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What conspiracy? The food is clearly packaged there are no tricks when the amount of food is clearly on the packaging.
Then who do you believe? What index do you track? What reason does the fed (not part of the federal government mind you) have to lie about inflation? How do you effectively manager monetary policy without correct inflation figures? Do you suggest that the government has a closet "Actual inflation index" that it doesn't report..and gives us losers the fake one?
Does anybody know if tin foil has gone up in price? Those hats may get a little costly.
The government tells us inflation is low. They track the CPI which does NOT include food or gas. If it did then the inflation numbers would be much higher. Food and gas are key staples of everyday life and increasing prices affect the average Joe so the CPI is really worthless as it does not give a true number for inflation.
Not really, people are noticing changes because they are being told there are changes. The changes on average have been less than 1/2% a month. This is more about psychology than price inflation.
ahhh, so it is all just everyone else's imagination, confusion, poor pathetic misunderstanding, and everything is really, really fine?
Well thanks for that enlightened perspective. What would we poor dumb hicks in the sticks know if it were not for either grossly manipulated accounting such as you present or if the enlightened media were not somehow also mis-informing us?
Lawdsey, whatever would we do?
Here is the real deal. You can BS some of the people some of the time, but you cannot BS all of the people all of the time.
Maybe think of it this way . . . The Fed is hitting Peak BS.
I just noticed that the OP shops at the commissary. Perhaps she doesn't know how the commissary works. Prices fluctuate there... constantly!
At the commissary, they do not charge "extra" for food. You pay what they pay (plus a 6% "operations cost" charge). So, one week they get boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.39 a pound, so do you. If the next week they get them for $1.69, that's what you pay. Much less than the $3.99 and up we pay at the civilian grocery stores now that my husband is out of the military. If you don't pay attention and track the prices at the commissary, you could get gouged - with gouged being a relative term. I used to love the times I could get lucky and grab hamburger at 59 cents a lb (Regularly $1.19) and almost every month either General Mills or Kelloggs offers their cereal at $1.50 a box (sometimes less) and give a "commissary only" coupon out at the front door.
I think its a pretty clear conspiracy, and I'm usually not one for conspiracy theories. But the evidence is overwhelming.
I read your evidence...and I don't get why you think its a "clear conspiracy". The government reports more than just "core inflation", that is but one figure. The link I posted earlier has the inflation rate for food and transportation in it, where is the conspiracy? Anecdotal evidence is absolutely pointless because the parameters aren't controlled in any way, not to mention human psychology makes it further pointless. There are numerous studies that show people will believe X and justify X if they are told that X is true. Also, although the government may have a reason to lie about inflation the FED does not. The FED cannot do its job without good inflation data. Additionally, inflation is not something you can hide! You can collect the data and do the calculates yourself! And here I don't mean the little anecdotal stories you hear about inflation. But nothing stops you from tracking inflation in your local area, you just can't do it based on your personal buying habits.
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The food is clearly packaged. But why all the tricks.
I'm not sure why its so hard to understand. Businesses are interested in making money. If you can reduce the amount of product in some package and sell it for the same amount of money then why wouldn't you? You can call this a trick..if you'd like but this sort of "trick" has existed since humans have been doing business. Maybe it would be more problematic if the details of the food weren't right on the package, but there are.
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They track the CPI which does NOT include food or gas.
The government reports include food and transportation so I have no idea what you are talking about, core-inflation does not contain food, gas etc though.
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ahhh, so it is all just everyone else's imagination, confusion, poor pathetic misunderstanding, and everything is really, really fine?
I'm not making a comment about "everything". The financial markets are in trouble, but inflation has not reached problematic levels yet. And yes a lot of this is based people's imagination, misunderstandings etc. Feel free to show data that shows its real (e.g. 20% inflation in food over the last year or so).
Ok..I might be in the wrong forum again...but I had a question because I was in a situation a little disturbing a few days ago and was wondering if I might just be overreacting.
Last saturday, I went to the supermarket to pick up a few items we had run out of at home. I didn't feel like doing a full blown out food shopping trip, so I just made a list of the most pressing things I needed to get so I could just be in and out in a few minutes.
Ok, so I went about my busines and started gathering this little bit of stuff...some apples, grapes, oranges, some potatoes (for baking), some meat, chicken, turkey...etc...not a whole lot...but I just had a taste for these things.
I figure, well, I will only pay like $40-$50 tops. WRONG!
To start with, the meat that I used to buy 2 weeks ago went up...I paid almost a whole dollar for the same amount. The chicken-it shocked me- went up from $3.50 for a whole cut up chicken (about same size as the one I got this time) to like $4.70!
WHAT!!!! Are you kidding me? Are we in such bad shape that food has went up in prices so drastically in a week?
Please lets not even mention milk, egg and cheese...I was shocked, but since FOOD is something I HAVE TO HAVE...I walked out of the supermarket spending about $20 more than I would have spent for the same amount of stuff 2 weeks ago...
Am I overreacting? Or is our little bit of money that we get paid not much anymore?
Just curious...
Yeah, it's been jumping up where I live also (So. Cal.). I was talking to my husband about this tonight (at dinner). People can cut corners in a million ways but it's harder to do with food. I was reading (in the L.A. times) that the price of food is outpacing inflation but I suspect that it might be due to higher transportation cost and the higher cost of wheat (which seems to be in everything). Since I shop at farmers markets and local mom & pop stores I don't see the price fluctuations as much as I do in supermarkets for some reason.
not to jump on you man but we are a country. Doesn't it say United we stand and divided we fall? Well thats the truth, no man can do it alone. Anyone who thinks they can is a liar (to themselves). I mean, even if it was all good just a while ago. It wasn't all good for everyone. Trust me... I know all about not having it good...I don't need anyone to remind me of that. I guess I simply got a little comfortable since for once I was able to get my head above water.
