re: Are some industries/services taking advantage of the inflation narrative?

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Are some industries/services taking advantage of the inflation narrative?

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Probably not. Each product has supply and demand curves. The free market is very efficient at finding the equilibrium. Unfortunately, a supplier can’t just charge above the equilibrium without losing business to his competition. There are exceptions, especially if a monopoly exists. But if that is the case, the supplier probably took advantage of that long before “the inflation narrative”.

Of course. I got quotes for some concrete work after Covid. It was insane.

If you think any of the consumer shite is rough, check in on data center hardware, especially compute. It’s real too, demand is extraordinary, factories running full tilt, can’t make enough to feed everyone. Prices going up constantly, build to order quotes good for 7 days, memory production from some spoken for through 2028.

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Grocery for sure.

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Was wild at the grocery the other day. Barely bought anything and it was nearly 90 bucks. I'm looking at my bags of grocery thinking like, "What the heck cost so much?"

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I did a little research and now feed the dog actual food. Blood work and weight loss are perfect. I spend so much less on feeding her now. Win/win

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Kudos but put a bullet in my head when I have to cook my dogs food.

Welcome to 4 years ago dude

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I don’t care about inflation if it’s because tariffs or domestic labor or product.

The shift from only caring about free trade, inflation, and stock markets in the 70s/80s is why this country can’t do anything that matters anymore. And it was all to make some people very rich, and enough crumbs to distract you from the inevitable collapse of your home.

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Then move to one of the many other countries in the world where you feel the economic system will be more beneficial to you personally, and report back in five years.

They should be. Folks are too stupid to realize that the prices of groceries when you go and buy them yourself and the price when the grocery store brings them to you are not one and the same. The same is true of Taco Bell....having it brought to your door is much expensive. People got accustomed to using such shite in 2020 and continue to use it and bitch about costs. I use it myself, I don't bitch about the cost, I am very glad to pay for the convenience....but if your wages are stretched thin by your expenses paying an exorbitant amount of money for convenience is a decision you make to spend more money. My daughter had 3 friends over a few weeks ago, none with a drivers license, and they wanted Chik Fila. I had had a couple of doubles and the wife was out of town so I ordered it for them on Doordash....$90. To feed 4 teens Chik Fila. I was happy to pay the $30 or so delivery fee and tip to avoid driving. I was even happier when I poured my third double. Things are certainly more expensive but it is not as bad as it seems.

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At the point where it doesn't seem like prices will ever stop going up.

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They won't and we don't want them to. I am 60 years old and shite has been going up in price since I leapt out of my mama's crotch. I suspect if I live to be 160 that ain't changing.


People bitch about costs all the time but fricking restaurants are packed to busting on Tuesday nights in mid march without a holiday. 4 people at a Longhorn's eating a family dinner on Tuesday night for $100, at least. And bitching about prices and being broke. You can feed a family of 4 on $100 a week with some work and planning. I get it, its a lot, but if it is so expensive that you are concerned about it eat Tuesday night dinner at the fricking house....a pound of ground beef, a pound of pasta and a great big jar of Ragu....or a cheaper brand....and 4 of you have a meal. It ain't a gourmet meal but if you are bitching about costs you ain't a gourmet. $6 for the ground Beef, $4 for the Ragu and $2 for the pasta...$12. About 30 minutes prep time including stuffing the shite in the dishwasher afterwards. Migh cost a nickle in energy costs to cook and clean up. Thats about $3 a person for a meal. Yes, 20 years ago it'd been $.75 a person probably, but those bitching about prices weren't making what they are today 25 years ago. Its all a matter of perspective. Prices are too high for certain but they have always been too high...the reason people are broker than a 2 dicked dog is eating out every night, driving way more car then they need and living in way more house than they need....

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Probably not. Each product has supply and demand curves. The free market is very efficient at finding the equilibrium. Unfortunately, a supplier can’t just charge above the equilibrium without losing business to his competition. There are exceptions, especially if a monopoly exists. But if that is the case, the supplier probably took advantage of that long before “the inflation narrative”.

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Is there any chance this has changed in this upside down world we now live in?