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Gas here in a suburb of Detroit is $3.19 at Costco. Average is around $3.39. The good news for me and DW is that we just don’t drive enough anymore for it to matter. Perk of being retired.
Examples of current inflation - add yours!
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Surewhitey
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Yeah, we're up to $3.14 @ Sam's... Probably 20 cents more than last fill up.
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Andre1969
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
To put it in a more long-term perspective, I went and looked over the fuel log for my 2012 Ram, and here's how things look...
3/23/2024: $3.779/gal (89 octane)
4/22/2023: $3.8398/gal (this was the closest data point for 2023. Next closest was $3.479 on 2/21/23)
3/31/2022: $4.019 (this was during that spring/summer 2022 spike. It would break $5/gal in June)
4/7/2021: $2.979/gal (this was when a lot of people were still not driving, so artificially low most likely)
4/5/2020: $2.099/gal (right around peak Covid shut-down. I remember they sent me to work from home on 3/16)
3/21/2019: $2.449/gal (however, this was 87, and at BJs. I don't normally fill up at BJs, but for three fill-ups around that time, I did. They only have 87 and 93, so I put 93 in one time, 87 the second, and 93 the third. Closest data point for 89 was 4/20/2019, at $2.959)
2/21/2018: $2.599/gal (I lived in a different county then, where fuel is normally a bit higher)
3/21/2017: $2.299/gal 87, $2.899/gal 93. (The 89 price was closer to 93 than 87, so I tried to put in roughly half 87, half 93. With 27 gallons, it probably saved about 5 bucks)
3/21/2016: $2.799/gal
3/23/2015: $2.559/gal
3/24/2014: $3.599/gal
3/26/2013: $3.859/gal
9/24/2012: $4.099/gal (first fill-up after I bought it. I know this isn't directly comparable, as it's 6 months later in the year than the others. However, I looked at my records for other vehicles I had at the time, and 89 octane would have easily still been over $4/gal around 3/23/2012).
so, even if things seem tight now, I guess there's some comfort in knowing I was paying more for fuel 12 years ago. Not only in inflation-adjusted dollars, but in raw dollars as well!
It's funny, but I didn't complain about $4+/gal, 12 years ago. But adjusting for inflation, that would be like $5.41 today, and that number would definitely make me take notice! Actually, when I got that Ram, I think I was somewhat relieved with fuel prices, because at the time I also had a 2000 Park Avenue Ultra, and its supercharged V6 called for 93! The Ram wasn't as economical as the Park Avenue in the mostly local-type driving I was doing, so I think the cheaper cost of the 89 more or less canceled out the lower fuel economy.
And on the flip side, I remember when I started driving back in 1987, we used to whine about it when gas got over $1/gal. That would be around $2.73/gal today.
3/23/2024: $3.779/gal (89 octane)
4/22/2023: $3.8398/gal (this was the closest data point for 2023. Next closest was $3.479 on 2/21/23)
3/31/2022: $4.019 (this was during that spring/summer 2022 spike. It would break $5/gal in June)
4/7/2021: $2.979/gal (this was when a lot of people were still not driving, so artificially low most likely)
4/5/2020: $2.099/gal (right around peak Covid shut-down. I remember they sent me to work from home on 3/16)
3/21/2019: $2.449/gal (however, this was 87, and at BJs. I don't normally fill up at BJs, but for three fill-ups around that time, I did. They only have 87 and 93, so I put 93 in one time, 87 the second, and 93 the third. Closest data point for 89 was 4/20/2019, at $2.959)
2/21/2018: $2.599/gal (I lived in a different county then, where fuel is normally a bit higher)
3/21/2017: $2.299/gal 87, $2.899/gal 93. (The 89 price was closer to 93 than 87, so I tried to put in roughly half 87, half 93. With 27 gallons, it probably saved about 5 bucks)
3/21/2016: $2.799/gal
3/23/2015: $2.559/gal
3/24/2014: $3.599/gal
3/26/2013: $3.859/gal
9/24/2012: $4.099/gal (first fill-up after I bought it. I know this isn't directly comparable, as it's 6 months later in the year than the others. However, I looked at my records for other vehicles I had at the time, and 89 octane would have easily still been over $4/gal around 3/23/2012).
so, even if things seem tight now, I guess there's some comfort in knowing I was paying more for fuel 12 years ago. Not only in inflation-adjusted dollars, but in raw dollars as well!
It's funny, but I didn't complain about $4+/gal, 12 years ago. But adjusting for inflation, that would be like $5.41 today, and that number would definitely make me take notice! Actually, when I got that Ram, I think I was somewhat relieved with fuel prices, because at the time I also had a 2000 Park Avenue Ultra, and its supercharged V6 called for 93! The Ram wasn't as economical as the Park Avenue in the mostly local-type driving I was doing, so I think the cheaper cost of the 89 more or less canceled out the lower fuel economy.
