Semi tractor trailers are thick.

My question is —-

Isn’t this a good time to actually raise taxes a little and hold down spending a little and balance the national budget?

Should we wait for the next recession?

Or just bitch about the deficit?

 

[LeafErikson]

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Whatever else the United States Congress did in early 2020 wrong in response to Covid we are not in the middle of a 1930 style economic collapse where prices fell by one third, economic output by fifty per cent and unemployment was at twenty five per cent and wages declined twenty five per cent.

I drove a two hundred mile round trip today and never looked up at all the contrails of the jet planes above me:
——-
Every day, the Federal Aviation Administration provides air traffic service to more than 45,000 flights and 2.9 million airline passengers traveling across the more than 29 million square miles that make up the U.S. national airspace system ( NAS ).Apr 20, 2023

——-


Gasoline at Warrensburg was $2.47 a gallon. My Hemi powered Chrysler gets 25 miles to the gallon and runs for a dime a mile. Gas cost $20 for the trip.

My 12 ounce sack of Jamaican Rum tobacco I didn’t need cost $20.

Inflation and unemployment are both three some odd per cent.

I drove past more public schools than I could count, and every kid in there got a hot lunch and cold half pint of milk and childhood obesity, is a problem. They don’t remember the way things were. They’ll make this world a more prosperous place than we did.

Whatever a dollar was worth five or ten or fifty years ago a 2024 dollar is worth one dollar in 2024.

It’s the strongest currency in the history of the world. We operate 11 super carriers and are building 3 more.

Corn is $4.44 a bushel.

The stores are just bursting with food.

The roads are full of shiny cars.

Trains run down the track every few minutes.

Semi tractor trailers are thick.

My question is —-

Isn’t this a good time to actually raise taxes a little and hold down spending a little and balance the national budget?

Should we wait for the next recession?

Or just bitch about the deficit?

I’m down with attempting to balance the budget…or we can keep kicking the can down the road which will only hurt our youngsters as they attempt to make their own way. Being satisfied with less is becoming a thing for me as I approach 50, and have hopefully already made most of my mistakes. ️

 

[warren]

Isn’t this a good time to actually raise taxes a little and hold down spending a little and balance the national budget?

Most people, including politicians, would answer yes. But, most people don't vote and many that do want more free money from the government. So, quit asking sensible questions!