Someone on another thread mentioned the past eight years of prosperity, and it got me thinking and calculating figures... since 1993, my paycheck has increased exactly 25%. During that time, the blue book value on a 150 pickup truck rose 50%... pound of LP gas, about 50%... pound of butter, about 125%... Lumber?? Well, we couldn't have afforded to build our house in 1996, if we only had 1994's finances. Lumber costs went way up around that time. Anyone else notice a big increase in any other goods or services? Or am I really prospering, and I'm not aware of it?

-- Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), February 20, 2001

Answers

Just about everything has gone up in price, except our wages.

So no you're not prospering any better than you're being allowed too. Here's a list of layoffs These are folks who are really not prospering. :((((

Welcome to the 'new economy'

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), February 20, 2001.

Perry:

It's more like, "Welcome to the New World Economy." Cheaper to make shirts, jeans, candy, automobiles, parts, etc. in another country, then move your plant there. Brach candies is moving their production out of the U.S. for the most part simply because sugar cost about half as much overseas, plus wages are far lower and unions are just about non-existent. About the only way to semi-protect oneself is to move from where your income is dependent upon your hand, to where it is dependent upon your brain, and there certainly isn't any guarantee there either. A programmer in China might write code just as efficiently as you.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 20, 2001.

I've "prospered" so well that I have moved $2000 closer to the established poverty level in the last 6 years. It may have been great times for poverty class, but for the middle class it really sucked. What used to be middle class is now lower middle class. At least those levels don't carry much weight here on the outside of the rat race now.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 20, 2001.

We're doing better...but it is because I went to work, and the children were old enough that they didn't need babysitters....and God blessed us. But it is getting a bit weird out there. Hubby works for a gentleman who contracts trucks to the post office. I had two phone class yesterday, asking if there were "any jobs where your husband works." Good workers, both of the callers; wouldn't have thought that either would be looking for work.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), February 20, 2001.

I still trying to figure out why my parents could buy a brand new 3 bedroom,full basement house for $12,500 and I can't even buy a truck for that today? I have come to think that all of our excessive price tags on things was because of a real estate agent in the early 70's wanted more in commissions. I mean after my dad died in 1972, the house was worth 17,500 and in almost a 1 mth period it jump to 24,500 almost overnight and since then everything has just kept going up and up. I mean talk about inflation back then and today,my parents bought the house in 1952 for 12,500 and in 20 yrs it only appreciated 5,000 dollars. My house I bought for 152,000 5 yrs ago and now it is appraised at 177,000,thats 25,000 dollars in 5 yrs now I ask you Why? what has cause the increase on a house that is still the same as 5 yrs ago. Real estate agents are behind all of our out of whack inflation. Think about it! who prices real estate? who gains from high real estates prices? and for almost 30 yrs we have been duped. What if everyone decided enough is enough and did not buy any more land or houses or buildings watch how fast the prices would come down.

-- Tom (tjk@cac.net), February 20, 2001.

Don't know about anyone else but we just took a hit on medical insurance. We're self employed, buy our own and it went up 25% this month. People who have insurance through their work/retirement sometimes don't think about the cost going up to the employer. In order to stay within our budget we're going to have to go from $250 deductable to $1000. Fortunately we're both healthy and will probably not meet the deductable in a years time, but you got to have the coverage in case of hospitalization.

I have noticed a marked increase in the cost of lumber too. Why is that, had a timber buyer stop and give me a price on some trees and it wasn't higher than the last time timber was cut off the place ten years ago.

I think a lot of people believe the hype . . . we are not more prosperous, folks are just further in debt. It's getting harder and harder to stay debt free.

-- Betsy K (betsyk@pathwaynet.com), February 20, 2001.

