Inflation

[manning]

I know someone who owns a restaurant. He told me his supplier raised his meat prices 50%. WOW!

 

[barkley]

not surprised-it's gone up allot and will go up even more with the ruined crops that normally go to feed. we are seeing daily on the news about the terrible impact the heat, smoke and drought have had on the crops in washington state-i suspect sharp increases in prices of allot of products that will hit the shelves come fall.

on inflation in general, i posted on another thread a few days ago about how i only buy some household items bi-annually or annually and did a side by side price comparison of the identical items when i went to repurchase this month-even scouring for the best deals/coupons...pet food up 20%/ paper products up 15% over the past 12 months.

 

[DaleFan]

At least he is still getting meat. Several of our restaurants are closed due to supply chain issues....strange. They've been open all my life, even the last year. Weird times. We own a business and I used to budget about $3500 for fuel, for the month. It's been creeping up and I finally had to have a reality check with myself. For August, I budgeted $10K for fuel and I hope that's enough. It very annoying when general public say that's not possible or whataboutism from 12 years ago. I'm not sure that is inflation, but it is me paying way to much for fuel! Bottom line, we are in business now and it is getting tight now, not last year, not at the beginning of the pandemic, now. We have been in business for 5 years and it was pretty much always in the range of what I budgeted. Like I said earlier, weird times.

 

[neverlandsky]

I've seen a lot of restaurants revamping their menus due to inflation and lack of product. I've noticed food prices in the grocery store have jumped huge. I'm basically shopping the loss leaders and building my menu off of that. Maybe since I"m buying less food though my waistline will get smaller. I girl can dream.

 

[lorilclevelandrn]

Gas prices have increased substantially in our entire nation leading to increased cost transporting to destinations which directly affects total cost for products on the shelves and honestly, across the board.
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance...xpect-food-or-gas-prices-to-fall-anytime-soon

 

[SteveH]

Babyback ribs at Costco normal price was $2.99/lb. Today it was $5.99/lb., they were the same brand and everything, it's totally nuts. It's going to get worse before it gets better.

 

[chickapin parterre]

it will be interesting to see how thorough the harvest will be this year in the Worlds winter salad bowl. typically a lot vegetables are left behind in the fields, we drive by and see row after row after row of veggies. I wonder if they will create a second tier of quality of food if there is a fresh food shortage. it has always been explained on the news that the crops are plowed back into the soil for a better soil treatment. also...gleaners are not allowed....as harvesting vegetables almost require a hazmat suit.

 

[Colleen27]

Food prices are going to get really, really bad in the near future. Between the lack of the usual seasonal labor force because of pandemic-related travel restrictions and the extreme weather of the last couple years, output is way down and producer costs are way up.

 

[manning]

It could be more now. I saw ground beef at Costco go from $3.19 to $3.99

 

[chickapin parterre]

Food prices are going to get really, really bad in the near future. Between the lack of the usual seasonal labor force because of pandemic-related travel restrictions and the extreme weather of the last couple years, output is way down and producer costs are way up.

what is usual seasonal labor force?

 

[barkley]

At least he is still getting meat. Several of our restaurants are closed due to supply chain issues....strange. They've been open all my life, even the last year. Weird times. We own a business and I used to budget about $3500 for fuel, for the month. It's been creeping up and I finally had to have a reality check with myself. For August, I budgeted $10K for fuel and I hope that's enough. It very annoying when general public say that's not possible or whataboutism from 12 years ago. I'm not sure that is inflation, but it is me paying way to much for fuel! Bottom line, we are in business now and it is getting tight now, not last year, not at the beginning of the pandemic, now. We have been in business for 5 years and it was pretty much always in the range of what I budgeted. Like I said earlier, weird times.

it's common sense that if prices increase for a business then unless it can be within reason offset somewhere else that prices have to increase for consumers of that business. i'm rooting for you. i'm seeing far too many privately owned businesses in my area having to fold b/c of increased costs of doing business combined with consumer inability or unwillingness to pay that cost. some i use are managing to stay afloat through tweaking their business models-my pest and yard service providers are bundling treatments to eliminate repeated travel to homes but the nature of many doesn't allow for these tweaks.

i recently read that natural gas prices have increased this year by 60%, today i heard a news report that it's since increased to 80%. any business that is reliant on it can't help but pass it on to the consumer. come winter when people who are reliant on it for heating get their first cold weather bills there is going to be horrific sticker shock.


it's telling that social security is looking at potentially their largest cost of living increase in almost 40 years. i remember the inflation of the 70's and early 80's-people would yell 'i'm not going to pay that much for gas, you'll never get me to pay that much for....it's against my principles'. well, if they wanted to eat, heat their homes, travel to work...they had to adjust their principles.

best of luck to you!

