Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2022 10:52:31 GMT -5
Mister has been wanting to buy a pickup truck for several years now. He’s passed on HVAC jobs because he didn’t have anything to transport furnaces and other big stuff in. And even I feel like it’s convenient to have a pickup truck when you own a home, even if it’s just a little dinky pickup truck. The tentative plan has been to start looking for one this year. Now they cost too much lol.
He was looking at a used one a couple days ago. When he saw it only got 16mpg in the city, he was not impressed.
I am another one that is glad we don’t NEED to buy a vehicle right now. I’ll happily hang onto to my little old car (2003) and my old gas guzzler (2010) as long as I can.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Feb 21, 2022 10:56:51 GMT -5
Wages are rising, which means prices of products have to increase to balance that out. A reply to the sentiment of this post - not to the poster: Good thing CEOs (and upper management) and Shareholders will still be able to rejoice in their dramatically increased incomes (wages or via the stock market). It's too bad the consumer ALONE has to shoulder the burden of paying workers more for their work. My only consolation is that I can "share" in some of the scraps of real "wealth" from being invested in the stock market.
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Feb 21, 2022 11:07:00 GMT -5
I was on a Zoom meeting with my siblings yesterday and one of my sisters mentioned that she'll be visiting Uganda next month. She went a few years ago and her flight was something like $3,000. This year? $1,200. So not everything's going up in price.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Feb 21, 2022 11:16:28 GMT -5
Wages may be going up for new employees but at least here at my company the last raise I got was 1% and before that it was 0% my salary isn't even coming close to matching inflation. So I am back on the market because I want to get myself some of those new hire wages. That's just the way it goes though I've known that since I graduated. I am not sure where they get the idea here that anyone between the ages of 40-20 plan to be a lifer here. DH's company realizes people are getting ready to bolt and handed out their COL early, with his raise last year he is keeping pace. But we're feeling the pinch because I have a lot less buying power at the moment. While I am aware it is not going to last forever that doesn't mean it doesn't suck. Meanwhile the company has crowed about record profits through the entire pandemic. I am sorry that I do not share their joy or feel that I am getting any benefits from it.
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geenamercile
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Post by geenamercile on Feb 21, 2022 11:53:08 GMT -5
Well I hedge my bets and went ahead and put a deposit down for that 1/2 a cow. I suppose I will figure out in after July when I pick it up if it was smart or not.
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Regis
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Post by Regis on Feb 21, 2022 12:05:41 GMT -5
Beer has gotten expensive, but I offset that amount by working from home more often, saving money on gas.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Feb 21, 2022 12:16:40 GMT -5
I am noticing increased prices at the grocery store, but I don't run a fixed budget, so it feels more expensive, but I would have to do some work to come up with numbers. DH actually told me we are not poor, buy the better quality cuts of meat, even if it costs more. We have always bought lots of fruits/veggies, so it is what it is. Clothing is more expensive for sure. Home repair and maintenance is more expensive. Cars are more expensive.
I bought a Toyota RAV4 Prime at the end of September. DH put in a reservation in July. We flew from WI to MD to get it b/c they were not available in our market. We pretty much got it at invoice, word is people have been paying over invoice to get them. It is a PHEV so it runs on Gas or Electric. We will get a $7500 tax rebate. If the proposed bill passes, they could stop giving rebates for PHEV cars. Toyota is apparently also close to going to 50% rebates-if the rules stay the same. I think I saw the rebates will be reduced in July. The Range in optimal weather is about 42 miles and I drive about 50 miles a day. I just looked at my Gas/Electic Usage, and it is pretty close to the prior year. Electric from Oct 21/Jan 22 $604.46 and from Oct 2020-Jan 21 $598.46. My Kilowatts used actually went down 72 Kilowatts. I also just realized that there is a Public Service Utility commission and the rates are set for about a year, so they will probably go up next year to account for the increased cost.
My Gas usage is down, but the cost is up. From 2/21-1/28 I used 739.4 therms, cost was $702.84 and from 2/20-2/21 we used 801.7 therms cost $527.68 $175.16 more. so about $15/month. I don't know why it is less, DD is not living in my basement like she was during the pandemic, but she likes it cold, so it is not like she was turning the heat up. May be less opening/closing the doors in cold temps.
