Today In: "Fiscal Responsibility Party"!

[twocoach]

My god, there is nothing that this guy wont do to the system to temporarily and artificially inflate this economy. I guess when it's one of the few things that Trump can convince some people he is doing well then there's no line he wont cross.

Everyone else sees him propping this up until next year's election, right? Sometimes I feel like I am having a stroke just watching people shrug their shoulders as this criminal steals right out of their front pocket.

Wonder if you melted down having a stroke when Obama cut the payroll tax?

You're so transparent.

Complaining on 1 thread that you've got less money in your pocket under trump (which I sort of think is a lie because the 2 main deductions he took away from you don't amount to THAT much, and LOL @ grocery prices because mine haven't gone up enough to notice)....and then in another thread complaining about a payroll tax cut that would put more money in your pocket.

Which is it?

My wife is a self employed figure skating instructor who was able to utilize itemized deductions tremendously. Thats now all but gone. We also lost out on the changes to medical expense deductions, investment expenses and tax prep expenses.

[Deleted User 281]

When Obama cut payroll taxes everyone, including himself, knew that it was one way to prop up a sagging economy. Payroll tax cuts are not something which is done during a strong economy. It is an admission that the economy is getting weaker.

Which is it - the economy is strong (no tax cut needed - actually will cause inflation!) or is it weak (stimulus needed to prop up a weak economy)?

It has nothing to do with putting money in people's pocket. If it was they would never have eliminated the local and State tax deduction. You're just so gullible buying the Trump lies hook-line-and-sinker

What trump lies did I buy? LOL...it's so funny that the dems on this politics focused message board posing as a Jayhawks sports message board always label anyone who doesn't fall in line with them as a trump supporter. I don't support or like trump. I don't give him sole credit for this economy.

"In the past, Democrats have strongly supported payroll tax cuts, while Republicans have been more resistant. Republicans have complained that such cuts do not help the economy and disproportionately worsen the deficit."-from ferals article.

It's so funny watching dems and Republicans switch up. Each side hates the other so much they'll stand against them even if it's something they've always been supporters of. Doesn't matter what it is.

A payroll tax cut won't save the economy from going into a downturn if that's where it's headed (which is likely where it's going). Maybe slow it, but not stop it.

Markets go up. Markets go down. Rinse. Repeat.

[Deleted User 281]

My god, there is nothing that this guy wont do to the system to temporarily and artificially inflate this economy. I guess when it's one of the few things that Trump can convince some people he is doing well then there's no line he wont cross.

Everyone else sees him propping this up until next year's election, right? Sometimes I feel like I am having a stroke just watching people shrug their shoulders as this criminal steals right out of their front pocket.

Wonder if you melted down having a stroke when Obama cut the payroll tax?

You're so transparent.

Complaining on 1 thread that you've got less money in your pocket under trump (which I sort of think is a lie because the 2 main deductions he took away from you don't amount to THAT much, and LOL @ grocery prices because mine haven't gone up enough to notice)....and then in another thread complaining about a payroll tax cut that would put more money in your pocket.

Which is it?

My wife is a self employed figure skating instructor who was able to utilize itemized deductions tremendously. Thats now all but gone. We also lost out on the changes to medical expense deductions, investment expenses and tax prep expenses.

Sorry that I don't feel too bad that we can't deduct the $500 it costs to have a professional prepare our taxes. It's easy enough to do that shit yourself for 150$.

Why should you be able to deduct investment expenses? Sounds like something that mainly benefits the rich...thought you were all about the little guy?

And LOL @ itemized deductions for a figure skating instructor....sounds like you're mad that YOUR loopholes got closed. Meanwhile you're on here everyday complaining about "the rich". I can't imagine you have a lot of itemized decuations for figure skating instructors. Cost of skates? What else could there possibly be?

[DrPepper]

I’m shocked if anyone who does the grocery shopping hasn’t noticed the increase in food prices.

[twocoach]

Wonder if you melted down having a stroke when Obama cut the payroll tax?

You're so transparent.

