tempo_n_groove said:

static111 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

There is no single answer, but a crucial part of the explanation is that Americans are flush with cash.

(Monday’s newsletter detailed how the cash glut is also causing rising inflation and supply-chain problems like backed-up ports.)

Who are these people that are so flush with cash from government benefits and how can I be like them?  I got enhanced benefits for a few months but it didn't exactly build a buffer, more or less kept us afloat until I found a different less lucrative position than my pre pandemic job.

I know of quite a few people that benefitted from that and had more money to "play with" too.  Those same people went into trading and sports card which both saw a significant boom.

tempo_n_groove said:

static111 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

static111 said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

There is no single answer, but a crucial part of the explanation is that Americans are flush with cash.

(Monday’s newsletter detailed how the cash glut is also causing rising inflation and supply-chain problems like backed-up ports.)

Who are these people that are so flush with cash from government benefits and how can I be like them?  I got enhanced benefits for a few months but it didn't exactly build a buffer, more or less kept us afloat until I found a different less lucrative position than my pre pandemic job.

I know of quite a few people that benefitted from that and had more money to "play with" too.  Those same people went into trading and sports card which both saw a significant boom.

Dude there was a sports card boom during all this?   People have odd priorities

Yes.  remember The Last Dance?  That was a huge catalyst too.  The bigger Grading card company PSA had a special on Jordan cards to get graded and Jordan being part of the junk era, people had tons of cards lying around, so there you go.

I've mentioned cards quite a bit and have been doing it for 40 years and this was nothing like I have ever seen...

F Me In The Brain said:

I am an executive for a technology service firm, supporting multi-location companies across NA, with a large emphasis on Retail.

A few things we are seeing....

• The technology components are f'd.  Major delays on chips mean major delays on all sorts of technology hardware.  Deployments that were planned over the past few years are pushed out.  Deployments or refreshes planned since the pandemic are staggered in their success rates.
• Materials are f'd -- as part of building/remodeling locations for our clients (which there is a significant amount of work scheduled) we run new communications wiring and put in the infrastructure to support technology.  Materials prices have gone up multiple times this year, and are about to go up again, and in some cases the parts are u/a, without a realistic delivery date.  This has significant downstream impact.
• Client health -- retailers are getting busy again, which is great, but as many are experiencing first-hand, the labor shortage is hugely impactful.  Retailers cannot find enough people to do jobs....jobs which finally pay better, jobs with benefits, and jobs that you do not need significant experience or education to gain.  The biggest issue?  The public.  The public behave like a bunch of wild animals and nobody wants to work with them.  They would rather collect from the govt.
• Contingent Labor Force -- charging 50% more than they used to in most areas.  People are not working with you to take the tough jobs so they can have the easy jobs.  Small or tougher jobs are costs 2x right now in many areas.  The technicians are making so much money that they just do not need to take smaller or tougher jobs.  Totally bonkers world.  People who were working hard and making $120,000 a few years ago now are more "Technical Guns for Hire", working fewer hours and making $200,000.

The particular market we work in will not support these different factors without massive increase in rates to the end clients, who almost all provide goods directly to the public.  What does that mean?  The prices are going to go through the roof, soon enough. 
Only so long these companies can bite the bullet.

The wild, wild, worst out there right now.

Many folks are slaying it, right now.  To them, I clap...and say that you need to get while the gettin' is good.

There will be a reckoning, soon enough, though.  Things cannot go the way they are w/o major impact.

tempo_n_groove said:

Meltdown99 said:

tempo_n_groove said:

Meltdown99 said:

America isn't running out of everything just because of a supply-chain crisis. America is running out of everything because Americans are buying so much stuff.

https://news.yahoo.com/america-isnt-running-everything-just-205900297.html

You glutens.  

I still haven’t forgiven those that hoarded the ass wipe, hand sanitizer and disinfectant  wipes…lol

I have friends that have garages that have 10 -20 of everything now...  It's nuts.

