It’s no secret we are experiencing inflation, and it is hitting us where it hurts most—in our pocketbooks and on our kitchen table. I got wind of inflation in the oddest of ways. I go to Trader Joe’s every week, and at checkout, I guesstimate my food bill—sort of like playing “The Price is Right.” I do not mentally tally the goods as I walk through the aisles because, in my book, that’s cheating.
Until recently, I had the useless talent of guessing just right—within 2 to 4 percent of the bill. I attribute this “skill” to being a grocer’s daughter, which might also explain why I always have food on my mind. And because I’ve been guesstimating forever, Trader Joe’s cashiers seem to know my game and are amused.
About three months ago, my guesstimates started being wildly off—by as much as 15 percent. Just as I was getting ready to stop playing because I had lost my useless capability, Michele, a cashier, offered me, “You are not taking into account inflation. Our prices have gone up—just like everyone else’s.” At her suggestion, I started bumping up my guesstimate by 10 percent, and, yes, I was baaack!
The small “inflation adjustment” did the trick. I didn’t need to read anything from today’s most noted economists to understand that inflation was real and hit me right at the Trader Joe’s register. My lemons were now 49 cents each, up from 39 cents. My bag of potato chips had risen in price from $1.99 to $2.29, and on and on it went.