Examples of current inflation - add yours!

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I follow an Aldi group and it’s been posted that their “Millville Crispy Oats” cereal comes from the same factory as Cheerios. It’s just put into a different box. The poster’s brother worked at the Cheerios production plant.

Now, you know that if it’s been posted online it must be the actual truth. Judge for yourself.

I have 4 boxes of Aldi Millville cereal in the cupboard right now. Bran Flakes, Corn Flakes, Frosted Shredded Wheat and Crispy Rice and they all taste just as good as the name brands.

 

[Koolau]

According to today’s WSJ streaming charges are up 25% in the last year. I suppose we are paying for the multiple palatial homes the big shots and stars in the entertainment industry have a need for. And the private planes and luxury yachts.

Not to mention the inflated costs of their carbon offsets for their luxury transportation.

 

[USGrant1962]

Some good news is that rental cars seem to be back to normal. I just rented for a short business trip at $39/day - about the same as before Covid and way less than 2021/2022.

 

[ivinsfan]

According to today’s WSJ streaming charges are up 25% in the last year. I suppose we are paying for the multiple palatial homes the big shots and stars in the entertainment industry have a need for. And the private planes and luxury yachts.

Actually I think a big part of this number is for sport driven content...at some point this content will be stand alone streaming IMO...

 

[CarbonaNotGlue]

Prices are starting to kick up again at my favorite Aldi’s. I buy their brand of wine (winking owl) to use as a cheap cooking wine. Pre pandemic it was $1.99. It went to 2.99 last year. Today, I needed a bottle of Chardonnay for a lemon butter sauce and it’s now $3.49. I also noticed assorted produce has also increased by around 25%.

 

[ychuck46]

We were in town yesterday and today and passed our local Kroger's both times. Regular unleaded gas yesterday was $3.29/gal and today was $3.65/gal, an 11% increase in 24 hours.

 

[Gumby]

Stuff like that has always happened, such as when a refinery goes offline. Or on a peak travel week. I have no idea why on this particular occasion, but I take no meaning from it.

 

[ychuck46]

Stuff like that has always happened, such as when a refinery goes offline. Or on a peak travel week. I have no idea why on this particular occasion, but I take no meaning from it.

I definitely take meaning from it, particularly since there has been no specific incident the oil companies can point to in an effort to price gouge on gasoline. Depending on one's political leanings they likely won't like my meaning so I will keep it to myself and continue to have this thread be about instances of inflation, of which there seem to be plenty nowadays.

 

[Fermion]

We were in town yesterday and today and passed our local Kroger's both times. Regular unleaded gas yesterday was $3.29/gal and today was $3.65/gal, an 11% increase in 24 hours.

We are at $4.91 for regular unleaded.

 

[Koolau]

Prices are starting to kick up again at my favorite Aldi’s. I buy their brand of wine (winking owl) to use as a cheap cooking wine. Pre pandemic it was $1.99. It went to 2.99 last year. Today, I needed a bottle of Chardonnay for a lemon butter sauce and it’s now $3.49. I also noticed assorted produce has also increased by around 25%.

Produce can be very seasonal. Here in the heartland, we're close to some blueberry patches. For just a few weeks in early summer, we can sometimes get fresh blueberries for $1/box! More often, their $2/box. But soon, those are gone and the price heads up a bit each week. YMMV

 

[CaptTom]

I definitely take meaning from it, particularly since there has been no specific incident the oil companies can point to in an effort to price gouge on gasoline.

Actually, there have been issues. Crude oil prices have been creeping back up for a while now. Headlines about Russia and Saudi Arabia coming to a deal to limit supply, China consuming more, the dollar weakening, etc.

I'm not saying they won't gouge us, given a chance. Like higher demand as more people travel. But there are geopolitical pressures, too. Oil prices have been volatile since at least the early 70's. It's a world-wide market, so we're somewhat impacted by anything which affects supply anywhere.

 

[ychuck46]

Actually, there have been issues. Crude oil prices have been creeping back up for a while now. Headlines about Russia and Saudi Arabia coming to a deal to limit supply, China consuming more, the dollar weakening, etc.

Any oil supply deal was already baked in awhile ago when it first came out. China's growth has slowed dramatically over the last quarter, and the dollar has not been weakening but strengthening against many major currencies lately. As I stated there has been nothing recently, including any uptick in driving (actually the opposite with schools back in session in large parts of the country), to warrant an 11% increase in gas prices at the pump in one 24 hour period.

 

[CardsFan]

De-Flation?

Yesterday I bought lamb breasts (hard to find) at Aldi's for $2.99/lb.

Today I bought Perdue Chicken leg quarters at a regional place (Dierberg's) for $0.66/lb. 8 thighs for me to have later, and 8 legs to share with the dog (I'll make chicken salad with mine).