DH has changed most of our light fixtures to LED.
My company has not given raises since 2017. We were promised raises last year and this year. It has yet to happen. I have access to payroll. No one got a raise unless they are a Union Employee. The person with the authority to make it happen is out on Medical Leave. IDK if it will happen or not. I hope so.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2022 12:24:42 GMT -5
Mister has been wanting to buy a pickup truck for several years now. He’s passed on HVAC jobs because he didn’t have anything to transport furnaces and other big stuff in. And even I feel like it’s convenient to have a pickup truck when you own a home, even if it’s just a little dinky pickup truck. The tentative plan has been to start looking for one this year. Now they cost too much lol. He was looking at a used one a couple days ago. When he saw it only got 16mpg in the city, he was not impressed. Yeah, I feel bad for people who need low-mileage vehicles to do their jobs- including all the independent truckers who get paid by the mile and have to absorb the high cost of gas.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Feb 21, 2022 12:37:47 GMT -5
Prices have skyrocketed here. Gas is $1.60 a litre. The sushi I love went from $5.99 to $9.20. The coffee I used to buy for $3.99 is now $7.99. My sister told me the steaks they used to buy for $12 are now over $30.
You know what's NOT going up? My pension.
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pooks
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Post by pooks on Feb 21, 2022 13:35:00 GMT -5
We don't drive much, so the price of gas doesn't directly effect us too much. We fill up about once a month. I have been a bit cheap with groceries lately, waiting for things to go on sale and stocking up.
We went new truck shopping in January. It was a total shit show. I don't need a new truck, so will not pay $3,000 additional dealer markup, plus all the extra crap they added to inflate the price, vin etching, some weird insurance. 40K for a Nissan Frontier SV king cab 4x4. And I was never offered a beverage during the entire 5 hours I was there. I am still testy about the whole experience.
Would prefer a sprinter van, but can't even find one of those.
Since we are probably moving soon, I checked the rent at our last apartment. It has double in 7.5 years. DD tuition hasn't gone up yet, hoping that stays pretty flat.
In better news, DH is selling some used stuff and getting almost what he paid.
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Value Buy
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Post by Value Buy on Feb 21, 2022 14:50:19 GMT -5
Folks, we’ve been told that the US policy is to stop using oil and gas (drilling, pumping, leasing land for oil gas) So the increases in electricity, fuel oil, gas for cars and everything that is shipped by trucks are PLANNED to increase - a lot And as you stated about increases, do not forget the sales tax on the new improved price of everything. The tax rate may be the same but what you are paying is much more dollar wise in the long scheme of things... Just because some of you do not eat meat, does not mean it is not up 50% a lb. When everyone is driving electric vehicles watch where electric pricing will be due to "unanticipated demand and supply issues".
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Feb 21, 2022 16:58:33 GMT -5
We bought a 2020 Chevy Silverado in May of 2020, the beginning of the pandemic. Got a smoking deal, about $5000 under other new trucks. We can still sell that truck for more than we paid for it. What a goofy time to be alive. How can I find out how much my car is worth in todays market?
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Feb 21, 2022 17:01:05 GMT -5
Wages may be going up for new employees but at least here at my company the last raise I got was 1% and before that it was 0% my salary isn't even coming close to matching inflation. So I am back on the market because I want to get myself some of those new hire wages. That's just the way it goes though I've known that since I graduated. I am not sure where they get the idea here that anyone between the ages of 40-20 plan to be a lifer here. DH's company realizes people are getting ready to bolt and handed out their COL early, with his raise last year he is keeping pace. But we're feeling the pinch because I have a lot less buying power at the moment. While I am aware it is not going to last forever that doesn't mean it doesn't suck. Meanwhile the company has crowed about record profits through the entire pandemic. I am sorry that I do not share their joy or feel that I am getting any benefits from it. I'll find out mine in May. They've been pretty cheap the last few years, interesting to see how they approach this....
