Cheaper is Better, but Why Did it Take so Long?

Could it be a dream or are we spending less money on stuff that could have been cheaper before the economic crisis? I mean, Jack-in-the-Box has offered two tacos for $.99 for what seems like forever. Other fast food chains have had $1 value items for some time as well. But, what about the pizza? There's a war going on with pizza joints, $10 for a large pizza with as many toppings as you want. How is it that they're able to do that now and not before? I mean a large with unlimited toppings? And, how about those groceries stores lowering prices on many food items? Then there's the restaurant chains feeding two for the price of one or $20 for a three course meal for two people. That tells me that we were being gouged for a long time.

Of course some industries capitalize on natural disasters. If it rains too much in Florida, orange juice prices go up. If the fires in California destroy land along mountain plains, the cows can't graze, the grass won't grow, the cows have to be moved to new grazing ground, the milk won't flow, and the cost of milk and beef hits an all time high. Oh, Oh! Then the oil slick that destroys edible sea creatures. The seafood producing companies will sue the oil driller, win their class action suit in a big way, but the consumer will still pay higher prices for seafood.

Free enterprise. Greed indeed.