The price you pay for almost everything is going up. The Consumer Price Index made its largest jump in almost 20 years during the month of June. This as state economist are trying to Estimate how much tax revenue will be collected. Some people are cutting back just to eat.
Shoe Time sells footwear and women’s accessories. Elliot Monroe began working at the store in January. Since then sales have slowed.
“When I first got here business was between 10-thousand to 15- thousand maybe even more within a week’s time. Now we’re making maybe 7-thousand dollars a week.”
Despite discounted prices and huge sale signs posted throughout the store. But, Sabrina Webster is buying less.
“Before I would buy maybe three or four pairs of shoes a month. Now I only buy one.”
Shoes aren’t the only commodity people aren’t buying. A recent study found nine out of every 10 Americans are cutting back... to met the demands of four dollars a gallon gas and high prices.
The Consumer Price Index grew by a percentage point in June… It’s been 17 years since the Index rose that fast. FSU business professor Wayne Hochwarter says while prices are up, pay checks aren’t.
“There’s no raises, so this real distance between what things cost and what folks are bringing in continues to grow.”
The numbers are proof four dollar a gallon gas is hurting every business shipping goods across the country. Food prices have skyrocketed. Some people are cutting back just to eat.
“Things that use to be a dollar, a dollar fifty, are now three dollars, four dollars, like sandwich meat lunch meat, stuff like that. Bread’s even gotten expensive.”
Floridians spending less means sales tax collections will tank. The state has already slashed five billion dollars from the budget.