Complaining on 1 thread that you've got less money in your pocket under trump (which I sort of think is a lie because the 2 main deductions he took away from you don't amount to THAT much, and LOL @ grocery prices because mine haven't gone up enough to notice)....and then in another thread complaining about a payroll tax cut that would put more money in your pocket.

Which is it?

My wife is a self employed figure skating instructor who was able to utilize itemized deductions tremendously. Thats now all but gone. We also lost out on the changes to medical expense deductions, investment expenses and tax prep expenses.

Sorry that I don't feel too bad that we can't deduct the $500 it costs to have a professional prepare our taxes. It's easy enough to do that shit yourself for 150$.

Why should you be able to deduct investment expenses? Sounds like something that mainly benefits the rich...thought you were all about the little guy?

And LOL @ itemized deductions for a figure skating instructor....sounds like you're mad that YOUR loopholes got closed. Meanwhile you're on here everyday complaining about "the rich". I can't imagine you have a lot of itemized decuations for figure skating instructors. Cost of skates? What else could there possibly be?

"I can't imagine...." should be your signature line. I wont bother trying to explain it to you, it's a wasted effort I have attempted far too often.

[Deleted User 281]

My wife is a self employed figure skating instructor who was able to utilize itemized deductions tremendously. Thats now all but gone. We also lost out on the changes to medical expense deductions, investment expenses and tax prep expenses.

Sorry that I don't feel too bad that we can't deduct the $500 it costs to have a professional prepare our taxes. It's easy enough to do that shit yourself for 150$.

Why should you be able to deduct investment expenses? Sounds like something that mainly benefits the rich...thought you were all about the little guy?

And LOL @ itemized deductions for a figure skating instructor....sounds like you're mad that YOUR loopholes got closed. Meanwhile you're on here everyday complaining about "the rich". I can't imagine you have a lot of itemized decuations for figure skating instructors. Cost of skates? What else could there possibly be?

"I can't imagine...." should be your signature line. I wont bother trying to explain it to you, it's a wasted effort I have attempted far too often.

Actually I should say I can imagine. I have seen thousands of tax returns doing tax return analysis for self employed borrowers. People will write off anything they possibly can. Rental property owners are the worst, or I could say best at avoiding taxable income.

[Deleted User 281]

I’m shocked if anyone who does the grocery shopping hasn’t noticed the increase in food prices.

It seems minimal to me...not to mention prices continually go up over time on a lot of items anyway. $200 worth of groceries a couple years ago now costs $205? I have hardly noticed on most items.

[seahawk]

You must not have ever done the grocery shopping. Prices have jumped enormously in the past year or two.

[TDub]

You must not have ever done the grocery shopping. Prices have jumped enormously in the past year or two.

I pretty much exclusively grocery shop in my household. Seems groceries have always been surprisingly expensive but havent noticed a dramatic change.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ ... dings.aspx this seems to indicate we are in normal ranges of expected increases based on inflation and purchasing power of the dollar etc.

[TDub]

Costs expected to increase 0.5 to 1.5 percent over each of the next two years, historically over the last 20 years weve averaged an increase of 2% per year.

[TDub]

Specifically, in reference to the past year, prices are up approximately 0.9%. Well below the 20 year average and, when compared to inflation it was a net decline in actual cost.


Just hanging out in a waiting room, found it interesting item to look up.

[Mjl]

You must not have ever done the grocery shopping. Prices have jumped enormously in the past year or two.

I work for the largest one. This is just false.

What product(s) have you seen increase enormously in price? I can look that up to confirm/deny it.

[Deleted User 266]

Pepper and Sea are not necessarily wrong.
How do those disputing what they are saying know exactly what they are purchasing and where they are purchasing those items?
There is 100% truth that some particular food/grocery prices have increased significantly over the past 2 years, year, 6 months.

