Eyeopening Trip to Bass Pro Shop

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, Woody B said:

The current inflation rate is a redistribution of wealth.   The money I've worked hard for and saved all my life is going to be worthless by the time I retire.   I should have bought a $100K boat.  At least I'd have a super nice boat instead of a bunch of money that isn't worth anything.  

 

 

 

Mason jars and a shovel! (Land and houses probably would work better…..)

[LCG]

Vote with your wallets my friends. 

[gim]

God forbid some of the executives of these places take a pay cut from their multi million dollar salary to pay the workers at the bottom of the company. Workers actually have some leverage right now. Eventually the tables will turn again.

[Woody B]

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Eventually the tables will turn again.

 

The tables haven't turned.  Entry level jobs and jobs that require no real skills are getting paid a bunch more than they used to.  Skilled workers are still making the same, or less than years ago.   I'm lucky enough to have a skillset that's in demand, and draws a good paycheck.  For many years I made 6 or 7 times what someone with an entry level unskilled job made.   Pay for entry level, unskilled jobs have more than doubled.  Mine is still the same.    

[slonezp]

10 minutes ago, gimruis said:

God forbid some of the executives of these places take a pay cut from their multi million dollar salary to pay the workers at the bottom of the company. Workers actually have some leverage right now. Eventually the tables will turn again.

Not the issue. CEO's have always taken their "fair share". Workers have zero influence or control over the current situation. What's going on today is a reaction to what happens in Washington. A reaction to what's going on world wide. I stress the word reaction. I can tell you, my employer loves this. Our margins have not changed but, making 10% on $100 or making 10% on $200 with zero effort...it's a no brainer. The local folks in charge don't care either. Sales tax on a gallon of gas as an example. They would much rather gas be $4 a gallon than $2 a gallon. 

[Deleted account]

54 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

There's a shop on Cape Cod that charges $6/muffin.  There's a line out the door in the Summer. 

 

That's all I'm saying ...

 

Yeah, I was paying $3 for a muffin in NYC in the 80s. Inflation was higher in the 70s, and yes, we've had a couple of years of nearly double digit inflation, so things are more expensive, and it certainly seems worse because it was preceded by a decade and a half of no inflation.

[gim]

6 minutes ago, Woody B said:

 

The tables haven't turned.  Entry level jobs and jobs that require no real skills are getting paid a bunch more than they used to.  Skilled workers are still making the same, or less than years ago.   I'm lucky enough to have a skillset that's in demand, and draws a good paycheck.  For many years I made 6 or 7 times what someone with an entry level unskilled job made.   Pay for entry level, unskilled jobs have more than doubled.  Mine is still the same.    

I guess it depends on which way you look at it. For that entry level unskilled position…as opposed to you.

[slonezp]

2 minutes ago, Woody B said:

 

The tables haven't turned.  Entry level jobs and jobs that require no real skills are getting paid a bunch more than they used to.  Skilled workers are still making the same, or less than years ago.   I'm lucky enough to have a skillset that's in demand, and draws a good paycheck.  For many years I made 6 or 7 times what someone with an entry level unskilled job made.   Pay for entry level, unskilled jobs have more than doubled.  Mine is still the same.    

Here's a reality. Unemployment may be at record lows...don't believe it.

I make a good buck. As you may or may not know, my grandson doesn't have a father. I applied for a part time job for $20 an hour to help him and was given an offer the following day. Your/our government does not like that. I have to have extra money pulled from my part time check up front so I don't have to pay it on the back end.

 

He'd probably be better off without me and just get benefits on his own thru his mother.

[Susky River Rat]

1 hour ago, Woody B said:

Entry level jobs and jobs that require no real skills are getting paid a bunch more than they used to

Yes sir! My place of employment wonders why they cannot get welders anymore. This is exactly why. The can go a few miles down the road and start driving forklift for more then we will start them at. 

[TnRiver46]

3 minutes ago, Darnold335 said:

Yes sir! My place of employment wonders why they cannot get welders anymore. This is exactly why. The can go a few miles down the road and start driving forklift for more then we will start them at. 

Well rumor on the street is starting welders make a massive fortune. Your real life experience holds more water haha

 

I hear a lot about all these entry jobs that pay way more than what I’ve made my whole career, unfortunately the people telling the stories don’t offer the jobs and it’s usually about half the pay when you call and ask 

[Susky River Rat]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Well rumor on the street is starting welders make a massive fortune. Your real life experience holds more water haha

 

I get a little tired of hearing about all these entry jobs that pay way more than what I’ve made my whole career, the people telling the stories aren’t actually hiring but it makes for a great story 

around here unless you are doing AWS structural cert welding. You are not seeing $30 an hour. You’d be looking at $25 on the high side and that’s not to start . Down the road they have big banners for fork lift drivers starting rate $25 an hour. 