Are they preppers. Or just want to be prepared.

Neither.  Consumers that NEVER want to go without.

tempo_n_groove said:

brianlux said:

F Me In The Brain said:

I am an executive for a technology service firm, supporting multi-location companies across NA, with a large emphasis on Retail.

A few things we are seeing....

• The technology components are f'd.  Major delays on chips mean major delays on all sorts of technology hardware.  Deployments that were planned over the past few years are pushed out.  Deployments or refreshes planned since the pandemic are staggered in their success rates.
• Materials are f'd -- as part of building/remodeling locations for our clients (which there is a significant amount of work scheduled) we run new communications wiring and put in the infrastructure to support technology.  Materials prices have gone up multiple times this year, and are about to go up again, and in some cases the parts are u/a, without a realistic delivery date.  This has significant downstream impact.
• Client health -- retailers are getting busy again, which is great, but as many are experiencing first-hand, the labor shortage is hugely impactful.  Retailers cannot find enough people to do jobs....jobs which finally pay better, jobs with benefits, and jobs that you do not need significant experience or education to gain.  The biggest issue?  The public.  The public behave like a bunch of wild animals and nobody wants to work with them.  They would rather collect from the govt.
• Contingent Labor Force -- charging 50% more than they used to in most areas.  People are not working with you to take the tough jobs so they can have the easy jobs.  Small or tougher jobs are costs 2x right now in many areas.  The technicians are making so much money that they just do not need to take smaller or tougher jobs.  Totally bonkers world.  People who were working hard and making $120,000 a few years ago now are more "Technical Guns for Hire", working fewer hours and making $200,000.

The particular market we work in will not support these different factors without massive increase in rates to the end clients, who almost all provide goods directly to the public.  What does that mean?  The prices are going to go through the roof, soon enough. 
Only so long these companies can bite the bullet.

The wild, wild, worst out there right now.

Many folks are slaying it, right now.  To them, I clap...and say that you need to get while the gettin' is good.

There will be a reckoning, soon enough, though.  Things cannot go the way they are w/o major impact.

I agree but at the same time would add that this is a REALLY good time to learn to live with less.  We are going to have to anyway, that's almost a certainty, so better to get used to it now. 
The other smart thing I would suggest is to be willing to pay more for more durable goods.  Buy things that are built better and last longer instead of cheap crap.  That's actually better for the pocket book in the long run, and definitely better for the planet that provides the resources we use.

Buying durable goods.

I couldn’t have agreed more.  That is a main reason I have never shopped at Walmart-mart.

Meltdown99 said:

Yes, better quality more durable items makes more sense.  You can purchase clothes that don’t need to be washed after every uses.

people just have too much junk, people buy to much junk that clogs landfills.

To paraphrase George Carlin “people live in bigger houses because they have to much, and then they get storage to keep more stuff.

I buy my pants at Eddie Bauer…don’t need to washed daily and seem to never wear out…

I would say that’s a small part of the problem.  The bigger problem is that shopping is a hobby to many Canadians or Americans.  People love to shop and spend.

tempo_n_groove said:

Halifax2TheMax said:

Meltdown99 said:

Yes, better quality more durable items makes more sense.  You can purchase clothes that don’t need to be washed after every uses.

people just have too much junk, people buy to much junk that clogs landfills.

To paraphrase George Carlin “people live in bigger houses because they have to much, and then they get storage to keep more stuff.

I buy my pants at Eddie Bauer…don’t need to washed daily and seem to never wear out…

I would say that’s a small part of the problem.  The bigger problem is that shopping is a hobby to many Canadians or Americans.  People love to shop and spend.

You should witness the explosion of self storage centers in the US. Its cray-cray. So cray-cray they made a tv show out of it, Storage Wars. Madness.

For 15 years I have threatened to open up one of these.  Why I haven't quit my job and done one is on me.

Yes it's an easy way to make money.  People mail you checks.  yes they are everywhere.

Good observation Halifax.