There's a fallacy out there that prices go up because costs go up - not so. Prices are pushed up for the same reason someone selling a car worth $1500 starts with $3000. The whole point isn't what the item is worth but what the seller can get for it. Gas goes up when price per barrel goes down. 95 out of 100 gas stations raise prices at the same time. Other commodities follow suit. Corps that raise prices to meet costs and then show record profits are doing what? I've stepped into Drycleaners and other retail stores and found Tipping Jars at the counter - what service are we rewarding here?