Whenever possible, I go for a swim each day. In winter, I go to the Phönix – that is our Ottobrunn indoor swimming pool. And in summer, of course, I go to the Unterhaching outdoor pool. Just to the left of the way to the athletic pool, there is a bouncing castle. It has only been built a few years ago. During the last years, five minutes “bouncing” was 1 €. Yesterday, I saw that it is now 1.50 €.
To make up for it the entrance fee for swimming has been the same through 2011 and 2012. Even the big water slide into the leisure pool costs just as much as always: ZERO €. I actually do know some outdoor swimming pools where using the slide will be separately charged.
But currently, my feeling is that both the entrance fee and year-around ticket are rather inexpensive, even though a few years ago they increased them quite substantially. For early and late swimmers, for instance, the price has been climbing from 1.00 to 1.50 and then 2.00 € in record time. That means the first increase was 50 %, the second “only” 33.3 % (although in absolute numbers, it was just as much of an increase as the first).
I am sure I am now looking at the next price increase in 2013 for everybody (including the season ticket I always buy). In fact, I would strongly recommend it to our mayor, even though I am concerned myself. Swimming in Unterhaching is definitely both very cheap and very attractive. And if the bouncing castle is already 1.50…
Our “lunch canteen” Althaching right next to the Unterhaching town hall was not part of our timeline before the EURO border. This is another aspect where I am far from complaining. On the contrary: you can eat well and pay comparatively little and you get your food quite quickly. The waiting service is extremely nice. Everything is just as it should be. But here, too, the price is on the incline. We see it with the weekly specials. We used to have a 4 before the comma with a rather small number following. Then we reached the 5 and now we are approaching the 6 (we are currently at 5.90 €). Not to mention the development of prices at the much-cherished Taufkirchen – that is a municipality neighbouring Unterhaching – bakery Götz.
Doing my calculations backwards through – let us say – the last ten years, I come to the conclusion that the low official inflation rate cannot be correct. The solution, however, is apparent. Statistical authorities probably always only give you the difference between short-term time slots. Perhaps the longest interval is one year. Assuming and/or determining a price in the basket of commodities, too, could be a problem. After all, it depends on many small decisions. If you take a longer interval, the error margin will be smaller.
Now here is my advice to the gentlemen at the statistical authorities: why don’t you do the calculations for the inflation rate backwards? Because it is like a project. If you want to know what total costs a project actually caused, the only way to be precise is in retrospect.
Incidentally, I still believe fuel is quite cheap – along with beer from the supermarket. I can still get a beer crate for 10.00 €.
That means the litre is still around one Euro if you take the small case (20 bottles). And remembering that a modern Diesel car can easily cover 25 kilometres for 1.50 Euros and take 4 passengers, then this, too, seems rather cheap to me. At least compared to the S-Bahn train prices. Here, prices definitely increased by considerably more than the “official inflation rate”!
A short time ago, I had another funny experience: I wanted to book a room at a St. Gallen hotel. The DOM. For mid-September. Unfortunately, they had no vacancies. On the website, I found the prices for 2012 and 2013. And – surprise, surprise – the 2013 prices were considerably higher. Meaning far beyond the official inflation rate. Well, at least they are honest and future-oriented.
RMD
(Translated by EG)
P.S.
By the time you can read this post of mine, I will hopefully be sitting on deck of an Anek Lines ferry, on the way from Venice to Patras. And there the can of Mythos (beer, 0.3 litres) will probably cost 5 €. Wait for my report …
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