Stockin' up
Inflation is transitory.
It transitions you from barely comfortable living to poverty.
Government tell us we only have 7.6% inflation, but I can't find anything that hasn't gone up 10 - 20%.
When I read in one of the blogs I frequent several weeks ago that batteries (car, boat, tractor, motor home, etc.) were going to go up, I endeavored to determine how old the batteries in my various vehicles were and make a list of those that were nearing their lifespan, estimating 5 to 8 years average.
My first shock was the shear number of damn batteries I own, 10 to be exact. Second shock was that all of them were over 5 years old and half were more than 8.
My brilliant idea was to go down to my favorite battery supplier and buy replacements before prices went up and just put them on the shelf (a really strong one of course) and wring as much life out of my current ones as I could.
And then shock number three, predictably, sticker shock. While some of the batteries were under $100 (the boat and motorcycle), most were well over that and some (the deep cycle ones for the Motor home and travel trailer we keep at the farm) were close to $200 each.
I stopped estimating at $1000. Meanwhile, it all went on hold.
That was two months ago.
So wouldn't you know it, one of my batteries went kaput (MH) just when we were going to spend the next week camping. Curses.
So off to my favorite supplier. I went with the original receipt in hand (I knew it was well past warranty) showing $69.95 in 2016 only to find it went up in one month from $89.95 to $109.95. Over 20% increase.
What could I do? I have to have a battery for the vehicle to function.
I haven't started beating myself up for not buying batteries a month ago, yet, just cursing. But when the next one goes kaput I may take a few swings.
Now I'm thinking about the coming rise in fertilizer costs. While I don't use commercial fertilizers, I still anticipate rising costs in Organic fertilizers. But of more concern is availability should every Tom, Dick, and Harry decide to go Organic farming.
I don't think I should ponder to long.
How many self flagellations could I endure.
So what's on your mind today? The thread is open.
Comments
I am gonna jinx myself now,
but the only item I can think of that has not increased in price is beer.
I bought a lap top 2 years ago, and bought the same model last week, and it was on sale at the same price I paid 2 years ago. The regular price for it would have been $75 more. Computers typically go down in price.
I have replaced, repaired, and stocked up on all kinds of lawn and outdoor tools and equipment, and have made an effort to fill freezer and pantry. I expected shortage, really didn't plan for price gouging.
Buying a new vehicle was to extend the life of my truck. It was just luck that it gets 32 mpg.
And, my friends, this is only the beginning. I can say, clients coming in now have to make a payment plan for the work I do. Fewer and fewer can write that check.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks for checking in
Will have to agree, it's gonna get worse, and never get better.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Good morning earthling1. Batteries are the price of many
of our modern conveniences and much or our modern life style. Inflation, too, is part of the price we pay. For the rentier class to continuously extract money from thin air, the Fed must produce it from thin air and pass it out to the chosen. It is massively crazy. The only way we hoi polloi can deal with it, especially as individuals is to make do with less and make or grow more of what we do use, with a lot of repairing and re-use and re-purposing tossed in and a lot of convenience tossed out.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
It is getting near impossible to grow food.
The deer got my garden, but extreme heat and lack of rain took out everyone else's, after they ran up extreme water bills, then gave up.
We have a large wildfire about 65 miles away. No homes are endangered, but it is a habitat mostly for deer. bye bye, Bambi.
In rural area with long distances to stores and hospitals, batteries are necessities. Public transportation doesn't exist. It's the little things that become life or death necessities.
These are the worst times of my life.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I had the exact opposite
dilemma, too much rain and extreme cold throughout spring.
Potatoes are coming in though. Some onions.
Everything else is a flop.
Thanks for visiting.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Oh, lordy. Anyone who shops knows real inflation is way beyond
the official figures our 'money masters' advertise. Has something to mandated COLA
(cost of living allowance) with salaries and pensions, I think.
Re: batteries (or bat trees as gramma used to say)
I find it useful to have a battery tester to judge the condition, state of charge, and % of
capacity. Some batteries will live a lot longer than the warranty period. Some, much less.
Most batteries' lives are shortened by over and under charging. Length of service can be
extended by an occasional full charge, some (mostly wet cell or flooded types) need an
occasional super charge to refresh the lead plates.
The larger deep cycle types (for your trailer for instance) require a high capacity tester to
get a true reading. The most popular types found in autos are sealed 'maintenance free' and
are dependent on the health of the charging source, normally an alternator.