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 21, 2022 17:02:13 GMT -5
We bought a 2020 Chevy Silverado in May of 2020, the beginning of the pandemic. Got a smoking deal, about $5000 under other new trucks. We can still sell that truck for more than we paid for it. What a goofy time to be alive. How can I find out how much my car is worth in todays market? Only sell it if you have something to replace it with. On the way to the freeway, we pass about 4 dealerships and there are NO cars left on the lot. I can't remember the last time that I saw a semi loaded up with new vehicles from a boat shipment. I do think it's pretty funny as Honda has been announcing all this 1.9% financing on new vehicles on TV every time we turn around - and Honda is one of the dealerships that have no new vehicles on their lots!
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Feb 21, 2022 17:07:46 GMT -5
I drive past two dealerships on my way in to town, including the one where I bought my car for sticker price last summer. No cars on the lot.
I called today to schedule some warranty work and the first question was "do you want to sell the car?" No, I'm not giving it up.
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Feb 21, 2022 17:09:05 GMT -5
How can I find out how much my car is worth in todays market? Only sell it if you have something to replace it with. On the way to the freeway, we pass about 4 dealerships and there are NO cars left on the lot. I can't remember the last time that I saw a semi loaded up with new vehicles from a boat shipment. I do think it's pretty funny as Honda has been announcing all this 1.9% financing on new vehicles on TV every time we turn around - and Honda is one of the dealerships that have no new vehicles on their lots! I gave it to DD for her grad present, she moving out of state in a few month, so I am carless or buying.... we will see! Just making sure its a good prezzy!
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nidena
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Post by nidena on Feb 21, 2022 18:39:01 GMT -5
How can I find out how much my car is worth in todays market? Only sell it if you have something to replace it with. On the way to the freeway, we pass about 4 dealerships and there are NO cars left on the lot. I can't remember the last time that I saw a semi loaded up with new vehicles from a boat shipment. I do think it's pretty funny as Honda has been announcing all this 1.9% financing on new vehicles on TV every time we turn around - and Honda is one of the dealerships that have no new vehicles on their lots! There are quite a few on the Honda lot here in Indy. The dealership has been doing so well, they're renovating one of the three showrooms.
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Rukh O'Rorke
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Post by Rukh O'Rorke on Feb 21, 2022 20:06:55 GMT -5
So car is a 2013 Toyota carolla, SE. About 25k miles.
Seems to be worth 12-13k which is really great. Paid 16500 in nov/dec of 2012. I paid 2500 and still owed 16.5k as my money just went to tax and title and whatnot. 2022 of same is priced 22k+.
But overall a loss of at most 4.5k for a decade of driving. Really not bad.
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minnesotapaintlady
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Inflation
Feb 21, 2022 20:53:51 GMT -5
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Post by minnesotapaintlady on Feb 21, 2022 20:53:51 GMT -5
So car is a 2013 Toyota carolla, SE. About 25k miles. Seems to be worth 12-13k which is really great. Paid 16500 in nov/dec of 2012. I paid 2500 and still owed 16.5k as my money just went to tax and title and whatnot. 2022 of same is priced 22k+. But overall a loss of at most 4.5k for a decade of driving. Really not bad. Your decade of driving equals about a year for me!
