Same Price . . . For Less??
At first glance, prices at the 2011 Minnesota state fair appear unchanged: the sign at the cheese curds stand says “Still $5!,” and tickets on the midway are the same as last year, 75¢ apiece.
The catch?
The cheese curds container got smaller (at least to my eye), and the number of tickets per ride seems to have increased from four to five (or even six).
Depending on how you keep score, that translates into an inflation rate as high as 20%!
Still a deal: the all-you-can-drink $1 milk, and the arena and adjacent livestock quarters, where visitors can tour for free.
Parking Strategies
And then there’s parking: last year, the going rate to park on a nearby lawn ranged from $5 to $15, depending on the proximity to the fair.
This year, I saw a few, hand-scribbled signs just off Snelling (the fair’s main, east entrance) that said $25!
Not for us Kaplan’s.
We found a free spot about 5 blocks east, then — 3 hours later, when my kids and I were pooped — took a cab for $5 back to where we parked.
P.S.: so, are prices in the general economy holding steady or going up?
Maybe both, depending on who you are.
Case in point: the retail sticker price for private college tuition continues to surge by as much as 8% – 10% annually.
However, it appears that many colleges discount their tuition based on individual families’ financial profile, or by offering more aid.
