I’m a nanny in Los Angeles and things are just so expensive right now. I don’t want to go to a restaurant to pay $20 + tip for a salad I can make at home for $3. Plus drinks I can have at home for cheaper. Everything is so so so expensive now, plus gas is $6.50. Thankfully during pandemic I became an excellent cook, and my Asian and Indian food tastes better than takeout. I have backyard dinner parties all the time and my friends all love it.

Anonymous wrote:You do realize the average American has less than $500 in their bank account, right? And live paycheck to paycheck? Your privileged world is not typical.

I know some people like this, but they still manage to get the latest iphones, make car payments and have hefty cable bills every month. The truth is that many people, not all, don't know how to save some cash for a rainy day.

Give some people an extra 50k and they get all excited and run around thinking that they've got extra money to blow on something. I can't feel sorry for people like this.

Come on now...I'm lucky that it doesn't (really) impact me, but you have no idea of other peoples' financial situations or how much they may be driving for necessary things (doctor's appointments, taking care of elderly parents, etc.)

I don't drive much at all (only fill up my tank every other week) but I spent $75 on it most recently, whereas before I was paying more like $50. That's $50 total more a month. Could be a lot for some people.

Because I make less than $800 mo on Social Security Disability and I have a teenage kid. We live with relatives, or we would be homeless. OP has no clue about real life.

I don't understand how OP thinks everyone makes the same $.

Anonymous wrote:We have been spoiled for a long time in the States with cheap gas prices. Gas was $5/gallon in 1990 (not inflation adjusted) when I lived in Scandinavia. People here have made their individual choice to buy massive, gas guzzling SUV's/trucks and commute long distances. There has been plenty of time for all of us to adjust and make better decisions. Now we all must live with the consequences.

It's a choice to buy a large vehicle, but it's not always a choice to have to drive or have a long commute in this country. I would love to use public transportation, but there is none that can get me from my home to work. Most US cities have very little public transportation to link neighborhoods to downtowns.

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how people cant afford to go out.

Gas prcies are up but its only like $50 dollars every 2 weeks for me.

At the end of the day I only spending $40 dollars more a month on gas? Maybe its time to start paying people a living wage. I just don't understand how folks on Facebook are staying home and not going on when they are "working" full tine...

We're neither frugal, poor nor gas guzzlers. But we're cutting back on discretionary spending. The cost-benefit is just no longer worth it. The quality is not good enough to justify the expense at this point. It's cyclical.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spend $192 dollars on gas this weekend. I spend $225 last week. Will be spending $150 next week on gas.

All I did was drive to kids graduation then two trips for the two kids in college then a wedding next week. I have to take my larger vehicle as five in car plus five suitcases or moving out college needed trick.

Gas is pushing $5 dollars a gallon. My vehicle gets 16 mpg.

I have a smaller vehicle but can’t move out a dorm room or take five people with luggage

Last year would Hs do been half the cost

You’re driving a vehicle that gets 16 miles to the gallon? That is just gluttonous.

My suv gets a lot less than that. Why the hate.

You know the answer to that question, you just want to drive your big, bad, SUV and not feel guilty about it.

We have been spoiled for a long time in the States with cheap gas prices. Gas was $5/gallon in 1990 (not inflation adjusted) when I lived in Scandinavia. People here have made their individual choice to buy massive, gas guzzling SUV's/trucks and commute long distances. There has been plenty of time for all of us to adjust and make better decisions. Now we all must live with the consequences.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spend $192 dollars on gas this weekend. I spend $225 last week. Will be spending $150 next week on gas.

All I did was drive to kids graduation then two trips for the two kids in college then a wedding next week. I have to take my larger vehicle as five in car plus five suitcases or moving out college needed trick.

Gas is pushing $5 dollars a gallon. My vehicle gets 16 mpg.

I have a smaller vehicle but can’t move out a dorm room or take five people with luggage

Last year would Hs do been half the cost

You’re driving a vehicle that gets 16 miles to the gallon? That is just gluttonous.

My suv gets a lot less than that. Why the hate.