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cooper88
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Post by cooper88 on Feb 21, 2022 21:10:45 GMT -5
Wages may be going up for new employees but at least here at my company the last raise I got was 1% and before that it was 0% my salary isn't even coming close to matching inflation. So I am back on the market because I want to get myself some of those new hire wages. That's just the way it goes though I've known that since I graduated. I am not sure where they get the idea here that anyone between the ages of 40-20 plan to be a lifer here. DH's company realizes people are getting ready to bolt and handed out their COL early, with his raise last year he is keeping pace. But we're feeling the pinch because I have a lot less buying power at the moment. While I am aware it is not going to last forever that doesn't mean it doesn't suck. Meanwhile the company has crowed about record profits through the entire pandemic. I am sorry that I do not share their joy or feel that I am getting any benefits from it. This happens at my employer also. Makes no damn sense. They hire new people in with less experience at higher pay, which greatly boosts morale.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Feb 21, 2022 21:15:34 GMT -5
the inflationary aspect of wage increases is generally less than 10% of the CPI increases, due to competitive pressures, and the fact that so little of the US economy is tied to wages. in other words, if minimum wage doubles, the price of a whopper will go up 10%. i didn't claim that PRICES would come back down. i claimed that INFLATION will. and sure, it is possible that it won't. in fact, that is what people tend to believe. i just don't personally believe it for a variety of reasons. Fair enough. But what we are really talking about here is buying power. That's what most people mean by inflation. And if inflation goes to zero next year, but we are still looking at paying $25k for a Corolla, we will still call it "inflation." Cars go down in price as do houses. While manufacturers might not lower prices, they will start up the coupon factory again when sales drop enough.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Feb 21, 2022 21:19:56 GMT -5
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Feb 21, 2022 21:23:23 GMT -5
I drive past two dealerships on my way in to town, including the one where I bought my car for sticker price last summer. No cars on the lot. I called today to schedule some warranty work and the first question was "do you want to sell the car?" No, I'm not giving it up. There are cars here. How many? IDK. There is an entire car ecosystem here from dealerships to car finders, to buy it here & pay for it here to one of the largest wholesalers of used vehicles. The lot isn't crowded, but it is far from barren. Maybe I should get some test drives in when there's not much to sell? I was surrounded by three MB GLC's the other day. I also have seen vehicles that make my peeling clear coat and peeling paint on repaired wheels look positively wonderful. (Rusted door, other usual fixes with rope & what not.) NJ - we have almost everything here!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2022 21:58:35 GMT -5
I really want to learn more about this. Because I’m not the smartest person ever, but something about these corporations that are making record profits and/or paying their CEO’s a lot more money…… but not the rest of their employees….. and blaming price increases on inflation…… it sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. But I’ve barely learned how to keep my own money straight and have never run a business, so wth do I know.
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Feb 21, 2022 23:00:26 GMT -5
I really want to learn more about this. Because I’m not the smartest person ever, but something about these corporations that are making record profits and/or paying their CEO’s a lot more money…… but not the rest of their employees….. and blaming price increases on inflation…… it sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. But I’ve barely learned how to keep my own money straight and have never run a business, so wth do I know. It isn't that hard. Employees are like any other expense of a company. The company tries to minimize costs while increasing profits. If they can continue to pay you your current salary and keep you, they will. As far as salaries for management... CEOs, etc. compare what they're paid with what other CEOs, etc. are paid. There's a competition between them. The committee which recommends salaries are made up of all these highly paid individuals. They obviously know they are worth every penny they are paid and obviously the management of this company deserves huge raises for the great job they are doing! It's basically - You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Who's going to stop them? I realized decades ago that I would never get rich on just my salary. But look at CEOs... it's not only salaries which make them rich. It's also the stock they own. There's a real incentive for corporate management to do everything possible to boost the value of their stocks, both with increase in value and with dividends. So my husband and I invested heavily in stocks during our working careers. It has worked out very well for us.
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Feb 22, 2022 0:31:32 GMT -5
the inflationary aspect of wage increases is generally less than 10% of the CPI increases, due to competitive pressures, and the fact that so little of the US economy is tied to wages. in other words, if minimum wage doubles, the price of a whopper will go up 10%. i didn't claim that PRICES would come back down. i claimed that INFLATION will. and sure, it is possible that it won't. in fact, that is what people tend to believe. i just don't personally believe it for a variety of reasons. Fair enough. But what we are really talking about here is buying power. That's what most people mean by inflation. And if inflation goes to zero next year, but we are still looking at paying $25k for a Corolla, we will still call it "inflation." sure. if car prices go up 10% this year and 0% next year, then you are probably better off waiting until next year, and hoping for a raise. i suspect that is what many will do. unless, of course, you are sitting on a mountain of cash, or your old Corolla just crapped out.
