dimitrig said:
DiabloWags said:
December CPI: 6.5%
Annual Core CPI eased to 5.7% from 6%
Problem is, inflation in non-energy SERVICE prices, which effects 56% of consumer budgets, still hasnt begun to subside. Core SERVICES prices rose 0.5% on the month and 7% from a year ago vs 6.8% in November.
Even sans shelter, SERVICES prices still rose 7.4% from a year ago.
This is anecdotal, but the prices of things I regularly buy has skyrocketed. Before now there were some increases but they were small - on the order of 10% maybe. However prices of some items have gone up 50% or even doubled.
A 12 pack of Coke was ON SALE for $6.99 at Vons/Safeway. Price before was $5. The cat litter I usually buy went from $12.99 (or even less on sale) to $19.99. The cat food was $0.79 per can and is now $1.19. I feel like maybe California had been insulated a little bit because our prices were high to begin with, but not now.
Not to mention that the Southern California Gas Company sent a letter which said to expect the next bill to be DOUBLE the usual price. I thought utilities had long term contracts locked in such that they aren't buying on the spot market.
Huh?
Ive actually noticed quite the opposite here in the East Bay Area recently.
After a a full year of not getting any Friskie's Wet Cat Food Cans (5.5 ounces), my local Safeway's are finally now getting some inventory. The same was happening at Petsmart. This started back in November of 2021 and continued for all of last year. 90% of the shelves were literally EMPTY. I've heard rumors that the cannery that Friskie's uses dumped their contract with them. I've also noticed that the prices for these cans have just started to come down from .80 cents per can to .76 cents at Petsmart. I believe they were around .60 cents two years ago.
The 20 lb. Arm & Hammer Kitty Litter goes for $11.99 at Safeway.
But I wait until they put it on Sale for $6.99 before I swoop in and buy 5 or 6 boxes.
The 40 lb. box is usually priced around $15.99
Produce is off the charts at Safeway and it is actually of pretty poor quality.
I buy all of my produce from Whole Foods.
About the only thing that I find truly mind-boggling is the price of Bruce Cost Ginger Ale from Brooklyn. The 4 - pack used to be priced at $6.99 a couple of years ago and it steadily rose all through the pandemic. Last time I checked, it was up to $9.49
My favorite Craft Beer (Henhouse IPA) from Sonoma has gone from $10.99 in the first year of the pandemic up to $12.49 last Summer and now $13.99 at Total Wine.& More. - - - It's $14.99 at Whole Foods.
The best deal by far at Whole Foods is the Del Popolo Margherita Pizza from their restaurant in San Francisco.
It's only $14.87 and its KILLER!
Unfortunately, it hasnt been delivered to my local Whole Foods for the last 2 weeks.
And nobody knows why.
That's probably been the most frustrating part of all of this.
When something is sold out and not re-stocked, no one has any idea when it will be re-stocked.
And last but not least, here is a fresh article on why Nat-Gas prices have skyrocketed in January in California.
The Core Procurement Gas Price (cents per therm) went from 105.329 in December to 344.892 in January.
Californians hit with outrageously high natural gas bills (ktla.com) "Cults don't end well. They really don't."
