Consumers paid more for food, gas in September

[OhioChick]

Source: AP

Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 8:50 AM

WASHINGTON -- Consumers paid more for food and gas last month, although inflation outside those volatile categories was tame.

The Labor Department says the Consumer Price Index rose 0.3 percent in September, below a 0.4 percent rise in August. Excluding food and energy, so-called core prices increased 0.1 percent, the smallest rise since March.

Inflation has worsened this year, after the cost of oil, grains and other commodities spiked in the spring. But economists expect price increases to moderate as weak growth lowers commodity prices.

Food prices rose 0.4 percent, pushed up by big increases in the dairy, cereals, and fruits and vegetables categories. Gas prices rose 2.9 percent, driving up energy costs 2 percent. Clothing prices fell sharply.

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/10/consumers_paid_more_for_food_g.html

[Donnachaidh]

1. Son just went to work for a major supermarket chain

And even the employees are remarking on how FAST food prices are going up, and packaging is getting smaller. Even with their 10% off the top, they are hurting.

And don't even get me started on gas prices....:grr:

kick and rec!

[fasttense]

2. Consumers? Don't they mean citizens and VOTERS are paying more.

They act as if the word consumer makes it a ok to screw them because they are just consumers. But they are also citizens and voters. So, when they screw the consumer by overcharging and ignoring/promoting inflation of the costs of food, they are screwing 99% of the US citizens and voters.

[sulphurdunn]

3. I've always hated the word "consumer".

It creates images of people with no other purpose than to use things up as fast as possible so they can consume more things.

[pansypoo53219]

4. but it's NOT COUNTED, so there's no inflation!

isn't that awesome?

[annabanana]

6. BINGO!! The "Consumer Price Index" is a big fat joke. . . . .n/t

[No Elephants]

12. Legislation made it worse for the disabled and seniors. Bet that happens again.

Nancy Pelosi was asked if she considers modifying the way that cost of living is calculated as a cut to OASDI, and she said "No, a cut is a cut."

Trying eating a cut.

[Aerows]

7. Yeah, there's "no inflation"

Despite the fact that the price of EVERYTHING has gone up and wages have remained stagnant.

[pinqy]

11. Obviously it is counted

And all government programs that use any version of the CPI, and the PCE (a reworking of the CPI by BEA) include food and energy with the one exception of the FED, which uses the core PCE.

[sarcasmo]

5. I think it's been that way every month since 2007.

[Aerows]

8. "economists expect price increases to moderate"

Are these the same "economists" that didn't see the mortgage crisis coming? Are these the same "economists" that never "could have foreseen this problem" every single time it happens?

That pretty much tells me that price increases are going to get much worse, because these "economists" can't seem to ever see disaster coming, even when it's plain to everyone else.

[raccoon]

10. I wonder if sometimes it's not that they didn't see disaster coming, but if they said it their heads

would be on the block.

[raccoon]

9. Who don't know that? Recd. nt