Anonymous wrote:I spend $192 dollars on gas this weekend. I spend $225 last week. Will be spending $150 next week on gas.

All I did was drive to kids graduation then two trips for the two kids in college then a wedding next week. I have to take my larger vehicle as five in car plus five suitcases or moving out college needed trick.

Gas is pushing $5 dollars a gallon. My vehicle gets 16 mpg.

I have a smaller vehicle but can’t move out a dorm room or take five people with luggage

Last year would Hs do been half the cost

You’re driving a vehicle that gets 16 miles to the gallon? That is just gluttonous.

$72 to fill my minivan gas tank these days (used to be $42). At once a week, that's $120 more per month

When we had 2 in daycare, our daycare payment was more than our mortgage. It seemed every penny went to mortgage, day care and groceries. We didn't go out much.

Now, kids in college (home for the summer and working), but concerts are what we consider a ridiculous charge - $250 per ticket for seats, not lawn, at wolftrap, for someone we were interested in seeing, so we choose not to go.

I think there are a few things going on here. First, stuff is more expensive. No doubt about it. I am UMC with a very large salary who normally pays no attention to prices for anything and I have been really surprised at the grocery store and out to eat. 10-20% increase my ass. Stuff is up even more. For the person that says no one should raise prices when people get raises, all is connected in the great circle of life. Famous Dave's does not have the option to make less profit. Investors would demand the same return. If not delivered people would be fired. Who are these investors? You and me Anyone that has a 401k. Cut earnings ad now people can't retire and can't retire well. Anything that happens has a reaction that you may not like.

Second, there are a lot of people who even with raises are constrained because of these prices. That is a fact. But at the same time the economy has created tons of people for whom these price raises create no issues. That is why everywhere is still busy. There are lots of richer (not rich) people out there. There is tension between those groups. It is not 1% vs 99%. It is 20% vs next 20% and on down the line.

Third, some costs hit us harder than others not from a financial perspective but like a kick in the gut. Gas is one because we do it every week. The price is going a lot higher -- be ready. But it is more a head issue than a wallet issue for gas. If a road trip would take $200 more you are to going to go? While not nothing, that should not make the difference. Back in the old days if the hotel was $20 a night more than you planned would you not go? What if it was a wedding and you were in the party and needed to rent a tux. Say no?

All three of these things are combining and making people uneasy. There is nothing to be done but wait this out but that is a lot for most people to deal with at one time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how people cant afford to go out.

Gas prcies are up but its only like $50 dollars every 2 weeks for me.

At the end of the day I only spending $40 dollars more a month on gas? Maybe its time to start paying people a living wage. I just don't understand how folks on Facebook are staying home and not going on when they are "working" full tine...

Op my family of 4 went to dinner last night in DC. Our ticket consisted of two BBQ sandwiches with a side each, two BBQ platters with two sides each, and one beer. The tab before tip was $72. If you don’t understand how some people could have a hard time with that I don’t know what to tell you.

Man that’s insane. A few years ago, that meal would’ve been half that price.

???

How many years ago is "a few years ago" to you? Even 10 years ago it wouldn't have been half the price. Maybe 20.

At famous Dave’s, that would’ve been a 40 dollar tab. Even with the beer.

no way.

I used to go there every other week with my family lol. With tip, like 50 bucks.

You’re tripping if you think a place like that would be that pricey in the past.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how people cant afford to go out.

Gas prcies are up but its only like $50 dollars every 2 weeks for me.

At the end of the day I only spending $40 dollars more a month on gas? Maybe its time to start paying people a living wage. I just don't understand how folks on Facebook are staying home and not going on when they are "working" full tine...

Op my family of 4 went to dinner last night in DC. Our ticket consisted of two BBQ sandwiches with a side each, two BBQ platters with two sides each, and one beer. The tab before tip was $72. If you don’t understand how some people could have a hard time with that I don’t know what to tell you.

Man that’s insane. A few years ago, that meal would’ve been half that price.

???

How many years ago is "a few years ago" to you? Even 10 years ago it wouldn't have been half the price. Maybe 20.

At famous Dave’s, that would’ve been a 40 dollar tab. Even with the beer.

no way.