Inflation -- June 11, 2021

All this talk about inflation makes one more observant. For example, retailers are really, really competing for your business. "Loyalty" pays? I think so. Cynics will disagree. Whatever.

Walgreens is very, very aggressive. Walgreens is not a retailer I normally visit: I visit Walgreens for only two items -- photo prints and Rogaine. 

I never, never buy photos without Walgreen coupons which routinely knock off 50% of the "regular" price. Example: my recent purchase of two enlargements, around $8.00 regular price; $4.00 for half price. And Walgreens offers these photo discounts monthly.

Rogaine. Expensive. Generally $54 for three-month supply. But when it goes on sale, I stock up. Most recently, $38 for that same $54-three-month supply. A 30% savings? Today, I received in m e-mail a note from Walgreens that their entire store, regular prices dropped 30% for one day only. 

You know, Rogaine is expensive as a one-time buy but spread out over three months -- and I often get it to last longer than three months -- it's not expensive at all. $54 / 90 days = 60 cents/day, and at $38 / 90 days = 42 cents/day ... which leads me to this ... Rogaine is another item that Amazon needs to sell by subscription. And there it is. Amazon's regular price, $46. By subscription, $43.69. Doesn't beat what I can get at Walgreens, but it's a start. 

Oreos: the other day, I mentioned Oreos. A very slight change in eating habits and one can eliminate / minimize the increase in price.

Chipotle: recently said they need to increase entree prices by 4 percent. I visit Chipotle, maybe, once a year, and usually when our oldest granddaughter invites me. I think I can manage Chipotle's four--percent increase. 

Barber: I should go twice a month; pre-Covid I went once monthly or thereabouts. $18 plus $10-tip. I haven't been to barber since February, 2020, over a year ago. Savings: at least $25 x 12 months = $300, much of which goes to Sophia. LOL. 

Kuru sushi: $50-lunch when my wife and I go out. We haven't been there in over a year. No desire to go any more. We used to go once-a-week. We now get as much enjoyment with sushi from local grocery store, and just as good. And "at-home Suntori" so much less expensive than in-restaurant saki. But that reminds me, I may have to start looking for saki at our Total Wine and More store. Memo to self: remind spousal unit that we need to have sushi once weekly. We used to do that; then she went to Portland, OR, for fourteen months to help take care of the newborn twins.

Gasoline: I don't know. Seems to be less of a problem than CNBC talking heads warned of earlier. Driving less -- much less for that matter -- and the price of gasoline has actually dropped back a bit after recent "surge." 

Healthcare: These are all minor, minor examples: the big challenges -- health care costs; rent; used car maintenance. Groceries are absolutely not an issue for an elderly couple with no teenagers to feed. LOL. Medicare is a godsend. Colonscopy, out-of-pocket, maybe $3,000; Medicare: covered. Cologard, out-of-pocket, $600; Medicare: covered. Cataract surgery, "standard," Medicare: covered; Laser: $2,000 per eye. 

Biggest area for savings: vacations. I don't know how young families of four or six manage. Theme parks a thing of the past. No lodging expenses for us, in general. By exception only. Flights: travel dates completely flexible; huge savings.