Inflation, the bane of our existence

[chico bill]

The price of Propane has gone up by 50% in the last 18 months as well.
I don't drive a gas-powered car but surely the taxi drivers are feeling this pinch
And all those of us who have to fill gas bottles for cooking or gas dryers.
A small 6-gallon gas bottle for the stove now costs just above 900 pesos to fill.
18-months ago it was near 600 pesos

 

[Sailor51]

I think it's kinda funny the way some talk about gold and silver. Like it'll be the thing to purchase stuff with.
Back on the farm, if you wanted to trade your gold for my food? I have both my food and your gold. I hope that senario never comes to fruition.

 

[playacaribe2]

The price of Propane has gone up by 50% in the last 18 months as well.
I don't drive a gas-powered car but surely the taxi drivers are feeling this pinch
And all those of us who have to fill gas bottles for cooking or gas dryers.
A small 6-gallon gas bottle for the stove now costs just above 900 pesos to fill.
18-months ago it was near 600 pesos

The government again subsidized (ate/absorbed) the increased cost of a gallon of gas this week (price increases are announced on a Friday and take effect on Saturday)........to the tune of 26 pesos for regular.

With oil headed to over 100 barrel and no more Petrocaribe..........at some point in 2022.................350 pesos for a gallon of regular in the DR is not out of the question.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[Sailor51]

The price of Propane has gone up by 50% in the last 18 months as well.
I don't drive a gas-powered car but surely the taxi drivers are feeling this pinch
And all those of us who have to fill gas bottles for cooking or gas dryers.
A small 6-gallon gas bottle for the stove now costs just above 900 pesos to fill.
18-months ago it was near 600 pesos

can you convert a 6 gallon to a pound bottle? I use 20 pounders, never heard them called by the gallon.

 

[Tom0910]

When I first started spending my winters in the DR sixteen years ago, it was a relatively inexpensive place to live. My Canadian dollar had a lot of bang for the buck. Unfortunately that’s not the case anymore. I lived in an AI resort for $1200 a month and rented cars for $600 a month. Gas was cheap. Ran around all week on $20 gas in a subcompact. Those days are long gone. The Brits and Europeans still do well because of the value of their currency.

16 years ago the exchange rate was something like 32-1 too, vs. 57-1 now. So how much more expensive has it gotten really. Also,most people are making more income than they were 16 years ago too whether it be pay increases,cost of living increases to their social security,increases in value of their investments and homes etc. All need to be factored in when looking at inflation,hopefully one's net worth and income are keeping up.

 

[malko]

The price of Propane has gone up by 50% in the last 18 months as well.
I don't drive a gas-powered car but surely the taxi drivers are feeling this pinch
And all those of us who have to fill gas bottles for cooking or gas dryers.
A small 6-gallon gas bottle for the stove now costs just above 900 pesos to fill.
18-months ago it was near 600 pesos

Filled up on cooking gas today.

4k pesos gets you 28.something gallons.
So somewhere around 140 pesos/gallon, which is a bit more than last year when it was around 125 pesos/gallon---- or something like that.

And, by the way, 4k pesos ( in 2 different tanks ) gets us nearly a years worth of cooking and co. , well probably 10 months, as we have an extra medium size tank in reserve with 1k pesos of gas in it.
All in all, less than 100€ worth of gas for nearly a years worth of cooking, is not that bad, in my opinion.

 

[bob saunders]

Filled up on cooking gas today.

4k pesos gets you 28.something gallons.
So somewhere around 140 pesos/gallon, which is a bit more than last year when it was around 125 pesos/gallon---- or something like that.

And, by the way, 4k pesos ( in 2 different tanks ) gets us nearly a years worth of cooking and co. , well probably 10 months, as we have an extra medium size tank in reserve with 1k pesos of gas in it.
All in all, less than 100€ worth of gas for nearly a years worth of cooking, is not that bad, in my opinion.

My MIL goes through a 12 gal tank every month.

