And prices keep going up

[Subduction Zone]

I want things to return to a healthy rate, not an unhealthy rate.

3.1% is not that high from its optimum. The economy is like a huge ship. It takes time for changes to occur. And seriously, you cannot detect a rate of 0.1% a month. The economy is very close to its optimal rate.

 

[Kathryn]

3.1% is not that high from its optimum. The economy is like a huge ship. It takes time for changes to occur. And seriously, you cannot detect a rate of 0.1% a month. The economy is very close to its optimal rate.

OK but you're talking about the inflation rate. I am talking about how prices keep going up on common things.

 

[We Never Know]

Yes, I purposely left the phones off the examples, as they are out-of-this-world. But they are due to popularity and fashion. You can still get a prepaid very affordability to cover the necessities.

They can have their iPhones. I will stick with Androids.

 

[We Never Know]

See, you live in a different world/culture than many, even here in the states. Blue-ray VCRs are far from obsolete where internet is not available nor affordable.

My first laptop, 2005, cost $1,700. My last, 2015, cost $200.

Have you forgotten the days of text messaging being limited, and worse, being charged by the character?

Life evolves. Culture priorities change. With that, economic priorities also become redirected. I don't hear much about the increases in luxury items, which are much, much higher than necessities. I hear the same people who complain about the price of a carton of eggs also talk about how great their week in the Bahamas was, and how they just bought their son a $35,000 truck for high school graduation.

Then of course there are the folks who went wayyyy into debt for school with no thought or plan to how economical that decision would be. Bad attitude.

The attitude should be gratitude.

Used to people had a video player, a calender, a watch, an answering machine, a camera, a stop watch, a video recorder, a phone, etc...

They were all separate things. Now the smart phones are all of those and more all rolled into one.

 

[Spice]

Used to people had a video player, a calender, a watch, an answering machine, a camera, a stop watch, a video recorder, a phone, etc...

They were all separate things. Now the smart phones are all of those and more all rolled into one.

Yep. I even let internet go and use my Android phone as my only computer. I have a Bluetooth keyboard for when I need to truly type something. I would have just used it as a modem, but my laptop would not sync and I've had my fill of learning new electronics capabilities. I'm of that age that first experienced computers by having to learn to read punch holes in paper tape. I said ENOUGH with the Office upgrade to Microsoft Office 10. LOL

 

[Stevicus]

On the general subject of rising prices, I've noticed quite a few articles lately which lament the rising price of fast food, at least in some areas. Some areas have higher minimum wages, and a lot of these places have had trouble finding workers anyway. And it's understandable, if their wages can't keep up with inflation.

 

[Stevicus]

Used to people had a video player, a calender, a watch, an answering machine, a camera, a stop watch, a video recorder, a phone, etc...

They were all separate things. Now the smart phones are all of those and more all rolled into one.

I used to have all of those things, although I had both a wall calendar and a little calendar book (where I also kept a list of phone numbers, most of which I could recall from memory anyway).

I had various cameras over the years, although most of the time, I was out of film - or out of flashcubes. Going to get film, then having it developed, etc. - all of that is in the past now. I did have a Polaroid where the pictures would develop instantly. The film was more expensive.

 

[We Never Know]

I used to have all of those things, although I had both a wall calendar and a little calendar book (where I also kept a list of phone numbers, most of which I could recall from memory anyway).

I had various cameras over the years, although most of the time, I was out of film - or out of flashcubes. Going to get film, then having it developed, etc. - all of that is in the past now. I did have a Polaroid where the pictures would develop instantly. The film was more expensive.

Yep. Like you said we had a book with a list of numbers for people, the smart phone replaced that too. Alarm clock, photo album, its crazy when you think about it.

 

[Stevicus]

Yep. Like you said we had a book with a list of numbers for people, the smart phone replaced that too. Alarm clock, photo album, its crazy when you think about it.

Yeah, photo albums. It used to be that people would be limited to just showing whatever pictures they had in their wallets, but now, there are people who want to share every photo they have with everyone.

 

[Subduction Zone]

OK but you're talking about the inflation rate. I am talking about how prices keep going up on common things.

The prices that you chose go both up and down. As @Revoltingest pointed out you are remembering when they go up and forgetting when they go down.

 

[Revoltingest]

OK but you're talking about the inflation rate. I am talking about how prices keep going up on common things.

This is institutionalized, ie, the federal government
intentionally expands the money supply faster than
economic growth. Aside from being observed, I
once actually heard an interview with a government
employed economist who explained how they
designed policies to achieve several percent yearly
inflation.
This is useful to them....
- Government debt decreases with inflation (because
the dollars repaid are less valuable).
- "Bracket creep", ie, taxpayers pay a greater percentage
of income tax when wages rise to meet inflation.
- It gives the appearance of economic growth, even
when there is none.

 

[Kathryn]

The prices that you chose go both up and down. As @Revoltingest pointed out you are remembering when they go up and forgetting when they go down.

No I am not.