Discussion How have your spending habits changed under Trump?

[Brainonska511]

Grab me a nice Oceanus. Japan has all the purty(er) models.

Some of those look quite nice, though might be out of what I'm looking to spend. Probably going to just find a Seiko. Don't need anything too expensive - just looking for a nice-ish everyday watch

 

[thestrangebrew1]

We just got off the call with our lobbyist/grant procurement folks (I work in local government) giving them our "wishlist" for some money to go after this year and they said pretty much everything from the feds is a crapshoot right now. They don't know what's going to remain being funded or what's going to be available to go after. At the state level, there's still funds in parks & rec type stuff and housing/economic development but even then the state is starting to tighten up their criteria.

My daughter will start driving in a few months and we thought about trying to get a car but decided against it. She can drive one of our cars and I can ride my bike to work if needed when she starts driving.

 

[MrSquished]

Costco gets soooo much of my business. I used to go every other week but have longer betweens lately but seldom go over a month. They have refused to cancel their DEI cred, BTW. I have an Executive Membership, which costs twice the usual and I'm the only one that uses it. Around a year ago they approached me at the register and said my data shows I'd benefit (get extra cash back). I took their word for it. I went in there the other day and noticed that most of the clothes I had on I bought there: Socks, pants, shirt, underwear, vest. I get a whole lot of my food there, fresh produce, and packaged. I have been good at buying in bulk for years.

Yeah my family and I are scoping out the whole store to see where we can shop there more - everything we buy there is less we buy at Whole Foods or some other most likely less than ethical company.

We've always loved shopping at Costco for a couple decades as they have always been know to treat their employees far better than any other competitor - to the point that Wall Street bitches at them because they just want more profit, fuck the workers.

 

[skyking]

Taking the big plunge, you gonna get it done this summer?

I have no set schedule. As soon as I make a regimented thing like that, the fun goes right out of it.

 

[skyking]

And at least Costco rejected the anti-DEI bullshit.

we shopped at Coscto for most things, but we are all in after that. I loved the statement they released on it.

 

[compcons]

I bought a used car on Tuesday. My old car was fine, but I wasn't sure how it would have been in a year or two. I would have waited 3 months to a year if it wasn't for tarrif uncertainty.

 

[nakedfrog]

I just made the final payment on my car, so that's nice for me. Hopefully not to ever have a payment again, but this was only at 2% so I didn't feel too bad about making payments.

 

[Muse]

Yeah my family and I are scoping out the whole store to see where we can shop there more - everything we buy there is less we buy at Whole Foods or some other most likely less than ethical company.

We've always loved shopping at Costco for a couple decades as they have always been know to treat their employees far better than any other competitor - to the point that Wall Street bitches at them because they just want more profit, fuck the workers.

I go into Whole Foods once in a while and the ONLY thing I ever buy there for years is organic whole wheat flour in 5lb bags. They have the best price on that I know of. In January it was $7.09/bag and I bought 2 bags.

Costco's cool with the free samples. I hit on most. I come out of there feeling like I've eaten 1/2 a meal a lot of times. Can't go too early though because they set up late in the morning. Lately if you go too late, no eggs! I think it might be getting better now, though. Twice in a row a couple months ago or so, no eggs. But I went early 2 weeks ago just to make sure I got eggs (I'd called them, which is super cool, you can call and ask if they have an item and they will look it up on their system and tell you and how many they have, I've done that lots of times). They said yeah they have eggs but they run out by the afternoon. I scored 24 pasture raised organic eggs for $8.99 on March 18.

 

[eelw]

(I'd called them, which is super cool, you can call and ask if they have an item and they will look it up on their system and tell you and how many they have, I've done that lots of times). They said yeah they have eggs but they run out by the afternoon. I scored 24 pasture raised organic eggs for $8.99 on March 18.

Install the app. There’s a store inventory search. Apparently been available in US for like half a year. It’s slowly being released here in Canada this last month

 

[Muse]

we shopped at Coscto for most things, but we are all in after that. I loved the statement they released on it.

