[abhayhegde]

Considering this is from 2015, I wonder how much does inflation bring $2.5 a day to.

[bnc319]

$3.37 per CPI Inflation Calculator, though it may be even higher given food has increased above the average.

[abhayhegde]

Sure, but I'm not inclined to believe that number on its own. Practically, even the cheapest grocer like Aldi could turn out to be expensive than the quoted $3.37.

[lxgr]

The CPI is, for largely good reasons, primarily tracking things other than groceries, so it's arguably indeed pretty useless in comparing these over time.

[nicoburns]

I'd bet it's closer to $5 now to buy equivalent food in practice.

[taneq]

I’m always intrigued by the apparent total disconnect between official inflation figures and observed cost of living. Our weekly groceries have doubled over the past 3-4 years but inflation is in the low single digits so what’s it measuring, exactly? The answer, of course, is “whatever the current administration wants it to.”

[mattnewton]

Inflation is a tricky measure to understand intuitively because, as a rate of change it can compound faster than you think, and, as measured it is basically always a lagging number. 9-10% inflation compounding over 3-4 years is going to be nearly 50% increases in prices, and 100% in something like 7 I think.

Official food inflation numbers put out by the US gov after Covid rocketed up to (a very unflattering) over 11% by mid 2022, and have only very recently gone back down to reasonable numbers, meaning you saw large increases in food prices that have only recently stopped increasing. (I don’t think the current administration would want to put out those numbers before the midterms if they were cooking the books).

[Isamu]

Inflation is the change in the Consumer Price Index, calculated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. They explain the difficulty in representing accurate cost of living:

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/questions-and-answers.htm

>The CPI frequently is called a cost-of-living index, but it differs in important ways from a complete cost-of-living measure. We use a cost-of-living framework in making practical decisions about questions that arise in constructing the CPI. A cost-of-living index is a conceptual measurement goal, however, and not a straightforward alternative to the CPI. A cost-of-living index would measure changes over time in the amount that consumers need to spend to reach a certain utility level or standard of living. Both the CPI and a cost-of-living index would reflect changes in the prices of goods and services, such as food and clothing that are directly purchased in the marketplace; but a complete cost-of-living index would go beyond this role to also take into account changes in other governmental or environmental factors that affect consumers' well-being. It is very difficult to determine the proper treatment of public goods, such as safety and education, and other broad concerns, such as health, water quality, and crime, that would constitute a complete cost-of-living framework. Since the CPI does not attempt to quantify all the factors that affect the cost-of-living, it is sometimes termed a conditional cost-of-living index.

[lxgr]

> what’s it measuring, exactly?

Many things, the majority of which are not food.

While I also find grocery prices in the US extremely bewildering/concerning (why are they so damn expensive!?), I think it does make some sense to benchmark more than just food.

For example, consider a hypothetical world in which grocery prices doubled but cost of housing for some reason halved – would you say that that's high or low inflation?

[ryao]

I got tired of this so I started shopping at a local Aldi. It is amazing how much higher food prices are at other stores. They make Walmart look expensive, even when looking at Walmart’s store brand.

[Mountain_Skies]

According to the White House, food inflation over the past year was just 0.3%, as that's the number they used to adjust SNAP (food stamp) benefits. Wonder how many low income votes that cost to keep rosy numbers in the press.

[polynomial]

Makes no sense to have a CPI that just confirms what consumers are already feeling. Rather it should serve as a rebuke to personal experience: data don't lie, you're imagining things.

[rat87]

Do you have any evidence for your claim or is it just a conspiracy theory? Of course the new administration will try to cook stats, hopefully the bureaucracy can resist them. Inflation measurements describe what they measure in detail. Food inflation isn't necessarily the same as overall inflation.

[nutrifiedrock9]

It's also important to consider where they live, the price of food can vary wildly depending on where you live, so adjust accordingly to your local general food-prices.

[29athrowaway]

Around $3.30

[bugbuddy]

So in a few years this will be about $3.50.