Is my perception the problem? That’s what I’m wondering right now. Inflation is going nuts around here. Eggs used to cost $2 for a dozen, now $5. Almost everything is 20% to 30% more expensive. However I ran into the most expensive price hike yet yesterday. I have a good legal supplier for my cannabis that I can buy a whole ounce from at a time, prepack, and I used to be able to get it for $40 back in November. I got $60 out of the bank because I thought I might want to get something else at the store, but I did suspect inflation might creep in. There’s no way I expected it would be $60 for that same product.
That’s a 50% inflation. I’m sorry, that’s insane. I was reading about 1929 when the stock market plummetted 89% in a few weeks, and that’s where I think this is all heading. It took until 1954 for it to recover. It took decimating Germany and Japan for the US economy to even have a shot, as well as quite a bit of socialism.
What a time to be alive.
Also, one my neighbors decided to pick up and move, despite having bought the house only a few years ago. This is ALSO insane, economically speaking. He didn’t do a flip, I live next door to him, I’d know. He’s going to lose money on the deal, I’d think. However, a part of me is still jealous. It’s just nutty, what is going on in this world? What is happening to the economy? I think he’s selling because he can’t afford it. THAT would track.
I want to find some kind of hope to grab onto, something to look forward to, but it’s all years out, and none of it close by.
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Economics is tough to predict, but much of the reason for inflation is simply greed. No company should have to *loose* money for our sake, but they do have a choice to make a little less profit in the short term rather than pass it along to us immediately. But that goes against the 1st Commandment of Capitalism — always grow. This probably explains the cost of items like eggs (and weed I imagine). But my rent has gone up $300/month over the last 3 years (that’s more than 30%) for no good reason at all. No improvements have been made, and in fact it’s gotten a little shoddy. I live in a small town where nothing changes except that they’ve built more apartments (including my landlord). The landlord, likely the richest guy in town and probably 90 years old, advertises our place as “luxury” living, lol. It’s nice enough, but not even remotely high end. So basically, he’s making us pay for his new building, even though he owns half the town already — fucking Mr. Potter from “It’s A Wonderful Life.” And he’s probably in cahoots with other landlords. Multiply this across the US, and you have a good reason why prices are high and not coming down.
Forty dollars for an ounce is shockingly good value. I pay 300 euro and there is no haggling the price downwards unfortunately.
It’s funny how adaptable we are when we feel like we can’t change something. Things like inflation, the economy, air quality, etc, we just go with the flow and grumble but there isn’t anything we can do short of packing up and heading for greener/cheaper pastures like your neighbor did.
I’ve done my best to decrease my consumption, tried to shop smarter, gotten in a habit of skipping meals and not driving anywhere unless absolutely necessary, but I don’t think it makes a difference. If anything it’s compounding the misery. But yeah it’s funny to compare my life to how it was say 10-15 years ago. Things just keep getting worse but it’s not like we have a choice. Well aside from the choice that brought us all here.