There are many solar powered trickle chargers available to maintain battery health at a
reasonable cost. This will also extend the useful life of the batteries.
A couple of testers I use in my business ..
~
https://shop.metallogics.com/products/otc-accuracy-plus-battery-tester-3165
~
Thanks for the OT!
Yeah
I have several small Chinese "float chargers" to keep my seldom used vehicles charged up ( motorcycle, seadoo, motor home).
I've found that once a battery is discharged, even new ones, it compromises the lifetime of it.
Thanks for the examples of testers.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
The people who calculate
these things only care about what *they* care about. The costs of a Bentley, an F35, various missile systems, and magnums of Cristal have gone up 7.35%. The cost of 100kg of blow has probably come down a few percent (volume discount). The cost of hookers who will let you snort it off their naked bellies is pretty much unchanged. So, yeah, 7.35% is the official number.
On the other hand, the costs of food staples are up 40%, and gasoline 70%, but that doesn't matter to people for whom jet fuel and food are free (or who only eat the hookers after they've finished with them, as lizards are wont to do). Hope that helps.
Note for the humor-impaired: That Was Snark. Cope.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
The Snark is strong with this one!
Extra points for the belly lines.
Thanks for the LOL.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
It is crazy in the world of ordinary people.
Food bank vehicles line up, go around several blocks, down a street, then to a full parking parking lot. Probably over 2 miles long, bumper to bumper. The stigma of needing a hand out is long gone.
What used to be a comfortable living on fixed income is also long gone.
Stocking up and hoarding is hard to distinguish now. How does one rationally determine when enough is enough in your pantry, your tool shed, your barn?
I know this: keep your stocked up items a family secret. Home burglaries are on the rise.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I know. I was always so amused
to see people posting videos of their fully-stocked bunkers with food and ammo and whatnot saying "I'm ready!". No, you aren't. You just became prey for someone meaner and with bigger weapons than you, and you even told 'em exactly where to find you so they won't even run out of gas on their way to take it from you. Smooth move, Bucko!
I remember many years ago when we first moved to the Bay Area, just a few months after the Loma Prieta earthquake. We put together simple earthquake kits for our desks at work, figuring that when it happened again we'd be better prepared for the long walk home over the rubble; her south from the City, me north from the Valley. My wife asked her admin what he had for his earthquake kit as a long time resident, and he pulled out a bottle of Cabernet and a corkscrew.
We have finally arrived there now. We used to keep a full deep freeze and pantry, as well as a full wine rack, but then when the house burned in March (and was burglarized afterwards) we realized that by far the best approach is simply to have nothing left to steal. The little place we're renting now doesn't have room for stocking up, in any case, and the few belongings we are getting back after "restoration" are turning out to be either ruined or shrunk too small for either of us, so they're just getting donated.
About the only thing we have stocked up on now is pet food for about 1mo. Other than that, our preparedness plan right now is to stop giving a shit, and simply hold each other very tightly until we are either vaporized or overrun. And make some Adult Beverages for ourselves, for as long as the not-big-enough-to-bother-stealing supplies hold out. When the SHTF, we will be among the first to go. Fine- this is all getting pretty tiresome, in any case.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
It just may be
that all the preparedness turns into the amount of food stored to prolong your life until you run completely out and then starve to death anyway!
You and your wife have suffered unimaginably. Losing a home and all belongings in fire and theft is the total loss of personal security and all tangible comforts, all tangible memorabilia. By comparison, I thought I would have a heart attack watching my law office blaze away while 4 firetrucks awaited the arrival of the fifth one. Only the fifth one had water in the tank. It took well over a year to get through the cases I lost documents on. A nightmare.
I let a firetruck pass me today, and I wondered if he had water. How negligent is that? And they charged $2500 for their fine service!
I totally understand the adult beverage and the hold on tight thinking. We do the same.
On a lighter note, when I first started seeing the signs pointing towards breaks in the supply chains, I started stocking up on paper goods before the tp shortage; I bought several cases of beer before the stores closed for a while to figure out the plan of operation during the lock down. I have my priorities.
It did not go to waste. It was put to very good use, actually!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
That's the good news about
alcohol- it keeps, mostly. At least if you have a shady place, or can bury it... We've been leaning more towards distilled for that reason alone!
