September 1, 2025: Fed Reaches Inflation Target, Cheese Sandwich Costs $120

In stock market news, toilet paper manufacturers continued rallying while tech and luxury-brand stocks continued their slide to decade lows.

September 1, 2025: The Federal Reserve announced that the nation's inflation rate has finally reached its target of 3%, after seasonal and hedonic adjustments. "The brief period of modestly higher inflation from 2022 to 2025 has drawn to a close, and we are confident that the inflation rate can be maintained at 3%."

When asked about the disparity between the official rate of inflation and soaring prices in the real world, the spokesperson declined to comment, referring reporters to a dossier of academic studies issued by the Fed over the past two years.

One heckler shouted, "We can't eat academic studies!"

In local news, the city council announced that a new building providing permanent housing for the homeless has been financed by Grayrock.

Grayrock, with $72 trillion under management, serves America's burgeoning billionaire class which has largely side-stepped the inflationary devastation visited upon most households.

The city spokesperson said, "We're thrilled to secure these 24 units of new permanent housing for the homeless at a cost of only $3 million per unit, thanks to the financing offered by Grayrock."

As part of the deal, Grayrock will take ownership of City Hall and adjacent properties. A permit for the building is expected to be approved within four years, as there are 17 different federal, state, county and city agencies that must sign off on the project.

The homeless population, estimated at 10,000, was unavailable for comment.

Another abandoned office tower caught fire and burned to a blackened shell, causing the evacuation of dozens of squatters who had rigged electrical wiring and cable service from an abandoned high-tech server center which was shut down when the AI bubble burst.

One of the squatters said, "I used to work at that server center. This building was the only affordable housing in this whole city. Now where do we go?"

---

ADVERTISEMENT
Smokey's Cafe and Grill
Today's Specials!

Toasted Cheese Sandwich: $120
Coke: $30
Luxury Tax: $25
total: $175

BBQ sandwich: (no pink goo, the real deal) $180
Draft beer: $70
Luxury Tax: $50
total: $300

Delivery via armored vehicle available.

---

The fire department's investigative bureau is backlogged due to the extraordinary number of foreclosed office buildings that have caught fire recently.

In stock market news, toilet paper manufacturers continued rallying while tech and luxury-brand stocks continued their slide to decade lows.

---

My new book is now available at a 10% discount ($8.95 ebook, $18 print): Self-Reliance in the 21st Century.

Read the first chapter for free (PDF)

Read excerpts of all three chapters

Podcast with Richard Bonugli: Self Reliance in the 21st Century (43 min)


My recent books:

The Asian Heroine Who Seduced Me (Novel) print $10.95, Kindle $6.95 Read an excerpt for free (PDF)

When You Can't Go On: Burnout, Reckoning and Renewal $18 print, $8.95 Kindle ebook; audiobook Read the first section for free (PDF)

Global Crisis, National Renewal: A (Revolutionary) Grand Strategy for the United States (Kindle $9.95, print $24, audiobook) Read Chapter One for free (PDF).

A Hacker's Teleology: Sharing the Wealth of Our Shrinking Planet (Kindle $8.95, print $20, audiobook $17.46) Read the first section for free (PDF).

Will You Be Richer or Poorer?: Profit, Power, and AI in a Traumatized World
(Kindle $5, print $10, audiobook) Read the first section for free (PDF).

The Adventures of the Consulting Philosopher: The Disappearance of Drake (Novel) $4.95 Kindle, $10.95 print); read the first chapters for free (PDF)

Money and Work Unchained $6.95 Kindle, $15 print) Read the first section for free


Become a $1/month patron of my work via patreon.com.

Subscribe to my Substack for free

---

NOTE: Contributions/subscriptions are acknowledged in the order received. Your name and email remain confidential and will not be given to any other individual, company or agency.

Thank you, Joe G. ($50), for your magnificently generous Substack subscription to this site -- I am greatly honored by your support and readership.		Thank you, John P. ($50), for your superbly generous Substack subscription to this site -- I am greatly honored by your support and readership.

Thank you, jzcode ($50), for your splendidly generous Substack subscription to this site -- I am greatly honored by your support and readership.

Thank you, Linda M. ($50), for your marvelously generous Substack subscription to this site -- I am greatly honored by your support and readership.