PRICING - I just can't get 'with it' any more.

[Grumpy]

I know I'm getting older, but I just can't keep up with prices.
Yes prices are increasing all the time and am very aware of that, but everytime I require a price, or see a price, or hear of a price, or get a quote,
I'M SHOCKED
Is it just me or are things getting out of hand
I can't keep up.

[Loco]

Yeah we're getting nailed with each petrol price increase... everything else goes up & when petrol goes down the rest (mostly) keep their prices the same

http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Motorists- ... e-20120821

I'm not convinced the inflation basket in SA reflects reality...

[ZS-NEL]

Hey Grumps at least there are some things on the decrease .......quality and service.

[nicow]

Hey Grumps at least there are some things on the decrease .......quality and service.

[JvTonder]

Hey Grumps at least there are some things on the decrease .......quality and service.

Dis reg Marius, hou die blink kant bo nè?

[Bundy]

That CPIX is a crock of Sh!t

Here's a challenge for you...go try find something (other than your salary) that only went up 6% in the last year......Good luck.

Two years ago in my house Friday nights were Fillet on the fire nights.
Last year that became Rump....
This year we are down to Pork Chops or a chicken flattie....

F%$k guys...next year I think we are chowing Bully Beef!

Crazy times....

[Asterix]

Agreed Bundy, CPI (no longer CPIX) is easy to manipulate - you just change the basket that you measure, and or the weightings.

[skybound®]

I think anyone who has sold an aircraft in the last 2 or 3 years will disagree with you. Aircraft prices have come down substantially. (yes I know only because the food has taken our playing money and supply and demand has caused this 'anomaly')

[Thebushpilot]

Gents

I have to agree with you. I come to SA about twice a year and have noticed huge increases over the past 5 years.

Petrol aside, have you noticed, probably not, that a packet of chips cost a little more but the packets are now 125g as oppose to 150g - the packaging is however the same! Muffins from Woolworths use to bulge out above the cupcake, a nice big head - now a days the head is all bit gone, level with the cupcake and the price is still the same. We notice these little things where the SA public get shafted.

Ceres fruit juice and mince is cheaper in the Middle East than it is in SA, go figure, the retailers are taking the public for an ride!

I really do not know how some people survive in SA, well there again, just look at Shoprite's results!

[Asterix]

Yet, you will read today that headline inflation dropped to 4,9% year on year form July 2012, which measured 5,6%. This means that although everything is still becoming more expensive, it is doing so slower. Sorry, but I find it FASTER.

As I said - you can manipulate CPI. Which of course gives the Reserve Bank an excuse to lower interest rates again before the end of the year - based on the "fact" that inflation is "well within the target range of 3 - 6%, and receeding."

Which of course gives COSATU what they demand, without the Reserve Bank having to declare " we are lowering interest rates because the unions demand it."

Jokes aside - the quickest way to get an economy working again is to make it unattractive to invest in money market instruments. The assumption is that, especially business, will start withdrawing their cash from these less risky investments, and start to: 1) Invest surplus cash in expanding their own business, 2) Investing surplus cash onto the stock exchange, providing funding for other companies to expand.

In theory, and historically, this works. You can now earn about 5,5% on a good money market fund, after tax you will be left with about 4 - 4,5%. This should prompt companies to stop "sitting on the money" and invest - thus creating jobs, etc etc.

Reality is that business is not responding to the lowering of interest rates as the theory implies they should! Why? Well, look around you, gents. Better to sit on the money, earn NO interest, but at least retain capital reserves, before expanding, lending to other business (investing on JSE), and see everything go ip in flames as SA explodes. This is the sentiment - and be it rational or not - this is what people are basing their decisions on in SA, today.

So - expect MORE rate cuts before the end of the year, as the Reserve Bank manipulates CPI to justify it. Smokescreen.

The dangerous side is of course that foreign pension funds and insurance companies have in the past bought our bonds heavily, because relative to the world today our rates are still high. When those yields keep on dipping, coupled with increased negative socio-political outlooks, and those foreign investors start selling our bonds in huge quantities - watch the economic storm that will ensue!!

[Blue Max]

