Wondering why your groceries are costing so much more? Read and Learn

I know that they are restricted on what they can buy, but I did not know that seeds and the like were eligible. If it adds up to over 5% I'd be surprised, and that's being optimistic, I actually expect it to be under 2%. We have chickens, so when egg prices spiked, we didn't notice. We've been working on growing fruits and veggies, but we're not very green thumbed, so that a WIP.

 

I would guess that it happens more in rural areas. Good for you on the growing your own. I do it some. You kind of have to cast a wide net though because weather and insects can make or break you if you just try a couple things.

 

More money chasing the same amount of goods equals increased inflation of the existing money supply - Economics 101

The farmer sees his money is worth less so he has to charge more, the grocer see the farmer is charging more and his money is worth less so he has to charge more, the customer, who owns the farm supply store, sees the grocer is charging more and his money is worth less so he has to charge the farmer more and on and on and on.............

 

It's not broken for me. I work really hard. I taught my children never to feel entitled. That even goes for the Social Security they pay into. This is still a land of abundance for those who work hard. It is so abundant we often have enough to give to the less fortunate above and beyond what government extracts from us.

 

The bill passed in 2018 is not what cause inflation today. This totally unnecessary one did

Biden signs $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan into law

Washington — President Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act into law on Thursday, finalizing an early policy victory that will send much-needed aid to millions of Americans still struggling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country and giving people in this nation, working people, middle class folks, people who built the country, a fighting chance," Mr. Biden said before signing the bill, one day earlier than expected.

The American Rescue Plan provides $1,400 direct payments to individuals making up to $75,000 annually, $350 billion in aid to state and local governments and $14 billion for vaccine distribution. The bill also provides $130 billion to elementary, middle and high schools to assist with safe reopening.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the first wave of direct deposit checks would begin hitting Americans' bank accounts as soon as this weekend.

It includes an additional $300 billion in weekly jobless benefits through September and an expanded tax credit of up to $3,600 per child, initially distributed in monthly installments.........

More than $50 billion will be distributed to small businesses, including $7 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program. The bill also provides $25 billion for relief for small and mid-sized restaurants, which have suffered significantly during the pandemic.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-signs-covid-relief-bill-american-rescue-plan-into-law/

 

It doesn't add up given the fact that they can cash it, and the fact that there was no spike in food sales

"Recipients are able to use their EBT Access Card to obtain cash benefits through ATMs located throughout the state. In addition, recipients are able to make cash purchases and receive cashback through POS terminals at participating retailers."

That, and more importantly the $7 Trillion Trump handed out in 2020[/QUOTE]

 

[/QUOTE]

CASH BENEFITS being the key phrase. Most people sucking at the free food teat are sucking at other teats, too, and some of those are just straight up money for anything. They put those funds on their EBT cards, which can then be withdrawn, but if all you have is SNAP, or all you have left on your card is SNAP, you can't withdraw that. It can only be used for food, and even then, only some foods. It really should be a very short list of calorically dense foods that don't cost that much, if we have it at all, but you cannot legally convert SNAP money to cash money.

As for Trump, who has nothing to do with this conversation, if he is partially responsible for feeding this monster, then shame on him, too.

 

If I was short on money, I'd probably take the cash option as opposed to eating more than I need to. The fact that there was no spike in amount of food sold tends to support that view. Your view mandates there was a demand driven sudden increase in sales, but it didn't happen. That's why the whole theory sounds made up just to trigger people like you

Your graph shows the sudden increase begun in 2019, and he didn't leave office until 2021, so obviously he is neck deep in it.

 

You're in denial. First off, SNAP is SNAP, you don't get a choice of do you want food money or do you prefer plain old cash. The cash benefits are from yet other free sh*t for losers programs. Secondly, that food inflation has outpaced other price inflation is a matter of fact... It has. The only real question is why is that the case, and this is one explanation for that. More money chasing the same amount of goods will always cause prices to rise. That may or may not also represent an increase in profits, or it could just be the same amount of profit on higher net sales, and I'm sure that will vary from retailer to retailer based on a host of different factors. But it is a fact that the cost of this free stuff giveaway program has more than doubled over the course of the last few years, and that... Is... Inflationary, whether you like that fact or not is completely irrelevant.

It makes your tribe look bad, so you reflexively go into protection mode and try to deflect, deflect, deflect, but that doesn't change the math.

You seem to think that fact might influence my opinion about this, but you're wrong. I don't care if Geo. Washington himself came back to life and doubled the cost of the free food for losers program, it shouldn't have happened no matter who did it, and as I said in my OP, while I can somewhat understand it for 2020, and maybe even 2021, by now it should have returned to baseline, but sometime before we were even born a mutual decision was made in Washington that returning to baseline for even emergency spending wasn't going to happen anymore, as any increases to programs will become a new baseline, which is very, very unfortunate and is responsible for large and permanent increases to our government spending, and the defense of those increases by those who love government redistributing wealth. I am not a fan of government redistribution of wealth, and I am damn sure not a fan of emergency funding becoming permanent, but all you have to do is look at the federal budget growth since the very first day you ever heard the word 'Covid' and now, and you'll plainly see that all of those increase have become more or less permanent, which is a serious problem.

But reducing government spending is simply something we don't do anymore, and haven't for many, many years. It's sad, really.

 

I'm going to stop you right there. Your capitalism critique is, frankly, retarded. It shows a great lack of understanding.
While it's true that "almighty profit" is of utmost concern from the business perspective, the component of competition (a requirement of free markets) en-f*cking-sures the lowest price possible for consumers. Capitalism may not be perfect but man has yet to invent anything better. So stop yer god@amn bitching.

