Biden creates an economic crisis--Unemployment, Inflation, risk of STAGLFATION increasing

[Joe Ferguson forever]

6 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

People just have more expensive tastes than they used to.

Costco $4.99 rotisserie chicken and ridiculously huge $12 mac and cheese = feed a family of 4 for $17.

We had a comment in another thread ("how much did you pay for gas and groceries?) where one poster was complaining about the high cost of steak. You know how many times we ate steak for dinner when I was a kid? Not to mention the high cost of travel to places I never went when I was a kid.

You can buy my 1300 square foot Buffalo childhood home for a monthly payment of under $2000. I work with a lot of 20 and 30 somethings decrying the out-of-reach cost of a home here in Colorado. We have an office in Buffalo. I ask them: why not move to Buffalo? At our pay rate, you could easily afford the home my parents had at your age."

They are not interested. They don't want to live in Buffalo, and they think they deserve a nice suburban McMansion or a totally rehabbed historic home in a nice urban neighborhood. 

yup.  I play golf with some mid management guys playing $3 titleists Pro V1's that they shouldn't be playing anyway cuz they can't shape or spin their shots.  I get $1 balls or thereabouts.  Sometimes even buy them for $5 a dozen from kids on the course.  Win/win.  Lots of examples of stupid spending.  "A penny saved...I

Edited June 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[Big Blitz]

10 minutes ago, TSOL said:

$18.50 for that chipotle burrito, chips and guac, and a drink here in buffalo. 

 

And $4 dollar chips? Are you buying store brand cuz Lays are $5.50-6 here 

 

Yep - cheapest is Wise or Itz.  But yes Lays are not even worth buying.  It’s ridiculous.  

[The Frankish Reich]

This is old, but good evidence of how our expectations have changed over time:

 

https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/new-us-homes-today-are-1000-square-feet-larger-than-in-1973-and-living-space-per-person-has-nearly-doubled/#:~:text=Over the last 42 years,2%2C687 square feet last year.

 

Nearly double the square footage per person than when I was a kid!

 

Sure, there's skimpflation now. My potato chip bag is only 10 ounces, not 12.

But the median American is ridiculously better off than they were 50 years ago when you take into account how many additional amenities the average person has: housing, internet, flat screen TVs in every room, better vehicle stock than ever before (what happened to all the rusty old cars I used to see straight through the 80s?), etc., etc.

 

EDIT: it's hot outside today. I had to flip the thermostat to "cool." I'll probably run the A/C in the car. There was no air conditioning in homes when I was a kid! And I didn't have a car with A/C until I was well into my 30s.

It's so hot I may cook outdoors. On a really nice gas grill. No waiting half an hour for the charcoal to get hot enough. Just press a button and go. Side burner to warm up the baked beans. Life is good!

Edited June 29, 2023 by The Frankish Reich

[Joe Ferguson forever]

14 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

This is old, but good evidence of how our expectations have changed over time:

 

https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/new-us-homes-today-are-1000-square-feet-larger-than-in-1973-and-living-space-per-person-has-nearly-doubled/#:~:text=Over the last 42 years,2%2C687 square feet last year.

 

Nearly double the square footage per person than when I was a kid!

 

Sure, there's skimpflation now. My potato chip bag is only 10 ounces, not 12.

But the median American is ridiculously better off than they were 50 years ago when you take into account how many additional amenities the average person has: housing, internet, flat screen TVs in every room, better vehicle stock than ever before (what happened to all the rusty old cars I used to see straight through the 80s?), etc., etc.

 

EDIT: it's hot outside today. I had to flip the thermostat to "cool." I'll probably run the A/C in the car. There was no air conditioning in homes when I was a kid! And I didn't have a car with A/C until I was well into my 30s.

It's so hot I may cook outdoors. On a really nice gas grill. No waiting half an hour for the charcoal to get hot enough. Just press a button and go. Side burner to warm up the baked beans. Life is good!

Absolutely, we had one car and a small house most of my childhood.  

My parents window A/C was the only one in the house. It was the norm. Oh and stereo and tv's- very basic. And it was actually good in that you appreciate things more and look for value from those experiences...

Edited June 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[SoCal Deek]

Classic!

You'll eat generic cheese and be happy about it dammit! 
The Republicans need do nothing more than show these responses. 
Where’s Irv when we need him? What a mess.

[The Frankish Reich]

Just now, redtail hawk said:

Absolutely, we had one car and a small house most of my childhood.  It was the norm.  And it was actually good in that you appreciate things more and look for value from those experiences...

I don't mean to criticize people for noticing when their personal economic circumstances today relative to what they were a few years ago are worse. That's obviously true for many people.

I'm just suggesting that when we talk about macro trends and the things that drive policy, we keep in mind that the median standard of living is far, far better than what we've seen in any previous time period.

