Feeling sticker shock when holiday shopping? Putin and commodity prices are very much to blame

The holidays are here, so get ready for excitement — at the cash register. That family dinner is costing more this year than it ever has before. Need to gas up for errands, or heat the home? Brace yourself for sticker shock. Inflation did a number on household budgets over the past year, and the coming Yuletide season is promising more of the same, especially when it comes to food and fuel. Those are the two most volatile parts of inflation, meaning they can go up or down suddenly based on the latest pressures from supply and demand. The broader economy moves a little more predictably, and inf...