I've hardly noticed inflation. Am I in a bubble?

4 points by cam0 4 years ago | 10 comments

I hope this doesn't come across as too tone deaf, but as a tech worker in the Bay Area who drives an electric car, I've experienced a very insignificant impact from inflation so far. Inflation is clearly real and doesn't seem to be transitory, but even at 7(ish)% I honestly can't say I've felt it. I'm very aware of the $6/gallon gas signs around the city, but I drive an electric car and my power bill isn't noticeably higher over the past 12-18 months. Some of the coffee shops and restaurants I frequent have raised prices very slightly, but not enough to make any real impact in my quality of life or savings rate. Inflation news articles and discussions are more and more noticeable around me, but practically speaking my life is no different than it was a year, or two, or three years ago. Am I just in a bubble?

imissfirefox 4 years ago |

I'm a highly paid professional non-tech worker in the bay area so there are some key differences between us.

1) I live in an apartment without electric charging. I've been financially and otherwise ready and willing to buy an electric car (Chevy Bolt in Oasis Blue) for a few years, but haven't been able to buy a house due to being outbid multiple times (mostly by tech workers) and essentially giving up. No RSUs = no house/luxury condo = no practical way to charge the car.

2) I go into work every day, to one of two sites, and one is about 15 miles of freeway driving. So between that and personal use, I'm spending $60 on gas about every 1.5 weeks. Used to be around 40.

3) As a tech worker, you presumably work from home and have more company-paid benefits than most other working professionals. Dry cleaning and health insurance has gone up for me.

4) Do you buy groceries and cook your meals? There has been about a 15-20% increase in my grocery expenses, even the stats say it's <10%.

5) It also sounds like you don't have children and their related expenses (childcare, school supplies, extracurriculars). These have significantly increased.

If the only raised prices you can think of are coffee shops and restaurants and you characterize the increase as "very slight", yes I would say you are in a bubble. Nothing wrong with that; just recognize that most people live a very different lifestyle than you.

igouy 4 years ago |

Whatever happened to the 16oz can of tomatoes?

https://www.safeway.com/shop/search-results.html?q=tomatoes&...

incomingpain 4 years ago |

When they say inflation is 8.5%. It's an average of a bunch of different things, but also excluding other things that are inelastic to usage. Energy is one of the big increases at like 40%, which also drives up the costs of everything else because everything uses energy.

Food inflation is 8.8% and rising faster than regular inflation. However even that is an average. Meats are much higher at like 15%. Eggs at 11%. Cereals and coffee at 10%. It's important to note, food inflation is typically only a few months in cycle. Afterall, foods do expire. Fruits and veg are still pretty low on the otherhand. Much of fruit production doesn't require a ton of energy to produce.

My guess is that you have a personal makeup that is a slow inflationary cycle. Electric car? Probably lagged behind via the grid cycle. Food? Guess it depends on what you eat. Given meats are way up... you might be a raw food vegan, you probably wont see the inflation for some time and then it's going to hit like a truck.

The thing about inflation is that it's here and is deriving out of the currency being devalued. You're doing business with various entities who are on slow cycles and that's to your benefit but ultimately they are doing business. Someone else's paycheque comes from your spending. They will want their paycheque to rise. Nobody will just not raise rates out of the kindness of their hearts.

version_five 4 years ago |

I think yes and no. It seems like inflation is being played up a lot in the media, so its immediate impacts are exaggerated. But if your expenses are mostly coffee shops, restaurants, and electric car in the Bay area, you're likely in a bubble. That said, if you're not in the process of making a big capital purchase, and already have a high savings rate, you wouldn't expect to notice until you have to make a major purchase.

PaulHoule 4 years ago | |

If you are doing well in your career you might not notice inflation but if you are on a "fixed income" (e.g. a retiree) you feel it.

WheelsAtLarge 4 years ago |

Groceries have gone up. Real Estate has shot up so leases will soon reflect that. Even if you own, property taxes will go up for most.

leros 4 years ago |

You make enough money that it doesn't matter.

When you're buying $60 of groceries a week that now cost $80 and you're buying $30 of gas a week that now costs $40, you're spending an extra $30 a week.

You probably don't even notice an extra $30 a week, but that's breaking the budget for a lot of people.

gusestrella 4 years ago |

I recall reading that the biggest driver of the current inflation are used cars; fuel; new cars, housing and food.

If you have a house/appt and not buying a car - plus in tech and working from home , it is likely will see only impact on food. But then not that dramatic vs the high numbers being reported.

faangiq 4 years ago |

You probably lack situational awareness. It’s very easy for anyone to observe these price increases, if they are paying attention.

PaulHoule 4 years ago |

For me it is not the prices but the shortages.

I want an Epson EcoTank Pro printer because I like the pigment based ink but these are nowhere to be found.