What’s The Point Of Having A Job If You Can’t Buy Anything?

At least not at a reasonable price

The little coffee shop near me I tend to ride my bike to 2–3 days a week just raised its prices about 40%. Since I’ve always had them fill up my own hot cup I bring along with me, I now just show up with my own coffee that I make at home and just go there and sit outside and drink it. I wonder if they’re ever going to notice. At the same time, I’ll soon have a 1-day layover in San Francisco, and the price I’ll pay for a rental car for that day is 100% more than I’ve ever paid for a rental car in San Francisco before. (Not to mention the gas.) I’m still holding out hope one of my Bay Area friends says “don’t worry, we’ll pick you up/drop you off at the airport”. But if not, I’ll pay it.

What does that all mean? And does it mean I’m too focused on this aspect of my life, and not focused enough on the fact that I’m getting a little more work now than I was? And is the bias of mainstream media that’s got me thinking that way?

I don’t think so.

The problem with putting more emphasis on job creation and low unemployment, especially with supply chains all screwed up and prices for many things sky high is that too is actually supportive of inflation.

So they’re stories that can’t be separated.

And for most people, what it costs to buy things is far more the most important piece.

And though the following statement may prove to be controversial, what the last few months has proven to me is not that media is being unfair, but that most people would rather have a little bit of a harder time finding work but access to cheap goods, than have a choice of jobs but everything’s really expensive.

And right now there are way too many dollars chasing too few goods.

So for most people, not just the media, inflation is a much bigger issue than jobs, and actually, and kind of sadly, job growth contributes to inflation. This isn’t because there’s wage inflation. There isn’t really. And that’s also sad in a way.

But there’s no denying there are a lot of dollars out there, and that’s what’s creating havoc.