Just a basic simple grocery store trip is now crazy expensive! Where the hell is the money going?? Just basic, very cheap stuff like lentils is now more expensive than it was just a year ago. Chicken, beef, even produce has gotten more expensive.
Forget about ever getting a cheap low-budget lunch at a small restaurant now. That's gone. Even just chicken soup is way more expensive than it used to be.
Even canned stuff is more expensive. Canned soup used to be really cheap. Now, you have to make sure to only buy it when it's on sale.
What the hell is going on?
What on earth did this idiot Biden do?
I don't think this is about demand from free money at all. Retail prices on staples do not work like that at all. These are commodities like grains and meats.
All that free money is going towards paying bills and paying off debts like overdue utilities and rent. Any money left over would go towards discretionary purchases like video games and consoles, not chicken or rice or lentils.
And if anything, restaurants are highly incentivized to lower their prices now, not raise them staggeringly high on basics.
Restaurants are raising prices because they are barely holding on. I’ve noticed lots of places with a surcharge on every bill due to the lockdowns. Not to mention, prices are going up for food staples and fuel. I’m sure Uber and Lyft drivers are feeling it because gas comes out of their pocket. Uber and Lyft have also started charging a surcharge because of AB5 (I’m in California) requiring those companies to provide benefits to their drivers.
I’ve also heard that the cost of insurance has gone up as well in Democrat cities due to the rioting , looting and burning down businesses and the billions in damages.
You're completely ignoring the supply chain for commodities. As I said earlier, this is not exclusively about demand.