Signs of inflation

[afan]

I’m NOT discussing the politics of any of this or saying anything is right or wrong. CA is kinda interesting though so here is some stuff non-Californias might not know that contribute to our always near the highest in the nation gas prices

• CA has the highest gas tax in the US
• CA mandates special blends with stricter requirements than the Feds
• CA has different rules for summer and winter blends depending where you are in the state but the end result is CA maintains summer blends longer than the Federal mandates
• Trucking regulations (commercial trucks with engines 2009 or older are banned)

WA is similar to a lot of this. Impatiently waiting for the winter blend. Gas at Fred's (kroger) Saturday was 5.07. It's normally close to the cheapest but I use fuel points to save a dollar a gallon. It's been slowly creeping up the past couple of months.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I think the cult following fervor died down as the membership prices increased and their warehouse item prices increased with inflation. They’re still a deal but not the crazy deal they were.

I wish that was true because both Costcos in my area are shoulder to shoulder crowded every time I go there. Last time I went the line to check out went all the way back to the meat section.

 

[QueenIsabella]

What is the allure of Market Basket? I've never been there but it's never attracted me.

I can answer this--just remember, I moved away 8 years ago, so things might have changed:

Good prices all around. Maybe not the absolute cheapest, but you felt like you got a good deal.

Clean stores, pleasant staff, well-stocked.

Wide variety of items. A couple of my favorites were shaved steak (in the meat aisle--not frozen), stir-fry pea pods, Chinese barbecued pork (uncooked), and packaged meat/cheese ends (I would dice these up, roll them in bread dough, and voila! Dinner!). Many varieties of apples, for snacking and baking.

 

[tvguy]

• Trucking regulations (commercial trucks with engines 2009 or older are banned)

That law is the biggest joke. You are correct, commercial trucks (big rigs) with engines can't be registered in California. But next time you are on the freeway, see if you see ANY big rigs with California license plates. The trucking industry has legally thumbed their nose at California over that one.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

All I can say is my daughter is travelling through Europe now - London, Amsterdam, Paris, Luzerne, Venice, Florence and Rome. She said she will never complain about prices in the US. Inflation has hit Europe much harder than the US!

 

[Lord Manhammer]

All I can say is my daughter is travelling through Europe now - London, Amsterdam, Paris, Luzerne, Venice, Florence and Rome. She said she will never complain about prices in the US. Inflation has hit Europe much harder than the US!

I was just there in April and this is very true.

 

[cvjw]

I think the cult following fervor died down as the membership prices increased and their warehouse item prices increased with inflation. They’re still a deal but not the crazy deal they were.

The 2 Costco stores that I shop at are crowded. I am there multiple times per week - we buy 90% of our food and products there. Have not noticed any drop in customers.

 

[Genie+]

All I can say is my daughter is travelling through Europe now - London, Amsterdam, Paris, Luzerne, Venice, Florence and Rome. She said she will never complain about prices in the US. Inflation has hit Europe much harder than the US!

High energy costs weighing on their growth outlook.

Right now USD is climbing against £ GBP and Euro.

 

[LAS2AMS]

All I can say is my daughter is travelling through Europe now - London, Amsterdam, Paris, Luzerne, Venice, Florence and Rome. She said she will never complain about prices in the US. Inflation has hit Europe much harder than the US!

Prices have long been significantly higher in Europe. One big reason Euro Disney struggled is that Florida was a significantly cheaper place for Europeans to Holiday, even considering the airfare. 20 years ago, you could go to a chain restaurant for cheap. Outback, for example, charged $9.99 for a 6 oz. sirloin dinner that included soup or salad and two sides. You could add a soda for $1.50. That's less than $15 tax & 20% tip. The meal, along with the bread, etc., was large and caloric enough to feed two. In Europe, you would've paid $20-$25 (depending on location) for a similar meal... that would've been a significantly smaller portion, big enough for one. No refills on the soda, either. And let's not forget that until the early 2010s, Value Resorts were $49-$59 off-peak and Moderates $89-$99 (All-Stars were on Priceline for $25/night for a period in the late 2000s). Good luck finding a good room in Europe at those rates (at the time).

(BTW, for context today, that Outback meal includes only one side and is $16-$19 (depending on your location) and the soda is $3-4.).

 

[SpaceMan5]

Omg! Is this a typo?
Here in NJ our Costco gas is $3.43. Brand name gas is closer to $4.
I thought our taxes were high... whew!

You thought NJ taxes were high, WA gas tax is right behind CA.

$5+, it sucks! and our roads still suck!

 

[SpaceMan5]

The 2 Costco stores that I shop at are crowded. I am there multiple times per week - we buy 90% of our food and products there. Have not noticed any drop in customers.

Ditto that. Still busier than ever in WA

 

[greeneyedchick]

That's no accurate. Aldi has over 2,300 location in the USA - and many are high volume. There's simply no way it could source product for that many locations by using the business model you described. No question it procures product by specifying a set of standards and having manufactures bid for its business. In other words... the same business model that Walmart, Target, Costco, Kroger, etc. use (although Kroger manufactures some of its product).

