Something is going to break and I think it’s going to happen in 2025. I’m not sure when or what will trigger it but I can’t help but notice that inflation is still out of control. And by “break” I mean a large disruption to the normal flow of goods and services as things reset because our current pathway is not sustainable.
Insurance
The cost of insurance continues to rise. Below is an updated chart of auto insurance costs according to the BLS.
The cost of tenants & home owners insurance is also similar.
Food Costs
I don’t have time to pull the data for all the food items but if you’re up for it, you can pull the data using the FRED plugin for Excel. Here are the codes.
I know every time I go to the grocery store or have items delivered, the cost of beef, chicken and lamb is high and hasn’t wavered in years now.
Utilities
My electric, water, and gas bill have been higher because of all new fees. My water bill in particular seems to have all sorts of new “flood improvement” fees or taxes on it every time I open the bill. My gas bill seems to have an ever growing “electronic meter” surcharge. I am contemplating dumping gas altogether and simply switching to all electric. My electric bill has similar charges but I’d rather pay to maintain one infrastructure than multiple.
Deflation
There are some areas when costs have come down and the main one is gasoline although I rarely drive since I work from home but my wife does and it’s gotten a lot cheaper to fill up the tank.
Electronics seem to have gotten a lot cheaper and I intend on possibly buying a new TV, a mac-mini, and other electronics BEFORE Trump takes office and imposes tariffs which will drive up the cost of everything made overseas. I will wait till January though because the best deals are usually after the Christmas holiday.
Share The Wealth
What do you think? Is inflation out of control for you? Let me know in the comments below.