patrick.net

AD says

So the balanced fund strategy like 60% stocks / 40% bonds should be avoided ?

If you are expecting inflation, the balance should be more like 60% stocks and 40% bonds.

Even dog poop bag hit by inflation (note smaller quantity of bag now included):

10oz less for the same price:

The Federal Reserve uses Personal Consumption Expenditure to make decisions based on inflation.

Annual inflation based on PCE ending March 2025 came in today at 2.3%. The February 2025 annual inflation figure was adjusted from 2.5% to 2.7% as reported today.

Since October 2023, annual inflation has remained below 3%. I consider that means inflation is finally tamed.
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Bananas went up at Walmart Front Beach Rd from 49 cents to 54 cents, and it may be more due to the 10% tariff then on a drop in the Dollar Index.

Eggs have gone down in price thanks to Trump's policies with the USDA, etc.

Now they are about 36 cents an egg for 18 eggs, whereas they were 50 cents an egg during the last few months of Birdbrain Biden's administration.

https://ground.news/article/72911401-f0dc-480e-baac-6d35ea650e8a

The U.S. Annual inflation rate rose 2.3% in April 2025, marking the slowest increase in over four years, according to Labor Department data.

This cooling followed price declines in February and March and coincided with the effect of some of President Trump's tariffs imposed earlier this year.

Key details show monthly consumer prices increased 0.2% from March to April, with grocery prices falling 0.4%, driven by a 12.7% drop in egg prices, the largest since September 2020.

The funniest thing was when Dems and I think some Realtors were trying to blame used house prices on Tariffs.

"This house last upgraded when OJ was on trial got more expensive because of Trump's Tariffs on CHYna!"

Patrick says

The U.S. Annual inflation rate rose 2.3% in April 2025, marking the slowest increase in over four years, according to Labor Department data.

Not sure how inflation will fare with the 90 day trade deal of 30% tariffs on Chinese imports (and 10% on USA exports to China).

Even bananas at Walmart on Front Beach Rd went up from 49 cents to 54 cents a pound recently after Trump announcing a 10% tariff on any import.

But at least gas prices have steadied and eggs are now around 30 cents each (versus 50 cents each back in last December).

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A lot less ice cream than pictured:

I believe starting hourly wage in Panama City Beach's McDonalds is at least $14 an hour. A Big Mac meal costs around $10.60 at the McDonald's by the Walmart on Front Beach Road, so the ratio of the cost of a Big Mac Meal to the hourly wage is around 0.8 for Panama City Beach.

I loved up for McDondalds on Glendale Ave in Los Angeles a large Big Mac Meal is $11.59, and I assume the starting hourly wage is $20 for McDondalds in Los Anglese so the ratio is 11.59/20 or 0.58.

mcdonald’s isn’t food. it’s an insult to food

https://slaynews.com/news/us-wholesale-prices-crush-economists-predictions-record-largest-drop-5-years/

Wholesale prices in the United States have just plunged to their lowest level in five years, marking a major win for President Donald Trump’s economic agenda.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) fell 0.5% in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Thursday.

The index measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers.

The figure marks the biggest PPI drop in five years

Patrick says

https://slaynews.com/news/us-wholesale-prices-crush-economists-predictions-record-largest-drop-5-years/

Wholesale prices in the United States have just plunged to their lowest level in five years, marking a major win for President Donald Trump’s economic agenda.

The Producer Price Index (PPI) fell 0.5% in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Thursday.

The index measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers.

The figure marks the biggest PPI drop in five years

Now that tariffs are in place, the PPI will increase at least steadily. There is at least a 10% tariff on any imported item.

Bakeries count toward PPI so the bakery that only imports bananas from Costa Rica and Guatemala will have a 10% extra cost because of the tariff when it sells banana nut bread.

