Tuesday, September 4

Post Scriptum on Inflation

1.2%?? According to whom?
Didn’t know I was so prescient (see previous entry), but, today’s headlines screamed about the Sting Operation being sprung on us consumers as we casually return from our leisurely summer holidays. Nearly every consumer good is going up, averaging an annual cost to families of $1500 per year. The funny thing, they too noticed that milk had gone through the roof. But, don’t blame the cow farmers.

Yesterday, in Torino (now, they’re rather close in proximity and I’d say, personality at this point, to the French) they actually took their cows straight into the City Offices in protest. They say they are not raising the prices, so why have prices gone up 325% (that is NOT a typo). In October, the price of milk is expected to go up even further.

In fact, the October sting Is looking like this:

Pasta up 10-20%
Flour up 20-30% (watch out, pizza orders!)
Butter 20%
Milk & milk products 10-20% (well, you could still switch to yogurt and get off easier)
Yogurt 5%
And Bread, up a mere 10% because last March it was already up 20%
Water bills 14.7%
Electricity a tiny 2% (that's because it's already the highest in Europe - 66% above the avg. EU country)
And, even kids’ classroom books will be up by 12.4%

Food for thought.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

what's not going up? wages!! why doesn't my pay go up 20%? or heck, i would be happy with 10%...instead i will be lucky to get 2%--and that won't kick in until jan 08.

tell me tucc, how do gli italiani fill up their carts at the supermercato?

c.

Irreverent Italy said...

Well, according to most accounts, most italians don't make it to fine mese, so all grocery purchases are wayyy down by the third week of the month. Lowering their prices? Fuggettaboutit.

Irreverent Italy said...

A friend has kindly donated a 1 litre soy milk (half price) to the cause... Thanks! Gesture very appreciated.

Please note: another has pointed out an error in my math...So, I have corrected the blog. FM