The Pain Cometh

This post will detail the amazing appreciation we've seen in almost all, dollar-denominated foodstuffs. First, however, if you haven't had an opportunity to listen to the Wicked Witch's latest message, you can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et02g9OQ-LM
Pay particular attention to her forecast of resistance levels in silver this week.

Next, take a look at these two charts which I lifted from ZH today. First, this chart details the stunning drop in the Dow Jones index when compared to the price of silver. Simply breathtaking:

Then, as a lead-in to our commodity discussion, take a look at how the various commodity sectors have performed over the past five years:

OK, to the business at hand. The Turd has had a busy day. This morning, I decided to head out to the mall. First, I needed some gas because, once again, Mrs. Ferguson left my car almost on "E":

Holy cow! I paid $3.46/gallon. A fillup cost me $55! From there I stopped at Starbucks for a little caffeine jolt to soothe the headache that I got at the gas station:

I didn't want to pay $5 for a coffee but I definitely needed it. After a short drive, I arrived at the mall. My intention was to buy three new shirts. However, when I saw the prices of the shirts, I could only afford to purchase two:

Disgusted and frustrated, I took the change I received from the clerk and headed to the food court for some lunch. I was hungry for a couple of tacos and, maybe, some nachos. Not happening. I had to pick one or the other. I did not have money for both:

Out of money, I couldn't stop at Mrs. Field's on the way out. This really bummed me out. I was really looking forward to a little treat. As I headed home, I had a better idea. Perhaps Little Turd #1 and I could make some cookies ourselves. That would be fun! Mrs. Ferguson informed me that I'd have to stop at the grocery store, though, because we were missing a few ingredients. We needed some sugar:

And some flour:

Holy smokes, I thought. Those two are sure more expensive than I remember them being. Oh well, I headed to the next aisle for some chocolate chips:

Whoa, that caught me by surprise, too. That was nothing, however, compared to the unpleasant shock I received when I reached the dairy section. I needed some milk and some butter and look what I found:

 "What the heck is going on here?", I exclaimed...loud enough for others nearby to hear and begin sheltering their children away from me.
I'd had enough of this shopping nonsense. I'd set out for the mall to buy three shirts but I only got two. I wanted tacos and nachos but had to settle for just the tacos (probably just as well anyway). I was expecting my cookie ingredients to cost about $10, not the $20 I paid. This sucks and there's no end in sight. The Dark Lord Bernank and his willings accomplices on Capitol Hill and Wall Street have done this to us. It is only going to get worse.

What can you do? Frankly, not much but you can prepare. In its simplest form, preparation means buying more of what you need today, while prices are still relatively low (relative to next year at this time). When you buy items, buy two or three. Keep one in the pantry, store the other two in your basement or some other area. Consider buying an entire side of beef, not just piecemeal cow parts each week. Water, batteries, propane, bacon ...really almost anything you can think of will cost you a lot more in six to twelve months. Remember, the end of The Great Keynesian Experiment is upon us. The time to act is now.