Multinationals in particular hiked prices far above rise in costs to deliver an outsize impact on cost of living crisis, report concludes

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[–] 86 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Real question is what the fuck am I supposed to do about it?
Burning the place down hardly helps and our elected officials don't give much of a shit, at least around here.
I'm well paid, so it doesn't matter too much for my family just yet, but there are people for whom this means food insecurity.
I'm still pissed though, because I think people deserve to eat.

One thing is... it's expensive to save money.
Buying in bulk isn't as bad, but someone living paycheck to paycheck can't afford that.
I have a vacuum machine, the space to store things, freezers, etc.
I can spend more money upfront to save on food in the long run, but not everyone can do this and it hits them even harder.

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  • [–] 74 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    You're describing the poverty trap. Its very real. I'm wealthy now as well, but I remember a time when I took the subway 90 mins round trip to my job, and the fare cost almost an hour's pay. So I'd put in 9.5 hours to work an 8 hour shift and my takehome pay was for 7 hours.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

    Yea, the grind is becoming impossible though. My old man worked a summer job and could afford university all year on that.

    After joining the military for the GI Bill, finishing that commitment, I worked in IT to keep us afloat while my wife went to university.

    I left at 5AM for work, worked as much OT as I could, after work instead of sitting in traffic or stuffing on the train like sardines I studied, did all my IT certs, and left work at 7pm. The weekends I worked a second job doing IT. All through university I worked IT on nights and weekends.

    The grind you have to do to reach "middle" class is becoming: come from money to afford college, or go into debt for life for uni, or work nonstop always.

    How can people take care of kids, family?

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  • [+] -27 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Spend less, encourage others to do the same.

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  • [–] 22 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Spend less? As in just eat less food?

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  • [+] -29 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Are you surviving off of peanut butter sandwiches? Or have you gotten DoorDash™ recently?

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  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Because there's no middle ground?

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  • [+] -26 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    He mentioned quantity of food, I mentioned quality.

    You don't have to eat less if you're eating food that is overpriced or using scam services like doordash. Just buy more-affordable food and cook your own meals.

    But some people think they're "too good" for that and try to conflate needs with wants. I assume you're one of them but won't admit it.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    You know what they say when you assume...

    I've never ordered DoorDash in my life.

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  • [+] -27 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Oh yeah, but you're probably one of the people who conflates needs with wants.

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  • [–] 13 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    What else am I "probably?" I mean actually asking me would be a waste of time- and don't do it now, it's too late.

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  • [+] -22 points 2 years ago (1 child)
  • [–] 13 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Your evidence-free case made by just guessing about someone based on two very short replies on an internet forum? I'm glad you're resting it because you're making yourself sound like a fool.

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  • [+] -21 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    You're right, my bad. You're not one of the people who conflates needs with wants.

    You're also not flustered because I called it out.

    Sorry.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I am not, in fact, flustered.

    Believe it or not, saying there is a middle ground between eating nothing but peanut butter sandwiches and ordering DoorDash- which is the post I responded to- does not make me conflate needs with wants.

    Although I admit that you don't need to eat anything but beans and vegetables. That doesn't mean I think anyone deserves to live on nothing but beans and vegetables. That's a miserable way to live. Do you think people deserve to live that way?

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  • [+] -16 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Do you think people deserve to live that way?

    Nope, but many people do while this guy probably doesn't. I don't think he should get more before those who have less than him.

    It's the same concept for critiquing people wealthier than us applied to ourselves.

    Needless to say, but I'll say it anyways: those who have more than him should also have less while people need more.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Great. What does that have to do with any of your accusations about me?

    Or did you forget about those?

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  • [+] -17 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    You didn't ask, lol.

    I still think you will conflate needs with wants even if in this specific discussion you chose to concede and admit people don't need to eat more than vegetables and beans.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    "You do the exact opposite of the thing you just did."

    Got it. Anything but admit your evidence-free guess about me might have been wrong.

    I forgot- admitting you're wrong on the internet is the worst possible thing you can do.

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  • [+] -15 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Good thing is you don't have to convince me to prove me wrong.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I'm pretty sure I already proved you wrong.

    And, of course, it's not in any way possible that I was ever poor enough to have to live on nothing but that for weeks at a time myself.

    Of course, I did use spices. And I didn't need spices, so I'm conflating want and need. Unless I have beans and vegetables that are already spoiled which I dug out of the dumpster in cloudy water with no spices, I don't know the difference between need and want.

    Jesus fucking Christ. Have you ever even had to live like that for an extended period of time? It's absolutely awful. It's torture.

    But I don't know the difference between needs and wants because I didn't get down to the absolute basest way a human being can survive.

    Listen to yourself.

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  • [+] -12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I take back what I said about you being not flustered.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Please tell me when you have personally experienced the difference between need and want. Have you ever experienced it?

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago

    The country I live in at least pretends to respect worker right so no DoorDash. And if I wanted to eat cheap I wouldn't go for peanut butter sandwiches. But rather like lentils, rice, beans, potatoes. Which, you know what? I do.

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