Much has been said about employment and housing with regards to economic recovery . However, as important as these items are, one should not forget consumer spending. While it is good for one’s personal economy to cut back on consumer spending, it does tend to cause problems for the wider economy, since 2/3 of our economy is dependent on the spending that you and I do . Gas prices can impact how much we spend in other areas of our lives, and they can impact general feelings about and confidence in the economy. James Surowiecki points this out in The …read more

Ok, now these fuel prices are really getting on my nerves. According to this article, the price of beer is increasing in Germany now too. I’ve already seen a 30% increase in the price of a case of beer here, I don’t really need higher prices combined with the current exchange rate for my next trip.
Unfortunately, the combination of fuel prices, the housing crisis in the US and UK, and the slumping dollar appear to be finally taking their toll on other economies. Stock markets have been reeling, a number of other currencies are vulnerable, and growth appears likely to …read more

According to this article, the airlines are about to be hit – hard – by fuel prices and a host of other factors which have increased costs significantly. According to that report, fares may increase 30-40 percent before it’s all over.
What I don’t understand is why everybody is acting as though this is a surprise. Since I fly pretty much to the same place all the time, I’m pretty aware of airfares for that particular route. The truth is, those airfares have changed very little over the past twenty years or so, even as the price of fuel, wages, food, …read more