June 6, 2019
I was in need of some tape(I think it was Duct tape) and so I went to this store, it was the old store at the end of the block where I lived as a small child in 1969.
This store still had the old style registers, when I walked in were several people in line to check out. I knew where the tape was so I went to the far left of the store and it was in a metal bin at the bottom. I looked for a price, but I didn't see any price tags on anything. I made my way up to the register and she rang it up, she didn't give me a price, as I laid a $10.00 bill on the counter, then she gave me $.43 cents back, I was puzzled for a second then I asked for the rest of my change from the $10.00
she said, "I gave it to you." "$.43 cents out of a $10 for a roll of tape?" then I woke up.
Ironically, I saw transparent tape for $5 this week, in a popular chain store. One roll, that everyone needed to wrap presents.
Inflation has inched up so fast since 1969, many things cost over ten times what they were then. Salaries rose slower.
This week I had a hamburger and small soda without sides, counter service, for $13. Back in 1969, hamburgers were 10 cents and cheeseburgers 15 cents. French fries were a dime (this week, $5). Burgers x100 , fries x50 inflated.
So at this acceleration rate, it won't be long until tape is $10.
It is scary to think that if a person is not keeping up with needed salary increases-- laid off, disabled, underemployed, self-employed... then they will stumble under the wave and drown.