 

[Kricke87]

16 years ago the exchange rate was something like 32-1 too, vs. 57-1 now. So how much more expensive has it gotten really. Also,most people are making more income than they were 16 years ago too whether it be pay increases,cost of living increases to their social security,increases in value of their investments and homes etc. All need to be factored in when looking at inflation,hopefully one's net worth and income are keeping up.

True. It's also true that some prices fluctuate over time, like gas etc. I mean like 7 years ago when the price of crude oil was over $100 for a barrel, the highest gas price here was like 250 per gallon, and then the exchange rate was like 44-1. However, the biggest issue here is not the inflation per se, it's that the salaries don't increase as much as things get more expensive.
Just as an example, 10 years ago the salary of o worker in a small company was around 9-10k pesos, guess what the salary is today, for the same worker? Around 12K, so that's an increase of around 20-25%. In the meantime, many things have become more than 100% more expensive. Just to take some examples, I remember when I first came here, a Presidente grande cost about 70-75 pesos, now it's around 150 pesos, that's a 100% increase. Or when I bought powdered milk for my stepson, the big package cost around 700-800 pesos, now it's over 1500 pesos.
So although in reality, many things imported haven't increased that much, just because the $ price has only increased a small amount, but in reality for those who don't earn in $, things have become extremely expensive over the past decade.

 

[Kricke87]

Filled up on cooking gas today.

4k pesos gets you 28.something gallons.
So somewhere around 140 pesos/gallon, which is a bit more than last year when it was around 125 pesos/gallon---- or something like that.

And, by the way, 4k pesos ( in 2 different tanks ) gets us nearly a years worth of cooking and co. , well probably 10 months, as we have an extra medium size tank in reserve with 1k pesos of gas in it.
All in all, less than 100€ worth of gas for nearly a years worth of cooking, is not that bad, in my opinion.

Seems you don't cook a lot. I use more than 1k pesos/month in gas for cooking.

 

[playacaribe2]

True. It's also true that some prices fluctuate over time, like gas etc. I mean like 7 years ago when the price of crude oil was over $100 for a barrel, the highest gas price here was like 250 per gallon, and then the exchange rate was like 44-1.

7 years ago, the price of gas was heavily subsidized via Petrocaribe.

However, the biggest issue here is not the inflation per se, it's that the salaries don't increase as much as things get more expensive.
Just as an example, 10 years ago the salary of o worker in a small company was around 9-10k pesos, guess what the salary is today, for the same worker? Around 12K, so that's an increase of around 20-25%. In the meantime, many things have become more than 100% more expensive. Just to take some examples, I remember when I first came here, a Presidente grande cost about 70-75 pesos, now it's around 150 pesos, that's a 100% increase. Or when I bought powdered milk for my stepson, the big package cost around 700-800 pesos, now it's over 1500 pesos.
So although in reality, many things imported haven't increased that much, just because the $ price has only increased a small amount, but in reality for those who don't earn in $, things have become extremely expensive over the past decade.

The DR has raised various salaries a number of times, the last being December of 2021 @ 21% and prior to that July of 2021 @ 24%.

That still has been insufficient to combat the erosion of the average Dominicans purchasing power.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[malko]

My MIL goes through a 12 gal tank every month.

My MIL goes through gas like its out of fashion too.

I would say, in general, dominicans use a lot of gas, at least around my parts :

- they cook large quantaties. But you would say that saves on gas, right ? well no.... they have never heard of a tuppaware. And they have to fill their plates to the brim, only to have a third go to waste. 😭😭

- they are really disorganised in the kitchen. You would think cooking the same damn things, day in day out, they would have it down to a science ? well no .....
Take "blanchir" habicuelas before actually cooking them. They will have habichuelas AT LEAST 4 times a week, but would they "blanchir" a weeks or 2's worth at a time ? of course not.
You can explain 10 times that covering a pot of water will cut down on the time it takes to boil, hence saving time, hence gas, hence $$..... doesnt seem to stick.