 

I wonder... Did capitalism cause the concentration of wealth or did government meddling in markets cause it... hmmmm.

 

I dont have a tribe, and since you are going to make it about me again the conversation is over. You lose every time you take that approach.

I prefer money, but I guess you'll just eat until your stomach bursts. To each his own.

 

As I have said .. I am so , so proud that we both claim ourselves to be the same species. If I had a choice I would separate myself from the so called “Human” who has problem feeding the hungry. Just having two legs, two hands and a head doesn’t make someone “human”.

 

Inflation is global, lower in the U.S. than in most other industrialized nations.

It is not caused by any one piece of legislation in any one country.

[https://tradingeconomics.com/country-list/food-inflation]

 

You not gonna get an answer from the MAGA .. why inflation is Global. I have posted this again and again last 2 years and they ignore my post.

 

For some folks, thinking globally is scary. Anthropogenic clime change gets them in a tizzy.

 

If they were smart and want to use Facts , they could have said “ We told you so”.

The Global inflation and economic turmoil we are in is the result of COVID shutdown. Yes , conservatives argued back then that if we shut down the country and the world, the economic effect will be devastating. And they were right. However “devastating economic impact” 2-3 years down the road vs “ millions dying around the world each day” was not a hard choice to make, accept for people who think “ sanctity of life is very precious”, they chose economy over life.

 

None of this has to do with rising food prices. The costs to produce such goods is going up, which means the prices are going up. Food stamps at best for a single person is about $230 per month. That is not a lot of money for a food budget even for a single person. Large Grade A eggs are about $3 per dozen. Milk per gallon is about $5. Meat is very expensive where even 80/20 grade ground beef is about $6 per pound. Then you have spices, cooking oil, and so forth, assuming the person has pots and pans to cook along with utinsils. In addition, inflation in 2021 and 2022 contributed to the prices going up. We also had supply chain issues such as the ones where over $300 million in perishable items, read veggies and fruit, went rotten because of what Abbott did on the Southern Border.

Maybe you should read these links below and learn for once:

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/...ks to a combination of,fast as they once were.
https://www.gao.gov/blog/sticker-sh...ation-wasnt-only-reason-food-prices-increased
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/why-are-food-prices-still-rising/

 

Projections from any source or any entity rarely come true. And those projections were based on the circumstances at that time. No one had a crystal ball in 2018 that Covid would hit in 2020.

 

Inflation of the US Currency was UNITED STATES and cause by the rapid expansion of the money supply by Biden trying to look like he was saving us all from COVID extinction.

Don't even try to make the argument that inflation was not cause by our own governments action with monetary and fiscal policy.

 

Again, nothing in the US Constitution says we have to have capitalism. But in all reality, every economy in the world, except for North Korea has some form of mixture of economic thought being applied. Even China has capitalistic tendencies and actions if you have ever been there where the small businesses that dot the landscape are not owned by the government nor the prices controlled by the government either. They simply have a different viewpoint of capitalism than the Western world where profit is not the primary and only motive for business. And yet, in China, the people are very materialistic in their attitudes and opinions, among other things. Furthermore, even large businesses are not owned by the government nor controlled by the government, at least not directly. Large businesses such as CEFC, much like ExxonMobile, GM, Ford, and others here in the US, do a lot of business with the government. The government is simply the payer for services, their services, and nothing more. And that is one form of capitalism.

You are using words with multiple connotations here in your argument, which is a logical flaw. But to operate a grocery store, even a small one, you need a lot of capital say, a couple of million dollars to start. You have to lease the place, set up the place where the grocery store is located, and get the permits for the improvements on the property through your leasing contract. This is called leasehold improvements. Then advertise before the store opens. Make sure you have enough operating capital, that is paying the monthly lease, employees, and groceries, for no more than six months. And after all, that, convinces the public that you are different than Kroger or any of the other large grocery chains that sell not only food but have pharmacies and other nonfood related items. Grocery stores are very competitive, especially with the large grocery store chains. Some try to find a niche such as natural foods or discount stores, but that has certain connotations to the consumer market shopping for food. Small grocery stores are the ultimate niche where they focus on specialty food items such as African spices or the African Market, an Asian Market located near or in large Asian Communities, and other examples. And these types of grocery stores are few and far between. My Asian market is almost 30 minutes away while my Kroger is ten minutes away and still sells some Asian items, although most are produced in the US. To my Asian spouse, this is considered "fake" and can get much better stuff elsewhere, although imported from China, Japan, and South Korea, that is what Asian markets provide, and it is at a slightly higher cost though, especially rice with export taxes now imposed by South Korea, Japan, and China on such things. But the taste is very different, and even in my opinion, better, than the long white grained rice you can find in your local grocery store.

 

But isn't that capitalism per Chickpea's post that can be overcome by capitalism?

 

They don't because food stamps really don't pay that much when it comes to food at all. But I do agree, the source is really trying to blame social safety nets even though they don't account much for the overall federal budget on that item.

 

The money supply was greatly expanded long before Biden took office. We had Quantative Easing and near zero interest rates beginning in 2019 by the FED. That expanded the money supply with the money demanded was rising in par with the money supply. After Covid, and people started to consume more, the aggregate money supply was out of whack and it took a year for the FED to start raisin interest rates to account for the inflation, which they did. And now inflation is at a 3% per anum. So, the FED policy worked.

 

There were a lot of losers from COVID.

You have to do some serious work to justify denying aid.

And, you better not try to use the Bible for that, because Jesus does not agree with you.

Our biggest weapon in defense is our economy. How about shifting a bunch of the FABULOUS military budget toward ensuring we're strong economically?