And on the flip side, I remember when I started driving back in 1987, we used to whine about it when gas got over $1/gal. That would be around $2.73/gal today.
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OK, looks like gas can be had for $3.77 closer to where I live. That's up about 20 cents from what I saw about a week ago.
But when I said that gas was over $4 at some gas stations, it was not only accurate, but I was referring to what a girlfriend told me, who had been living in Schaumburg and was just there. I just wasn't there with her this time. It was absolutely NOT fabricated.
Schaumburg is in Illinois.
Again, not fabricated.
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“Some stations” is pretty vague and can apply to just about anywhere. It’s not the same as average prices. That’s why anecdotes are not a substitute for data.
Don't get upset about it. I doubt whether many here pay much attention.
I was merely reporting what someone locally told me, and she got gas in Schaumburg. I didn't say they were rising any faster than anywhere else, but there's been a jump recently, so that's the point "rising prices" / inflation.
Ummm... That's not confirmation bias, but it's supporting evidence. I only searched after I got a response that gas is less than $4 as evidence to support my response that it is that and more some places.
Not long ago, I was paying just under $3/gal, which I already considered high, and now it's $3.77/gal closer to where I live, over $4/gal in the region as some stations, and approaching $6/gal at some places in the country. Pre-pandemic, I was paying closer to $2/gal.
Anyway, I was just pointing out another example of prices increasing, quite recently. I'm cutting back on driving more because of it.
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Some people obviously do.
And I'm not upset. Just trying to clear up the facts.
I wasn't looking for the highest price in the country, only what a local girlfriend told me she saw of the prices where she commonly gets gas. This thread is actually about anecdotes "examples of current inflation - add yours". It's up about 78 cents closer to where I live from just months ago when it was just under $3/gal.
Anyway, hope we can move on to other increasing prices.
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Andre1969
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I just googled it, and it looks like Illinois in general is a bit on the high side, compared to the rest of the US. Although, there are some places even worse. https://www.finder.com/economics/gas-prices#:~:text=US gas prices per gallon,$3.20 so far in 2024.
Apparently, Illinois has the third highest gasoline tax in the nation.
Also, a friend of mine in Philly said their gasoline prices jumped something like 30 cents/gal in the last week. So I wonder a lot of this is just a seasonal trend? Gasoline prices usually go up in the spring, anyway, don't they?
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But you also must recall that just 12 years ago, you were paying more than you do today. Gas is not tied to inflation, it's supply/demand and a very different animal.
Yes, in 2019 the US average was $2.64 (closer to 3 than 2, but sure). But in 2012 it was $3.64. So if you wanna talk inflation, over a 12 year period that's technically deflation. Except it's neither, because it doesn't work the same way. So gas prices filling up the inflation thread isn't really on topic.
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Gasoline prices jump around all the time, for a lot of different reasons. That's why they are usually excluded from the core inflation measures designed to reflect the overall health of the economy. May we expect similar breathless reports when the gas price drops 20 cents per gallon at some point in the future?
yeah, I'm well aware of our high taxes in IL. Everyone complains about it here. They keep increasing them also. But this thread is about reporting examples of inflation, so I would only mention price increases that someone I know locally or myself reported.
These prices started going up months ago.
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And therein lies the problem. It appears that your principal mission in life is complaining about prices. I, for one, just don't care that you're upset about high prices. Deal with them or don't, but the constant whining is annoying.
Andre1969
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I think one problem with fuel prices is that we got used to cheap gas for so long. To add to my post above, where I mentioned in 1987 we used to whine when it went over $1/gal, in 1999, we were still whining if it went much above $1/gal!
I remember late 1999 was when fuel prices started shooting up, and pretty much staying there for good, with the exception of the occasional dip here and there. One reason I can remember it is because on November 6, 1999, I bought a new 2000 Intrepid, that was EPA rated something like 21/29. It replaced an '89 Gran Fury that had been a police car, was lucky to get 13 mpg in my type of driving, and required premium. I figured that, if the Intrepid could manage 20, then between using less fuel and being able to use 87 instead of 93, it would save me about $125-150/mo. I had a second job delivering pizzas back then, and that really racked up the miles.
Well, I still remember the first fill up on that car being $1.399/gal. It seemed like fuel prices shot up the second I bought it! Over that winter of 99/00 and spring of '00, maybe the summer, I think it got close to $2, although it came down somewhat later in the year.
The last time I saw gas for under a buck was around October 2001, in the wake of 9/11. And it didn't stay there long.
I also remember paying around $1.499/gal on Christmas Day, 2008. That was in the midst of the Great Recession. And on 4/29/2020, I filled up my '03 Regal (87 octane, so usually 20-30 cents cheaper than the 89 the truck takes), for $1.679. But, that was still around peak Covid shutdown.