 

[Cayman]

Griftflation. Aide service at my mom's CCRC is supposed to be $42 an hour, and 'Oh, by the way, didn't anyone tell you, anything over 30 minutes is billed as a whole hour. I have spent 31 minutes on you, and gee, I have to rush on to my next client, sorry, bye. Oh, you're upset, well you must be a cheap sob. Shame on you.' This happened to me at my mom's CCRC. I straightened it out, with the manager, and now the aide stays less than a half hour, but it was like pulling teeth, and I was portrayed as cheap sob. Yep, good old Griftflation.

31 mins. = 1 hour?
Unconscionable. The policy and the practice.

 

[Koolau]

31 mins. = 1 hour?
Unconscionable. The policy and the practice.

And especially so-called "medical staff" taking advantage of vulnerable aged people.

 

[Car-Guy]

We are at $4.91 for regular unleaded.

It's been hanging around $3.29 here for weeks. You can pay 20 to 30 cents more at some stations but it's easy enough to find it at $3.29.

 

[easysurfer]

Tourists in Italy are suffering from cutflatation .

But the summer of 2023 will go down as one of the priciest in history after a slew of price gouging scandals at cafes and restaurants that have affected foreign tourists and Italians alike.

Take the couple charged 2 euros ($2.20) to cut their ham sandwich in half on the shores of Lake Como...

https://www.cnn.com/travel/outrageous-charges-targeting-tourists-in-italy/index.html

 

[Koolau]

Tourists in Italy are suffering from cutflatation .



https://www.cnn.com/travel/outrageous-charges-targeting-tourists-in-italy/index.html

So glad I "did" Italy 60 years ago.

 

[Chuckanut]

The guy who installed my mini-split heat pump came in to do a quick check of the system at about 3 months just to make sure things were OK. They were. He also told me I was lucky to have had my unit installed in the Spring. As of July the price he pays for the equipment and parts needed to install the mini-split system have gone up over $1200.

 

[JoeWras]

I wanted to go to Italy, but ended up in Greece instead. Saw enough sites and piles of rubble to satisfy me. Hearing about the crowds and madness at the big Italian sites, I have no interest in Italy anymore.

Thinking about going to non-tourist Greek island next year. No typical ancient sites, just Greeks being Greeks. Bring Euros (cash), drink ouzo, relax and hang out. Kalimera! We'll see.

 

[Koolau]

I wanted to go to Italy, but ended up in Greece instead. Saw enough sites and piles of rubble to satisfy me. Hearing about the crowds and madness at the big Italian sites, I have no interest in Italy anymore.

Thinking about going to non-tourist Greek island next year. No typical ancient sites, just Greeks being Greeks. Bring Euros (cash), drink ouzo, relax and hang out. Kalimera! We'll see.

Opa!

 

[athena53]

As I stated there has been nothing recently, including any uptick in driving (actually the opposite with schools back in session in large parts of the country), to warrant an 11% increase in gas prices at the pump in one 24 hour period.

I once stood at the counter of a gas station and saw the price on the sign change as I watched. I asked the person at the counter why- no tank truck had just provided refills so whatever they paid at their last refill was still their retail cost of the gas we were pumping. She said that HQ called and told them to raise the price.

Well, at least she was honest.

 

[Montecfo]

I once stood at the counter of a gas station and saw the price on the sign change as I watched. I asked the person at the counter why- no tank truck had just provided refills so whatever they paid at their last refill was still their retail cost of the gas we were pumping. She said that HQ called and told them to raise the price.



Well, at least she was honest.

Well yeah, price is not determined by their cost directly.

But we have all observed price hikes such as you witnessed in a rising cost market. Rationale: "we will have to refill tanks at higher prices."

And on the way down it is this: "we have to keep the price high because we paid higher prices for the gas in our tanks."

The only way to win I found was to hold the stocks of integrated oil companies.

 

[Chuckanut]

Replacement cost is far more important than the original cost, be it gasoline or a new EV.

 

[ychuck46]

Well yeah, price is not determined by their cost directly.

But we have all observed price hikes such as you witnessed in a rising cost market. Rationale: "we will have to refill tanks at higher prices."

And on the way down it is this: "we have to keep the price high because we paid higher prices for the gas in our tanks."

The only way to win I found was to hold the stocks of integrated oil companies.

Funny how that always seems to be the case. I shouldn't complain much, though. I take advantage of our store's gas program and can oftentimes get my gas between 0.9 and 9.9 cents per gallon for 35 gallons at a pop. And I own a number of stocks in the energy space that pay nice dividends, so maybe I should be encouraging the oil, gas, and coal companies to keep on keeping on.