Posted on 06/19/2014 9:00:52 AM PDT by xzins
You don't have to be an expert to notice that costs for many essentials are at all-time high. From gas to food, Americans can expect to pay even more in coming months.
The current national average for a gallon of gasoline is $3.67 -- that's higher than it's been since 2008.
The higher prices are being blamed, in part, on the instability in Iraq.
According to AAA, both gas prices and global oil prices have steadily risen since ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) took control of Mosul last week. The brutal jihadist army is actually flying its flag over Iraq's largest oil refinery.
High demand and the cost of drilling also play a role in the high price consumers are seeing at the pump.
"It's a lot more expensive to drill for oil today so we need higher prices," oil and gas broker Tom McCarty said.
"Again, if you look at the history going back for the last four years anyway, you know oil prices have been pretty stable," he noted. "Now they tend to swing to the 105 range back down to the 93 range."
"And one of these days it's going to break out above that and I'm afraid we may be close to that happening just simply because of more demand," he warned.
The cost of food is also sky-rocketing.
The price index for meats, poultry, fish and eggs hit an all-time high in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meat costs are rising the fastest. A seven-year decline in herds has left the fewest cattle in at least six decades.
Analysts warn the high prices for both food and gas are here to stay for a while.
To make matters worse, Senate lawmakers actually proposed legislation this week to raise the federal gas and diesel taxes by 12 cents per-gallon over the next two years.
The proposal was pitched as a way to pay for highway and transit programs.
Shopgoodwill.com often has vacuum sealers for cheap. Some are even new in the box.
Yep, I just don’t have much respect for people who claim that 1100 calories a day is complete nutrition for an adult, it is actually the number of calories that might be given to a very obese person on a starvation diet in a hospital setting under medical supervision to produce rapid weight loss and even then it is probably low. I am big but not enormous, I am six four and about 255 and 70 years old but I don’t have a really high bodyfat percentage. A doctor has told me that even with light activity I should be eating 3000 calories a day MINIMUM just to maintain my weight. As a skinny teenager working on the farm I probably ate 5000 calories a day or more. At any rate 1100 is absurd.
“When property tax takes up 25% of our take home, it’s scary.”
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That sounds downright terrifying! Are you serious? My property tax bill takes up less than half of one month of my social security.
Your brain and wallet don't pay attention to phony CPI numbers.
We buy all meat at Costco now. The grocery is too high and poor quality. Veggies we go to the International farmers market.
You bring up a good point about shipping-costs raising everything’s cost.
The thing that I’m thinking might happen is that [virtually] all shipping-companies die-off and then the one(s) left are ‘partnered’ with government.
— Imagine a system where you cannot get a gun or ammo shipped because it’s against policy/regulation.
Gardens are nice, too.
LOL, not really. They have items in the weekly ads that they don’t even carry. They advertised chicken nuggets (I don’t buy chicken nuggets) every week for years and the manager had never ordered them. On the back of a recent receipt, there was a coupon for free salsa which they never stocked.
They also get seconds. I have to watch the exp dates. More than once Velveeta (a rare purchase) was within days of expiration and twice it had exploded inside the box. I was told by an ex-employee they get their bread frozen so that’s why it’s always dry. Their produce is waaay inferior to that at Walmart but I’d have to drive out of town to the nearest Walmart.
I’ve NEVER come home with more than 1/3 of what was on the grocery list and we never eat anything that isn’t plain jane’s plainer sister. One time they won’t have milk. The next time no bread. Simple everyday items aren’t on the shelves. Last time hubby decided he’d like some cherry poptarts since he hadn’t had any for a while - nope, not stocked. One time they won’t have milk. The next time no bread. Oh, they’ll have the expensive bread but not the cheap store brand. Excuse me, but this is a retirement community and lower income working joes who just shop for basics. What store doesn’t have milk or cherry poptarts?!?I’m not asking for 15 kinds of gourmet olives in a bin or a seafood market or even a deli or bakery, just the bare basics. FYI, we have green and black olives in the can - that’s it.
They can get by with this because they’re the only grocery in town. When I find an item we use, I stock up or I might never see it again. But it’s still very hard to keep any sort of preps. Since it’s already like shopping in a turd world country, can you imagine what it’d be like when it hits the fan? Grocery stores in Kiev, Russia had more variety back in the 70s, btdt. I honestly feel like a fish out of water when I go to a real grocery store in the city and stand around staring in awe.
I never heard of that place before. I see one right now that has a bid on it for three dollars! Thanks for the heads up.
Thank you
thanks.
even better knowing they are ‘one of us’ ;)
Honest. No lie. Twenty years ago it was equal to 2 weeks of take home pay. Today, it is 25% of our yearly income. Sure, the property value has gone up but not nearly that much. I grew up here and back in the day just selling some pecans off the trees in the little yard would take care of the property taxes. This was supposed to be our last home. Every year now it’s a struggle to scrape enough together for the taxes - hey, we are VERY, VERY frugal. The last movie I went to was the last Harry Potter. The last time I went to a restaurant, cough, cheap little cafe, was a year ago. All because I worry about the taxes which is no way to live. BTW, tiny lot and old small house but location, location, location. Sorry, I don’t give a rat’s behind about location.
A couple years ago literally every other house (yes, freaky) on our street was on the market because the owners just couldn’t deal with the taxes. Homes have been turned into weekend rentals. It’s a shame. When I was little we’d have neighborhood fish fries in the back yard and everyone was invited and no one was a stranger. Not now. We are one of two full time resident owners left on our street. I just want to live out the next 30 years in my little falling down house but unless some unknown uncle leaves me his millions that isn’t going to happen. Ok, I’ll step off the soapbox.
Hadn't thought about that.
Lordy,I don’t envy you.
Within 20 minuets of my home there are 6 different markets,including Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
Good luck with your shopping.
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Wonderful progress we’ve made ain’t it. The American Dream is now the national nightmare. Amazingly some still don’t seem to realize that.
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There is a pretty simple way to figure out how many calories a day you need. Multiply your weight by 10 and that is the number of calories it takes just to maintain your weight. If you want to lose weight just realize that 3600 calories subtracted from your maintenance diet will decrease your weight by a pound.
If you weigh 200lbs, they you can get by fine on 2000 calories, and that includes moderate exercise. If your exercise calculates to more than 200 calories then you may need to adjust. For me a brisk 2 mile walk won't equal the calories in one 12oz Coke.
Most of the survival food assumes you will have access to something else to eat, the survival food is only the base of the meal.
I suggest to people that they get a house with a basement and simply double their food purchases for a year or more and they you have a normal diet in storage for a year.
“Most of the survival food assumes you will have access to something else to eat, the survival food is only the base of the meal.”
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The ad I was referring to called the eleven hundred calories a day “complete nutrition”, no reference to any need to supplement it in any way. That is dishonest in my book. Some people are unknowing enough to believe they can live on that.
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