Betsy, Join the group, my insurance will go up 29% begining of March and my prescription co-pay from $5 to $10. At the same time Consumers Energy here in Mich. is going to double their rates for natural gas as of April 1st,from $2.84 per 100 cubic feet to $5.69 per 100 cubic feet. And where is the so call lower prices for cable tv? the government said that deregulation would increase competition and lower prices, My cable has gone up $2.50 every year since deregulation has gone into effect and we still have only 1 cable company.

-- Tom (tjk@cac.net), February 20, 2001.

Perry, I couldn't find the layoff link, but I HAD seen one on a previous post, couple weeks ago. I am definitely blessed to be standing on the "sunny side of the street". I was thinking about the list of items that they used to use to measure inflation, and how some items seem to have been deleted from recent year's indexes, in order to make the inflation-figures look lower. Do elected officials take the oath, and then right after that take some kind of drug that makes them believe that automobiles, etc. do not figure into the inflation index for the average citizen?!? I don't remember what other items USED to be listed there, but I KNOW ... that we're not talking about 4%, when all is said and done!

-- Action Dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), February 20, 2001.

I bought a new pickup truck in 1973, it cost $3200. a farm in 1975 & paid $18,500. We bought a farm in 1998, it cost $250,000 and a used 97 pickup truck, $20,000. Prosperity between 73 & 98, allowed me to to buy the farm and pickup.

But it is not the sort of prosperity that Dick Chaney & Shrub have experienced in the past months which amounts to millions of dollars in oil and gas stocks/dividends, due to the price gouging in the oil & gas market place. the rich get richer and the poor get nowhere.

-- Hendo (OR) (redgate@echoweb.net), February 21, 2001.

Yeah, but Hendo, if you would have put that $250,000 into oil and gas instead of dirt you would be doing pretty good. Maybe old Shrub and Cheney are just smarter than you and you resent it. If you had $250K to invest, you had the same opportunity as them.

-- Joe (jcole@apha.com), February 21, 2001.

Good idea Joe,maybe we could ALL become speculators and nobody would produce anything. Then see how long your theory holds up.

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), February 21, 2001.

Betsy and Tom we also pay for our health insurance and just got hit w/ a 27%increase per month. at this point we will not be able to afford it.We will need to increase the deductible ,i added up what we pay/how much was paid by the insurance comp. and we came out 3,000.00 over paying.Great deal huh.?

-- renee oneill{md.} (oneillsr@home.com), February 21, 2001.

I can't afford health insurance. I have had it twice in my life and just don't see any reason to keep it. It's something each person has to weigh for themselves, but if you're generally healthy and don't have little kids, it seems a waste in most cases. (jmho)

Someone up there said eight years of building up debt, and I think that sums it up rather well! Things don't tend to come down in price unless there is a glut, like in computers recently. I have never had any insurance company call me and say they would be lowering my rates becuase they made more money than they thought they would. It seems that insurance premiums are a large portion of the cost of living increases. Everyone suing for their own actions, or things like the Firestone tire fiasco just drive prices higher for all of us. Don't even bring OSHA into the picture! I don't think insurance and the itinerant law suits are the only causes, but I do think that they drive prices up more than one would think at a cursory glance.

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@excite.com), February 21, 2001.

We're suppose to get a COLA once a year. Mine is only 1% (from my salary that's .17/hr.) Cost of Living currently is over 8%, so figure where I'm at with purchasing and all. As much as possible, I won't help out the big companies.

-- Debi Beeuwsaert (beeuwsae@pilot.msu.edu), February 26, 2001.

Wow, Doreen! Good for you for broaching the taboo subject of health insurance!. . .(or more accurately, not having any.) Around here, such talk is unthinkable blasphemy. Many of my coworkers actually delay their retirement for years, because they are so scared of paying premiums. I've heard estimates of $200 - 500 per month! For healthy people! Sounds like a good way to keep people chained to the job. As a substitute for insurance, I am very, very careful. Safety first and last. Sandy

-- Sandy in MN (jpevans_56353@yahoo.com), February 26, 2001.