If this year, I go out and buy a pound of all purpose flour and it cost 20% more than last year, then there was simply a 20% inflation. However, the government does not do things that way. One thing I have found, the government likes to twist things. First, they don’t make comparisons of the same thing from one time to the next. I don’t know how all they do it and I don’t really care.

I don’t go by their announcements of inflation from one year to the next. This is my index. I go by visits to the store. Last year, each time I went to the store, it cost me about $125. Now, each visit cost me about $225. By my calculations, that is not quite 100%. However, my buying has changed. We used to eat steak once or twice a month. We haven’t bought steak at the meat counter once this year.

I used to dream about a nice New York cut. Now, when I get to the meat counter, I just go flying by. I don’t even look. My eyes don’t even go in that direction. We used to go to a steak house once or twice a year. Now, never. That part of inflation cannot be measured.

My best guess, since Old Joe took over, the real inflation has been about 100%, maybe a bit more. Of course it has been spread over four years. The hitch is that it is not 25% per year. At 25% per year, it is more that 100%. Moreover, most of the inflation was in the first year. As election year has approached, they have done as the can to cut down on inflation. What inflation there is, they hide from us.

I’m not even going to try to do the math, but you and I know the real inflation. You and I know that we are not only paying twice as much but we are also buying 15 or 20% less.

The last time the the government made a release about the inflation they said it was something around 2.5% or so. I can’t remember the exact amount. It doesn’t make a whole lot of difference anyway. They just put all the numbers into their little magic formula and come out with any number they want.

However, let’s say it is 2.5%. Four years ago that would not have meant as much as now. However, now it is 2.5% of twice the price. That makes it the equivalent of 5% for the 3 year period.

Besides the fact, they are not likely including as much. Moreover, I don’t think they like to include what we really like to buy. Truth be told, it was more like 3%, which is the equivalent of 6%.

How does it feel to not be able to trust what the government, which expects you to believe it all?

It’s called inflation.

It is a way the government has of paying off today’s debts at tomorrows dollars. You see, tomorrow’s dollars, in a few decades will be worth maybe 10 or 15 % less than what they are worth now. At the way things are going, maybe 20 or 25% less.

That is nice and convenient for the government. Not so much for you and me. You see, those dollars will also be worth less for us. My little 401 k is now worth, oh, about 14% less than when I retired, this even though the DOW has basically gone up.

Each time I go to the grocery store, I have to pay more while I buy less. Even the grocer knows it and admits it. If I bring it up, he just shrugged. He can’t help it though he tries. He actually does absorb some of the inflation, which decreases his profit.

Now, let’s look at this thing called inflation a little. While Trump was in office, the inflation was almost negligible. When Old Joe stepped in behind the desk in the Oval Office, it was as if someone threw a switch. You see, the price of oil doubled or more. In case you are not aware, our nation is dependent on energy in general and oil specifically. It was but only natural for the price of all else to go up. It is inevitable. When Old Joe stopped the drilling, he caused the inflation. To be sure, there were other causes too. However, the cost of oil is the one major thing.

Incidentally, with inflation, the cost of running the government goes up too. That’s right. They have to buy stuff too. And they have to pay salaries too. Stuff and salaries have gone up, a lot since Old Joe took over. So he has to raise taxes to pay the extra costs. And, guess what, increases in taxes are also inflationary.