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I think there was a lot of optimism when he took office that everything was going to change !snap! overnight. Doesn't work that way.
However, house prices went up and there was some sort of buying frenzy, a real sellers market beginning, some sort of bubble.
Here, there are a lot of retirees. When their 401K's are up people are more apt to spend a bit more. And when gas is relatively low they have more to spend. We are having more phone calls for business. A lot of pent-up desires. People tired of waiting to do things.
So yes things seem a bit better. I did notice this trend though before he took office, last year seemed like it started. Maybe people anticipating some sort of change whatever might be better.
Regardless of all this, I have noticed groceries continue to rise and my savings interest rate still stinks.
I live in a government town with government contractors mostly in the science/engineering fields. The current unemployment rate here is 4.8, the same as it was in October of last year.
I haven't shopped for non-drug/food items in a brick and mortar store for the last 11 years so I have no observations that way.
I always take US vacations in the Spring before Memorial Day (to avoid kids/families) and go to non-tourist destinations so no observations (seeing more or less people) there, either.
Gas in my neighborhood is $2.11 for regular. Gas Buddy updated 1 hr ago.
My rent was not raised at all the last two times I signed my annual lease, last time being just last month.
I think it cost the same to renew my car registration as it did last year. The price for regular plates is $24/year. I think it has been that rate for the 10 years I have lived here. There is no inspection or emissions testing if you don't live in the big cities.
You can still go out to lunch here for under $10.
The average residential electricity rate in my town is 10.43¢/kWh. I don't know if that is high or low.
We have no toll roads here. The state parks and national parks are free and that includes parking. There are no paid parking garages in my town and no parking meters.
The COLA for my pension was less than my health insurance increase but I have a decent pension and am living in a low cost of living state so I don't feel any financial stress. I'm doing fine.
Now, I'm going to Delaware next week. Toll roads, fees for parks, more expensive meals, the gas is $2.29 (gas Buddy updated half hour ago).
I wonder how long that local supermarket will stay open or won't resort to raising prices.
Anyway as everyone else has said it is far to early to tell. But expect a big boom in military based towns.
The supermarkets near me have been raising wages because they are trying to compete with all the new warehouses for workers. The workers will go to the warehouse for $15 an hour/fulltime/benefits instead of the $9 an hour supermarket job with no benefits and minimal hours. The only workers the supermarket can get are ones that call off, no show, or come in drunk or stoned. Crap wages= crap workers.
They say that supermarket and fast food jobs are for teenagers or retireees. That may have been the case decades ago but no more. Everywhere I go now I see older people working the Mick Dick's drive thru, or I see a 60 year old guy stocking the shelves at the supermarket.
This is what caused the $15 an hour min wage protests awhile ago. These aren't kids working for pocket change, but older people (often displaced workers) actually trying to make a living.
The kids today are being pushed to focus more on studying (as they should) instead of working a dead end Mick Dick's job.
I'm sure that the groceries here could have found and hired staff who "call off, no show, or come in drunk or stoned" had they truly put their minds to it. It does seem that all of them went in a very different direction however.
The kids today are being pushed to focus more on studying (as they should) instead of working a dead end Mick Dick's job.
Indeed, Ozzie and Harriet are both dead and the number of minimum wage workers who are married with a spouse present in the home is about 23% higher than the number who are teenagers.
Too soon to tell due to Trump. That said I am a mixed bag from Arizona's minimum wage increase. It went from $8.25 to $10 after the proposition passed. I voted for it only because of the paid sick leave mandate, NOT the minimum wage. My problem is what I do for my "9-5" isn't really minimum wage (special education teacher assistant) yet in two years, it will be. It pays over $11 right now. My other work (which is far more inconsistent mind you) got an increase to pay more than my day job and that was over the $10 as per the prop. The suburban economy by me is up due to a lot of home building and sales in the last few years), lots of stores and restauraunts opening up but that was the case even before Trump was elected (and voters voted for Arizona's minimum wage increase)...
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It pays over $11 right now. My other work (which is far more inconsistent mind you) got an increase to pay more than my day job and that was over the $10 as per the prop.
The suburban economy by me is up due to a lot of home building and sales in the last few years), lots of stores and restauraunts opening up but that was the case even before Trump was elected (and voters voted for Arizona's minimum wage increase)...
