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Inflation Rate Worst in 17 years

Plummit

Monkey
Mar 12, 2002
233
0
Did you like the part about "core" (ex energy and food) being contained, freeing the fed's hands for further rate cuts...
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Did you like the part about "core" (ex energy and food) being contained, freeing the fed's hands for further rate cuts...
That would be great. Everyone can stay home in their cold unheated Mcmansions and starve to death.

Any one else notice the price of food going up quite a bit. I've even started drinking cheap beer again and I can't get out of the grocery store without spending $100 for just a few days worth of food.
 

Plummit

Monkey
Mar 12, 2002
233
0
but don't get hurt (or sick from cheap beer) b/c health care went up significantly faster than wages as well.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
if you drink IPA, hops are definitely pricier due to some failed crops.

A 6er of Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA is pushing $10 around here these days. Needless to say it is rare I drink the good stuff anymore.

It can't just be hops causing it. A 12 pack of Beast Ice is almost $6 anymore, I'm pretty sure they use lawn clippings instead of hops.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
The best part is with low interest rates and high inflation, responsible people like myself who actually save money get screwed.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
The best part is with low interest rates and high inflation, responsible people like myself who actually save money get screwed.
You could always invest your money.

I'm sure now is a pretty good time for all kinds of buy opportunities.
 

Echo

crooked smile
Jul 10, 2002
11,819
15
Slacking at work
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I can buy a 30 pack of Coors Light for the same price as a 6 pack of IPA, and I have transgressed a few times recently.

But I am brewing my own beer now too, so I don't totally fail at beer.
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
I wish. All of my investments are in the toilet right now. It makes me sick to my stomach to even look at them.
So buy more... I still think it's going to get worse before it gets better, but it's always better to buy in a down/declining market. Hell, even online savings accounts give 4%+. Just about enough to keep up with inflation, but not stellar. Hell, buy solid companies that offer a good dividend:

Chevron Texaco - 2.6% dividend yield
AT&T - 4.2% yield
Petro China - 3.6% yield

and you get companies that have a solid growth history, solid projections for the next 5-10 years, and in the case of AT&T, a dividend that beats the rate of (real) inflation. Or you can do like I did, and buy a (hopefully) appreciating asset (a house!!). As interest rates drop you can lock in better rates, and holding a tangible asset protects you from inflation as well. and you can sleep in it!! :shocked:
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
You could always invest your money.

I'm sure now is a pretty good time for all kinds of buy opportunities.
Large majority of it is invested but none has been doing very well for the past few years. I keep trying to make an apointment with my financial advisor but he won't call me back. I need to change banks and get a new advisor but it is such a headache moving everything Ihaven't had the time to do it lately.
 

neanderthal

Monkey
Mar 1, 2005
215
0
Pittsburgh
Large majority of it is invested but none has been doing very well for the past few years. I keep trying to make an apointment with my financial advisor but he won't call me back. I need to change banks and get a new advisor but it is such a headache moving everything Ihaven't had the time to do it lately.
If your financial adviser won't return your calls, it's time to dump that guy. If you read a few basic financial management books, you can manage your money yourself. It's really not that hard. My favorite personal finance book is "Common Sense on Mutual Funds" by John Bogle. John Bogle is a former CEO of Vanguard and championed index funds.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
I hadn't noticed much until last week. It was $50 to fill the tank of my Toyota truck and I spent $102 on a short list of needed food items. The full list has been running up to $200 and at first I thought it was just because of the items we have been getting (healthier selections and more natural foods).

