Inflation: How is it Affecting You

[BrianP.]

Curious as to how all this is affecting people on here. What if anything are you doing to mitigate the effects? Vacations? Retirement accounts? Remodeling plans? Eating out?

Being one of the older people on here it's not been too bad for us. We are being a bit more careful in what we buy. Would be a bit different if we had young kids, mortgage and gas guzzling pig etc... etc... We would need to be much more watchful.

[neurosis]

I'm typically pretty frugal anyway.  I notice it but it's not affecting me as much as it could if I were the 'live beyond my means' type.

[Shazam/TPP]

401k in the shitter, bought a gas pig and a travel trailer thinking we would see the country, now in the shitter. Wife limits what she buys for groceries since prices have sky rocketed, we limit going out to dinner since $$$. I take my scouts camping, I tow the scout trailer, load truck up with wood and fuel cost me $70, which I'm not reimbursed for, but at least the parents say thanks what would do without you (umm not camp?) but hey thanks Joe, you did that. but of of course this is really just the tip of the iceberg...

as above we are typically pretty frugal anyway, but it is affecting us and we are not 'live beyond my means' type.

[gcode]

We are trying to minimize driving and eating out much less

A fast food strip mall Mexican diner now costs as much as a nice sit down dinner used to cost
and you have to call to make sure they are open.
They are having trouble getting employees and are only open on a limited basis.
I don't hink our favorite taco place is going to survive this.

This biggest trouble we are having is dog food.
We've got 6 dogs and buy it all their food AutoShip from PetSmart and Chewie.com
For the last 8 weeks virtually everything we buy is out of stock.

[Dan_AKA_ROY23]

Bought a new car and it's great on gas.

Prices high. Sucks.

So why are gas prices not being lowered every day since oil is now under $100??? They give you fancy excuses. But if oil rises, immediately we see gas go up.

[RobertELee]

[pmartin]

Bought a new car and it's great on gas.

Prices high. Sucks.

So why are gas prices not being lowered every day since oil is now under $100??? They give you fancy excuses. But if oil rises, immediately we see gas go up.

It hasn't played out any other way for my whole driving life. Doesn't matter who is in office.

BTW on topic my life hasn't changed an iota with inflation. Yes groceries and gas are more and I drive a 2006 Audi A6 (not great mileage) that needs premium. I can afford it.

[gcode]

Yes groceries and gas are more and I drive a 2006 Audi A6 (not great mileage) that needs premium. I can afford it.

Yes.. both of our cars are paid off.
I have a 13 mile communte, when I'm not working from home
Mrs gcode has a 15 mile commute.
We can afford the gas and groceries, it just means less is going into savings.
It sucks watching the 401K dive into the basement though.

I feel really bad for the young guys in my shop
They are already paying through the nose for health insurance for their families.
Most of them live out in the high desert for the affordable housing.
Now they are paying through the nose for gas to get to work with a 50 to 80 mile commute

[pmartin]

I just saw that some 65% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. so much for the middle class.

[beej]

I had to start tying my own flies

[Shazam/TPP]

I just saw that some 65% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. so much for the middle class.

this really doesn't surprise me at all, i actually would have thought it higher. you banks advertising their low interest rates to refinance your house to payoff all those high interest credit card bills or take that trip you always wanted to go on.... and the sheeple fall for it.

[Del.]

I'm rolling my own.

[Jim at Gentex]

We have been affected by mostly shortages of things we normally buy on a regular basis.

My wife found yesterday that our local Sam's Club received two pallets of the dog food we normally buy.
They had a sign 'Limit 2 per customer', so she grabbed 2 of the 48 lb. bags as long as they were there.
Other than that it has been mostly minor.

We generally only use one tank of gas per week unless we do any extra running around, so even though the spike in the price of gas does hurt, it's usually only a once-a-week pain.

Yeah, my 401k also took a beating just like everyone else's, but it is what it is.   

[jwillard@Kauffman]

Yes.. both of our cars are paid off.
I have a 13 mile communte, when I'm not working from home
Mrs gcode has a 15 mile commute.
We can afford the gas and groceries, it just means less is going into savings.
It sucks watching the 401K dive into the basement though.

I feel really bad for the young guys in my shop
They are already paying through the nose for health insurance for their families.
Most of them live out in the high desert for the affordable housing.
Now they are paying through the nose for gas to get to work with a 50 to 80 mile commute

Similar commute here...except my wife is retired, so her car sits at home except for short trips to the grocery store, etc.  Cars paid for, 401 turning to crap but I'm leaving it alone and hope it'll rebound eventually.  Not planning on needing it for another 5 years or so...we'll see. 

[RobertELee]