We get it, you don't like Aldi. But most everybody else does -- in the past decade, it doubled the number of stores it operates, and recently acquired Southern Grocers (owners of Winn Dixie). Meanwhile, most every grocery giant has shrunk the number of locations it operates during the same period. You're entitled to your opinions but you shouldn't judge others for shopping there.

I'm an avid Aldi's fan, except for their wine or salad dressings. Their prices on their brand of chips, pretzels, cookies, crackers, etc. can't be beat. $2 for a large bag. They have a great price on bagged salads and cheeses, too. I but chicken stock, flour, baking supplies and spices, too. I have learned that any things that is brand-named (like M&Ms) aren't cheaper than Walmart. They have the least expensive eggs, too. I haven't found their items to be of lesser quality. In fact, I actually prefer their knock-off fruit loops, cinnamon toast crunch and frosted mini wheats to the name brand (and they are half the price). Give them another try. You won't be able to do all of your shopping there but for basic staples, it can save a lot of money.

 

[greeneyedchick]

Just as an FYI, you are clearly approaching the Aldi issue from a strictly North American context (I think I assumed that you're in Canada?). I can only assume that's what you meant when you said you feel sorry for people for shopping there, implying that it's a poor quality shop.

In Europe, where Aldi is based, while it is discount, it's not looked upon with such disdain as people do here. As a matter of fact, my wife and I bought out one Aldi's stock of paprika in Budapest last year. Aldi also won Grocer of the Year in the UK several years ago, I think. So while it's discount in Europe, it's not the bottom of the barrel crap-mart in the way that some people characterise it here.

I read that Aldi's gets McCormick's overstock and re-labels it.

 

[barkley]

WA is similar to a lot of this. Impatiently waiting for the winter blend. Gas at Fred's (kroger) Saturday was 5.07. It's normally close to the cheapest but I use fuel points to save a dollar a gallon. It's been slowly creeping up the past couple of months.

it's going for about $4.60 in our part of washington but we will be heading over stateline into idaho this week where we can get it for $3.95. we don't go there for the sole purpose of getting gas but rather to avail ourselves of much less expensive liquor and tobacco. i've also taken a liking to one of their walmarts-yes, it means paying sales tax on groceries BUT for whatever reason their stores have been much better stocked with some items not climbing as high in cost as in the ones nearer to us.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I paid $3.43 today for gas in NJ

 

[cvjw]

Regular gas is $3.03 at my nearest Costco. Brian kemp repealed the Georgia gas tax for a while to help with the sky high cost of everything else.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Prices have long been significantly higher in Europe. One big reason Euro Disney struggled is that Florida was a significantly cheaper place for Europeans to Holiday, even considering the airfare. 20 years ago, you could go to a chain restaurant for cheap. Outback, for example, charged $9.99 for a 6 oz. sirloin dinner that included soup or salad and two sides. You could add a soda for $1.50. That's less than $15 tax & 20% tip. The meal, along with the bread, etc., was large and caloric enough to feed two. In Europe, you would've paid $20-$25 (depending on location) for a similar meal... that would've been a significantly smaller portion, big enough for one. No refills on the soda, either. And let's not forget that until the early 2010s, Value Resorts were $49-$59 off-peak and Moderates $89-$99 (All-Stars were on Priceline for $25/night for a period in the late 2000s). Good luck finding a good room in Europe at those rates (at the time).

(BTW, for context today, that Outback meal includes only one side and is $16-$19 (depending on your location) and the soda is $3-4.).

Yes but inflation is higher in Europe. 3.2% in US vs. 5.3% in Europe currently

 

[hertamaniac]

I live near Orlando for almost twenty years and the homeowner's insurance is a financial killer. I have noticed and heard from various neighbors about not having any coverage due to the costs. I know the percentage of non-coverage has been increasing quite a bit in the past couple of years.

 

[tvguy]

Costco is $5.17 a gallon today. I never notice more than about 2 cents difference in winter blend gasoline. Glad I bought a hybrid 3 years ago at the start of the pandemic when car lots were packed with new cars, and there were no customers. The dealer wants $10,000 over stick now for my car. I got mine for under MSRP.

 

[Disneytam]

I’m NOT discussing the politics of any of this or saying anything is right or wrong. CA is kinda interesting though so here is some stuff non-Californias might not know that contribute to our always near the highest in the nation gas prices

• CA has the highest gas tax in the US
• CA mandates special blends with stricter requirements than the Feds
• CA has different rules for summer and winter blends depending where you are in the state but the end result is CA maintains summer blends longer than the Federal mandates
• Trucking regulations (commercial trucks with engines 2009 or older are banned)

My family owns an organic dairy farm and we always cringe at any new regulation that California passes because we know that it will be heading east soon. We live in NY, home of the insane land and school taxes! I just paid mine this morning so I might be a bit bitter!!