I can not see how a people can call themselves civilized yet not care about their fellow man. What makes you think that I don't care about my fellow man? I care about the issues that are plaguing us all very much. I come from a so called "third world country" so I know all too well about the suffering our fellow man is going through. I went through it! My husband is surprised because he says pictures of me when I was little reminds him of the poor little children shown in the World Vision commercials.
That is just simple human compassion and with out it we are nothing more than barbarians. This is very true...but unfortunately, in our society today...not many people care about others...they care about themselves and making a buck... and that is why we are in this predicament now.
I hope this downturn ruins a lot of people. Not those who were compassionate about their fellow citizens but those know it all, pull yourself up by the bootstraps types. I hope they lose everything. They will bounce back but not before realizing it can happen to anyone. It will also give them the chance to test out all their little theories about how to rise above it all. It is messed up to wish some one else harm...no matter how bad they were...one day they will have to face their own demons...but I am not one to judge them or be happy about their shortcomings. We all have a little bit of selfishness in us. And as everyone knows.. Karma is something and "what goes around, comes around".
I appreciate your honesty though...just don't think that because I was not completely in the loop about issues that were going on, that I don't care. I very much care and this is why I started this thread...to see if there were people out there that were noticing this changes and feeling the effects.
Not really, people are noticing changes because they are being told there are changes. The changes on average have been less than 1/2% a month. This is more about psychology than price inflation.
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Originally Posted by Humanoid
I'm not denying what happened to you...but there are MANY reasons that it could've happened. Here are a couple that have nothing to do with general price inflation:
1.) The store decided it could increase its prices on key items without reducing demand.
2.) There was a supply problem to your local area for key items that you purchase. To start with, I didn't mention inflation when I started this thread ( at least not that I can remember). And no, I didn't noticed this changes only after I seen it in the news or anything like that (I barely watch TV or read the newspaper---its too depressing).. I noticed this changes when I went food shopping and saw my grocey bill jump up. I don't need no one else to tell me that food has gotten more expensive. I am not brainless and can see the difference from week to week by comparing my shopping list and receipts.
Lastly, the basket of foods you eat just may be the ones that have gone up the most. Solution: Change your eating habits a bit. Trust me... our diet is well balanced and consists of fresh meat, fruit and vegetables...there is no way around changing that.
On the other hand you can complain about the problems and change nothing. What do you mean...I should stop giving my children milk and cheese since these are the items hardest hit?
You are very opinionated and I admire your responses, but for some reason, they do come across a bit harshly and inconsiderate. Sorry, but your accusations and your patronizing is of no use to me or this thread....
I just noticed that the OP shops at the commissary. Perhaps she doesn't know how the commissary works. Prices fluctuate there... constantly!
At the commissary, they do not charge "extra" for food. You pay what they pay (plus a 6% "operations cost" charge). So, one week they get boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.39 a pound, so do you. If the next week they get them for $1.69, that's what you pay. Much less than the $3.99 and up we pay at the civilian grocery stores now that my husband is out of the military. If you don't pay attention and track the prices at the commissary, you could get gouged - with gouged being a relative term. I used to love the times I could get lucky and grab hamburger at 59 cents a lb (Regularly $1.19) and almost every month either General Mills or Kelloggs offers their cereal at $1.50 a box (sometimes less) and give a "commissary only" coupon out at the front door.
You know...I never really thought of it that way..but my problem is that for months and months I have been paying that average price for lets say chicken.. I pretty much knew what the average was, and then, all of a sudden it simply jumped a whole lot. I do most of my food shopping at the commissary, but I also shop at other grocery stores in town, and there prices have gone up too... but you do have a good point though. Gave me something to think about and now...investigate...
This is funny... So the people working for the government aren't hard working and are parasitic...okay. Oh oh not only that you have no evidence...just stories from the hard-working**
**You are only hard working if you don't have an education and get low pay.
It helps if people read. For the year it has been 4.5% for the last six months its been 2.3% I said "last six months" as people are suggest that is when food has gone up 20%.
Not really, people are noticing changes because they are being told there are changes. The changes on average have been less than 1/2% a month. This is more about psychology than price inflation.
I'm not denying what happened to you...but there are MANY reasons that it could've happened. Here are a couple that have nothing to do with general price inflation:
1.) The store decided it could increase its prices on key items without reducing demand.
2.) There was a supply problem to your local area for key items that you purchase.
Lastly, the basket of foods you eat just may be the ones that have gone up the most. Solution: Change your eating habits a bit.
Gas has gone up a lot, no doubt. But there is nothing you can do about it but change your life style. The world is no longer interested in giving Americans a free ride. Now food has not gone up dramatically in general so you can solve the problem by changing your eating habits a bit.
On the other hand you can complain about the problems and change nothing.
so for half a year it was 2.3 for a year it was 4.5. You don't see the correlation? Have you ever taken a economics course? I am going to take a stab in the dark and say no.
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Originally Posted by yayamyers
I appreciate your honesty though...just don't think that because I was not completely in the loop about issues that were going on, that I don't care. I very much care and this is why I started this thread...to see if there were people out there that were noticing this changes and feeling the effects.
call me messed up then, the only way people learn is through experience and I wish all the experience on people necessary to change the course of this society.
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