My wife’s family from England came to Canada and one of the things they complained about was the cost of everything. It wasn’t just the taxes and tip at the till that they struggled with, it was the overall cost of everything. This completely surprised me because on trips to England I have consistently found that country to be one of the most expensive places to visit after converting from Canadian to Pounds (or Euros).

However, I’m not surprised. I’ve been shocked by prices too. A pack of chicken that used to cost $12-$13 pre-Covid is now $18-$20. Two bags of groceries that used to cost $50-$70 now routinely costs $100-$120. I can’t remember the last time I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items and didn’t spend $100?

Hearing them complain about the cost of food made me realize just how acclimatized I’ve become to the new prices. We mostly shop at No Frills, which is a Loblaw Company.

Their stock price has more than doubled since 2021. Stock dividends are up. And a quick look shows profits in retail up 4.4% on 3.4% growth this quarter… so maybe it’s just my non-economic math brain but that looks to me like they’ve bled consumers of an extra 1% profit.

I honestly don’t know how anyone working a low hourly wage job can support a family these days? This is why companies like Uber can get drivers, because so many people need a gig-economy second job to make ends meet. The cost of basic living has skyrocketed, and I can foresee quite a few people struggling who would not have just a few years ago.

When I was in England in 2018, I had to stop converting from Euros to Canada dollars because it was ruining my holiday thinking about the cost of everything. Hearing our English relatives complain about Canadian prices has been a wake up call as to just how expensive things have gotten here. While I can pretend a Euro is a dollar on a short vacation and just pay a bit more while vacationing, it’s really hard to accept these inflated prices on a day-to-day basis here at home.