Inflation

[ShadesOfBloo]

If you believe that’s the sole cause of inflation you’re seriously mistaken.

I never said that was the sole cause. But it's a big one.

Sponsored

 

[JustSomeGuy]

I never said that was the sole cause. But it's a big one.

Define big? What percentage? Because IMO that’s how politicians lie about the cause of inflation and citizens believe it and say we need to send $150 billion in aide so the military industrial complex and get PAID.

 

[MAGS1]

Define big? What percentage? Because IMO that’s how politicians lie about the cause of inflation and citizens believe it and say we need to send $150 billion in aide so the military industrial complex and get PAID.

Supply and demand my man. Global events like that put constraints on supply (or have the potential to). All of these commodities are traded publicly globally, when the market senses potential disruption, prices skyrocket. Same thing happened during Covid. Supply chains were heavily disrupted and with consumer demand remaining strong, it’s bound to cause prices to increase. Pumping money into the system definitely doesn’t help but the inflation train had already left the station IMO.

 

[JustSomeGuy]

Supply and demand my man. Global events like that put constraints on supply (or have the potential to). All of these commodities are traded publicly globally, when the market senses potential disruption, prices skyrocket. Same thing happened during Covid. Supply chains were heavily disrupted and with consumer demand remaining strong, it’s bound to cause prices to increase. Pumping money into the system definitely doesn’t help but the inflation train had already left the station IMO.

Right, and these things sourced from Russia don’t have to be… but they are… because of political… people…

 

[MAGS1]

Right, and these things sourced from Russia don’t have to be… but they are… because of political… people…

No, because these things are traded in the open market, to make money. We (USA) are next exporters of oil. But we still buy oil from other places because the companies that source their oil from US land need to make money so they sell it. We export grain as well, Russia just happens to produce and export more. We don’t have enough farmland or farmland in the proper climates to feed 360 million people. No one country does. It’s not a difficult concept.

 

[robvas]

I just want $85 control arms and $149 aluminum driveshafts again, and decent shocks to not cost $300

 

[MAGS1]

I just want $85 control arms and $149 aluminum driveshafts again, and decent shocks to not cost $300

Don’t we all. That ship has sailed though I’m afraid

 

[robvas]

Don’t we all. That ship has sailed though I’m afraid

20 years ago my Vortech kit for a fox body was like $1900!

 

[JetGray_Mach1]

20 years ago my Vortech kit for a fox body was like $1900!

AND 20 years ago I was getting paid minimum wage $5.25 lol
AND the badass 03-04 cobra cost Low 30s

 

[MAGS1]

AND 20 years ago I was getting paid minimum wage $5.25 lol
AND the badass 03-04 cobra cost Low 30s

LOL I remember when minimum age was $4.25!

 

[Garfy]

Having owned an AMG I can tell you here it's $550 from the Stealership for someone to go "Yep, fluids look good. Let's change the oil". Count your blessings Fords are a bit easier to maintain

I have a friend who had a Mini Cooper and the oil change was over $200 from the stealership.

 

[Garfy]

AND 20 years ago I was getting paid minimum wage $5.25 lol
AND the badass 03-04 cobra cost Low 30s

I got about $6 an hour as a starting full-time "mechanic" just out of college and finished up making $30/hour "flag" when I retired in 2017.

 

[Balr14]

LOL I remember when minimum age was $4.25!

Youngsters! I remember when it was $1.05. My first job was pumping gas for $1.15. If you divide the cost of everything by 15, you end up pretty close to what things cost in 1959. Rent for my first apartment in 1963 was $200. A nice new car was $3200.

So, we are just basically running in place. The only thing that really changes is you are paying income taxes on money you wouldn't have been paying taxes for in 1960. But, the money you are paying it with isn't worth much, either.

 

[Applied Carbon]

I look around online and see a lot of people complaining about not being able to afford anything but if you look at the numbers people are still consuming at insane levels. Really strange time to be honest. I'm fairly lucky, after the 08 crash I reevaluated my life and moved into a much more stable job, moved into nursing. Got a few friends that went into white collar and nerd jobs that lost their jobs and are working 60 plus hours of week in retail and gig work. Feel real bad for them since most of them are in the hole for the cost of a Dark Horse in debt with the fed for student loans. I worked through nursing school and outside of putting some books and incidentals on my credit card I didn't go into debt to do it.

I dunno if I just hit that age but every time I take the family out to eat I'm shocked that we are talking about $150ish bill plus a tip, wasn't like that a few years ago. Dunno how other families go out multiple times a month and still pay their bills. Wife and I had a dinner and a movie date night last week and it was almost 200 American dollars for the night! Yeah that includes drinking and 70mm IMAX tickets to Dune 2 but still! I will say I don't think groceries are that high, unless you are buying processed crap food. I still get my big bags of rice and beans from the Asian mart for pennies a serving and my local butcher prices have gone up only a little since the start of COVID.

My wife is WFH which is a huge benefit. Between her always being home and my in laws we have never had to pay for child care. Child care costs are INSANE these days. We should do more to subsidize the cost of child care for working families. A lot of people on "my side" of the political spectrum have a fit when I say that but the middle class can't afford 2 plus grand a month in child care and the days of single income homes are long gone for us working stiffs.

Sponsored