Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The cost of food increases, yet, my salary was also cut, no COLA for me, for two years. Thanks Obama.
What does the president have to do with your job loss? The profits of US corporations have increased over the past what 2-3 years to record ( I believe) levels. But corporations are doing their best to continue to hire cheaper overseas workers, provide less expensive health care plans and overall cut the amount they spend on workers, while rewarding upper management.
The government is not to blame AND no matter what some of the politicians say, their hands are tied when it comes to trying to help the unemployed. Based on what I keep hearing, our government is in debt up to their ears. And based on what I hear on C-span none of those jokers is honestly interested in improving the situation.
Anyway, I'll add my economic angst. I had an argument with a CD guy (who I respect, but I forgot his screenname) about inflation versus deflation in the next decade or or so.
My argument was for inflation. I believe it is only going to get worse because we are in a "global" economy and there's competition for resources: jobs, food, materials from all over the world now.
He may be right for the long term, but I speak a couple of foreign languages and have traveled overseas recently and the world has a LOT of people now competing with Americans for the same resources. I don't see how we're going to keep inflation in check long term...
I eat organic, so my already crazy food bills are more expensive. Partly because of food safety regulations, I believe but I could be wrong. Anyway food is like gold.
I also had a "pay" freeze about 2 years ago. My company also reduced the health care package, and the out of pocket costs ate up any little raise I got. Nice, right?
I grew up shopping at 2nd hand stores, and I love them. Why pay retail for high quality clothes, I say. But even the thrift stores are selling stuff like FIVE times more expensive than a couple of years ago. I was shocked and pissed off on my last trip.
I was decorating my new house for the past 2 years and I noticed that retail furniture prices have gone through the ROOF. And anything that I consider reasonably priced is just garbage quality.
Dawn dish soap was reduced from a 10oz bottle to a 9oz bottle. I stock up on it, and buy the smaller bottles on sale with coupons, and didn't notice it until I put the new bottle new to an older bottle.
I bought my ice cream and what I noticed---MOST brands were 1.5 quarts. I saw very few 1/2 gallons. I did see pints and a few gallon plastic tubes of ice cream
Once again, this wouldn;t be a big deal if people started shopping by unit price and not by the package marketing that sucks the ignorant into spending more for less. Unit pricing has been around for so long that if people are being shocked by realizing they are getting less than they use to get for the same or more money, they are just bad consumers and deserve to pay more for less and be taken for the suckers they are!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
