Gas keeps going up, yet everywhere I go restaurants are packed, as are vacation destinations, etc. People that I know who have flown in the past week said that their flights have all been full as well. For reference, one flew in state and the other from Texas to Florida.

Did the lockdowns have any effect on how people see the costs of things and so now they're still seeing it as worth doing them, even if it costs more? And will the price of fuel have to get past $5 a gallon (in Texas prices) for people to stop going out to eat, go to staycations like in 2008, etc., or will it need to get closer to $10 a gallon for that to happen?

No Spin Ag said:

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Gas keeps going up, yet everywhere I go restaurants are packed, as are vacation destinations, etc. People that I know who have flown in the past week said that their flights have all been full as well. For reference, one flew in state and the other from Texas to Florida.

Did the lockdowns have any effect on how people see the costs of things and so now they're still seeing it as worth doing them, even if it costs more? And will the price of fuel have to get past $5 a gallon (in Texas prices) for people to stop going out to eat, go to staycations like in 2008, etc., or will it need to get closer to $10 a gallon for that to happen?

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They are living on credit now, wait until they hit their limit. I would say about 6 months from now.

We've already crossed this Rubicon.

No Spin---- define tipping point?


I need to know if you're referring to the point where we all get pissed and stay home and grumble, or the point where we start picking up arms..........

Americans are blind to small incremental increases. That includes me as well. I know I'm paying more but I have forgotten the original prices of a lot of things already, "softening" the blow at the cash register.

Well I have stopped picking up overtime shifts on the boo-boo bus. It is 90 miles round trip and by the time I get paycheck, it is approaching a break even proposition with the cost of everything increasing. Credit card price at the Kroger near me is now $4.50 for the 87 octane

If you booked a flight a few months ago (say mid-March or earlier) for this summer, you probably paid a somewhat normal/reasonable price. The price increases on flights have been more recent. I'm dreading the Thanksgiving/Christmas prices.

Clob94 said:

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No Spin---- define tipping point?


I need to know if you're referring to the point where we all get pissed and stay home and grumble, or the point where we start picking up arms..........

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Stay home and grumble was what I was talking about. That's why I referenced '08, which was the birth of the "staycation".

I've cried all over the board about it, but one tipping point for us this last week was to completely change our scope on vacations we planned to take.

We were originally going to take an entire week off and do a big vacation which we haven't done since pre-COVID for a variety of reasons.

Um, yeah, after looking at lodging rates this past week we have nixed that idea. So, we either going to have to downgrade quality or more likely break up our vacation time across long weekends to spread the pain. First world problems but the type of place we used to stay at are all now $1,200+ per night and some are over $2,000+ per night. I simply can't justify that.

These are places that were $500-600 last time we went just 3+ years ago. It's f'ing shocking.

Probably when the prices start hitting super market shelves hard. People can only substitute for so long to manage prices. Eventually when the shortages start to hit it'll be an avalanche.

People have more money now, not less.

They can offers Uber, Uber eats, people to grocery shop for them, or work a side hustle doing those things.

This generation also doesn't spend money on cable like the lololds. That's $300 a month right there

Eliminatus said:

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Americans are blind to small incremental increases. That includes me as well. I know I'm paying more but I have forgotten the original prices of a lot of things already, "softening" the blow at the cash register.

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I don't think so.

Everybody sees their higher balances due and remembers their typical spending amounts. If it was growing 10 bucks a month it's not noticed but that's not what has happened.

I know I've been driving less and am certainly more hesitant to spend without finding a deal if possible

when ramen is 3 packages for 2 dollars
and bananas are close to 1 dollar a pound

I drive a company truck with personal mile allowance.

I'll drive that thing until $10/gal and I will use it for every family event until the company goes bankrupt.

I'm averaging 3-4 tanks a week right now. The shocking thing is that a plane ticket and associated costs make it cheaper to fly to a destination that is about 6 hrs away now. Before it was always 8-10 hrs.

