Inflation is everywhere...

Well, I know that inflation is something that happens, and that it's part of our society, our money cannot remain the same "value" forever, and as well, costs increase for transport of food or whatnot, but it's just annoying to see it as a student.

I found out that they raised their prices yesterday at my favourite place downtown for Chinese food - U & Me Restaurant... My favourite dish of beef brisket on rice noodles, normally going for $6.25 is now at $6.75. Another restaurant I like is Kam Ho, and their prices have also raised, but I cannot recall a specific example, since I don't go there often.

That, and then we have my favourite breakfast place, Resto du village, which has had two price increases to "offset inflation" over the past two years... The same breakfast that I had two years ago (3 eggs, one choice of meat, home fries, toast, coffee) used to go for $4.10 (or $4.00 - I don't quite recall). Last year, the price went up to $4.30, and then this year, the price jumped to $4.50.

It's not that I'm annoyed with inflation. What I'm annoyed with is that as a student, they don't index your loans in the same manner that the prices go up. As a student, I already go for cheap eats, and I rarely (if ever) go and have fancy meals at elaborate restaurants, and it's just annoying that the cheap eats are not as cheap as they once were.

I'm also annoyed that the rate the inflation goes up is not the same as the rate that pay goes up. I rarely hear people getting "cost of living adjustment" on their jobs. Some get bonuses, but they are not big ones, or cost of living bonus (or whatever it is called). But it's more rare and rare nowadays... This appears to be the beginning of a big problem.

I suppose this ties into the recent study (maybe three to four months ago), where they found that the rich are getting richer in Canada, and the poor are getting poorer? This is never a good sign... This seems to indicate, at least in my opinion, the beginning of the disappearance of the middle class. And I can just imagine that if this continues, and nothing is done, it'll be a pretty serious consequence when our middle class completely disappears.