Gas Prices
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,383
Likes: 1,801
From: Ohio
On the thread topic, gas prices are actually so good I am somewhat regretting the diesel car I bought vs a Prius. I wouldn't actually prefer a CVT hybrid to actually drive but man the cost to fuel would be low
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 805
Likes: 121
In case you didn't know, there are five categories of economic and financial data our Fed analyses before making their decision to leave alone, lower, or raise rates. Inflation is just one of those categories. I didn't get a degree in economics, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2025
Posts: 1,083
Likes: 202
The inconvenient truth naysayers are struggling with is that tariffs are generating $hundreds of billions to the treasury absent crippling the economy with inflation as was the narrative among naysayers.
Reality check: US exports are up. Trade deficit is down. GDP is up. Budget deficit is down.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,838
Likes: 4,107
From: Maryland
Which is exactly what you all are doing.
Nobody is denying the revenue this is bringing in, the question is who is paying into that revenue...we are as consumers. Could have just raised taxes.
We also now have countries around us making free and freer trade agreements that don't include us. Most recently between Canada and China.
Not entirely correct. US Exports are up, but its driven largely by gold and other non monetary metals. Trade defecits are not down, they have been really volatile over the last year but the trend is up, last report was 4% up YoY. GDP is up but it is largely driven by buyer consumption and investment made for AI, budget defecits are down because of tariff revenue which again amounts to a tax that American consumers pay.
The "why" is important. Look around and find data from a variety of sources and draw your own conclusions.
The inconvenient truth naysayers are struggling with is that tariffs are generating $hundreds of billions to the treasury absent crippling the economy with inflation as was the narrative among naysayers.
We also now have countries around us making free and freer trade agreements that don't include us. Most recently between Canada and China.
Reality check: US exports are up. Trade deficit is down. GDP is up. Budget deficit is down.
The "why" is important. Look around and find data from a variety of sources and draw your own conclusions.
Last edited by SW17LS; Jan 29, 2026 at 07:11 AM.
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,388
Likes: 621
From: IL
Um, no. Trade deficit was indeed down in October, but due almost solely to the movement of non-monetary gold. November figures were published today, and are a VERY different story:
source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-tr...144236696.html
Originally Posted by Reuters
The U.S. trade deficit widened by the most in nearly 34 years in November amid a surge in capital goods imports, likely driven by an artificial intelligence investment boom, which could prompt economists *to trim their economic growth estimates for the fourth quarter.
The trade gap increased 94.6% to $56.8 billion, the *Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau said on Thursday. The percentage change was the largest since March 1992. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade deficit would rise to $40.5 billion.The report was delayed because of the 43-day U.S. government shutdown. Imports jumped 5.0% to $348.9 billion. Goods *imports advanced 6.6% to $272.5 billion, with capital goods soaring $7.4 billion to a record high. They were boosted by strong gains in imports of computers and semiconductors. But imports of computer accessories decreased by $3.0 billion.
Imports of other goods were also the highest on record. Consumer goods imports increased by $9.2 billion, lifted by pharmaceutical preparations. There have been large swings in imports of pharmaceutical preparations, likely related to U.S. tariffs. *Imports of industrial supplies fell by $2.4 billion.
Exports tumbled 3.6% to $292.1 billion in November. Goods exports plunged 5.6% to $185.6 billion. They were pulled down by a decline of $6.1 billion in exports of industrial supplies and materials, reflecting decreases in non-monetary gold, other precious metals as well as crude oil, which dropped by $1.4 billion.
Consumer goods exports decreased $3.1 billion amid a decline in pharmaceutical preparations shipments.
The goods trade deficit widened 47.3% to $86.9 billion. Imports of services fell, while exports in that category were the highest on record. The deterioration in the trade deficit in November could temper economists' expectations that trade will deliver another large boost to gross domestic product in the fourth quarter.
Trade contributed to GDP growth in the second and third quarters of 2025.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting that GDP increased at a 5.4% annualized rate in the fourth quarter, though estimates from big Wall *Street banks, including Goldman Sachs, are running well below a 3.0% pace.
The trade gap increased 94.6% to $56.8 billion, the *Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau said on Thursday. The percentage change was the largest since March 1992. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the trade deficit would rise to $40.5 billion.The report was delayed because of the 43-day U.S. government shutdown. Imports jumped 5.0% to $348.9 billion. Goods *imports advanced 6.6% to $272.5 billion, with capital goods soaring $7.4 billion to a record high. They were boosted by strong gains in imports of computers and semiconductors. But imports of computer accessories decreased by $3.0 billion.
Imports of other goods were also the highest on record. Consumer goods imports increased by $9.2 billion, lifted by pharmaceutical preparations. There have been large swings in imports of pharmaceutical preparations, likely related to U.S. tariffs. *Imports of industrial supplies fell by $2.4 billion.
