Cost of living in the modern USA

We are being forced to start growing and hunting , It's becoming cheaper to go out to eat/fast food . I went out and paid $6.00 for 4 sticks of butter my Wife usually orders for delivery but we ran out . $6.00 for a pack of 4 butter sticks ?

Even bottled water is more expensive then Beer at this point . I'm not understanding the justifications for these increases on items that are chaep to make . It cost me and my wife household of 2 $600 to eat for a month nothing crazy Chicken, Milk, Cheese It's getting bad , Food items have tripled in price in the last few years How does a family making a Midwest income afford to feed their kids ?

What is this push to have fast foods or processed foods be cheaper then real food ?

Now thats not even including Utilities My water bill is like $30 but my Waste water bill is like $80 . I'm going to hate to see my gas bill this month .

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Food items have tripled in price in the last few years How does a family making a Midwest income afford to feed their kids ?

and some have gotten even smaller, so add shrinkflation to inflation and that means quadruple the scum bags profits.

sumbitches

The whole idea is to create as much confusion and chaos as possible, all while your budget and bank accounts dwindle into a sinkhole. 😳

Bidenomics (spoken in a whisper).

Joe says we're doing great!

Greed is the main problem. When you hear "record profits", I hear "underpaid employees". Shareholders and the top guys always need more. You can only cut production costs so much, then it's always price increases.

The economy always does better when everyone is lifted, not just the rich. Eventually, that money just sits there while people like the rest of us struggle.

You have to move some of that money back down into the middle and lower class. How do you do that? I'm glad you asked. Cut taxes for the middle and lower class and raise the # out of those who have been living the good life on the rest of our backs.

No one says the top guys and shareholders shouldn't make money. But no one says the employees, doing the work, shouldn't also be allowed a decent life.

Again. Recently I read that parking lots are now being used to reinforce the idea that living out of one’s car is “affordable housing”.

Considering it’s been awhile since I hear of anyone speak of the American Dream I find this sickeningly remarkable.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

In rolls cheaper insect based and GMO alternatives to save the day.

It is all going as planned. In order to slow economic growth they raised the prices of everything so the masses would slow down their purchasing power, while also making the use of credit cards skyrocket. This is part of the perpetual cycle of debt we live in.
This is also how they will be able to easily promote 15 minute cities. The Federal Reserve will need to slow growth down and destroy a lot businesses, which we are starting to see, and who they destine to survive will be part of the compartmentalized growth they have planned for us.

originally posted by: Disgusted123
Greed is the main problem. When you hear "record profits", I hear "underpaid employees". Shareholders and the top guys always need more. You can only cut production costs so much, then it's always price increases.

Business of all kinds found new ways to make money and to survive during the pandemic. A lot of them cut costs by cutting staff and the services they offer but not cutting prices. The economy is back in full swing now but the same companies have not restored the staff and services to previous levels. On top of that, they raised their prices even if they didn't need to and thus, record profits.

My wife and I recently stopped at Jack-in-the box in my little town,

and a double cheeseburger meal was $14.99 each,

so we drove away screaming.

Their food has gotten smaller too,

No more fast food for us even thoughg we never were big eaters of it.

It was more like a treat but screw that.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

I hear you loud and clear. There is another trend you might not have noticed; some food items you used to be able to get anytime are getting scarce. Why? Because they are too expensive, and considered to be luxuries, and when people stop buying things, then the Point-of-sale systems cause the store owners to stop stocking them. This trend will likely continue, until we realize that our pinnacle is behind us, and our food choices will become more basic and austere.

I watched a guy on youtube who was walking the streets of both San Francisco and Berkeley, pointing out all the businesses that had closed, and the profound amount of places for lease. These are areas that were once dear to me. What struck me as unbelievable was not only the closed businesses, but the scant amount of people walking on the streets; streets that once were almost always full and teeming with people on their way to somewhere, presumably full of hope and promise. No longer.

Where I live in the Caribbean, things are pretty bad. You would call me a damn fool if you knew how much we paid per month for health insurance. We are up in age, and have to pay it for as long as we can. After that, we're indigent, I guess. I always thought that hard work and economy and minding your savings would result in the American dream of at least comfortable retirement. We won't be able to afford to retire. We will work until we drop. I don't mind that so much, I guess. I like building things and I like working with my hands. Our lifeplan was once full of promise, and now it is #. So it goes.

I know what we can eat when we run out of money. We have experimented with things for the last 30 years. This country is completely linked to the U.S. dollar and its economy. Whatever happens there is reflected here in real time. I believe the U.S. government is pulling in the wrong direction, spending money on all manner of things other than its citizens, who need them now more than ever. I hope somebody, somewhere in power wakes the hell up, or elects someone who gives a crap about the people, rather than lofty ideals.

a reply to: DAVID64

I dont think you get it....
Please tell me how exactly the potus has control over what big business does with the prices they charge? I guess you like to take a jab at any opportunity available at the left. Makes you look weak and uneducated.

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Biden has harmed the economy for sure.

But the last guy printed more money which helped lead to inflation. And he wanted below negative interest rates.

We have the two worst candidates for the economy running.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

 It's becoming cheaper to go out to eat/fast

I find this hard to believe... its always been cheaper to cook at home than to eat out.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Times as tough as they are, are compounded by the gadgets we apparently need to own now.

Imagine no internet, cable, phone bills.

The folks during the Great Depression had it much worse than we ever did.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Was a time when I would get into a canoe, just me and my dog, and paddle the Northwest Territories. No phone. No EPIRB. Just me and my dog and God and nature.

Was a time I used to go free-diving for conch up to 80 feet with nobody around.

I find that I wish for those simple times, but also recognize that we can't go back again after enjoying the tech. I think the internet is both a blessing and a curse. You can't unknow what you do, and unless forced to give them up, we will never choose it. My only social media is ATS.

I could do without all of the phones, internet and cable better than most, I expect. I have transitioned into IP TV, which gets everything, but has no guide to tell you where to find your stuff. Thus, just now, I had to once again become an internet detective to find the Raiders/Chiefs game. I think a part of getting older is that those things have less importance. I can tolerate 10 minutes of "news" in the morning, but I wouldn't miss it.

Last week, the IP TV went out during the ball game. I said to my Darlin', that if the U.S. were ever hit with an airburst nuke that caused an EMP, this is how we would find out. "Oh GAWD, I can't get Below Deck!!! Something terrible must have happened!!"

We used to pay about $1200/year for cable. Not part of the game plan any longer. I sort of miss it, but finding that I am getting back into stuff I also missed. I hope it works that way for you also.

Selah.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Times as tough as they are, are compounded by the gadgets we apparently need to own now.

Imagine no internet, cable, phone bills.

The folks during the Great Depression had it much worse than we ever did.

There's no comparison ?
(1929–1939) Ten years of the economy crashing and didn't the president make it illegal to own gold and confiscated everyone's ? That's when it all started ....... Not sure your point

I could live in a community that was self sufficient on a barter system Grow and give and trade but it's hard to find that many willing to do it .

a reply to: argentus

I'm old.

I could go back to going to the library for books,and have zero online presence.

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

Government is going to screw us regardless.

The only thing we can do is make it less painful.