Welp, David Blackmon forgot what day it was and showed up about 25 minutes into this Bonus Hour of the Tales From the Idiocracy, so it’s really only about a Bonus 40 minutes or so, all focused on tonight’s debate between Donald Trump and Old Joe Biden. Thanks to
Inflation: This won't really be news to anyone, but...
If you look at the official numbers, they claim something like 1.6X to 2.0X in the last 20 years.
I just signed a contract for a new roof on the same house, with the same contractor using the same shingles, etc. In 2005 it was just shy of $4000. This year, $13,000
Went through the Jack in the Box drive through, last night. Everything which was on the $.99 menu back in 2004 was $2.69 - $3.29 or about $3.
Memorial Day, 2008, I bought about 80 lbs of brisket to smoke at $.89/ Lb. That ($.89 - $.99) was regular sale price every year about that time. Cheapest brisket I've seen this year was $2.79/ lb. BTW, you lose about 49% of the weight of a whole brisket cooking it, so that price (more than, + materials) doubles when applied to cooked meat. I know because I weighed those eight briskets before and after cooking.
They were good eating from the freezer for several years afterwards...
On the bright side ribeyes have not gone up as much. More like $4.99 -> $6.99 lb.
Maybe the whole basket of stuff really does pull it down to 2X or less, gasoline helps, but it sure doesn't feel like it. I guess electronics are still fairly cheap, but I don't buy a TV (or a phone) every year. My only cell phone is a $25 TCL Flip II. Does what I need. $50 per year with a Trac Fone card from Ebay (which has now gone up to $150, not looking forward to Nov. when the $50 version expires).
Anyway, inflation certainly seems higher than the official numbers. I know, not news to anyone...
Inflation: This won't really be news to anyone, but...
If you look at the official numbers, they claim something like 1.6X to 2.0X in the last 20 years.
I just signed a contract for a new roof on the same house, with the same contractor using the same shingles, etc. In 2005 it was just shy of $4000. This year, $13,000
Went through the Jack in the Box drive through, last night. Everything which was on the $.99 menu back in 2004 was $2.69 - $3.29 or about $3.
Memorial Day, 2008, I bought about 80 lbs of brisket to smoke at $.89/ Lb. That ($.89 - $.99) was regular sale price every year about that time. Cheapest brisket I've seen this year was $2.79/ lb. BTW, you lose about 49% of the weight of a whole brisket cooking it, so that price (more than, + materials) doubles when applied to cooked meat. I know because I weighed those eight briskets before and after cooking.
They were good eating from the freezer for several years afterwards...
On the bright side ribeyes have not gone up as much. More like $4.99 -> $6.99 lb.
Maybe the whole basket of stuff really does pull it down to 2X or less, gasoline helps, but it sure doesn't feel like it. I guess electronics are still fairly cheap, but I don't buy a TV (or a phone) every year. My only cell phone is a $25 TCL Flip II. Does what I need. $50 per year with a Trac Fone card from Ebay (which has now gone up to $150, not looking forward to Nov. when the $50 version expires).
Anyway, inflation certainly seems higher than the official numbers. I know, not news to anyone...