But when the total came up last night for what amounted to 3 bags worth, I was blown away. It wasn't very long ago a stuffed cart was $125. At last nights rate, a full cart would have been well over $250 for about 2 weeks worth.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
ok, something's happening, but not sure what: HPQ - with a turning radius of an aircraft carrier - has gone up 5% in 3 hrs., despite intel's bloodletting. volume is a third higher than normal.
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
ok, something's happening, but not sure what: HPQ - with a turning radius of an aircraft carrier - has gone up 5% in 3 hrs., despite intel's bloodletting. volume is a third higher than normal.
markets were weird today. trying to figure out if its bottom-feeders or if someone's got some inside info on what the fed's going to do at the end of the month. 75bp would certainly be a shot in the arm for the market, but how long that would work before the market got over their cheap-interest rates rush and went back to dropping like a rock?
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
When I saw the sign at the gas station, I thought it had gone down. $3.08 isn't bad until I noticed that was the price for e85. Regular Unleaded was $3.18, premium was $3.58.

So by the Summer drive time, we should be in the $5 range at this rate. That's awesome.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
So by the Summer drive time, we should be in the $5 range at this rate. That's awesome.
that actually is very awesome. almost as awesome as toshi's $20/gal.

i'm waiting to find out if i'm supposed to start working in denver next month through the summer, which is a 110 mi roundtrip commute. currently, we get $0.475/mi, but if gas sustains ~$5/gal, they'll bump it to $0.60-$.80. in other words, i'll make at least $50/hr for 2 hrs every day. only pitfall is my jetta is a VR6, not a TDI. yeah, i know these numbers are squishy.
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
that actually is very awesome. almost as awesome as toshi's $20/gal.

i'm waiting to find out if i'm supposed to start working in denver next month through the summer, which is a 110 mi roundtrip commute. currently, we get $0.475/mi, but if gas sustains ~$5/gal, they'll bump it to $0.60-$.80. in other words, i'll make at least $50/hr for 2 hrs every day. only pitfall is my jetta is a VR6, not a TDI. yeah, i know these numbers are squishy.
Someday the lightrail will go between Denver and CS. If you're working in LoDo, drop your car at the Lincoln/C-470 & I-25 interchange, wherever the lightrail currently begins.

In fact, you could ride your bike up Hwy 105 to the path along C-470 to the lightrail once or twice a week, assuming you can get away with doing that.
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
Someday the lightrail will go between Denver and CS. If you're working in LoDo, drop your car at the Lincoln/C-470 & I-25 interchange, wherever the lightrail currently begins.

In fact, you could ride your bike up Hwy 105 to the path along C-470 to the lightrail once or twice a week, assuming you can get away with doing that.
i've actually considered that (i'd be in littleton working on administering a missile system). in fact, i was looking at a redline SS commuter this wknd. i don't know where to go from just north of castle rock/happy canyon. 85 is finished through to santa fe blvd, ya?

there's also FREX
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
yeah, hwy 85/Santa Fe isn't too bad. It's been a while, but I think if 85 is too busy, you can swing over on Titan Rd and ride up through the Chatfield Reservoir.

Double check maps :)
 

dante

Unabomber
Feb 13, 2004
8,807
9
looking for classic NE singletrack
Inflation jumps 1% last month
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/economy_35

Awesome, in economic terms if you have a savings account you are losing money.
Markets jump 150pts on the news... huh? :twitch:

Have a bad feeling about this. Mortgage rates went from 5.5 in Jan to 6.375 today. The fed's trying to free up cash to keep the economy going, but it seems to be producing the exact opposite in the mortgage market. Anybody want to guess what this is going to do to home sales for Feb??
 

$tinkle

Expert on blowing
Feb 12, 2003
14,591
6
Fed to cut rates

This should help. Can anyone say stagflation?
part of stagflation is rising unemployment (a dysphemism for a surplus on workers). so unemployment is rising from 4.8% to 5.2%, which alarmists would say "that's a jump of 10% in the unemployment rate!"
this is a far cry from being at economic threat-level midnight.
 

valve bouncer

Master Dildoist
Feb 11, 2002
7,843
114
Japan
i've actually considered that (i'd be in littleton working on administering a missile system).
Teacher- And what does your daddy do little Stinkle?
L'il Stink- He finds better and more efficient ways to kill the brown people from thousands of miles away
Teacher-Oh, he works for a pharmaceutical company.
L'il Stink- (blinks and squeezes his Condi doll a little tighter)