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U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

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Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#401
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From what to what? I don't know if you're talking about a 600% increase of a tiny number or what.

£0.03/kWh to £0.18/kWh. Yes the number overall is tiny - but it still means that whatever I used to spend on heating/hot water, is now 6x higher.

Damn what tariff are you on? My gas is currently 7.34p/kWh with Octopus.

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#402

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Corn seems to be a good leading indicator here[1]. Cash bids were $4 in 2019, $5 in 2020, $6 in 2021, $7 at the start of 2022, $9 when the war in Ukraine broke out, down to $8 in June, and now at $7.50 where it has remained stable at since the beginning of July. Which suggests that things are indeed slowing. [1] Which likely ends up being a proxy for oil, but as a farmer I watch food commodities much more closely.

The issue has to do with the harvest coming up. The next harvest will come from fields with less fertilizer and higher fuel prices. We can expect corn prices in the fall jumping significantly. Next year will even be worse, we are using a fuel reserves now and fertilizer will still be an issue (unless peace is made with Russia). I’m expecting a significant increase in the next 2-3 months then again in 15-16 months.

Agreed on our farm the cost of fertilizer and fuel doubled since the last purchase. The current price is good for us considering we bought before the hike, but next year is going to be another story entirely. I expect the price of grains to continue climbing until local production begins in maybe 2-3 years.

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#403
post #380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Avg gasoline prices are down 20% in 2 months. Is that noise? https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_gas_price

That's an artifact of dumping 30% of the strategic oil reserves into the market to drive down prices. Maybe the prices stay low, but with Europe warning of fuel shortages this winter, I can't see that happening.

The prospective fuel shortages in Europe are mostly to do with natural gas, not oil and oil derivatives, no?

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#404
post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue has to do with the harvest coming up. The next harvest will come from fields with less fertilizer and higher fuel prices. We can expect corn prices in the fall jumping significantly. Next year will even be worse, we are using a fuel reserves now and fertilizer will still be an issue (unless peace is made with Russia). I’m expecting a significant increase in the next 2-3 months then again in 15-16 months.

Don't futures cover the cost of most of this stuff?

[deleted]

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#405

Great. All I know is I'm trading a lot more time for money this year. Way less takeout, avoiding toll roads unless it saves at least 30 minutes, fewer streaming services (will renew on a show-by-show basis), and food is getting so crazy I might start going to multiple stores to try and save money instead of my one consolidated trip to Wegmans. I'm also stuffing my freezer with meat and have a year's supply of non-per…

So I know I can make 65 an hour with side jobs. I've got a few side gigs where I can set my own schedule and work those hours at any time. I could probably push higher if I wanted (75-100 an hour).

When I need to pad my savings I cut some costs but mostly I just work extra hours in side gigs. I couldnt imagine its worth going to multiple grocery stores to compare prices. Shop at 1 store, pay more for some items, work an extra hour to make up for it. I'm building my career and getting paid instead of experiencing traffic, grocery stores at peak hours, check out lines, and loading/unloading food to and from the car/house for a second time.

Does it really make sense for you financially to do that?

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Coastal and flood prone insurance is rising in the US at a higher fixed rates the next couple of years because of federal policy changes that reduce the insurance cross-subsidy for riskier areas.

This was my experience while living in Florida. Hurricane/Flood risks made it so there was no "shopping around". I had a house (built in the mid-60s) with a ton of tree cover. There was basically one company who'd even talk to me. I can't imagine what they'd charge me these days.

The situation is SC is similar. Many insurers have packed up for the same reasons they left Florida. The same roof repair scams have been running here as well. What I don't understand about the scam is how the insurance adjuster comes out and agrees that a new roof is warranted when so frequently that is not the case. If the adjusters kept the lid on things none of this would be possible I think. It's baffling, but in the end is bad for everyone (with the possible exceptions of the roofing companies) My house is not in a flood zone, but we definitely need insurance. (we actually have flood insurance despite not being in a flood zone.)

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#408

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

Your post violates HN posting guidelines. We can have a better conversation if you engage with people's points rather than speculate about why they said them.

Pretty sure we’re just supposed to flag stuff; not comment on breaking guidelines.

I appreciate the comment though :)

I often stay comments that unintentionally trigger particular personalities. That said, HN generally tends to be one of the more open areas on the internet to discuss facts and opinions.

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who exactly is "they"? The... Big Bug industry?

Insects are being promoted as a way to hit UN’s sustainable development goals [1] There’s also an industry emerging, with big pushes from organizations like WEF, to normalize eating bugs [2]. Investors are getting in on this trend too [3] 1. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/12/6/557 2. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/why-we-need-to-give-i... 3. https://fortune.com/2022/05/24/war-ukraine-big-ag-insect-fee...

in what world will people eat bugs instead of beef, do bugs taste anywhere as good as beef? all the push from the supply side doesn't fix the demand problem.

Re: U.S. annual inflation rate drops to 8.5%

#410

Great. All I know is I'm trading a lot more time for money this year. Way less takeout, avoiding toll roads unless it saves at least 30 minutes, fewer streaming services (will renew on a show-by-show basis), and food is getting so crazy I might start going to multiple stores to try and save money instead of my one consolidated trip to Wegmans. I'm also stuffing my freezer with meat and have a year's supply of non-per…

Buying extra meat when it's on sale and storing it in a chest freezer is probably the best "investment" that most families can make. It usually has a higher ROI than buying stocks or whatever. Even during inflationary times, retailers occasionally end up with excess supplies of some cuts of meat or advertise loss leaders to boost store traffic so you can buy a lot if you have freezer space to store it.

Just be careful that your freezer has a reliable electrical supply. The National Electrical Code has required GFCI protection on garage outlets since 2008 and those can occasionally fail and trip off for no reason. Ask me how I know...

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