GDP Reaches 5.2%

[southernhybrid]

I very rarely eat in a fast food restaurant, but on those rare occasions when we do, I haven't noticed a big increase in the price. RVonse, if you like to eat fast foods, try Wendy's. You can get a burger, fries, some chicken tenders and a drink for about 5 or 6 dollars. We have a local restaurant where we can get a nice meal for under 30 dollars. The owner isn't greedy and his staff are mostly Mexican immigrants, just like him.

My husband taught himself how to cook while I was still working part time. He's a fantastic cook. It's really not that hard. For that matter, sometimes we eat frozen dinners. A lot of them are far healthier compared to fast foods. My favorite one is a butternut squash ravioli with over a cup and a half of veggies. Amy's makes some tasty vegan dinners. Frozen meals aren't like the ones we had when I was young.

And, here's one more thing. Farmer's are losing money as the federal minimum wage they are required to pay immigrants with temporary visas is now about 13.50 an hour. Some farmers don't pay the full amount and some workers are leaving if they can get away because they aren't being paid fairly. So, there is also a shortage of farm workers.

Due to climate change, there have been terrible storms that have left, for example a dismal crop of peaches and blueberries in Georgia. Inflation is complicated. Its causes are many. So, stop blaming Biden. Yeah. Everything is Biden's fault, but it's never the fault of Republicans, regardless of the things they do to make it harder to survive for people who aren't wealthy.

Some people on this thread need to repeat Economics 101 or read about Economics so they understand how it works. Let's start with supply and demand. If there's more demand than there is supply, prices go up. See. It's not that hard. The war in Ukraine, left a shortage of grains. The shortage of farm workers in the US along with bad weather, left a shortage of certain fruits and vegetables. The problems with the supply chain during the pandemic left a shortage of car parts. Then people started to buy more cars, more demand, with less supply.

When people buy too much, prices go up. Raising interest rates can help lower demand, eventually bringing down prices. Less demand, more supply. It's a tricky test that sometimes back fires but in the last few years, it's been a global problem, not simply a US problem. We have one of the lowest rates of inflation in the world right now. Start learning more and only get your news from legitimate sources. That will help.

 

[Patooka]

I can't bring it upon myself to respect a grown adult who can't cook. That's like not being able to tie your own shoelaces. That's a severe deficiency in basic life skills.

 

[Worldtraveller]

I can't bring it upon myself to respect a grown adult who can't cook. That's like not being able to tie your own shoelaces. That's a severe deficiency in basic life skills.

Depending on how old said adult is. Some young adults had little to no parental overwatch, for lack of a better term, and never learned anything more basic than frozen dinners or Mac & cheese out of a box.

I was feral enough that I had to learn to cook at a fairly young age. It was pretty basic until I was about 12 or so. Then I started experimenting.

 

[Patooka]

I can't bring it upon myself to respect a grown adult who can't cook. That's like not being able to tie your own shoelaces. That's a severe deficiency in basic life skills.

Depending on how old said adult is. Some young adults had little to no parental overwatch, for lack of a better term, and never learned anything more basic than frozen dinners or Mac & cheese out of a box.

I was feral enough that I had to learn to cook at a fairly young age. It was pretty basic until I was about 12 or so. Then I started experimenting.

I guess I had good parents then. Although to be fair when my Dad taught me when I was 12 he started off with, "Okay, mate. I'm gonna show why your mother puts up with me."

I was fucking glad I had those skills at Uni.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Grocery prices are up, but some people seem to think they are up 100%.

Maybe not grocery prices but eating out has gone up 100% where I live when you add in the tip that was not needed in the past.

Eating out is a special case.

Covid killed a lot of such places, now the market is undersupplied.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I always tipped 20% (and still do) at the places where you sit down and someone brings your food. I did not used to tip at the fast food establishments where the food is picked up at the counter. McDonalds is about the only fast food not requiring a 10% or more tip where I live. You are even expected to tip when picking up a pizza (where you can not even sit down) now. Some of these places (like Pandera Bread) even expect a 10% or more tip when you order and pay through their kios. Not sure if that goes to the kitchen help or the owner. Probably the owner.

Neither my wife or I cook and our food bill has gone up an extreme amount during the Biden administration.

I do agree tipping has gotten out of hand--one shouldn't be expected to tip a cashier.

However, if you always eat out you're asking for health problems down the road. It's rarely healthy stuff.

 

[Jarhyn]

We usually shop at the Human Crisis Center for essentials,

I'm sure a Tesla appearing in the parking of the Human Crisis Center causes some chagrined smiles.
Tom

My 2018 Tesla was as affordable as a used 2018 Honda Civic would be today. Your estimate of a 2018 Model 3's cost seems off. Even the newer Tesla models are more reasonably priced than you might assume, contrary to the tone of your post.

Edit: By the way, the individuals I interact with daily are generally more knowledgeable about Tesla's pricing than you appear to be.

Yeah, I hear that Teslas are piles of shit and lose value insanely fast because they are held together with dried spit and scotch tape.

 

[Cheerful Charlie]

Consumer Reports recently rated automobiles as to reliability. Tesla rated at the bottom of the list.

 

[Ford]

I can't bring it upon myself to respect a grown adult who can't cook. That's like not being able to tie your own shoelaces. That's a severe deficiency in basic life skills.

Depending on how old said adult is. Some young adults had little to no parental overwatch, for lack of a better term, and never learned anything more basic than frozen dinners or Mac & cheese out of a box.

I was feral enough that I had to learn to cook at a fairly young age. It was pretty basic until I was about 12 or so. Then I started experimenting.

I guess I had good parents then. Although to be fair when my Dad taught me when I was 12 he started off with, "Okay, mate. I'm gonna show why your mother puts up with me."

I was fucking glad I had those skills at Uni.

Reminds me of the day I came downstairs at the fraternity house one summer and found my roommate Joe standing in front of the stove staring at a box of Hamburger Helper. I asked if he needed help. "Um...what does it mean when it says 'brown ground beef?' I've got ground beef, but..."

I didn't do a lot of cooking when I was a kid, but already had a couple of grill cook jobs under my belt at that point, so I walked him through it. Yeah, his parents did everything for him, and he wasn't alone. There were some guys who lived there who'd clearly never done a load of laundry, and I spent a lot of time cleaning the kitchen that summer.

Yeah, I hear that Teslas are piles of shit and lose value insanely fast because they are held together with dried spit and scotch tape.

The build quality is notoriously bad. I was in a co-worker's Model 3 awhile back and the driver's side B-pillar was basically falling apart. My understanding is that while Tesla's tech (screens, UI, etc.) were good because they were a tech company, they simply didn't have the expertise that the legacy automakers had with building cars. As far as their pricing goes, they've been dropping prices on their vehicles for a hot minute to goose sales. A lot of other manufacturers are getting into the EV business and now they've got to compete on a more level playing field. Plus there are new companies coming on line that are doing many things better. I rode in a Rivian not long ago, and while I wouldn't buy an electric pickup (or any pickup for that matter) it was very well put together. Lucid has put out a luxury sport sedan that basically says "hey Tesla...your Model S is 10 years old. Here's something better" and the company is run by former Tesla execs.