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You're confusing personal rate of inflation with CPI, they are two different things. You're also confusing increases in certain line items with an overall inflation rate, people tend to focus on things that increased, ignoring the percentage of their overall household budget. People also tend to exaggerate.
And zebras are striped. Your point is what again?
Look, you can call it whatever you want and use a slide show and pointer to spell it out if you feel up to it. But when push comes to shove, figures be damned. Wages may be going up, but they're not covering the increases of everyday necessities. That's the be all and end all of it.
When working people have to stand in line at a food bank, they don't give diddly about who calls the economy what. All they want are wages that will pay for a roof over their head and food on the table. When they get an extra $5 in their paychecks and their rents have gone up $100, trust me, they couldn't care less if it's called personal rate of inflation or overall inflation rate or anything else. They just know they don't have as much money as they used to, it's getting harder to pay the bills, and they feel like they're going backwards.
Look, you can call it whatever you want and use a slide show and pointer to spell it out if you feel up to it. But when push comes to shove, figures be damned. Wages may be going up, but they're not covering the increases of everyday necessities. That's the be all and end all of it.
When working people have to stand in line at a food bank, they don't give diddly about who calls the economy what. All they want are wages that will pay for a roof over their head and food on the table. When they get an extra $5 in their paychecks and their rents have gone up $100, trust me, they couldn't care less if it's called personal rate of inflation or overall inflation rate or anything else. They just know they don't have as much money as they used to, it's getting harder to pay the bills, and they feel like they're going backwards.
You've got that backwards. The figures are right boradly. They may not, however, explain your situation well.
There's a geographical component to this that many people miss or discount. Between tax bite + COL metrics $1 is worth far less in NYC, Boston, NOVA, DC, SF, San Jose, LA, Seattle, Portland etc. than Atlanta, Dallas, KCMO, Houston etc.
The cadre of people really getting hammered are those in the bottom couple of income quintiles and some in the third who live in SF, San Jose, NYC and LA in particular. "Real" poverty rates in NY and CA are off the charts.
People at the very bottom of the wage scale are screwed no matter where they go. They are, however, less living in places that cost less to live.
Gotta laugh at someone whose water bill increased by 25% - that's 10$ per month - so he claims his salary should increase by 25% - that's 1,000$ per month - to keep up.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Listener2307
Gotta laugh at someone whose water bill increased by 25% - that's 10$ per month - so he claims his salary should increase by 25% - that's 1,000$ per month - to keep up.
Just bad math. For me the 4.5% pay increase I got this year was offset most by the $1,100 increase in the property taxes on the house. Still, that tax increase took less than 25% of the raise. All of our utility rates went up, as did other things, but not enough to impact the benefits of the raise.
I make the same wage I made in 1988. My expenses are not the same as they were in 1988 and I don't get 40 hours a week - no one where I work gets paid for more than 30 hours even if they work 100. The company just keeps a stockpile of "owed" hours and adds them on to a check later where you work fewer than 30 hours. Agree with above poster that my dentist and supermarket and power company don't give a damn about this sad story.
And before the right wingers tell me to get another or a second job, I got an interview for a second job seeing as I worked few hours and the second job couldn't stand my not being available 24/7 during the busy holiday season.
Just bad math. For me the 4.5% pay increase I got this year was offset most by the $1,100 increase in the property taxes on the house. Still, that tax increase took less than 25% of the raise. All of our utility rates went up, as did other things, but not enough to impact the benefits of the raise.
$1,000 increase in property taxes is awful! My condolences.
On the other hand it's nice to see that some people are getting meaningful raises. I guess we all understand that it is meaningful only if it continues for several years; a one-time pay raise slowly becomes meaningless.
Just bad math. For me the 4.5% pay increase I got this year was offset most by the $1,100 increase in the property taxes on the house. Still, that tax increase took less than 25% of the raise. All of our utility rates went up, as did other things, but not enough to impact the benefits of the raise.
The COL fixed expenses just take and take.
Wages going up is a good thing (although for many they are still behind over the years).
We still have this:
Quote:
Most Americans aren't financially healthy despite booming economy, survey finds
James Rufus Koren
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