Costco seems a lot more crowded lately

[Dave Hess]

The economy is consumer driven and from I can tell by me the consumer can't stop spending. Stores, restaurants are packed. I'm in Vegas now it's a zoo so I ask what recession I personally don't see it.

Understood. What are the balances of these peoples credit cards ?

70% of our GDP is consumer spending, some have zero intentions of paying off their credit cards.

I know couple that were going to get divorced and they racked up all the cards knowing they would simply declare bankruptcy. Breast implants, guns, furniture, jewelry, fancy hotels, fancy restaurants, etc….

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

View attachment 187291
Proof that it does happen.

My Costco has six rows of pumps which will fill cars for either side there is never less than 6 cars a lane and money times twenty.

 

[John105]

Understood. What are the balances of these peoples credit cards ?

70% of our GDP is consumer spending, some have zero intentions of paying off their credit cards.

I know couple that were going to get divorced and they racked up all the cards knowing they would simply declare bankruptcy. Breast implants, guns, furniture, jewelry, fancy hotels, fancy restaurants, etc….

I won't lie. I told my buddy if I ever go buck wild, I will be buying well north of a quarter of a million and then I'll declare bankruptcy.

He said you cannot do that. I said why not?

Long story short, unsecured creditors go to court to convert the unsecured credit into secured credit, i.e. income garnishment, attachment to one's residence, etc. But as they say....death don't have no mercy....in this land.

 

[ripcord]

I won't lie. I told my buddy if I ever go buck wild, I will be buying well north of a quarter of a million and then I'll declare bankruptcy.

He said you cannot do that. I said why not?

Long story short, unsecured creditors go to court to convert the unsecured credit into secured credit, i.e. income garnishment, attachment to one's residence, etc. But as they say....death don't have no mercy....in this land.

Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005

Congress made it a lot more difficult to file Chapter 7 and made it so that most filers have to do Chapter 13 where the filer is paying back creditors at least some of what is owed and probably has to sell some assets.

 

[jhs914]

In a discussion about school lunches that were supposed to include at least one vegetable, it is reported that Ronald Reagan thought that ketchup qualified as a vegetable.

It was the bureaucrats at the USDA that came up with the classification in response to budget cuts by congress for the school lunch program. After the regulation came to light Reagan transferred the idiot at the USDA responsible for it and had the regulation reversed. Later during the Clinton administration the same thing happened when salsa was reclassified as a vegetable. I can guarantee that neither Reagan or Clinton had any knowledge of any of this until the news media picked up on it, then they reacted to it. Never underestimate the idiocy of the Federal bureaucracy.

 

[eljefino]

Many were for commercial operations. Have you seen the size of their largest sugar? It is like a bag of rice in Asian Family eating 2 cups a meal. I've never seen non commercial buyer buy 5 gals of syrup or shortening at a time either (I think those are in the bakery section under the pastry table).

Those huge jugs of food aren't even for restaurants-- they're just decorations to lull the moron shopper into believing they were in a bulk price = good store and EVERYTHING there is a bargain.

 

[Pew]

View attachment 187578

$2,300....oooof. I'm sticking to my easy bake oven.

 

[loneryder]

My Costco has six rows of pumps which will fill cars for either side there is never less than 6 cars a lane and money times twenty.

Oh I believe you. That’s why I took a pic of this rare event.

 

[zzyzzx]

Obligatory:

 

[wavinwayne]

Obligatory:
View attachment 187754

Just no. If my option were waiting in that line or paying double at the next station with no line, I'm paying double with no regrets.

 

[John105]

Just no. If my option were waiting in that line or paying double at the next station with no line, I'm paying double with no regrets.

I wish….yesterday I had no time to go to at costco at lunch. Not willing to do it after work and get home 1 hr + later. I have to use an app (Upside) to get $3.27 while Costco is $3.05. Without the app most gas is $3.46. I only needed 7 gal so I’m willing to pay more. But double I’d wait 3 hours in line

 

[John105]

Obligatory:
View attachment 187754

Imagine getting to your turn at the pump, only to find you forgot to renew the membership

 

[ripcord]

I've never experienced a line like that for gas at Costco. Usually one or two cars at the most and often no wait at all.

 

[zzyzzx]

I've never experienced a line like that for gas at Costco. Usually one or two cars at the most and often no wait at all.

Next time you are out of town, check out a few Costco's.

 

[TheLastWord]

Obligatory:
View attachment 187754

That Costco is due for an upgrade. Plenty of room for it. Costco gas near me all have 32 pumps ...... 8 lanes with 4 pumps each. Signal lights indicate which pumps are in use or available. Pass thru lanes between cars gassing up. Easy - peasy. Love it.

Costco is not dumb.

 

[John105]

That Costco is due for an upgrade. Plenty of room for it. Costco gas near me all have 32 pumps ...... 8 lanes with 4 pumps each. Signal lights indicate which pumps are in use or available. Pass thru lanes between cars gassing up. Love it.

Costco is not dumb.

The one in Delaware had to make do with the land. It's the worst, cars go in, they have to make their way counter-clockwise out.

The problem is, now cars have to be able to turn left into existing traffic, to get fully out--if there is gridlock, they are stuck. This means all the pumps are stuck, and people waiting for the pumps.

It was under $3 for 87 last Sunday which was sweet.

 

[zzyzzx]

The one in Delaware had to make do with the land. It's the worst, cars go in, they have to make their way counter-clockwise out.

I forgot to mention that part above, yeah that parking lot is not the best. Delaware needs another Costco.

 

[John105]

I forgot to mention that part above, yeah that parking lot is not the best. Delaware needs another Costco.

Their tire shop is always slammed...one Christmas I wanted a battery and waited about 60 minutes. It was one of those where the longer I waited, the more I didn't want to give up. But if I had known I would have come back. The guy at the desk kept apologizing and openly blamed management for not sending help. There is one guy in the tire shop that I met 2020, whom I told I want to see you as the manager one day as you have the customer service skills needed to succeed. He said he appreciated my comment and that words do matter...

 

[alarmguy]

My theory is many have given up and the ace up the sleeve is leaving nothing to heirs and charity. I might even speak the unspeakable and that would be to leave heirs with debt and expenses. People are very open these days, 80+ with home equity loans...just seems weird but I get it at the same time. And the spending is good for you and for me. When the spending stops, we could lose our jobs...

Well, you can’t really leave your heirs with debt.
You could leave them with less or no inheritance but they shouldn’t expect anything anyway.

I guess what I’m saying is I don’t see anything wrong with any creative ways to live your life with what years you have on this earth anyway that you want using your money and assets. I suspect more and more the population is feeling that way instead of obligated to leave it all to your kids or relatives..

 

[Rmay635703]

I think that story is apocryphal. If it was true, I highly doubt that decision would have risen to the level of the White House. Maybe some Agriculture or Education Dept bureaucrat at the most.

That fictional story is rooted in something that actually happened
A goal was sent from on high to cut the cost of school lunch in half but butted against nutritional requirements of the time.
The goal was likely unmet but something that did actually pass 40’s desk enshrined ketchup as being a vegetable for FDA purposes.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup_as_a_vegetable#:~:text=In%20the%20Reagan%20administration's%20attempt,vegetables%20required%20to%20meet%20minimum

Understood. What are the balances of these peoples credit cards ?

70% of our GDP is consumer spending, some have zero intentions of paying off their credit cards.

I know couple that were going to get divorced and they racked up all the cards knowing they would simply declare bankruptcy. Breast implants, guns, furniture, jewelry, fancy hotels, fancy restaurants, etc….

Lots of 7 figure folks do that, should be able to extract them down to the cloths on their back when they do.