Meta Econ Takeover Day 26 \ stacker news ~meta

2057 sats \ 14 comments \ @Undisciplined 13 Nov 2023 meta

I'm just going to complain about consumer prices really quickly today. Our whole household is sick right now, so we were stocking up on some prepared meals for convenience. They were items we used to purchase somewhat regularly, but hadn't bought in a few years. I was absolutely shocked to see the prices had more than doubled in that fairly short time.

Any other sticker shock stories out there?

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509 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 13 Nov 2023

Two burritos and two drinks at a local takeout- $45 in fiat. In case you're wondering- no, they don't accept bitcoin.

285 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 13 Nov 2023

That's about what we usually pay at our local hippie-dippie restaurant for two entrees + two fries + tip. It's pretty rough.

I've had some trouble adjusting to each bag of groceries costing about $20 bucks, too.

561 sats \ 0 replies \ @tnuts420 13 Nov 2023

it's the shrinkflation i've been noticing the most lately. if there's something i know i like, and it's not perishable, i'll generally keep a backup on hand. and more and more recently i've been seeing reduced size or weight, but flat or slightly increased prices

584 sats \ 2 replies \ @ek 13 Nov 2023

Recently, a kebap place opened which has the same price as kebaps used to cost before the pandemic, so 4€ for a kebap.

There are a lot of other kebap places around which start at 8€.

It feels very weird to have so big price differences next to each other. But I really noticed the inflation when looking at the prices doubling within less than a year. And I don't know how they can sell their kebaps for so much less. They are smaller yes, but I don't think that makes so much of a difference. And I don't know if I want to know how they do it. Hopefully it's just a money laundering business, lol

What's also funny: Germany loves kebaps so much, the socialists here even advertised for their party with a "Dönerpreisbremse" which means that they want to stop rising prices for kebaps

By the way, I would actually like it to pay the same prize as before but just receive less.

So I prefer shrinkflation over actual price inflation.

742 sats \ 1 reply \ @Undisciplined OP 13 Nov 2023

I don't know if I want to know how they do it.

There have been several affordable restaurants we've liked that were soon shut down by the health inspector, so yeah fingers crossed for money laundering.

I prefer shrinkflation over actual price inflation.

There are two margins of shrinkflation: extensive and intensive.

The extensive margin is the most focused on. That's physical size.
The intensive margin is less talked about. It's the quality of inputs.

I'm with you on preferring extensive shrinkflation, but I'd rather have prices rise than quality drop.

446 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek 13 Nov 2023

There are two margins of shrinkflation: extensive and intensive.

The extensive margin is the most focused on. That's physical size.

The intensive margin is less talked about. It's the quality of inputs. I'm with you on preferring extensive shrinkflation, but I'd rather have prices rise than quality drop.

Oh, interesting, didn't know that!

Yeah, definitely not less quality. Just give me less of the same quality. That helps my wallet and my body potentially, lol

488 sats \ 3 replies \ @grayruby 13 Nov 2023

Everything is getting more expensive, smaller and crappier. Thought I got a great deal on a 30 pack of supposedly premium brand toilet paper and I compared it to an old roll of the same brand I had and it was night and day. Premium product is now more like the generic brand.

262 sats \ 1 reply \ @Bitman 13 Nov 2023

Toilet paper can't help but get crappier with time.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 13 Nov 2023

I missed your double entendre on first read. Nicely done.

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined OP 13 Nov 2023

Everything is getting more expensive, smaller and crappier.

Yep. Generally, they do a little bit of everything to deal with inflation. Eventually, they might reintroduce something like the old popular product, but it will be called "Ultra Delux" or something like that.

210 sats \ 2 replies \ @BTC_Bellzer 13 Nov 2023

Dropped like $180 on a dinner out for 2 the other day, while it was a decent restaurant I was not expecting that.

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @Undisciplined OP 13 Nov 2023

ouch

I remember getting a $300 gift certificate for a restaurant when I was in undergrad. It lasted my friend and I several months of eating there multiple times per week. That was partly because the restaurant kept messing up the remaining balance, though.

210 sats \ 0 replies \ @BTC_Bellzer 14 Nov 2023

2 apps, 2 entrees, a bottle of wine and tip...big oof

210 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bitman 13 Nov 2023

I had a very close call with a juggernaut when I used to ride to work on my push bike in the early hours when I was much younger. I was still drunk after a night out with the lads hours before.

It was still dark on an unlit road and so I'd always looked down to avert my eyes from it's many lights in the dark. Looking down when this truck was coming towards me I realized I was on the wrong side of the road... I pulled my bars to get back so hard that I buckled the wheel (and was still on the wrong side of the road). Thankfully I rode a racing bike back then and managed to hop over the bars and run like hell.

Because of that experience I dropped alcoholic bars and just stuck to bike bars.

Back then Guinness was 75¢ a pint - I dread to think how much it is now... $5 I believe now...

The other weird thing about my experience was that I was whistling, 'Message in a Bottle' by The Police to myself.

The truck driver never stopped BTW - but I certainly did. When you get so many red flags flashing at once you tend not to ignore it...