What Changes are Happening in your local area?

originally posted by: crayzeed
What no body can explain to me is why vehicles (cars and trucks) have rocketed in price when the government is saying that they will be phased out starting in 2025 ? That's only 3 years away, yet there are still full car forecourts. Sooner or later they will have to drop their prices or they will be left holding a lot of no go vehicles.

The rise in car prices has as much to do with a chip shortage as anything else.

originally posted by: mikell
Southwest Michigan. Gas $3.99 today everything up but utilities are locked in so they will be fine. New truck finally arrived after 8 months and 10 days. Had all the parts so it doesn't need to go back. Getting 47 MPG going to work so I guess it's just in time. summer tourists are starting to come in and not liking the 50% increase in Restaurant prices. Grocery store shelves are full and the people that demanded $15 an hour now want $20 or their quitting. Lots of jobs for $20 and above but miss a day and your gone.

the reason they now want $20 an hour, is because when they wanted $15 per hour, was before the prices of everything really started to skyrocket. i know here they just raised min wage to $15/ hour, and it is not near enough, when for a tiny apartment you are looking at almost $2,000/moth rent. when a modest amount of groceries (that fit into a smaller bundle buggy), costs about $150 or so. when gas costs close to $2/liter (ps that is about $7.56/gal). where a meal at a fast food joint like mcdonads, and everywhere else costs about $11 or $12, for a burger,fries and drink. and for f*^% sakes a pack of cigarettes costs between $15-$20 PER PACK. (hell you can buy weed for only $30/7 grams). the fact is,i don't think even $20/hour is going to cut it, with the prices we are facing right now. it almost needs to be between $25 and $30 per hour.

a reply to: Crowfoot

We've had them since the 1990s. The trick is to use welded body shells, not subframes. It reduces the weight considerably, but it puts the price up as it makes it more difficult to build in things like furniture and utilities as you can't simply pile a big box on the back.

We also build them smaller, and with diesel engines rather than gas. But our RV market is a little different form yours.

a reply to: generik

Wages are being pushed up by the constant cost of living increases, and I'm not talking about the kind of costs that are created by wage increases either. Landlords are price gouging due to a shortage of livable homes, thing like that. Even a fishing permit is increasing in price, and I doubt very much that the price of lake water is pushing that up.

AZ here to make sure you know any issues that occurring aren't related to the government in any way.

In Zelenograd, food prices are rising, but apparently slower than in the US.

Several Western brands have closed their stores.

Apartment bills have gone up slightly.

I have several months of food receipts. I can compare them in a separate topic if anyone is interested.

a reply to: AaarghZombies If you think about "no new taxes" how else is the government going to get more tax dollars without raising them? Everything else increases in price; they get more money from the tax levied. If everything is cheap government has to cut spending get rid of the non-essentials or "pork" as they don't garner a lot out of sales tax when that happens... historically; they'd raise taxes. However; Increasing the costs of commodities(living) means a whole lot of money for them and fast as it is coming off of sales tax... however since everyone feels it? Everything starts increasing otherwise known as inflation.

"No new taxes" was a sort of double talk as everything that basically could be taxed by the government that didn't seem like cruel and unusual punishment already was. However sanctions and war on other people? I suppose you could say is a cruel and unusual punishment that our tax dollars pay for. Sanctions mean cutting trade dollars cutting trade dollars messes with the global economy messing with the global economy starts spreading suffering once that suffering reaches the tipping point and another country has to supply or pick up the slack they get pissed off and when they get angry off they coup or war on each other... and then it's: Have ya heard about this wonderful thing called Democracy? You know the crusades of government in solicitations oh no? You're fine with a monarchy? Oh ok then cheers take two fingers and a raspberry on the house.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Southeast US. Lots of insane drivers. Their favorite maneuver seems to be cutting in front of you and almost clipping you when they do it. Lots of people moving here from NY, Jersey, and California some bringing their attitude with them. Rental prices going through the roof. New cars almost impossible to find. And lastly, its TOO CROWDED. My 45 minute commute is routinely 90 minutes now, the other night 2.5 hours. Its brutal. My fantasy now is a cabin by a lake in Wisconsin or somewhere like it.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: JAGStorm

Here's a new one:

Cat food continues to be in short supply unless you are buying boutique food from local/US supply. However, husband took a picture of Fancy Feast cubes at Target sporting anti-theft devices this week. That's a new one.

I hope this isnt because seniors are buying it for their own consumption. Social Security goes less every month. I have delayed my retirement because of it.

a reply to: openminded2011

I would think that it's quite common, I nice tin of Chum yum yum. Consider some of those special tins of cat food, no one would know the difference on a crispy snack.

I've been watching the obituaries locally and there are way more young people than there should be.

Decaying infrastructure and lack of future planning that is going up vertically with bike lanes but no round m-about that would be easily fixed through insurance if one could get it.