[TnRiver46]

Just now, Darnold335 said:

around here unless you are doing AWS structural cert welding. You are not seeing $30 an hour. You’d be looking at $25 on the high side and that’s not to start . Down the road they have big banners for fork lift drivers starting rate $25 an hour. 

That sounds much more on par with real life. The rumors I always hear are $80-$90/hour for welding, thank goodness I didn’t believe them and quit my job haha

[Susky River Rat]

2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

That sounds much more on par with real life. The rumors I always hear are $80-$90/hour for welding, thank goodness I didn’t believe them and quit my job haha

I have a buddy who all his welds get ultra sounded. He was making $33 and some change on second shift. Now he makes $29 and some change on first. He begs me to come out there. I tell him he’s a fool. 

[NavyToad]

2 hours ago, Glenn said:

 

It's not fun, but we'll be fine.

 

You’re a riot!

[FishTank]

The Cabela's close to me has been selling boats non stop. Each time I have been there they are all marked sold. I don't know who is buying them but they have been moving. Also, when I went to the Indy Boat, Sport, and Travel Show, one vendor that had Ranger and Tracker boats had sold all his boats on the second to last day of the show except one. It was a 16 foot aluminum with a 40hp. I think it was around $18,000, which is just crazy to me for a souped up jon boat. 

[Jar11591]

It sounds like some think it’s the responsibility of entry level workers to not seek out higher paying jobs even though they’re available, for the sake of bringing down inflation and saving the ego of the “skilled” laborer? Somehow that responsibility falls on society’s lowest paid workers, but not on the multi multi millionaires and billionaires who have enough money to purchase influence in your life whether you’re selling it or not. But let’s keep giving record profits to the egg industry even though a dozen large cost $6.00 and we’ll blame the guy who delivers them to the market. Sounds about right to me. 

[Eric 26]

6 hours ago, FishTank said:

The Cabela's close to me has been selling boats non stop. Each time I have been there they are all marked sold. I don't know who is buying them but they have been moving. Also, when I went to the Indy Boat, Sport, and Travel Show, one vendor that had Ranger and Tracker boats had sold all his boats on the second to last day of the show except one. It was a 16 foot aluminum with a 40hp. I think it was around $18,000, which is just crazy to me for a souped up jon boat. 

It’s the folks who are moving out of Chicago and more importantly Cook County Illinois ?

[Woody B]

9 hours ago, gimruis said:

I guess it depends on which way you look at it. For that entry level unskilled position…as opposed to you.

The problem is, entry level jobs are...entry level.  Due to the increase in entry level pay many aren't developing higher level skills.  Another problem is motivation.  I have a cousin who's a retired regional manager from a fast food chain.  One of his friend, still working said when entry level pay started going up the workers started working less hours.  (dollar amounts are regional)  IE someone was working 36 hours a week making $9 per hour.  Their pay increases to $15 per hour.  Now they only want to work 20 to 25 hours per week.  The inflation started with all the stimulus money.  

 

 

1 hour ago, Jar11591 said:

It sounds like some think it’s the responsibility of entry level workers to not seek out higher paying jobs even though they’re available, for the sake of bringing down inflation and saving the ego of the “skilled” laborer? ....................................................................................................................

 That's not what happening.  Many workers in entry level jobs have no ambition to develop real skills.  See the posts above.  Why learn to be a proficient welder to make $29 per hour if you can drive a fork lift for $25?   Welding at a professional level is hard.  I've built a few race cars and trailers but I can't weld at a professional level.  

 

The lowest paying job where I work is ~$20 per hour.  The company had a strict on time, and attendance policy.  They recently had to change both because people wouldn't show up everyday, on time for a good paying job.   

 

[Captain Phil]

I am not an economist, but I have been around long enough to make a few observations.  I believe the current labor shortage is due to so many people leaving the workforce. During COVID, many workers discovered they could stay home instead of commuting to a job 40 minutes away.  This was especially true of women who were paying out most of their salary in child care.  Technology allowed workers to work at home and workers like it. This allowed many skilled workers to go free lance where they made more money than they did previously.  The biggest driver was when the baby boomers retired. We grew up and worked in the greatest economic times America ever had.  Many of them had substantial savings, two career families and two social security checks. COVID pushed them over the edge and they moved to Florida.

