Inflation Data Points

Mrs. B took me shopping yesterday - she wanted to "rent" my credit card LOLOL. I had an enjoyable time & picked up a couple items on a list I had. That way I saved the gasoline cost of a separate trip ... and my time. I hadn't been to the mall for a few months. They sure sell of lot of overpriced junk & stuff that I would never consider buying. Why anyone does is beyond my puny intellect to comprehend, except for emotions & impulse buying. People grossly overpay for most popular entertainment.

Anyway, what about inflation? One item I bought cost the same as it did about two years ago. The much, much more expensive item Mrs. B had me buy for her didn't exist two years ago. But she selected a older version that was on sale. [ Mrs. B knows the value of a dollar, too ;-) ]The new version has lots of "features" that were not necessary or wanted. So we got what we needed for about 50% of its cost a year ago. No inflation there.

Then there's my cable TV+Internet bill. Those jerks at Comcast bundled together the old movie channels that Mrs. B likes into a "Sports" package including the NFL. I don't watch much football so had no interest in the sports. But I had to subscribe to that package. That's a monopoly tactic - bundling. Too bad the FCC & Congress & the administration are either on the take or asleep AGAIN. There is inflation in TV costs - lots. So I dropped HBO+Showtime+Starz and added the "Sports" package (to get the old movies only) and pay $5/month less for what I really wanted.

Much inflation is caused by local governments being stupid and wasting money. So voters collectively bring it on themselves. Vote for candidates who want to cut costs & save money, NOT promise benefits. Write letters to your local newspaper. If you can, donate to local candidates who want to save money.

A lot of "inflation" is avoidable with substitutions and refusing to pay more for "features". If you choose to pay for those new features, you are missing the benefit of technological improvements that the government data crushers use to reduce reported inflation. Fix things instead of buying a new one, if possible. That amortizes the item cost over more time. I fix things around our home all the time.

Yeah, yeah, if you "have" to live in a high cost area like Florida or NYC or LA or DC or Boston, you're probably screwed and can't make substitutions. Perhaps the benefits of life or job opportunities in those areas outweigh the costs? Or not. In either case, too many people want or have to live in those areas. That drives up the costs of almost everything - housing, services, on and on. So people living there see more "inflation" than people in "less desirable" places. That's classic inflation for them - too many $$$ chasing too few goods & services. But I think "inflation" is more localized than a national phenomenon.