Community Chat

[Carmie]

@deepwaterdotter   The same in my area.  I am happy things are starting to improve on paper, but we have such a long way to go.

I hope things workout, but again, I am truly worried.

[stevieb]

Just a couple points. First, I agree with you @THEY CallMe Mr Wilkes  that there seems to be a fair amount of contention and sucking on sour balls going on within the Q forums, in general, these days.

As far as the economic picture I understand folks who are taking a more wait and see point of view. As noted earlier, I'm happy to see positive indicators and in no way feel they should be minimized, but am still waiting to see those indicators translate into day-to-day positives.

It also seems those whose personal financial situations appear already to be relatively well positioned are, and can afford to be, feeling more positively about reported economic growth than are others, who are feeling more cautious. Finally, it also seems, pretty clearly, some perspectives are influenced by ideology, which, to some extent, is human nature.

[Karie2022]

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@drizzellla wrote:

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@haddon9 wrote:

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@chessylady wrote:

People who own stocks or who have stocks in their pension have a reason to be happy today since stocks hit a record high. Inflation is down and Christmas shopping is vigorous this year. Unemployment is down. You can't argue with success.

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@chessylady The rate of inflation rising is down but inflation itself is not.  Prices are still higher than last year and the year before.

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PENNSYLVANIA — Shoppers nationwide know it costs a lot more to fill up a grocery cart today than it used to. But in Pennsylvania, inflation is causing food prices to spike faster here than in any other U.S. state, according to a new report.

A recently released report by Consumer Affairs found grocery prices nationwide were 5.3 percent higher in November than a year ago. While a dramatic improvement from 2022 — over two years, prices have spiked 25.5 percent — where you live plays a big role in how much shoppers will spend.

In Pennsylvania, grocery costs spiked 8.2 percent in the last 12 months, the report stated. That's faster than any other state in the nation. Meanwhile, in Colorado, prices were up just 2.9 percent.

To put that into perspective, a Pennsylvania family of four spending $750 should expect to fork over an extra $61.50 a month on groceries. In Colorado, that same family would see their monthly grocery bill rise by $21.75 — a difference between the two families of $477 per year.

To determine increases in each state, Consumer Affairs analyzed grocery price data in 15 categories, collected in real-time in 150,000 stores. As of mid-November, the states seeing the largest increase in food prices were clustered in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, according to the report.

The states with the highest spike in grocery prices were:

• Pennsylvania: 8.2 percent
• Vermont: 7 percent
• Maryland: 7 percent
• \West Virginia: 6.9 percent
• New Jersey: 6.8 percent
• Massachusetts: 6.6 percent
• Connecticut: 6.4 percent
• Florida: 6.4 percent
• Montana: 6.4 percent
• South Dakota: 6.4 percent
• North Dakota: 6.4 percent
• Iowa: 6.4 percent

States with the lowest increases in food costs were located throughout the United States; however, the report said price hikes in these states came in half as large as the increase in Pennsylvania.

Here are the states with the lowest spikes, according to the report:

• Colorado: 2.9 percent
• Arizona: 3.3 percent
• North Carolina: 3.5 percent
• Michigan: 3.5 percent
• Virginia: 3.6 percent
• Nevada: 4.2 percent
• South Carolina: 4.3 percent
• Indiana: 4.4 percent
• Ohio: 4.4 percent
• Oregon: 4.5 percent

Data collected to compile the report showed price hikes in each grocery category ranged widely, both nationally and locally.

Nationally, prices for grains, beans, and pasta were up 1.5 percent over 12 months. Yet in Colorado those products went down in price and were nearly 2 percent cheaper than a year ago, helping to explain the state’s low food inflation.

In Pennsylvania, prices for grains, beans, and pasta in the Keystone State rose by 5.3 percent in the last year, the report states.

Other factors that could cause prices to vary by state, according to experts who spoke with Consumer Affairs, include supply and demand as well as overhead expenses like local labor, utilities, tax and real estate costs.

The war in Ukraine, for example, has reduced shipments of wheat, which has affected the prices of everything from bread and crackers to cereal, according to the report.

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I live in PA-VERY expensive, prices continue to rise, this article is definitely on point.

[Snowpuppy]

So if I lived in PA and had a modest $5k in a 5% CD.....

$5k is less than $100/wk in groceries for a yr. If food in PA is rising by 8+% a yr and I have a modest tax rate of 10-15%, I'm not exactly excited about that CD. 

[gidgetgh]

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@Snowpuppy wrote:

So if I lived in PA and had a modest $5k in a 5% CD.....

$5k is less than $100/wk in groceries. If food in PA is rising by 8+% a yr and I have a modest tax rate of 10-15%, I'm not exactly excited about that CD. 

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@Snowpuppy - I am more excited about it than when cd's were paying .01%. 

[Snowpuppy]

@gidgetgh  I get it, it's an offset to inflation but a lot of people are simply holding cash. 

[Greeneyedlady21]

There are some ways to counteract the price gouging , it takes some work and strategic shopping but it's worth it.

My local CVS is clearly price gouging, I don't buy anything there without coupons that I download via my CVS app to my CVS card. And my Extra Bucks.

Yesterday I shopped there for some necessities, I opened the app in the store to go by my coupons in order to make my choices. I also had a 40 percent off one regular priced item, a 25 percent off same, and a 15 percent off total order.

I spent $40 and saved almost $30. I also received $7 back in Extra Bucks on two items that I purchased.

I just looked at my receipt, I actually had even more coupons than that. I also get 20 percent off CVS brand health and beauty items with Care Pass, which more than pays for itself.

I spent $38.75 and bought 10 items.