The insidious creeping upward of prices

I am an erratic shopper, therefore, it gives me an opportunity to watch certain things.
Today for instance, was at Kroger.
One of the things that I buy regularly is chocolate syrup.
5 months ago, it was $1.00.
Last week, it was $1.25.
Today, it was $1.29.
The stuff that is normally 3/$1.00...has gone the wayside of 2/$1.00.
The stuff that is normally 2/$1.00...has gone the wayside of 2/$1.10.
The insidious nickle and diming of America won't stop.
It's happening at the gas pump.
A couple of weeks ago, our gas was $2.89. UPROAR.
They brought it down to $2.69.
Now they brought it back up to $2.79.
I had to re-do my personal budget yesterday.
Had to move another $50 in the gas budget, and then figure out where I was going to steal it from. Of course, it had to be the grocery budget, but how am I supposed to cut from the grocery budget when everything is going up in nickles and dimes?
I have to say though, I am fortunate. I have the luxury of moving things around because I initially designed a little bit of padding into the grocery budget.
It's gone now.
I have 2 jobs. My SO has 2 jobs. My daughter also has a job.
This Fall, I have 2 kids in college.
You'd think that there would be some relief on the horizon...however, there is not.
I'm thankful we are making it. However, it doesn't surprise me that many are not.
Welcome to Bush Amerikkka.

It's at least a dollar more than that in my neck of the woods!

Seriously though, you're right. The nickel-and-diming of ordinary Americans is insane. How are we supposed to make it in this economy? The Repukes in charge say the economy is great, I guess because all they see is Wall Street. I'm not seeing the thriving economy that they're seeing.

And Heaven forbid you carry a balance on a revolving credit card account with a variable interest rate! Those rates are creeping up too! Just check your credit card bill from month to month...


Edited to include K&R...

It wasn't so long ago that it WAS $1.89....
Thanks for the heads up. Fixed.;)

Just teasin' ya! ;)

With the tax cuts, via Iraq War by giving it to corporations that are doing work in Iraq or supplying whatever to Iraq. Makes me sick. We've got to get every Republican out of office, no matter who it is. Regardless of whether they're moderate or not. OUT! NOW!

the bank accounts of HMOs, Big-Pharma, and "care facilities"....and so it goes :cry:

When someone says "oh, well we shouldn't raise the minimum wage, because the companies will just raise their prices."

THEY'RE DOING THAT ANYWAY.

how anyone can make it on minimum wage.

Hell, back when I was making close to $9/hour in my early 20's, I couldn't afford to move out from my mom's place. And that's just me, a single guy. I can't imagine how a family can live off of $5.15/hour (I think that's what it is).

We've had a few of those debates about raising the minimum wage spring up lately, and there's always some people that will bring out the argument that it will just cause companies to raise the prices, but they're doing that already!

..."Nickel and Dimed" by Barbara Ehrenreich. She chronicles her experiments in trying to live on the current minimum wage in this economy. Her conclusion? You can't.

Excellent read!

We got advice like this-

Mechanix illustrated/April 1944

If we'd had a president, instead of a puppet, the day after 9/11, this country would have been a powerhouse, based on its citizens willingness to do what needed to be done.

MKJ

continue with manufactorers decreasing package size while moving up on price, amazing how, for example, a former "one pound" can of something is now 11-13 oz.

that means they use GASOLINE. All these increased shipping costs are being passed on to the consumer.

There was an article in Newsday last week talking about limo companies adding fuel surcharges to their rates. Even fishing boat captains are passing on the increased costs of fuel to their renters. They also said business is way down.

When gas goes up so substantially, everything else will too.

The price is going through the roof. I love alumium foil, use for everything, earlier I was getting the small roll for .89 cents, last time I paid 1.12 and that was the discount store.