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https://finance.yahoo.com/news/housing-costs-are-still-the-stickiest-part-of-an-otherwise-cool-inflation-report-150527788.html

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AD says

Bakeries count toward PPI so the bakery that only imports bananas from Costa Rica and Guatemala will have a 10% extra cost because of the tariff when it sells banana nut bread.

Tarrifs are imposed at the wholesale level, not the retail level.

Remember when Kamala promised to control prices? Pepperidge farm remembers.

RWSGFY says

Remember when Kamala promised to control prices? Pepperidge farm remembers.

70% of Walmart non-food merchandise is from the Chicoms.

I can see electronics like cheap Chromebooks being the case, but what else ?

I would think clothing like shirts and underwear would come from Central America, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India.

I remember in 1992 the Walmart in Panama City Beach had a lot of Made in USA signs posted.
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From Boca Raton News in 1976 ... $50 in 1976 is around $280 in today's money

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https://www.the-sun.com/money/14290986/fast-food-workers-meal-price-wage-cost-expensive/

at McDonald's in Panama City Beach the starting hourly wage is around $15 and a Big Mac Meal is around $11.00

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Fiber One "fart" bars:

US Mint to stop making pennies.

zzyzzx says

"US Mint to stop making pennies."

This is not good. We need to restore the value of the dollar and not admit
defeat by eliminating the penny. Besides, the Globalists want to eliminate
the dollar. Is this where we are headed?

AD says

From Boca Raton News in 1976 ... $50 in 1976 is around $280 in today's money

Huffy started to make bikes in the USA around 1890's. It had plants in Ohio, Oklahoma and California. It shut down USA manufacturing in 1999.

Thank you again Bill Clinton: https://cepr.net/publications/president-clinton-the-economy-started-losing-manufacturing-jobs-while-you-were-in-office

New Reese’s packaging. Now you only get 4 cups instead of 5

zzyzzx says

New Reese’s packaging. Now you only get 4 cups instead of 5

yeah just noticed at Walmart that the Great Value brand for the chocolate bar that is similar to Snickers is now at 4 bars instead of 5 bars but still same price of $2.56

they switched from 5 to 4 bars recently

its going to be interesting to see the inflation numbers through February 2026

I just pray the manufacturing jobs, trade deficit and federal deficit numbers for 2025 look a lot better than Birdbrain Biden's 2024 numbers

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zzyzzx says

New Reese’s packaging. Now you only get 4 cups instead of 5

Maybe with all this smaller portion packaging we will see some waistline shrinkflation as well.

zzyzzx says

New Reese’s packaging. Now you only get 4 cups instead of 5

Brought to you by MAHA.

The_Deplorable says

zzyzzx says

"US Mint to stop making pennies."

This is not good. We need to restore the value of the dollar and not admit
defeat by eliminating the penny. Besides, the Globalists want to eliminate
the dollar. Is this where we are headed?

I agree, but what we really need is a return to physical silver coins.

That was the anchor which prevented the Fed from inflating the currency into nothingness.

Rent going up

https://www.barrons.com/articles/apartment-glut-ending-demand-rising-rents-headed-up-ab2ade9d

The high cost of buying a home makes renting look good in comparison. As demand intensifies, rent hikes are on the horizon.

With house prices still high, mortgage rates stuck just under 7%, and plenty of economic uncertainty, consumers are once again seeing the virtues of renting. Over a third of respondents told Fannie Mae in April that they would rent instead of buy if they had to move, the highest share since October and more than the long-term average of one in three.

Rent growth slowed over the past several years as the largest surge of new multifamily buildings in decades began working its way onto the market. But that is beginning to ebb. Multifamily construction completions peaked at a roughly five-decade high last August, and are down 28% since then, census data show.

“Apartment fundamentals are past peak pain,” says David Kirshenbaum, the assistant portfolio manager of the $2.06 billion Baron Real Estate Fund. “As fundamentals improve, and as demand continues, many landlords are already talking about the possibility of additional rent spikes if we look out over the next 12 to 24 months.”