Silver lining for consumers: Food price growth has gone flat, and the prices of many other goods are falling

[SunSeeker]

Price growth in many key consumer categories has slowed considerably or ceased altogether — but that has done little to dent consumer worries as the costs of housing and other services have continued to climb.

Among the broadest categories tracked by the consumer price index, or CPI, two of the ones most acutely felt by consumers — food and energy prices — hit 2.2% and 2.1% on a 12-month basis in March, respectively.

Prices have been flat or falling in other significant categories and items over the past year:
Apparel: 0.4%
Cheese: -3%
Milk: -1.6%
Fish and seafood: -2.6%
Household furnishings and supplies: -2.7%
Smartphones: -9%

Despite those improvements, costs in the so-called services category — everything from haircuts to auto repair to doctor’s visits, as well as products like insurance — have continued to grow alongside rents.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/inflation-where-prices-are-falling-food-rent-explainer-rcna152009

[2naSalit]

1. Not at my grocery store.

I went shopping for the usual items I always buy and what used to cost me $35 -$40 a few months ago now cost me $75 and I didn't even get everything i needed.

Not only that, my internet went up to $80/mo now that Congress let the senior and rural discount die.

So now I pay $80/mo each for my internet, storage, groceries a couple times a month, that's not counting my rent, gas for my car, my electricity and insurance for my place and vehicles. Then there's registration and gosh, hope I don't need anything else because by this point, I'm broke, every month. I used to have a couple hundred bucks left after I paid the bills. Now, I can barely cover those.

I don't blame Biden for this, I blame greed and corporate rulership.

[SunSeeker]

6. Call your internet provider and see if you are eligible for lower rate promotions.

When my Spectrum internet bill shot up to $84.99/month here in Southern California, I called and asked if there was any way they could lower it, and this nice guy on their customer service line put me on a 12 month promotion rate of $49.99 /month. He told me just to call back in 12 months and ask for another promotional rate when that $49.99 rate expires. Apparently that's what people do to lower their bill. I had no idea. But it's a thing.

And if you're paying for storage and you're a senior, you really need to consider getting rid of that stuff in storage. I know I need to. I have WAY too much stuff. I am a big fan of Swedish Death Cleaning, but I just haven't gotten my butt in gear to do it.

[2naSalit]

7. It's only in storage because...

I live in a 400 ft2 cardboard box. I don't have much in the storage but I have no place to put it until I find better housing.

[BigmanPigman]

2. I'll believe it when I see it.

Prices jacked up via BS never goes back down. It may level out but that is due to consumers saying, "Fuck you, greedy corporate CEOs using Covid as a false reason to raise prices on food, goods, services and insurance".

We must continue to stop buying their crap and all of their excuses. Consumers are realizing this and they are changing their buying habits. If companies go bankrupt...good! You dug your own graves, you greedy assholes. I boycott stuff a lot...it is a matter of principle. I refuse to pay more for the same stuff years after Covid shortages have been revived. This is why the top 1% has more $$$$$$ than a million of Americans trying to just get by. Tax the rich! Fuck you tRump and the GQP!!!!!

[NanaCat]

3. What I've been seeing for a while

I keep a running spreadsheet of my grocer purchases. Prices aren't going down in a hurry, but they have been trending down for a while now. Think a gentle incline not a steep drop off. I'm seeing sale prices similar to those before COVID, too. This week my local has pork tenderloin on sale for $1.99/lb--same as they often did before COVID.

I don't know what to say if people thought they would go down overnight, but maybe it's because it's hard to wrap our heads around how devastating a disruption COVID was for every part of our supply chains.

Get back to normal was never going to be easy. The damage was that bad, thanks to that ferret-helmeted numpty.

[TBF]

4. Coming out of Covid many folks had saved a little & used it to vacation

many to see family they hadn't seen in a while.

But I see on the Internet that BST (buy sell trade) groups are slow, and I think folks are reigning it in. Focusing on what they are spending, cutting the retail purchases that they can hold off on, etc. Those high interest rates only help the incredibly wealthy. Anyone using credit for anything right now is paying dearly, and folks are finally getting that and cutting their spending.

[SunSeeker]

8. I am trying not go to restaurants as much.

I keep getting heartburn when I see the bill. I think restaurants are trying to make up for covid losses by jacking up prices. But they don't seem to be hurting for business. All my favorite haunts are more packed than ever.

[Ron Green]

5. Prices have been artificially low for decades.

My (baby boomer) generation has enjoyed the best consumer life in the history of the world, for our entire time on this earth.

Thanks to millions of poor workers here and around the world and to the extraction of the riches of this planet, we truly lived like royalty.

And now we’re being told the “good old days” are gone because of immigrants, or Joe Biden, or DEI, or something.

[Midnight Writer]

9. In my area, prices for chicken, eggs, and milk have actually dropped.

Chicken is cheaper now than before the pandemic, for some reason.