Side note and perhaps deviating from the thread topic but this is money related.
There was a moral dilemma that I was involved in at work yesterday.
We have "wellness" benefits. Approximately $100 a month.
Join a health club, get a $100 "stipend" to pay your monthly dues.
Get a message, get a $100 "stipend" to pay for the massage.
You get the idea.
A woman I work with bought a Peloton bike. She submitted the bill and in theory was supposed to receive $100 a month until the entire cost of the bike was reimbursed.
Well, she received an extra $2700 in her most recent paycheck. That was the full cost of the bike.
Here is where the moral dilemma came in to play. Was she supposed to tell the company their mistake or just shut up and be happy she was reimbursed 100% and leave it at that?
She asked me my opinion. I admit I was torn.
Well, a DIFFERENT woman went to our accounting department and let it be known.
I feel she really had no business getting involved.
Meanwhile, this was a conundrum that the woman who told our accounting department and the woman who purchased the bike were told they (the accounting department) would get back to them.
You would think they would either tell her to please cut the company a check for $2700 and they would then give her the $100 each month OR tell her to keep the money and they would DEDUCT a $100 a month from her paycheck.
24 hours later, this has still not been resolved.

Sorry for the interruption.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

[twocoach]

Maybe they wanted to just get it off the books and not have an outstanding "debt" in an accounting column that they had to carry for the next 2+ years. Accountants run on a different set of rails than the rest of the company.

But I agree that the third party woman had no business sticking her nose into it.

[DrPepper]

The first thing that came to mind is corn on the cob. It’s mid-late August and sweet corn is still very high.
Raw fruits and vegetables (with the exception of baby carrots).

[twocoach]

I dont know the specifics. I can just say that it was normally a handful to get $100 worth of groceries in the door in one trip. Last week I bought $120 worth and easily made it in one trip. With no alcohol, no meat, no weird high dollar items such as sunscreen etc.. purchased. It was just my basic staple items. Maybe groceries are cheaper somewhere else to keep the average down but my trips to the store (and I do probably 80% of the grocery shopping at my house) have certainly gotten more expensive in the last two years.

[TDub]

Havent checked the historical data on corn prices, but. I would expect corn to be a tad high this year due to the major flooding in much of the corn growing areas. I believe something like only 80% of the typical corn crops were planted this year. So, supply will be a bit down compared to typical years.

[TDub]

I dont know the specifics. I can just say that it was normally a handful to get $100 worth of groceries in the door in one trip. Last week I bought $120 worth and easily made it in one trip. With no alcohol, no meat, no weird high dollar items such as sunscreen etc.. purchased. It was just my basic staple items. Maybe groceries are cheaper somewhere else to keep the average down but my trips to the store (and I do probably 80% of the grocery shopping at my house) have certainly gotten more expensive in the last two years.

Yep, let's trust your handful calculations and not the data from the USDA that was provided or Mjl"s experience in the specific industry. That makes sense.

[twocoach]

I dont know the specifics. I can just say that it was normally a handful to get $100 worth of groceries in the door in one trip. Last week I bought $120 worth and easily made it in one trip. With no alcohol, no meat, no weird high dollar items such as sunscreen etc.. purchased. It was just my basic staple items. Maybe groceries are cheaper somewhere else to keep the average down but my trips to the store (and I do probably 80% of the grocery shopping at my house) have certainly gotten more expensive in the last two years.

Yep, let's trust your handful calculations and not the data from the USDA that was provided or Mjl"s experience in the specific industry. That makes sense.

News flash. My grocery store is the only data that affects me. If John's Market in Troy, KS hasn't raised their prices as much as my HyVee well then good for the nice folks of Troy, KS. But it is irrelevant for the purposes of my grocery shopping bill.

Some people buy primarily boxed and pre-prepared foods. We buy a lot of chicken, hamburger, sandwich meat, bread, organic milk, fresh fruit and veggies, etc... Maybe the prices on cheap easy crap has remained stable while fresh foods have increased. I dont know. I'll add up by grocery bills for you and compare them to previous years if it makes you happy...

[TDub]

And with people across the country represented on this board the only way to do an accurate analysis is to look at historical data across the country across the years. Your specific hyvee data is useless in measurement of the industry. Increases at your specific hyvee are likely a result of the very local economy and the management of that retailer and their specific relationships with suppliers but not an indicator of national policy impacting grocery prices.