[Joe Ferguson forever]

2 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Classic!

You'll eat generic cheese and be happy about it dammit! 
The Republicans need do nothing more than show these responses. 
Where’s Irv when we need him? What a mess.

you reason like a chipmunk

[Westside]

3 hours ago, Chris farley said:

Canadian should look at labor force participation.

 

but understand you don't feel this economy from Canada.  

 

 

That’s funny he claims to be canadian. Just a few years ago he claimed to have been born and raised in West Virginia and worked at a laundromat. Does he even know when he’s lying? You can’t believe anything he says. He’s a natural born liar. 

[The Frankish Reich]

3 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Classic!

You'll eat generic cheese and be happy about it dammit! 
The Republicans need do nothing more than show these responses. 
Where’s Irv when we need him? What a mess.

They will eat generic cheese so that you may drive a Mercedes EV.

[SoCal Deek]

1 minute ago, The Frankish Reich said:

I don't mean to criticize people for noticing when their personal economic circumstances today relative to what they were a few years ago are worse. That's obviously true for many people.

I'm just suggesting that when we talk about macro trends and the things that drive policy, we keep in mind that the median standard of living is far, far better than what we've seen in any previous time period.

We generally agree Frank, and we do here, but your observation means nothing to young people trying to start a family today. They couldn’t care less how well your or my grandparents had it. 

[Westside]

2 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

you reason like a chipmunk

You lie like a rug

[Joe Ferguson forever]

Just now, The Frankish Reich said:

They will eat generic cheese so that you may drive a Mercedes EV.

The Barenaked ladies get it:

If I had a million dollars
We wouldn't have to walk to the store
If I had a million dollars
Now, we'd take a limousine 'cause it costs more
If I had a million dollars
We wouldn't have to eat Kraft Dinner
But we would eat Kraft Dinner
Of course we would, we'd just eat more
And buy really expensive ketchups with it
That's right, all the fanciest-, Dijon ketchup, mm, mm

 

[SoCal Deek]

1 minute ago, The Frankish Reich said:

They will eat generic cheese so that you may drive a Mercedes EV.

It’s a BMWi4…. and it’s freaking awesome! 

[leh-nerd skin-erd]

48 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

It's no different than what I always hear from the right: "Liberals want to boycott travel to Florida over gay rights issues, but they're perfectly fine with taking a safari trip to Kenya, where being gay is a crime." 

Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of a small mind I guess.

People are prone to hypocrisy, and sometimes completely ignorant of their own complicity in the game.  See Biden v Trump. 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

3 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

It’s a BMWi4…. and it’s freaking awesome! 

yeah, never a beamer fan.  My fast car is a 2012 Buick Regal GS 6 speed.  Wanna race?  that said, my friends wife just got a Chevy bolt- 0-60 in 3.4 secs and with rebate from gov't = $27k.

Edited June 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[SoCal Deek]

6 minutes ago, redtail hawk said:

you reason like a chipmunk

Is that a thing? 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

1 minute ago, SoCal Deek said:

Is that a thing? 

well I'm watching some from my deck...

[SoCal Deek]

1 minute ago, redtail hawk said:

yeah, never a beamer fan.  My fast car is a 2012 Buick Regal GS 6 speed.  Wanna race?

Yes….I’ll race. The electric has simply amazing speed off the line. Seriously,  this thing is an incredible piece of machinery. 👍

[Joe Ferguson forever]

2 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

Yes….I’ll race. The electric has simply amazing speed off the line. Seriously,  this thing is an incredible piece of machinery. 👍

didn't know it was electric.  You're turning blue, dude...Still, I love rowing thru the gears...

Edited June 29, 2023 by redtail hawk

[The Frankish Reich]

1 minute ago, SoCal Deek said:

We generally agree Frank, and we do here, but your observation means nothing to young people trying to start a family today. They couldn’t care less how well your or my grandparents had it. 

When I was in my 20s, trying to make a career with a field with poor economic prospects, I finally gave in and went to law school. It took time, but I got there. It took a plan, and it took ... patience. Counseling (1) having a plan; and (2) being patient is probably the best thing we can do for our kids.

And again, it really isn't that hard. I'll use some easily available numbers. I've worked for the federal government, and I knew many young couples where both had federal jobs. Let's say you're a GS-9 administrative assistant married to a GS-11 in a law-enforcement type job. In Buffalo now, you make a combined $130,000. As I said earlier, you can focus on saving for a fairly low downpayment and buy the perfectly nice, small starter home (by today's standards) that I grew up in for under $2000 per month.

And those jobs go begging for applicants! But they're you-gotta-be-there-in-person-40-hours-per-week jobs, and a lot of young people think that's for losers ...