I heard about it some but didn't see released statement. Is that online? A google search got the AI generated response:

In January 2025, Costco's board of directors publicly reaffirmed its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, rejecting a shareholder proposal to evaluate and potentially curtail these programs, and emphasizing the value of a diverse workforce and inclusive culture for its success.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Costco's Response to Anti-DEI Pushback:
  Costco's board of directors unanimously urged shareholders to reject a proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), a conservative think tank, which sought a financial risk analysis of Costco's DEI initiatives, claiming they could lead to "illegal discrimination".
  
  
• • Board's Statement and Reasoning:
    In a statement, Costco's board stated that its commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is "appropriate and necessary," and that the requested report would not provide meaningful additional information to shareholders.
    
  • Shareholder Vote:
    Costco shareholders overwhelmingly voted down the proposal, with more than 98% of shares voting against it.
    
  • Costco's DEI Principles:
    Costco's board emphasized that a diverse workforce fosters "creativity and innovation in the merchandise and services that we offer" and leads to greater customer satisfaction.
    
  • Focus on Inclusion and Respect:
    Costco's board stated that inclusion is critical to making its employees feel valued and respected and that it welcomes diverse members from "all walks of life and backgrounds" because it drives greater employee satisfaction and enhances company "originality and creativity".
    
  • Costco's Mission:
    Costco's mission states that the organization is vested in "doing the right thing—for our members, our employees, our suppliers, our communities, and the environment".
    
  • Contrast with Other Companies:
    Costco's decision to stand by its DEI policies contrasts with the positions taken by other major consumer brands that have backed away from DEI initiatives.

 

[Muse]

Install the app. There’s a store inventory search. Apparently been available in US for like half a year. It’s slowly being released here in Canada this last month

I'd think it would work best if you have Costco's item ID number. I don't always have that but the receipts you get from them have it for every item you buy. I always enter the data from the receipts in my personal data when I get home using a laptop, but I don't usually include the item ID, only rarely. But if I have any of the item at home the ID is usually on the packaging.

A neat thing is that you can call or go up to a service kiosk at Costco and they can tell you where an item is (and how many they have) or get somebody to find it and if they don't have it they can tell you when they expect it or if it's been discontinued. They can also look and see if other Costco warehouses have the item. One time I wanted flashlights from them, they were LED and took a couple AA batteries and I drove around the Bay Area and bought several of them! I still have a bunch around the house! There's much better these days but those are still useful, the beam is bright! Must have been close to 20 years ago.

 

[Muse]

Install the app. There’s a store inventory search. Apparently been available in US for like half a year. It’s slowly being released here in Canada this last month

I wonder if you can do that on a PC. I'm going to grab it for my Android Pixel 8, but I use my Windows 10 laptop a whole lot more.

Edit: Went to install it and found it was already installed on my phone! I haven't looked at it before. There's a lot of advertising, have to find where I can hunt for item I want. So far, it's not working. Maybe if I enter the item ID...

 

[eelw]

I wonder if you can do that on a PC. I'm going to grab it for my Android Pixel 8, but I use my Windows 10 laptop a whole lot more.

Edit: Went to install it and found it was already installed on my phone! I haven't looked at it before. There's a lot of advertising, have to find where I can hunt for item I want. So far, it's not working. Maybe if I enter the item ID...

You can look up old orders on your account. So you’ll get the item numbers to search for

 

[Muse]

You can look up old orders on your account. So you’ll get the item numbers to search for

Yeah, they've got all that in their system. You don't have to bring your receipt when you return items, they can look it up, see what you paid for it and credit you.