Just like that Donald Fagen song someone mentioned last night from The Nightfly ('82- how has it been so long):
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
I don't actually drink
hard liquor but I stockpile it for barter purposes or resale. It keeps for years in a cool dry closet or cabinet.
Diversifying my portfolio. Dollars are worth less the longer you hold them.
That cabinet full of liquor is worth 30%+ more than when I bought it over the years.
I do have to keep a lock on it though. Heh
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
I inherited the most
horrific allergy possible: to hops.
No, really. Hopped beer and its derivatives would make my dad go anaphylactic. It somehow got diluted for my sister and me: we can drink a few sips and just be violently ill (think ulcerative colitis on steroids) for a week. But it still bred pretty true… I love beer. I love beer-battered fish. They can actually kill me. Needless to say, vegemite is right out. Definitely a bummer.
But there’s wine, which has none of whatever that damnable hop-derived protein is in it. And distilled *anything*. At this point: the more, the merrier.
As my dear departed gray haired mammy used to say: “Your liver’s a muscle, son; if you don’t use it- you’ll lose it.”
Of course, she also used to say “Everything in moderation, including moderation…”. She was a complicated woman, and produced complicated children. Surprise!
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Special thanks for your last sentence OTC
As my neighborhhod has gone upscale, I've basically let my yard go, appearance of the house too. It offends neighbor who must have just spent many thousands on a deep-lot-length 7+ foot-high-fence.
Many economists think 20% is more realistic
We will have to make do or do without...but not like the Germans who got cut off Russian gas.
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/07/19/gazprom-tells-german-clients-g...
I'm actually surprised they supplied them with any as they were supplying Ukrainians with weapons to kill Russians and their allies. They've made their bed and will have to sleep in a very cold this winter. I feel for the citizens of the EU whose leaders seem to care more about the "Great Reset" than their own people. I feel for our friends in Germany (Loti and mimi) who will suffer this winter.
So bad as we have it, it ain't nothing like the EU and their collective suicide. And before anyone get on their high horse complaining about Russia's special operation I would remind you of NATO invasions in Yugoslavia, Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The EU (and US) need a mirror!
Well everyone take care and start stockpiling what you can afford. Interestingly, things like houses appear to be falling in price.
Thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
I believe
the Russians are fighting for the hearts and minds of the actual people of Europe, showing they keep their promises and honor all contracts.
It is the European leaders who kow-tow to the global cabal that the Russians are fighting.
As in America, the European people have no control over their governments, only an illusion.
The people of the world are beginning to awaken to the globalist threat. Farmers in Norway, Chile, India and others are rebelling.
Here in America and Canada, truckers are rising up.
Protests around the world are being blacked out by the captured MSM in an effort to put the genie back in the lantern.
Essentially, Putting and Xi are giving the western puppets all the rope they need to hang themselves.
Whether we become a whole new world, or perish in a blink is really just a crapshoot.
Thanks for posting.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Exactly right
Russia is continuing to sell oil and gas to its customers because if they stop doing it then they will be no better than America that walks away from any deal or treaties that aren’t in their best interests. Russia is saying that they will turn the gas back on to Europe on Thursday. It was Canada that screwed up the gas deliveries in the first place by refusing to return the equipment that they repaired for Gasprom.
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
And it was the NATO countries
who placed the sanctions on oil and gas from Russsia.
As if that would cure climate warming?
By end of year I expect to be laid off.
I work for a German company that took over my previous company (the new medical benefits are crap) based in the USA. When the German economy craters I fully expect to be laid off. Nobody at the company seems to want to talk about it. I will show Putin who is the boss by losing my job. But wife and I have been living "small". Our dryer completely broke down so now we dry clothes outside. Oven went out so we got kitchen table top oven. Our energy usage is very little. Stocking up of course. I think I worry more about our dog and two cats more than me right now at least. Inflation for CPAP parts is very high.
We have been stocking up
on cat food as it has been caught up in the supply chain debacle.
Medicare, that insurance plan I have been contributing to since 1965 still covers most of my CPAP parts. For how long I can't say.
A companion article today indicates US Treasuries are being unloaded around the world and it is suspected the Fed, pension funds and SS are buying them back. O lord!
The collapse is near.
Thanks for posting.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
I hope you don't get laid off!
But, realistically, yeah, get ready and hunker down.