As a retiree on a fixed income I've taken as many steps as possible to reduce my own personal inflation. My errands are planned in such a way to limit my gas expense. House at 78 and I'm quite comfortable. I'm thinking about taking it to 80. I spend my mornings on the patio until it gets too warm. I hardly ever turn on lights….just my nightstand lamp to read at night. Light thru the windows works just fine during the day. Besides the frig, stove and oven the only electricity used is my lamp, bedroom ceiling fan and two smaller fans on nightstands. Plus the TV. Me electricity bill is running 20-25% lower than last year. I used to budget $700 per month on food. Eating out and wasted food at home. Now I cook more at home, plan better and limit waste. Food now $400 per month. Biggest hit I've taken is on my home property taxes. *******s. Bottom line….my personal inflation is flat. No sense in wasting money. Who knows when inflation will get reigned in. History shows it will take almost a decade.

Ah, gotta work a side hustle to tread water. Nothing like working more to make ends meet.

Economy isnt bad if you just work 70hrs vs 40 from 2 years ago.

I'm convinced there's a major salary bubble that's part of this continued spending. I hire a lot of engineers and between the prices I'm having to hire at and the salaries I'm losing even young and inexperienced engineers for (INSANE) there is no way it's sustainable. It feels like when people and banks in 2005 were giving housing loans to anyone because there was no way the price of the house would go backwards.

Major layoffs are coming with tech stock values no longer showing astronomical returns and it's going to be a wake up call for many. Tesla is the canary in the coal mine on this one with their news this week. Millennials are about to find out participation trophies don't exist in the real world. I know, "whatever Boomer" but I have a pretty good vantage and it's what I see.

itsyourboypookie said:

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People have more money now, not less.

They can offers Uber, Uber eats, people to grocery shop for them, or work a side hustle doing those things.

This generation also doesn't spend money on cable like the lololds. That's $300 a month right there

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People don't have more money, they just allocate it differently.

Instead of cable, you have internet, cell phone - the phone itself and the service - and streaming services. So no, you don't have more money than the olds.

If people have more stuff now it's not because of more money, it's because of production increases, eg a unit of labor can produce 2x what it produced 10 years ago.

Aggiemundo said:

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I'm convinced there's a major salary bubble that's part of this continued spending. I hire a lot of engineers and between the prices I'm having to hire at and the salaries I'm losing even young and inexperienced engineers for (INSANE) there is no way it's sustainable. It feels like when people and banks in 2005 were giving housing loans to anyone because there was no way the price of the house would go backwards.

Major layoffs are coming with tech stock values no longer showing astronomical returns and it's going to be a wake up call for many. Tesla is the canary in the coal mine on this one with their news this week. Millennials are about to find out participation trophies don't exist in the real world. I know, "whatever Boomer" but I have a pretty good vantage and it's what I see.

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You're paying more because of supply and demand. The boomers have a lot of old white guys in STEM. They also have a lot of skilled bkue collar folks. They are retiring. The illegals coming here don't have STEM degrees or trade skills.

itsyourboypookie said:

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People have more money now, not less.

They can offers Uber, Uber eats, people to grocery shop for them, or work a side hustle doing those things.

This generation also doesn't spend money on cable like the lololds. That's $300 a month right there

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No it's not, and your $200 bundle includes internet service, which the LOLGenZers still need. Using your parents' Netflix password and them paying your cell phone bill doesn't make you smarter than them.

There's some truth to that, but the salaries I'm paying and seeing are way outside any supply/demand curve. Tech companies are riding on a lot of very expensive "fat" and it's about to get trimmed.

You probably don't have to worry about lights too much if you are using LED bulbs. I think it's something like $0.10 per day if you leave the light on for 12 hours. If you don't need it, then that's great and there's obviously no sense in wasting energy for no reason; but I wouldn't inconvience yourself too much to save $3/month.

YouBet said:

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I've cried all over the board about it, but one tipping point for us this last week was to completely change our scope on vacations we planned to take.

We were originally going to take an entire week off and do a big vacation which we haven't done since pre-COVID for a variety of reasons.