I remember late 1999 was when fuel prices started shooting up, and pretty much staying there for good, with the exception of the occasional dip here and there. One reason I can remember it is because on November 6, 1999, I bought a new 2000 Intrepid, that was EPA rated something like 21/29. It replaced an '89 Gran Fury that had been a police car, was lucky to get 13 mpg in my type of driving, and required premium. I figured that, if the Intrepid could manage 20, then between using less fuel and being able to use 87 instead of 93, it would save me about $125-150/mo. I had a second job delivering pizzas back then, and that really racked up the miles.
Well, I still remember the first fill up on that car being $1.399/gal. It seemed like fuel prices shot up the second I bought it! Over that winter of 99/00 and spring of '00, maybe the summer, I think it got close to $2, although it came down somewhat later in the year.
The last time I saw gas for under a buck was around October 2001, in the wake of 9/11. And it didn't stay there long.
I also remember paying around $1.499/gal on Christmas Day, 2008. That was in the midst of the Great Recession. And on 4/29/2020, I filled up my '03 Regal (87 octane, so usually 20-30 cents cheaper than the 89 the truck takes), for $1.679. But, that was still around peak Covid shutdown.
Prices of anything can vary with supply and demand. Inflation is just an average of various things, but some things go up more than others. I never said that gasoline followed a specific inflation index. I know it doesn't.
It was $2.24 on January 7, 2019. So, that's closer to $2 pre-pandemic as I mentioned.
But I agree, I didn't expect to get into off topic discussion about national gasoline prices and history outside of what was reported to me by a girlfriend.
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I assure you it's not my principle mission.
My comment just meant that I thought we discussed gas prices enough - it wasn't meant to be a drawn out discussion, just my report of a sudden jump in prices.
All I did was report an example of inflation. I don't know why that is interpreted as whining. I'm just adding another example as many have. I wasn't trying to upset anyone with that.
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This thread is about examples of price increases we are personally observing and experiencing. Adding “a friend’s experience” or something you found on the internet, such as some price for gasoline found somewhere in California, isn’t what this thread is about, and it makes it seem as if your objective is just to keep a steady flow of price increases around the country.
Post about your experiences. When you have none, that’s just as noteworthy.
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Ahhhh, the good ole days. It's like a different world these days. I don't have all the details on what I paid over the years, but it seems I didn't give much thought about gas prices getting high until the late 90's at my previous job. Suddenly they were up over $1.50/gal, and I drove a lot more back then.
I think I saw prices during the great recession get down to $1.39/gal or $1.59/gal at one point. I don't know if I even bought any at that price before it started going back up, which I hated to see.
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OK. I understand. Posting what my local girlfriend saw where she often gets gas, and sometimes with me, isn't considered personal enough. In that case, I refer back to the 20 cent jump I've seen personally closer to home in the last week or so.
The California response was only a follow-up I posted later to someone else's response as an example of how prices vary a lot based on location.
I don't have an objective for price increases, though. I would prefer the opposite. Thanks.
ShokWaveRider
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
+10
I 100% agree! Some here seem to have nothing better to do than draw out an item of discussion with uninteresting anecdotes after it has already been exhausted. This only creates a thread within a thread. I wish they would simply create a new one on the subject, then those of us who are uninterested but like to follow the original topic can ignore it.
Turbo29
Full time employment: Posting here.
Is the quality the same? Just because it has the same model number doesn't mean it's identical.
Turbo29
Full time employment: Posting here.
The title of this thread is, "Examples of current inflation - add yours!" So I don't see what the problem is with the poster's comments about prices in this thread.
Mark1
Full time employment: Posting here.
Lots of inflation over the past few years, but surprising a few items we purchase seem to be immune from price increases. DW likes a wine that we order by the case and have it shipped to us through out the year (well mostly spring/fall). I recently ordered one and compared it to the price on a Visa bill statement from early 2020. It is exactly the same price (even the Fed-Ex shipping charge of $20.00 hasn't changed over the years). I guess I better enjoy the cost for now, because once the shipping cost goes up, I suspect it will be a 25% or 50% increase.
Drop in quality is certainly possible, even with the newer replacement which is supposed to be improved. I broke a furnace igniter about 12 years ago that was at least 11 years old, maybe much older, that was working fine until I physically broke it, and I replaced it with a different one for my model of furnace that was supposedly more durable, although more expensive. It lasted 8 years, next one lasted 2 weeks (got free replacement), and the next one lasted 2 years. So I found an igniter like the original, which was less expensive. It's only been 2 years, but I have more trust in it than the newer upgraded revision.
The price of the newer model igniter has gone from $22 in 2020 to $30 now.
The price of the older model igniter has gone from about $14 in 2020 to $19 now.
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