And crazy price increases. What are you noticing?
This morning I saw people complaining about everything from DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) to tofu.
And crazy price increases. What are you noticing?
This morning I saw people complaining about everything from DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) to tofu.
Shortages I don’t know many but Costco didn’t have their wide-ass toilet paper for many months. The other thing which has increased over the past 5 tears is the cost of shipping things. When the shipping gets to be more than the cost of the goods I stop buying from the USA. Orders from the UK and Europe come cheaper whilst further away.
Produce: If it used to be gathered efficiently by a gang of people walking shoulder to shoulder down rows putting it on the trailer with other people working shoulder to shoulder boxing it, that ain’t happening for covid.
Say you have a variety of products that all use a common, formerly cheap, item. Back in the thick of shutdowns, those places were closed for some period of time (1 to what 6 months?). Now with distancing & changes to their process, now they can only make 50% of what they used to. So what you used to get next week normally, will be pushed out (26 weeks x 0 + 26 x 50%) 1-2 years sound right?
Why should the guy who used to do that job for $15 go back, including “I’m scared”, if they are getting $20 UI AND don’t have to pay their rent?
WA state just said all farm workers will have to be paid time & half over 40. People who used to work 60 hours for minimum will be reduced by trying to hire more (minimum) workers (good luck finding them). Now they can’t live on 40 where they could on 60. People who where working for well above minimum will be replaced with automation. Good luck if they can’t learn to operate the new machines.
David Hogg had announced that his pillow plants were going to have “good union Jobs”. Apparently he doesn’t understand that the reason unions exist is from management screwing the labor. Which then leaves you with workers getting screwed by management & their union.
We have tons of work but can’t get plant material, a spading crew consists of four guys. Our main supplier we go too if we don’t have them is currently down too a couple crews of two – Covid related, and they should in a normal year have the trees done before they come out in bud. They have about a week if that.
Everyone is coming in for 12 foot cedars, because of wood prices,. We can’t get them due to demand. They could plant smaller for way cheaper and much less work but…… you know the same mentality paying double what they should be for a house.
Making my own cider, bread, sauerkraut, sausage.
Interesting times, but how many will remember them?
Time to invest in an Alaska sawmill.
I build kayaks as a side gig. Marine ply has tripled to almost $200/sheet.
On the upside, I’ve started buying beef by the 1/4 side and it brings the price down to $4.75/lb.. locally raised and butchered. I urge you all to do the same, nothing beats a monster porterhouse that cost you less than $10
Labour is in short supply. We need software developers and no one will make a move. Thankfully this is one place where wages are following REAL inflation. There’s no way inflation is 2-3% and hasn’t been for over 20 years.
Deplorable….fabric, vintage furniture and china gets scooped up so fast here on the upper Sunshine Coast/Texada area of B.C. you’d be shocked. We have a very active “swap n shop” FB page that people check out every day. Stores here have been getting shorted for years, so we are used to not being able to find what we need and we just make do. All the thrift stores do a brisk business and are always busier than our tiny Walmart which offers nothing to speak of. Lots of young homesteaders here. Kids with young families are always looking for mason jars, pallets to repurpose and furniture to refurbish. Every one of my kids’ thirty something year old friends have a couple of chickens (which is allowed in city limits). It’s actually so great to see. Move west, my friend. There are lots of free thinking conservative types hiding out here in the rural areas. They will buy your treasures!
Unfortunately, the house is at the other end of the province. There isn’t much money in Fort St. John now, unless you’re a teacher or government worker.
Friend is looking to build a new house. Not overly extravagant just a normal house. Project is on hold as the price he got for materials this spring is 150,000 more then last spring, and the price of wood was only good for one day, he has to commit.
Florida prices during tourist season are always outrageous. They shoot up in October and come down when tourist season ends. On the plus side, wine is cheap. I once saw an elderly woman tottering through the grocery store in Florida with two tiny food items and 6 bottles of wine.
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Kids and grand-kids are surprised when nobody wants to buy their family estate items
Truth is , the kids and grand-kids dont want them either
When our parents passed away in the 1990’s , none of us had room in our houses for their beautiful huge solid wood antique tables and china cabinets etc. …. so we ended up buying a big shipping container for $3,500 to store everything , parked it on the farm , and 30 years later it is still packed away .
Outsource everything you used to make for yourself and the consequences are massively unpredictable. Maybe all my experience will come back in vogue and I can pick up some high pried consulting work.