 

[DaaQ]

Here's The List Of Countries Trump Plans To Hit With Tariffs​

China - 34%
European Union - 20%
Vietnam - 46%
Taiwan - 32%
Japan - 24%
India - 26%
South Korea - 25%
Thailand - 36%
Switzerland - 31%
Indonesia - 32%
Malaysia - 24%
Cambodia - 49%
United Kingdom - 10%
South Africa - 30%
Brazil - 10%
Bangladesh - 37%
Singapore - 10%
Israel - 17%
Philippines - 17%
Chile - 10%
Australia - 10%
Pakistan - 29%
Turkey - 10%
Sri Lanka - 44%
Colombia - 10%
Peru - 10%
Nicaragua - 18%
Norway - 15%
Costa Rica - 10%
Jordan - 20%
Dominican Republic - 10%
United Arab Emirates - 10%
New Zealand - 10%
Argentina - 10%
Ecuador - 10%
Guatemala - 10%
Honduras - 10%
Madagascar - 47%
Myanmar (Burma) - 44%
Tunisia - 28%
Kazakhstan - 27%
Egypt - 10%
Saudi Arabia - 10%
El Salvador - 10%
Cote d’Iovire - 21%
Laos - 48%
Trinidad and Tobago - 10%
Morocco - 10%
Algeria - 30%
Oman - 10%
Uruguay - 10%
Bahamas - 10%
Lesotho - 50%
Ukraine - 10%
Bahrain - 10%
Qatar - 10%
Mauritius - 40%
Fiji - 32%
Iceland - 10%
Kenya - 10%
Liechtenstein - 37%
Guyana - 38%
Haiti - 10%
Bosnia and Herzegovina - 35%
Nigeria - 14%
Namibia - 21%
Brunei - 24%
Bolivia - 10%
Panama - 10%
Venezuela -15%
North Macedonia - 33%
Ethiopia - 10%
Ghana -10%
Serbia - 37%
Botswana - 37%

This is just weird, what do we import from some of these countries? Like Columbia? gonna tax JR's coke? Pakistan, going to tax the heroin?

Very interesting what is not on the list.

Since I am a federal employee of the United States, I'm not buying anything that is not absolutely necessary. I doubt I will still have a job in a few months, and after nearly 20 years in public sector I'm not sure what I will do.

Hang in there, and best of luck.
Always go private sector /s Top line is in earnest.

I met americans... the ones you mentioned are mostly republicans and young people. And the ones who reach South America are at least smarter than the average joe.

You mean wealthier.

What is changing for me is that I am becoming more of a vegetarian. I looked at some tiny pieces of meat today that were fifteen dollars and saw a six pack of Coke that was like $8.66. I used to get a dime for 5 empty bottles when I was a kid and get a full one suspended in ice water for that dime. Of course I could also buy a silver dime for ten cents in real copper. Costco also sells Wagyu for an astronomical sum. It's 20 dollars a chicken to make a cup of broth. When I was a kid stores couldn't give away fish and my Dad and I could actually safely eat the ones we could catch. I wish I could eat mussels but we used them as bate. This reminds me of a time when I wanted to buy some striped bass and noticed the flesh was full of worms. I checked carefully. When I took it back the butcher said it wasn't worms but fish cancer. I guess he thought eating fish full of cancer made it a choice cut.

Life is fun. With oyster sauce and shiitake mushrooms you can explore a world of Chineese vegetables. Like I said, life is fun.

When one door closes another opens. A saying

PS: Not sure if Trump has anything at all to do with the price of meat and that 37% tariff on Liechtenstein is just outrageous. Things get worse and we'll need three f's to spell tariff.

Of course he is responsible. He created so much uncertainty, and gave a wide open door to gouge. We do import beef from Aus. It mostly goes into ground products to lean it up.

He gave all Corps free reign excuse to raise prices. Or actually shrinkflation. Maxwell house Columbian coffee, was IIRC 10 bucks, for 24.6 OZ. they made the containers "look" larger, actually taller, it was noticeable. Dollar General forgot to change the stickers on shelves, because the newer containers are 23.1 or 23.4 OZ and 16 dollars. And this happened after November , not recently.

 

[nisryus]

I usually don't spend a lot and tried to save as much as I could. Hence we only gone on any trip every two years.