Um, yeah, after looking at lodging rates this past week we have nixed that idea. So, we either going to have to downgrade quality or more likely break up our vacation time across long weekends to spread the pain. First world problems but the type of place we used to stay at are all now $1,200+ per night and some are over $2,000+ per night. I simply can't justify that.

These are places that were $500-600 last time we went just 3+ years ago. It's f'ing shocking.

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Where are you looking to go? A coworker wanted to go with her husband to Hawaii (he was going for work). She couldn't find anything under $700/night. I've seen some crazy hotel prices, too. And round trip tickets to Boston for a random weekend in August were $1000 on United.

I'm glad we opted for The Azores. We have a junior suite with a plunge pool, breakfast included, for $350/night.

It's not a question of price, it's a question of credit limits and monthly minimums.

Lots of Boomers have inherited huge sums from their parents.

Everyone I know is spending money big time.

Unless the Stock Market completely crashes, folks will fill their tanks and just ***** like they do about every Biden disaster.

The sheep only stay home if forced to by a Depression, no job and nothing to buy.

Then they obediently get in food lines behind the illegals.

I know a friends' daughter who is specialist vet in Los Angeles. She makes over a million a year treating dog and cat blood disorders. Let that sink in.

I blame Putin, Trump and Bush

Tourism is already getting hit.
Urban hotels are next.
Restaurants are third.

It's going to be a real crappy Christmas season.

5 dollah for a deflated bag of potato chips. No chips with the sandwich! Egglands best eggs are now cheaper than the local variety. That did it for me. I am ready to riot!

Inflation is the least of our concerns. Greater than half this country doesn't care, or even know what they want. We are the trained monkey focusing on the shiny object in the distance. Collapse is necessary at this point.

SWA has 60% of their fuel hedged for the next year. You won't see dramatic price increases from them unlike the other carriers.

They will, however, raise fairs when their competitors raise theirs to stay profit competitive.

Buy a small dehumidifier and place it close to your A/C intake. You'll have to dump it every 5th day. It makes the air feel much cooler. I've been running at 77f for the last month, very comfortable.

TXTransplant said:

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YouBet said:

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I've cried all over the board about it, but one tipping point for us this last week was to completely change our scope on vacations we planned to take.

We were originally going to take an entire week off and do a big vacation which we haven't done since pre-COVID for a variety of reasons.

Um, yeah, after looking at lodging rates this past week we have nixed that idea. So, we either going to have to downgrade quality or more likely break up our vacation time across long weekends to spread the pain. First world problems but the type of place we used to stay at are all now $1,200+ per night and some are over $2,000+ per night. I simply can't justify that.

These are places that were $500-600 last time we went just 3+ years ago. It's f'ing shocking.

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Where are you looking to go? A coworker wanted to go with her husband to Hawaii (he was going for work). She couldn't find anything under $700/night. I've seen some crazy hotel prices, too. And round trip tickets to Boston for a random weekend in August were $1000 on United.

I'm glad we opted for The Azores. We have a junior suite with a plunge pool, breakfast included, for $350/night.

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Wait, everyone on TA doesn't just have a new house built at whatever vacation destination is desired, stay there, and then burn it down for the insurance money?


Wow, this board is full of LOLpoors.

Shell Oil just announced record quarterly profits and so did BP. Let that also sink in.

Also, no more dollar menus at fast food and 25 cent soda refills in sit down restaurants

I roadschool my son (Okie School of Adventure).

We sleep in a tent. Our daily road costs are gas, campsite, cheap food and occasional admission fees.

We have cut back 20 days off of trips so far this year and looking at cutting another 20 soon.

A recent trip to New England put a good dent in the wallet - campsites in some states were ridiculous and fast food meals and groceries cost us a good 20% higher or more. Gas was at least a Buck a gallon higher than home.

I swung into one store to buy ice and asked for two bags. They said $7 and I thought "hey, that's not too bad"

Went outside to the cooler to grab the bags and they were 3 pound bags. Felt like a dang sonic cups worth of ice.

Saw plenty of campers and RVs…can't imagine the pain of filling up those 100 gallon tanks.