Here’s a REAL inflation report for you.
I’m pissed off about every bit of this except the price of gasoline and chicken.
Now, before you think I’ve lost my mind, let me show you what’s cooking in my little spreadsheet of truth.
You see, we decided to compare prices for everyday stuff — the kind of things folks like you and me actually buy — from 2024 to 2025. We’re talking about chicken legs, ground beef, milk, bread, Big Macs, tires, and tools. You know… the basics that keep a family fed and a small business running.
And when we tallied it up, the math slapped us right in the face:
Prices have gone up more than 11% in just twelve months.
Here’s the data (likely to piss you off, too):
|
Item |
2024 Price ($) |
2025 Price ($) |
Dollar Change ($) |
Percent Change (%) |
|
Chicken Legs (lb) |
1.79 |
1.8 |
0.01 |
0.56 |
|
Ground Beef (lb) |
5.59 |
6.63 |
1.04 |
18.6 |
|
Big Mac |
5.29 |
5.79 |
0.5 |
9.45 |
|
Eggs (dozen) |
3.17 |
3.59 |
0.42 |
13.25 |
|
Milk (gallon) |
3.86 |
4.17 |
0.31 |
8.03 |
|
Bread (loaf) |
1.9 |
2.1 |
0.2 |
10.53 |
|
Gasoline (gallon) |
3.22 |
3.12 |
-0.1 |
-3.11 |
|
Coffee (lb) |
6.32 |
8.87 |
2.55 |
40.35 |
|
Cheddar Cheese (lb) |
5.55 |
6.12 |
0.57 |
10.27 |
|
Automobile Tires (each) |
223 |
240 |
17 |
7.62 |
|
Steel (per ton) |
2965 |
2653 |
-312 |
-10.52 |
|
Aluminum (per lb) |
1.3 |
1.38 |
0.08 |
6.15 |
|
Plywood 3/4″ 4×8 sheet |
49.88 |
65.65 |
15.77 |
31.62 |
|
Automotive Paint (gallon) |
120 |
135 |
15 |
12.5 |
|
Average Percent Change: |
11.094 |
Meanwhile, the geniuses up in Washington, D.C. — or as I like to call it, Fedzilla Headquarters — keep telling us inflation is only 3%. Well, that’s about as believable as a politician promising to balance the budget.
If you’re a small business owner like me, you already know the truth.
You’re paying more for everything — steel, tires, insurance, tools, parts, and people. And you can’t print money like Fedzilla does. You have to earn it, pay taxes on it, and pray there’s enough left over to keep your business afloat.
The Real-World Price Report
Here’s what the “Tony Bass Inflation Index” says:
- Ground beef jumped from $5.59 to $6.63 — that’s an 18.6% increase.
- Eggs went up 13%.
- Milk up 8%.
- A Big Mac (for crying out loud) went up almost 10%.
And that’s before we even talk about mower blades, oil filters, or a gallon of paint!
Now, I get it — prices go up. That’s normal. But when the cost of living jumps more than 11% while the official reports say “everything’s fine,” I call that what it is — a lie dressed in a fancy chart.
How Fedzilla Fakes the Numbers
Fedzilla’s “official inflation rate” ignores a whole bunch of real-world stuff. They tweak the formula, adjust for “quality improvements,” and magically decide that if steak is too expensive, you’ll just buy bologna. Problem solved!
It’s like telling a landscaper, “Don’t worry about that 11% jump in fertilizer costs — just use less grass seed.” That ain’t how it works in the real world, fellas.
When inflation hits double digits, everything breaks down — profits, savings, and morale. And it’s the small business owners — the heroes who actually hire people and pay taxes — who take it on the chin. Meanwhile, the Fed folks in $3,000 suits keep patting themselves on the back for “managing the economy.”
The Landscaping Analogy
Imagine this: You’re mowing a 10-acre property, and halfway through, the customer says, “Hey, my budget didn’t grow this year, but could you mow 11% faster and charge me the same?”
That’s exactly what’s happening to business owners across America.
We’re working harder, paying more, and keeping less.
And Fedzilla’s economists, with their “seasonally adjusted” nonsense, are standing around like they’ve solved the problem.
What We Can Do About It
I’m not here to cry in my sweet tea — I’m here to rally the troops.
When you see prices rising, don’t hide from it. Raise your prices intelligently. Use my Price Right Formula and make sure your margins stay healthy. Because if you don’t protect your profit, Fedzilla sure won’t.
And for heaven’s sake — don’t believe everything you hear on the nightly news, Tik Tok, Facebook or X.
They’re selling you comfort and conflict, not truth. The truth is that inflation is real, it’s rampant, and it’s wrecking working families.
So yeah, I’m pissed off about every bit of this except the price of gasoline and chicken — because that’s about the only thing that hasn’t jumped off the chart.
The rest of it? It’s proof that small business owners are carrying this country on their backs while Washington fiddles and the Fed cooks the books.
If you’re feeling squeezed, it’s not your imagination.
It’s inflation — the silent thief — and Fedzilla is letting it rob you blind.
Do me a favor.
Hit reply and tell me what you think.
Have you done your research like I have…or do you think inflation is really 3%?
Happy Landscaping!
Tony Bass, founder
866.923.0027
PS – Stop by our booths at the Equip Expo next week in Louisville, KY and say hello! We will have trucks in inside booths #5210 and #30054 (hardscape area), and trucks in our outdoor booth #5117-D. Hope to see you there!