- the quality of kitchen equipement is lackbuster.
Poorly designed stoves that leak heat due to poorly designed burners/and or cheap light materials ( aluminium/light metal instead of cast iron ---- no idea what you call that removable metal stucture on stove tops )
Cheap pans and pots ( and they go through 20 times more oil than me, yet another story of how to throw $ out the window ).
Even in clean kitchens, i often see gas " holes" on the burner obstructed with grease , so less efficency.
Leaky valve on the gas bottles ( the black silicone thingy ), they dry up over time and leak small amounts of gas ( but it adds up over time ).

- Nobody checks the quantatity of gas they are buying. "Da me 500 pesos " is about the jest of it. For a couple pesos more you get a gas meter connectivity thingy that at least gives an idea of whats in the tank.
Futhermore they will send a motoconcho to the local gas station. News flash : more often than not the attendant and the motoconcho will gouge you --as no one is checking. Fill up 300 pesos of gas, bill for 500, keep 100 each. And no one is the wiser.

- And , of course, everything is cooked To F*** DR land of the soggy pasta !! 😆😆😆😆. And they HAVE to eat rice/meat/platanos 3 times a day, and then wonder why they are ALL overweight.

Rant over/ sorry 🤣🤣🤣✔️✔️

 

[wuarhat]

My MIL goes through gas like its out of fashion too.

I would say, in general, dominicans use a lot of gas, at least around my parts :

- they cook large quantaties. But you would say that saves on gas, right ? well no.... they have never heard of a tuppaware. And they have to fill their plates to the brim, only to have a third go to waste. 😭😭

- they are really disorganised in the kitchen. You would think cooking the same damn things, day in day out, they would have it down to a science ? well no .....
Take "blanchir" habicuelas before actually cooking them. They will have habichuelas AT LEAST 4 times a week, but would they "blanchir" a weeks or 2's worth at a time ? of course not.
You can explain 10 times that covering a pot of water will cut down on the time it takes to boil, hence saving time, hence gas, hence $$..... doesnt seem to stick.

- the quality of kitchen equipement is lackbuster.
Poorly designed stoves that leak heat due to poorly designed burners/and or cheap light materials ( aluminium/light metal instead of cast iron ---- no idea what you call that removable metal stucture on stove tops )
Cheap pans and pots ( and they go through 20 times more oil than me, yet another story of how to throw $ out the window ).
Even in clean kitchens, i often see gas " holes" on the burner obstructed with grease , so less efficency.
Leaky valve on the gas bottles ( the black silicone thingy ), they dry up over time and leak small amounts of gas ( but it adds up over time ).

- Nobody checks the quantatity of gas they are buying. "Da me 500 pesos " is about the jest of it. For a couple pesos more you get a gas meter connectivity thingy that at least gives an idea of whats in the tank.
Futhermore they will send a motoconcho to the local gas station. News flash : more often than not the attendant and the motoconcho will gouge you --as no one is checking. Fill up 300 pesos of gas, bill for 500, keep 100 each. And no one is the wiser.

- And , of course, everything is cooked To F***, DR land of the soggy pasta !! 😆😆😆😆. And they HAVE to eat rice/meat/platanos 3 times a day, and then wonder why they are ALL overweight.

Rant over/ sorry 🤣🤣🤣✔️✔️

Whatever they're cooking they like to burn off all the water, then fill it up and burn it off again, then fill it up and burn it off again. They go through that cycle about three or four times and then it's cooked. There are only two temperature settings, off and full throttle.

 

[Ecoman1949]

16 years ago the exchange rate was something like 32-1 too, vs. 57-1 now. So how much more expensive has it gotten really. Also,most people are making more income than they were 16 years ago too whether it be pay increases,cost of living increases to their social security,increases in value of their investments and homes etc. All need to be factored in when looking at inflation,hopefully one's net worth and income are keeping up.