I have a bread maker. An air fryer. A vegetable steamer. A waffle maker. A toaster. A microwave. A George Foreman grill. I have a crock pot. I have a stoveless pal who cooks everything she eats in an electric fryer. I haven't had one of those in years, but I bet yard sales and resale shops would have them or cheap.
My point being, the gadgets we buy, then decide to put away because we don't need them, are the gadgets to replace stoves and ovens when we cannot have them.
We are as energy efficient as we can be. Winter is easier, since you can keep the thermostat low, and wear fuzzy pjs in the house. But summers here are just miserable. Tomorrow will be a 102 deg. day. August will be stifling.
I am down to one cat. She can share our food if cat food is unavailable. She will never be hungry.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
It seems ovens and dryers are energy intensive
Maybe not correlated but electricity bill went down alot once we started using gadgets vs. dryer and oven. Seems with an oven that lots of juice needed to heat a rather large space compared to our Sears toaster oven.
Ovens and dryers
are an energy drain.
I see clotheslines around the world, no matter the sophistication and financial status of the city or country. Lots of Europeans have told me dryers are uncommon. I just do not wish to do a lots of ironing! Call me lazy!
I use propane for my stove, so it doesn't effect my electric bill, but, as we all know, propane is getting more and more expensive. Damned if you do,etc...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I just pre-bought our propane for next year...
$2.30/gal Might be worth consideration. I've never lost money with a pre-buy on gas.
My issue with our oven is heat this time of year. If what I'm baking is small enough I use the toaster oven. I have a clothes line on a reel...stand on the porch and reel them out. I hang shirts on hangers to dry and they almost look ironed when done. Just my approach.
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Hanging clothes is a good idea
for certain kinds. I have gobs of clothes I wear for work that would have to be ironed if I didn't fluff them up pretty well.
As for the oven, we are using the crock pot for those bakes that take 2 or more hours.
I fill up my propane tank when it gets down to 10% or so. A tank lasts about 18 or more months. We grill a lot, seldom bake casseroles and such.
I have a gift card from Wayfair, might check into a clothesline such as you describe.
It is just so damn hot, it almost kills the mood for a hot meal, anyway!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I have a folding wood rack
I can set up in the living room; most things dry overnight
except thick towels or cotton rugs; they can go over doors.
That is a good idea!
I did that when I traveled, using the luggage rack. I know I could be more inventive and cut in half my dryer use. It will be my next home project.
I want to say, the neighbors with their fence are either showing some disdain for your yard, or hiding the fact their yard looks like hell!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
I'm told there are also "dormitory refrigerators"
Found that out owing to a needed house repair; may need to get one. Oven works fine to store pots and skillets. Water in four huge garbage bins is for plants from rain. And I have large stacks of prunings plus scrap dimensional wood for the woodstove from the new fiber-concrete-panel yardless "homes" going up around here.
Have never owned a car.
I inherited my stepdad's 22 year old Toyota Camry Solara
convertible with 38k miles on it. I drive it mostly in the summer because Sam loves to jump in the muddy creek and I can’t find a seat cover that fits it. It started up just fine on Monday and the battery was dead on Tuesday. Imagine my surprise when a new one was $280 buckeroos! I could have price shopped better but every time I turned it off I had to jump it and it was 100 degrees out. But I asked the guy if we’re being gauged and he said yep we are cuz they’ve gone up $40 twice this year alone.
I finally found a leather cover for it, but it gets too hot for her paws and the great towel I got from otc and JtC won’t stay in place because of how she jumps in the back. There are no places to hook anything so it stays in place and she has ripped 2 small holes in the seat. 1st world problem, but still.
I read that Biden could put the oil companies under the defense authorization act and keep them from exporting oil…but. And he’s selling it to China after releasing it from the federal reserve. But since most of congress owns stock in oil they ain’t going to do a damn thing to help us. Speaking of stocks did you hear how Pelosi's husband bought $5 million in chip stocks just before congress decided to give the company a $tp billion gift to create them here? As well Pelosi says that America is a free country and she can do insider trading as much as she wants to and there ain’t nothing we can do about it!
Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.
In the club
Out of the club.
Determines our fate.
Thanks for the comments.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Thanks earthling for the OT,
And also, thanks for that bit of poetry..
Outstanding, and yep..
stocking-up on dollars
these fat cats in congress are going to feel pretty piss poor
when their $20 million ill-gotten gains won't buy them a
decent tent