 

The Federal reserve held down interest rates for too long. They said it was to allow lower paid workers to catch up. This was actually a tax on savers. It also jacked up the stock market as there was no where else to put your money.  COVID hit and the government sent everyone checks even if they didn't need the money.  We gave our checks to the church.  Many people just banked them because they couldn't buy the things they wanted. 

 

In the middle of this, some people decided that oil was a bad thing.  Their actions drove up the price of fuel which increased the price of shipping which increased the price of everything else.  Whatever you think about fossil fuels, you have to believe we need them until there is a viable alternative?

 

Now that we have inflation, the same people who held interest rates down for too long jacked them up too fast.  Banks who had invested in long term CDs are in trouble and a $15 breakfast now costs $32.  It doesn't bother me that a bass boat costs $100K because I'm not buying one this week.   The way to get out of this is to concentrate on your own finances. If you don't like paying $32 for breakfast in a restaurant, don't.  At this point, I wouldn't make any major purchases.  Above all, don't run up your credit cards.  If you are not happy with your job, find another.   If you can't get hired, learn to do something where you can.  This is a great time to go out on your own.  If you look back in history, you will find many great companies started in bad times.  I have weathered many recessions, some minor and some great.  The sun will rise tomorrow morning and the news will always be bad.  You will be OK. 

[gim]

4 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

But let’s keep giving record profits to the egg industry even though a dozen large cost $6.00 and we’ll blame the guy who delivers them to the market. 

Eggs aren't a good example.  I understand the point you're making, and I agree with it, but the primary reason eggs have skyrocketed in price is because of avian influenza.  Its devastating to domestic poultry operators.  And its probably going to get worse now with the spring migration.  When it wipes out a flock of layers, they have to completely euthanize the entire flock, clean/sanitize the barn, order a new flock, and then start all over.  Its not something that just happens over night either.  It takes months to start producing eggs again.  Turkeys and broilers have been affected too, but egg laying chickens have taken it worse.

 

There are some other minor factors at play as well such as the cost of transporting the eggs and the cost of chicken feed, but the primary issue here is a deadly pathogen.

[Glenn]

3 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

Above all, don't run up your credit cards.  If you are not happy with your job, find another.   If you can't get hired, learn to do something where you can.  This is a great time to go out on your own.  If you look back in history, you will find many great companies started in bad times.  I have weathered many recessions, some minor and some great.  The sun will rise tomorrow morning and the news will always be bad.  You will be OK.

^^  THIS!!! ^^  That's what I was trying to say earlier, but you nailed it!

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Eggs aren't a good example.  I understand the point you're making, and I agree with it, but the primary reason eggs have skyrocketed in price is because of avian influenza.  Its devastating to domestic poultry operators.  And its probably going to get worse now with the spring migration. 

 

Eggs have come down significantly here in the last couple of weeks, they are $3 a dozen give or take depending on where you buy them. Neighbor got some new chickens, and I have Cart Blanche on fox control methodology. 

[Tennessee Boy]

5 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

I am not an economist, but I have been around long enough to make a few observations.  

You may not be an economist but you sure seem to know what you’re talking about.  
 

Those who think inflation is bad have not been around very long.  It was 7.01% in 2021 and has been dropping slowly.  It was 13.29% in 1978 and 12.52% in 1980 so it’s been a lot worse.   The 3 month treasury bond rate is currently 5.0% and the 10 year rate is 3.4%.  That suggests that the smart money thinks inflation will continue to drop.  My only concern is that if more banks fail the fed might have to back off their rate hikes which would limit their ability to fight inflation.

[NavyToad]

14 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

You may not be an economist but you sure seem to know what you’re talking about.  
 

Those who think inflation is bad have not been around very long.  It was 7.01% in 2021 and has been dropping slowly.  It was 13.29% in 1978 and 12.52% in 1980 so it’s been a lot worse.   

In 1983 they changed the way the inflation rate is calculated. There are several sources of info on the subject, this is just one of them.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/24/technology/inflation-measure-cpi-accuracy.html

[Darth-Baiter]

eating out is brutal.  it is never less than $50 for the wife and i.  

 

fuel cost are up like a mofo..and they dont move the goods around the country on hope and dreams.  it takes fuel.  so...pretty easy for me to draw a line from point to point.  

 

and it just isnt the line cook.  it is the waitstaff, cleaning staff, etc..