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Kitchen Table Kibitzing April 12, 2026 [1]

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Date: 2026-04-12  

Up and up

Inflation and the war are major topics around many kitchen tables right now.They are, of course, connected.

I chose 1950 as a measure since I was already earning money delivering papers and becoming aware of prices.

“Since 1950, US consumer prices have risen by over 1,250%, with an average annual inflation rate of approximately 3.5%. A $1,000 purchase in 1950 would cost over $13,500 today, reflecting a roughly 93% loss in the dollar's purchasing power.”

At 3.5% inflation isn’t so obvious in the short run. But the older one gets, the measure becomes more and more obvious. This jumped out at me recently when I saw a candy bar in the store, similar in size to what I used to buy for 5 cents. It was $2.99.

I remember talking to an old gardener when we first moved to California 50+ years ago. He told me that he used to cut, split, and stack a cord of firewood, and receive $3 in pay.

A while ago it was the price of eggs; now it’s gasoline. Today’s paper points out that the average new car price just hit $50K. My first new car, a Volvo 544, cost me $2,300 in 1963. Now…..New Volvo sedans currently start in the low $40,000s to the high $50,000s.

But not all is lost. Continued efficiencies in manufacturing have kept tech, such as TVs, from seeing high price increases. Whip Inflation Now. Buy more TVs.

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