Exports tumbled 3.6% to $292.1 billion in November. Goods exports plunged 5.6% to $185.6 billion. They were pulled down by a decline of $6.1 billion in exports of industrial supplies and materials, reflecting decreases in non-monetary gold, other precious metals as well as crude oil, which dropped by $1.4 billion.
Consumer goods exports decreased $3.1 billion amid a decline in pharmaceutical preparations shipments.
The goods trade deficit widened 47.3% to $86.9 billion. Imports of services fell, while exports in that category were the highest on record. The deterioration in the trade deficit in November could temper economists' expectations that trade will deliver another large boost to gross domestic product in the fourth quarter.
Trade contributed to GDP growth in the second and third quarters of 2025.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve is forecasting that GDP increased at a 5.4% annualized rate in the fourth quarter, though estimates from big Wall *Street banks, including Goldman Sachs, are running well below a 3.0% pace.
Last edited by geko29; Jan 29, 2026 at 08:02 AM.
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Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,491
Likes: 386
From: ON/NY
In case you didn't know, there are five categories of economic and financial data our Fed analyses before making their decision to leave alone, lower, or raise rates. Inflation is just one of those categories. I didn't get a degree in economics, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 805
Likes: 121
Whatever.
favorite quote about economists models…
”all economic models are wrong, but some are useful”
speaking of wrong, paul krugman has a pretty much unblemished record of being wrong. whatever credentials he has show it doesn’t necessarily give someone great insight.
fed chairpersons are masters of saying nothing. powell just talked about being ‘surprised’ how resilient the economy is and how low inflation has stayed, despite tariffs.
that’s crazy.
by electric heating i assume you mean a heat pump, but where you are those don’t work effectively in real cold and then the electrical heating elements come on (ka-ching).
do you still have that ancient huge a/c system?
it’s right on your bill
”all economic models are wrong, but some are useful”
speaking of wrong, paul krugman has a pretty much unblemished record of being wrong. whatever credentials he has show it doesn’t necessarily give someone great insight.
We put 6mil sheeting over all his windows and have been taking step to try and get the heat to stay in the house but electric heating is just insanely pricey.
it’s right on your bill
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,383
Likes: 1,801
From: Ohio
favorite quote about economists models…
”all economic models are wrong, but some are useful”
speaking of wrong, paul krugman has a pretty much unblemished record of being wrong. whatever credentials he has show it doesn’t necessarily give someone great insight.
fed chairpersons are masters of saying nothing. powell just talked about being ‘surprised’ how resilient the economy is and how low inflation has stayed, despite tariffs.
that’s crazy.
by electric heating i assume you mean a heat pump, but where you are those don’t work effectively in real cold and then the electrical heating elements come on (ka-ching).
do you still have that ancient huge a/c system?
it’s right on your bill
”all economic models are wrong, but some are useful”
speaking of wrong, paul krugman has a pretty much unblemished record of being wrong. whatever credentials he has show it doesn’t necessarily give someone great insight.
fed chairpersons are masters of saying nothing. powell just talked about being ‘surprised’ how resilient the economy is and how low inflation has stayed, despite tariffs.
that’s crazy.
by electric heating i assume you mean a heat pump, but where you are those don’t work effectively in real cold and then the electrical heating elements come on (ka-ching).
do you still have that ancient huge a/c system?
it’s right on your bill
Hey now it's only a 4 ton and I actually got my old R22 unit fully back up to spec. I have a 28* delta and 44* register temps now, power usage went down dramatically as well and according to the amp clamp a brand new unit of seer 24 would only save me 20-30% power usage. It also will not be that cold so payoff would be like 10+ years and I'm not sure it will last that long.....newer stuff dies so often it's nuts.
If my compressor didn't give perfect numbers I would have replaced it though, but since it's operating within 2% of a new unit we ride it out till death. Condenser fan is refreshed, caps are refreshed (the 30+ year old one is framed and on display now) and internal fan+motor is also new and all that refreshed. Also made sure the furnace is happy/no heat exchanger cracks etc and I replaced some of the PCV exhaust vent piping.
Last summer on a 93* day I asked it for 60* and it delivered quickly and without having to be at 100% duty cycle. I'm happy with that!
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 805
Likes: 121
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,383
Likes: 1,801
From: Ohio
Unless you have a brand new house with perfect insulation you will just pay 2-3x vs gas every time. People don't understand that more efficient doesn't equal cheaper, 94-97% efficient gas furnaces both don't care how cold it is outside and a therm of gas is so cheap it doesn't matter if you have subpar insulation.
His insulation is very poor relatively speaking, he does have batts in the walls and double pane windows but that's about it. The heat pump is absolutely unable to keep up in -5 conditions so he is basically pure resistive at any temp under 30
Weather like this is when the heat pumps need assistance of a pellet stove or gas emergency heat to stay useful.
Last edited by Striker223; Jan 30, 2026 at 08:52 PM.