Inflation here? gas/grocery prices just continue to climb (4 Viewers)

[kizzy821]

Gas is the only everyday item that frequently drops. I don't know what it averages out to, but the fact that the price often decreases - when absolutely nothing else does - has to count for something.

If people only went where they needed to go, gas prices might drop like they did during the pandemic when consumption decreased.

More people are forced to go back into the office now. But no one is forced to take road trips and treks to Chil-fil-a to sit in those abnormally long drive-thru lines.

There are no more 'down times' to visit stores. At least not in DFW. Everything, everywhere is chocked full o' people at all times.

Something doesn't add up. Literally. We're (collectively) complaining about gas prices but still buying hella crap from everywhere else.

Still paying $10.50 for them undersized Chick-fil-A nuggets and getting alerts when new sneakers are released. Still lining up for new phones and paying 10k over MSRP for those gargantuan SUVS and trucks to lug all their kids and their stuff around.

Eating tiny nuggets in your giant SUVs.

I'm sorry for the rant, but we humans create most of these problems for ourselves. Just like the housing market going berserk. Why? Because people are willing to pay exorbitant prices. Complaining as you write the check is futile.

On the other hand, I absolutely LOATHE writing a check to pay for the escrow shortage due to increased property taxes. A) because of what I mentioned above and B) because the majority of the property taxes are going to the school district and I don't have kids in anyone's school.

I don't know what my point is. I just wanted to rant lol because people and their kids contribute to my ongoing problems. The gas will go back down.

 

[WhoDatPhan78]

that wont be done in our lifetime. maybe our kids kids. too many items require it currently to not need it.

We don't have to eliminate the need for it.

If we reduce the use by 1/3 it will make a huge difference, which could easily be done in our lifetimes.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Coincidentally I started biking to work, and my wife has a plug-in hybrid car, so we haven't actually had to pay for gas in like a month.

I know biking to work isn't feasible for everyone, but if it is I'd encourage it where possible.

 

[jayd265]

Coincidentally I started biking to work, and my wife has a plug-in hybrid car, so we haven't actually had to pay for gas in like a month.

I know biking to work isn't feasible for everyone, but if it is I'd encourage it where possible.

i'd likely be killed by these texters while driving.

however. after the 2020 quarantine fiasco, a lot of companies learned you can work from home. i wish more would allow employees to work from home instead of driving to the office daily.

my wife has 1 work from home day a week, soon to be 2. too difficult for my group to do that, she just has to bring her laptop home. for us itd have to be 100% or a totally different set up so we can go back and forth which they wouldnt pay for to allow us to save some money.

 

[bonnjer]

Sent yesterday from a friend who lives in LA.

I got feet, I’m good.

Surely that's not real. Gotta be photoshopped, right? My goodness, that is outrageous.

 

[Booker]

i'd likely be killed by these texters while driving.

however. after the 2020 quarantine fiasco, a lot of companies learned you can work from home. i wish more would allow employees to work from home instead of driving to the office daily.

my wife has 1 work from home day a week, soon to be 2. too difficult for my group to do that, she just has to bring her laptop home. for us itd have to be 100% or a totally different set up so we can go back and forth which they wouldnt pay for to allow us to save some money.

There's some irony in that right now a lot of businesses (like the one I work for) are ramping up to a full return to in office work. I've been hybrid in and out of office the whole pandemic, but probably at least 90% of my co-workers have been fully remote. People were already complaining about having to come back that with the commute and parking factored back in "it's like taking a pay cut," but now there's the higher gas prices, too.

 

[whodat2626]

There's some irony in that right now a lot of businesses (like the one I work for) are ramping up to a full return to in office work. I've been hybrid in and out of office the whole pandemic, but probably at least 90% of my co-workers have been fully remote. People were already complaining about having to come back that with the commute and parking factored back in "it's like taking a pay cut," but now there's the higher gas prices, too.

It is absolutely a pay cut. It's an extra hour or more of commuting, gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, lunches, work clothes etc. Totally unnecessary for a lot of office jobs.

Is there any way the Biden administration or congress can do away with the "summer blend" gas that is blamed for the increase in prices every summer?

 

[jayd265]

There's some irony in that right now a lot of businesses (like the one I work for) are ramping up to a full return to in office work. I've been hybrid in and out of office the whole pandemic, but probably at least 90% of my co-workers have been fully remote. People were already complaining about having to come back that with the commute and parking factored back in "it's like taking a pay cut," but now there's the higher gas prices, too.

yep. thats crazy. we did it for 8 weeks in march and april of 2020.

wish we'd go back to it for the next few months. would be nice.

 

[jayd265]

It is absolutely a pay cut. It's an extra hour or more of commuting, gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, lunches, work clothes etc. Totally unnecessary for a lot of office jobs.

Is there any way the Biden administration or congress can do away with the "summer blend" gas that is blamed for the increase in prices every summer?

the engineer i work for and myself, along with another designer and engineer all did a full project in the time we were home. worked perfectly. end of the day we put our files back on the server from our home. other than that, conference calls and screen share.

totally unnecessary for us to be in the office minus maybe a meeting once a month.

 

[Paul]

I work in an office and we came back full time in November 2020. We now have a variety of flexible schedule options for our salaried and salaried non-exempt workforce based on employee needs; however, the hourly personnel have no options due to the nature of their work - you can’t run a refinery from home. So, it causes somewhat of a divide between hourly and salaried folks.
Additionally one of the concerns expressed by the company is paying for “just-in-case” office space. Just in case I choose to work from the office vs. home today, etc. All of the things that it takes to effectively run an office building - cost, whether you use them or not; i.e. printers/copiers, power and other utilities, security, HVAC, etc. I work in a large, two-story building that is now pretty empty on most Thursdays, Fridays and of course the weekends. While I do find a great benefit in working from home, I also understand the business’s concern regarding operational costs.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

you can’t run a refinery from home. So, it causes somewhat of a divide between hourly and salaried folks.

I work in a related/transportation field and we (the salaried/office staff) have been pretty much all back in the office (with health-related exceptions) since May 2020 for this reason. We also submit to the same random drug testing regime our operational workforce has to comply with - what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

I know a lot of people enjoy working from home, especially if they have a long commute, but I have to say its hard to create a good culture if people aren't in the same space and subject to the same basic rules.

Plus we do so much team-related stuff that happens based on walk-ins and hallway conversation or being part of an open floor, its really tough to replicate that when you need to schedule a Zoom or MS Teams meeting to speak to someone.

Also my wife told me a long time ago, I married you for better or worse, but not for lunch...

 

[Geldo]

Current price of diesel at my local garage….£1.73…it will undoubtedly smash the £2 barrier in a few weeks….
£1.73 is 2 dollars 27

 

[Buickman]

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Current price of diesel at my local garage….£1.73…it will undoubtedly smash the £2 barrier in a few weeks….
£1.73 is 2 dollars 27

That's per liter right? If so, that's like $8.50 per gallon.

 

[0rion]

Diesel here in town is pretty much $4.89/gallon at every station. I don't put many miles on the truck day to do so the half tank I have in it will last a week or two.