Not sure what took over me, but I booked a trip to Japan last month and bought the kid a used car and shipped it to him earlier this year. Totally not my normal spending habit!

*We went to NY last year, and should have skipped going any trip this year.

Oh well, I guess i am doomed now. Bye bye my saving. Time to revisit my college diet - instant ramen everyday.

 

[Brainonska511]

If her program doesn't give her an educational stipend for equipment, we'll probably try to buy one soon from in-US stock.

And it turns out my wife's residency doesn't have a technology stipend, so we ordered a Macbook Air M4/512GB SSD/16GB RAM from the local Micro Center. Not going to wait to see what the prices go to once the insane taxes go into effect.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Snagged 48 rolls of toilet paper to pad out our existing stash.

Saw a few people at the store the other day walking out with big packs of TP as well.

 

[MtnMan]

And the unspoken, who's going to do the home remodeling, the roofs, the flooring. Just locked up 37 roofers in the Seattel area.

Or pick the produce, or do any of the jobs Amurkans won't do?

 

[Brainonska511]

Or pick the produce, or do any of the jobs Amurkans won't do?

Or how about "who's going to grow all the produce that can't be grown in the US, but Americans love to consume"? Good luck growing bananas and coffee in the US; or having year-round access to fresh fruits.

Let's go back to the 1950s where people were eating tons of canned goods, because produce was much more seasonal. A great time to be living in.

 

[MtnMan]

Yeah my family and I are scoping out the whole store to see where we can shop there more - everything we buy there is less we buy at Whole Foods or some other most likely less than ethical company.

We've always loved shopping at Costco for a couple decades as they have always been know to treat their employees far better than any other competitor - to the point that Wall Street bitches at them because they just want more profit, fuck the workers.

We only have Sam's Club. The closest Costco is an hour away. I have had a Costco membership in the past, and that was simply because of variety.
I have the Plus Sam's membership, so I get cash back on purchases, which has always been more than the membership fee.

What we buy at the local grocery chain is stuff that we can't get at Sam's. Also building some stocks of long shelf life items or nonperishables, TP being one of those items. Plus, right now I prefer Sam's. The scan-n-go app, and free curbside pickup, go a long way to make it easy to shop from Sam's. With their new AI door checker, there isn't even the line for delay when exiting, just keep walking.

 

[Brainonska511]

Yeah my family and I are scoping out the whole store to see where we can shop there more - everything we buy there is less we buy at Whole Foods or some other most likely less than ethical company.

We've always loved shopping at Costco for a couple decades as they have always been know to treat their employees far better than any other competitor - to the point that Wall Street bitches at them because they just want more profit, fuck the workers.

I'm surprised that as a NJer, you don't use ShopRite, given that it is a retail cooperative with stores owned by different people and most of them unionized.

 

[iRONic]

We rebalanced the wife's 401k buckets at the same time we did our pre-purchases listed above.

Running the numbers this morning were eye-popping! Reducing the company stock % bucket contribution saved our asses! It was a $20k haircut. She was apoplectic until she saw what the number was if she didn’t cut the percentage.

 

[MtnMan]

We don't have the space (steep heavily wooded lot), nor do I have the energy to plant a garden, which I regret as that would be a good hedge on what is coming.

I do expect to make many more trips to the farmers market. Local produce will be coming in about the time it starts getting ugly. It will likely cost more (supply/demand) but it will help the local farmers, plus it's a higher quality.

 

[gothuevos]

I usually don't spend a lot and tried to save as much as I could. Hence we only gone on any trip every two years.

Not sure what took over me, but I booked a trip to Japan last month and bought the kid a used car and shipped it to him earlier this year. Totally not my normal spending habit!

*We went to NY last year, and should have skipped going any trip this year.

Oh well, I guess i am doomed now. Bye bye my saving. Time to revisit my college diet - instant ramen everyday.

Don't forget the hot sauce packets from Taco Bell.