 

[dclpluto]

Between the lack of the usual seasonal labor force

lack of seasonal labor force. Lol. Don’t think so

 

[Colleen27]

what is usual seasonal labor force?

Agriculture relies on a lot of migrant workers with short-term work authorization and undocumented workers (so does the tourism industry, BTW). Between the pandemic and policy changes that made both the migrant worker visa process and undocumented crossings more difficult, the number of workers available for those jobs is way down - by as much as 75% according to some estimates. And there's no ready and willing supply of domestic-born labor to replace them.

 

[tvguy]

lack of seasonal labor force. Lol. Don’t think so

I apologize in advance if I am misreading this. Are you being sarcastic? Lack of seasonal labor force is a huge issue in the U.S. right now, from resorts to agriculture. https://www.politico.com/news/2021/07/04/foreign-worker-shortage-business-497911
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/02/business/economy/seasonal-foreign-guest-workers.htmlhttps://www.pressherald.com/2021/07/21/businesses-grapple-with-summer-labor-shortage/https://www.statesmanjournal.com/st...ely-impacted-covid-19-study-shows/8095995002/

 

[lorilclevelandrn]

Agriculture relies on a lot of migrant workers with short-term work authorization and undocumented workers (so does the tourism industry, BTW). Between the pandemic and policy changes that made both the migrant worker visa process and undocumented crossings more difficult, the number of workers available for those jobs is way down - by as much as 75% according to some estimates. And there's no ready and willing supply of domestic-born labor to replace them.

Another challenge: Many make more money sitting on the couch and collecting additional unemployment due to policy changes related to Covid. I’m not sure where you’re located but, “Now Hiring” signs are posted on nearly every corner of every business we visit. U continue to pay people to stay home, they will continue to do so.

 

[JimMIA]

It could get much worse, depending on what Congress does, if anything. Many economists think inflation will continue for the near term, but then gradually moderate as the various stimulus programs work their way out.

The Fed is expecting to announce next month that they will begin tapering their bond purchases in October. That's a good sign because the Fed has provided an enormous amount of stimulus to financial markets -- too much and too much risk, in some economists' opinions. But I suspect they will start slow and be very gradual, and it's unknown what effect that will have on consumers...if any.

 

[chickapin parterre]

Agriculture relies on a lot of migrant workers with short-term work authorization and undocumented workers (so does the tourism industry, BTW). Between the pandemic and policy changes that made both the migrant worker visa process and undocumented crossings more difficult, the number of workers available for those jobs is way down - by as much as 75% according to some estimates. And there's no ready and willing supply of domestic-born labor to replace them.

what region do you see the migrant worker visa process not working taking place?

 

[barkley]

(so does the tourism industry, BTW)

i saw that some tourism area (a boardwalk of some sort) on the east coast (maybe jersey?) was having a terrible time filling jobs b/c their traditional summer work force comes from out of the u.s. but was unable to travel this summer due to restrictions. we have a resort with popular outdoor activities and a large water park in an adjacent state that largely relies on young adults from canada to staff during the summer. border restrictions have impacted them such that despite demand for lodging they've had to reduce their operating days by at least 30% this summer. they've expressed concern for this winter's ski season b/c normally they rely on older (non college aged) staff from canada and the prospects of the border being open in coming months with the horrific delta numbers washington has right now is not looking good.

 

[aprilgail]

last year my go to meal was a local restaurant and it was 16.95- went last week and it is now 25.95! Another place we would go for lunch for 9.95 and it is now 16.95!

 

[chickapin parterre]

last year my go to meal was a local restaurant and it was 16.95- went last week and it is now 25.95! Another place we would go for lunch for 9.95 and it is now 16.95!

wow....that is really amazing....has me thinking.....that our go to American Chinse restaurant has not raised prices....because the staff is all Chinese and you wonder how much is under the table. also maybe oregon is more local in meat/river shipping and easy freight system to move goods north to south.

the place that does need to raise prices is in/out burgers....still 20-30 cars waiting in line.