That’s the trick. I have COLA clauses on my three pensions which keep pace with inflation. When I started going the DR, I got around 30 pesos for the Canadian dollar. Now I get approximately 44 pesos. The US dollar, Euro, and British Pound provide a much better cushion against inflation. Especially when it comes to purchasing homes and vehicles in the DR. A US $200,000 home in the DR is going to cost me $260,000 Canadian dollars. That’s a significant chunk of extra cash. Since the beginning of the pandemic, houses in the DR are selling faster, sometimes for the asking price. Other houses are now priced higher.

Canadian flights to and from the DR are still not too expensive. The $300 return flight I used to get years ago is now around $600, $500 if I can find a sale. I can live with that. When I first started going to the DR, decent wines were much cheaper than what I would pay in Canada. The reverse is true now. I tend to purchase any groceries, wine, rum, etc. I need at La SIrena, Jumbo, or Jose Luis. Not only have local foods increased in price but imported foods such as cereals, peanut butter, have risen much higher in price. Oddly enough, I get cheaper car rental deals than I did years ago. That may be due to less demand for rentals.

 

[CristoRey]

Inflation will continue for a few more years.
No signs of slowing down. No new policies
being put into place which (in theory) will take
at least 18 to 24 months to cool things off.
QUESTION: If you hire a blind man to paint your
house and he does a horrible job, who do you blame?

 

[DR fan1990]

Nothing to see here, inflation is unfolding according to plan.

World Economic Forum's Great Reset mantra for 2030: "you'll own nothing and you'll be happy".

Why? Because they'll own everything and they'll be happier.

 

[malko]

Deflationary periods can be counted on the fingers of 1 hand..... so there has always been inflation, and apparently its a good thing-- when under control.
Especially for goverments as it makes for easier service of the Debt. Basically the paybacks are worth less mesured in currency than when it was contrated.
Conclusion, thank you Boomers for leaving all your shit behind for future generations to pay for ..... 🤔🤔🤔

 

[Kricke87]

The DR has raised various salaries a number of times, the last being December of 2021 @ 21% and prior to that July of 2021 @ 24%.

That still has been insufficient to combat the erosion of the average Dominicans purchasing power.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

True, but only for the "bigger" companies and public wages, not for the smaller companies, that go "under the radar" so to speak, that can offer whatever they want basically.
The local "bankera" or colmado worker, earns basically the same as 10 years ago.

QUESTION: If you hire a blind man to paint your
house and he does a horrible job, who do you blame?

Off-topic, funny story. A couple of years back I lived in a house where both the electrical wiring and the plumbing were a COMPLETE mess, nobody knew where anything was connected. So when there was an issue, guess who the lady who owned the house contacted to fix it?
The same chump that had made the mess from the first time. And when he had "fixed" the issue, and a short while later it was clear that he had not fixed anything, she was still shocked that she had fooled her again. And who does she still use to fix the issues on her house?? You guessed it, the same man.
Just came to mind, as for some people here hiring a blind man to paint, would not be something strange, and when it's all messed up, they would still ask the same person to fix it, although they should know that he will probably make it even worse

 

[playacaribe2]

True, but only for the "bigger" companies and public wages, not for the smaller companies, that go "under the radar" so to speak, that can offer whatever they want basically.
The local "bankera" or colmado worker, earns basically the same as 10 years ago.



The wage increases announced in July of 2021 were also for small and so called micro-businesses. The larger question is, were they actually paid.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[Ecoman1949]

Deflationary periods can be counted on the fingers of 1 hand..... so there has always been inflation, and apparently its a good thing-- when under control.
Especially for goverments as it makes for easier service of the Debt. Basically the paybacks are worth less mesured in currency than when it was contrated.
Conclusion, thank you Boomers for leaving all your shit behind for future generations to pay for ..... 🤔🤔🤔

They left more than massive inflation and debt. They moved the doomsday clock to one hundred seconds to midnight. Closer now than during the Cold War when we were hiding under our desks for protection against a nuclear attack. The clock was updated a few days ago.

The Chinese saying, “May you live in interesting times”, is very applicable now.

 

[It wasn't me]

What is the new/current minimum wage for small and micro businesses?

Thanks