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djAdvocate
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Post by djAdvocate on Feb 22, 2022 0:35:10 GMT -5
i guess. except corporate NET income is typically in the single digits. if corporate NET income is up 27%, and it starts out at 5% NET, that means it goes to 6.3%. how that equates to cost increases is complex, because of course corporations have costs too. assuming that they are paying 7.5% more for everything, they would have had to raise prices 8.8% to NET 1.3% more. confused yet?
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Feb 22, 2022 10:11:28 GMT -5
i guess. except corporate NET income is typically in the single digits. if corporate NET income is up 27%, and it starts out at 5% NET, that means it goes to 6.3%. how that equates to cost increases is complex, because of course corporations have costs too. assuming that they are paying 7.5% more for everything, they would have had to raise prices 8.8% to NET 1.3% more. confused yet? Is that before or after the large increases in executive compensation?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2022 10:45:02 GMT -5
I really want to learn more about this. Because I’m not the smartest person ever, but something about these corporations that are making record profits and/or paying their CEO’s a lot more money…… but not the rest of their employees….. and blaming price increases on inflation…… it sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. But I’ve barely learned how to keep my own money straight and have never run a business, so wth do I know. It isn't that hard. Employees are like any other expense of a company. The company tries to minimize costs while increasing profits. If they can continue to pay you your current salary and keep you, they will. As far as salaries for management... CEOs, etc. compare what they're paid with what other CEOs, etc. are paid. There's a competition between them. The committee which recommends salaries are made up of all these highly paid individuals. They obviously know they are worth every penny they are paid and obviously the management of this company deserves huge raises for the great job they are doing! It's basically - You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. Who's going to stop them? I realized decades ago that I would never get rich on just my salary. But look at CEOs... it's not only salaries which make them rich. It's also the stock they own. There's a real incentive for corporate management to do everything possible to boost the value of their stocks, both with increase in value and with dividends. So my husband and I invested heavily in stocks during our working careers. It has worked out very well for us.
Thank you for taking the time to explain all of that. I knew all that though, I guess I’m not good at being a smartass. It has to be very disheartening to be an employee at a company that’s boasting about all the big profits they’ve made and threw many more millions of dollars at CEO’s but don’t share any of the profits with their lower paid employees. I’m invested in the stock market, and I’d still prefer companies share some of the profit with the employees in the trenches whose hard work helps to make the company so successful. Especially when those employees are paid very little to start with. And as a consumer, don’t tell me inflation is the reason you are increasing prices at the same time either, and expect me to believe it. I’m just not too keen on this “rich get richer and poor get poorer” crap.
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haapai
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Post by haapai on Feb 22, 2022 10:51:16 GMT -5
Wages may be going up for new employees but at least here at my company the last raise I got was 1% and before that it was 0% my salary isn't even coming close to matching inflation. So I am back on the market because I want to get myself some of those new hire wages. That's just the way it goes though I've known that since I graduated. I am not sure where they get the idea here that anyone between the ages of 40-20 plan to be a lifer here. DH's company realizes people are getting ready to bolt and handed out their COL early, with his raise last year he is keeping pace. But we're feeling the pinch because I have a lot less buying power at the moment. While I am aware it is not going to last forever that doesn't mean it doesn't suck. Meanwhile the company has crowed about record profits through the entire pandemic. I am sorry that I do not share their joy or feel that I am getting any benefits from it. This happens at my employer also. Makes no damn sense. They hire new people in with less experience at higher pay, which greatly boosts morale. Same here, at least that's what I've been told. Quite a few of the more experienced folks who make about $17 an hour are sputtering about new night shift hires getting $15 an hour.
I haven't been able to check out whether the story is true or not because I find the jealousy so repugnant. I remember my starting wage and the years of struggle that went with it. I could barely keep my car on the road. I was confused as heck as to how anyone could work such a nasty job full-time and be so dangerously broke. I had coworkers who were living in their vehicles. I would work sick and secretly hope to infect coworkers and pick up some overtime. I don't wish that character-building experience on anyone.
It makes no damn sense to wish the same nastiness on others. Hazing is stupid. Plus, I seriously doubt that any of the folks complaining about other people's good fortune have thought much about how much buying power that wage represents. I know that $15 an hour was life-changing when it happened to them, at least a decade ago, but it means a lot less now.
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