Ek is al 50 jr bedrywig in die eindoms mark..
Het al n paar 'boom' tydperke beleef.
Elke boom het gepaard gegaan met n rentekoers verlaging.
Op die oomblik is rentekoerste die laagste in 30 jaar!!!! en daar is geen 'boom' nie!!!!!
Dit gaan so pateties in ons land dat afgesien van die lae koerse is daar niks aan die gang nie..Die eiendomsmark is pateties.!!!en in plaas dat ons onder die huidige omstandighede minder vir verbruikers items moet betaal , betaal ons meer en meer..
So daar is politiek en wan-administrasie op groot skaal aan die gang..
Dink maar aan paaie, hospitale, skole, misdaad, ( polisie!!!) en polisie hoofde, ens ens ens.
Verbruikers vertroue en vertroue om in die land te bele agv politieke uitsprake deur snotkoppe.!!!en papbroekige en onbekwame leiers.. is deel van die dilemma..Malemma!!
Elke nuwe jong snotkop of amptenaar wie n job het in die staatsdiens of semi-staatsdiens hier in Limpopo ry n smart nuwe motorkar...Waar kom die geld vandaan...????
Ek weet nie hoe n ou hierdie stoomskip gestop gaan kry nie..??? kyk hoe lyk ons bevolkings aanwas!!!!, die geletterdtheid van die 'voters' , en die lee beloftes wat opgeslurp word deur hoopvolles wie 'jobs' en huise belowe word...
Mense vra my uit oor SA ,hier waar ek nou in n land is waar alles reg en goed administreer word deur bekwame mense en waar wetsgehoorsame burgers respekvol teenoor mekaar is...(Kanada is ook n multi kulturuele land en wat opval is die 'racial harmony' ( rasse verdraagsaamheid) wat n ou hier ervaar...Niemand in hierdie land het rede om iemand te haat bloot oor sy kultuur ras of kleur nie.!)Rasse onverdraagsaamheid is n euwel wat wortel en tak uitgeroei moet word...
Om terug te kom na wat ek wil se is......
Wat se ek vir iemand wat my vra oor SA..........?????? moet ek lieg of die waarheid praat...????
Oor ons President????? wie 4 vrouens het..( dit was al 6 gewees) wie al twee keer vervolg is eers vir korrupsie en toe vir verkragting???
Oor ons Polisie hoofde...,???? meervoud, julle weet waarvan ek praat...
Oor die toestand van die hospitale, die paaie, die besoedeling,die moorde, die plaasmoorde, die immigrasie, die werkloosheid, die hi, jackings, die scams en al die kak wat langs die paaie le en nie opgetel word nie..
Ons het blind en doof geword en ons moet begin protesteer op die straathoeke, op die internet , in die kerk, op begrafnisse, ons moet ons bekke begin oopmaak...!!!
Dit James ,is OOK hoekom die ekonomie lyk soos hy lyk ,soos die ou in die straat dit verstaan...!!!

[Bundy]

The outlook is certainly bleak.

I lived in London for a year after school and it was like I'd arrived on a different planet. I'm sure our ex pat's from around the world have the same view as Blue Max.
I believe our Socio economic problems will only be getting worse in the near future. 34% (estimated) unemployed....(and that's just the "registered population"!)...what about the thousands of refugees that flood over into SA every day? Most of these people are under the age of 30, almost all of them are unskilled, illiterate and have two or three dependants already.

Our Manufacturing industries are in steady decline. Less exports, less jobs. We simply cannot compete with the productivity levels of either the West and especially China and the Asia's? Two Years ago we became a nett importer of food! This has never happened before. Pre 1994 the Gold mining industry employed apporox 300 000 people....today this figure is closer to 140 000. This is mainly down to our rediculously harsh labour laws and mechanisation.

Every year the amount of people dependant on a single source of income becomes steadily higher....as the cost of living becomes higher too. It is un unsustainable equation...sooner or later it will inevitably go BOOM.

I was forced (by snow) to take a route down to Durban through Volksrust, Dundee, Glencoe etc a few weeks back. Nothing has changed in these communities in 18 years of what everyone calls "Democracy". Ironically, there is a very fine line between Democracy and a Dictatorship. Democracy only ever works when you have an educated voter base, a free media and a viable opposition. Personally I dont think we have any of these? A lot of Africa's problems stem from the legacy of minority rule...this cannot be denied...but the fact is that virtually nothing has been done here or anywhere else in Africa to change the game since "Democracy" has taken over. White supremacists were simply replaced by black one's. You cant blame colonial rule for having your head stuck up your arse for 18 years...but I dont expect our current regime to even begin to comprehend the damage they have done. Far too busy raping the coffers for perks and cash?

[Bugwar]

Let's be realistic for a second and think about it that you are all complaining with the proverbial white bread under the arm or should I say plane in the hangar and meat on the braai.
I replaced my little Garmin Etrex Legend the other day with todays equivalent, the Etrex E20. I paid R2300 in 2003 for the Legend and R1999 for the E20 last week. Huge improvements in performance, memory, display etc .......
As a kid we got clothes for kersfees because it was deemed as an expensive gift and I am not talking brand names. Who of you still mends your clothes or socks? Nobody? It is way cheaper to replace.

Yes, we have different challenges today but life is also a hellofalot easier and cheaper in many ways.

As far as other countries go....... I will rather give my opinion after flying on a Saturday afternoon beer in my hand, meat on the fire and the sun setting in the background......

[bluesmancoops]

wow what a positive upliftingpage I still feel this is a great country and I love it

[skybound®]

wow what a positive upliftingpage I still feel this is a great country and I love it

+1. I am here by choice.

CPI - as someone has alluded to is very much a political number in any country.