Economic indicator: This morning my Danish had shrunken

[Skidmore]

to half its size due to costcutting at the cafeteria. My cup of coffee went up $.25. My ride in was definitely more costly. This month the electric, gas, and garbage collection companies noted that we should expect rate hikes next month.

Rs, what has * done for you lately?

[LiberalEsto]

1. Are we better off now than we were 5 years ago? Hell no.

The only people doing better are the corporate CEO types who are raking in the huge salaries.

[Deja Q]

8. Be glad Kerry didn't get elected:

He'd be skewered to death right now, with the neocons re-claiming power.

(think outside the box. If Kerry HAD won, we'd still have the hurricanes and even the oil problems beforehand. His resolution to Katrina would likely have been better but I don't think he could have resolved the oil impasse.)

[brokensymmetry]

2. And this is only the beginning.

It's going to get way worse - as soon as this winter.

[Double T]

3. Inflation is out of control and everyone will be trying to sell the idea..

that less is somehow more. bush's irresponsible economic plans and short sighted legislation are choking the life out of the middle class and retirees. We are in for a bumpy ride.

[NorthernSpy]

4. we were talking about the rise in prices, and my mom told me...

... that the bags of American-grown sunflower seeds she buys had dropped in poundage from 50# to 40#, and that the price had gone up at the same time.

So she switched to the Canadian ones.

I expect the kerosene bill this winter will be brutal.

[spinbaby]

5. Inflation is huge

We all know it but they won't admit it.

Last night Advantage from the vet cost me $10 per cat. One year ago it was $6 per cat. A minor stop at the grocery store cost $78 and I didn't even buy any meat. Then I filled up my little Saturn for $38. This is KILLING us.

[Lindsay]

6. Isn't that just both the best and the worst kept secret?

Everyone in America who's not rich knows that rises in food, gas and heating prices are about to ruin us - but the corporate media keeps feeding us the Bu$hCo lines about how wonderful the economy is.

[newportdadde]

7. There is no inflation, our wonderful gov indicators tell us so!

This economy is roaring look at the GDP. Why do you hate freedom?

Heh no seriously I know exactly how you feel. Its a pretty tough blow to get a cola, cut back and still get nowhere. Three culprits for our family.

1) Gas price... self explanitory. We pay double or more what we did just a couple of years ago. Doing the math this month we figured we 'lost' 100 dollars to gas increases over the cost two years ago. That 100 for the month right down the crapper, can't buy overpriced Chinese garbage or anything its just gone. Companies will feel this it is destorying everyones spendable cash. Places like movie theatres are already feeling it.

2) Food prices. Going to the grociery store now is just ridiculous. We aren't buy lobster here just hamburger helper, always save stuff, off brands etc. The food costs hurt.

3) Freakin medical insurance. Premiums went up 50% last year and we have been told they are going up again. That almost kills a cola/raise all on its own. At my company you can retire insurance at 60. That use to be 55 a few years ago. I'm almost 30, I doubt there will be ANY health insurance if I'm lucky to retire.

Its pretty pathetic I make good money but damn no matter what I cut I'm just treading water not gaining. I'm paying off the house at a very rapid rate now, hoping to get that off my back.