government's calculations for inflation (CPI) are flawed

"The CPI represents changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. User fees (such as water and sewer service) and sales and excise taxes paid by the consumer are also included. Income taxes and investment items (like stocks, bonds, and life insurance) are not included."

https://www.bls.gov/cpi/overview.htm

https://www.marketplace.org/2021/11/22/whats-included-in-the-consumer-price-index-and-what-isnt/

There you have it. the CPI only includes "out-of-pockets". Big ticket items like federal and state income taxes, state and local property taxes, healthcare costs (including prescription drugs), education costs, etc. aren't included. 

why? 

Mark Twain said it all: "Figures don't lie, but liars figure." 

https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2010/Murphygovernmentcosts.html

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_twain2.JPG

public domain via wikimedia commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Public_domain

Walmart Pharmacy and GoodRx

I'm retired. I have Medicare Parts A & B and supplemental insurance. I don't have prescription insurance. 

I live in Strasburg VA where there's a Walgreen's and a locally owned pharmacy. 

I take three prescription drugs for blood pressure and one for cholesterol. Last December I paid $144.66 (using GoodRx) for a 90 day supply from Walgreen's. 

I switched to Walmart Pharmacy. Yesterday I paid $70.14 (using GoodRx) for a 90 day supply for the same four medicines at Walmart. 

LESS THAT HALF!!!

Needless to say, I'm glad that I switched to Walmart Pharmacy. Thank you, Walmart Pharmacy and GoodRx. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/walmart3/12331640945

attribution: Random Retail and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Shentel

Dear Shentel,

Don't you think that it's a bit arrogant of you (the vendor) to be telling us (the customer) that our modem must be replaced? and that if we don't rent one from you that "you (we) will be responsible for purchasing a new modem"? What if we don't want to purchase a new modem? or rent one from you? what if we don't have a problem with our internet speed?

Maybe it's time for us to switch to Comcast.

Sincerely,

Jenny and Ray Koenig 

collusion between the IRS and USPS?

My wife and I have prepared and filed our taxes for all of our married years--we've been married for 57 years.

The IRS has made it well known that they prefer tax returns submitted electronically. Returns prepared by taxpayers and mailed to the IRS go to the bottom of IRS's processing stack. 

As with past years we sent our tax 2023 tax return to the IRS via certified mail. The USPS receipt indicated that it was mailed on March 4 and would be delivered to the IRS in Kansas City, MO in four days. Since March 8 the same lame excuse has appeared on the USPS website: "Moving Through Network, in Transit to Next Facility, March 8, 2024 ... Your package will arrive later than expected, but is still on its way. It is currently in transit to the next facility." 

Something doesn't smell right. Is the USPS colluding with the IRS to hold taxpayer prepared tax returns?

That's how it looks to us.

https://live.staticflickr.com/722/21473796202_c3076cb3ea_b.jpg

attribution: mmntz and flickr

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/