"Two-and-a-Half-Buck Chuck"

A bygone era

There are signs that the economy is improving, but an important bellwether offsets the good news.

Headline: "Trader Joe's 'Two Buck Chuck' now goes for $2.49 a bottle"

After an 11-year run, the $1.99 price of a bottle of "Two Buck Chuck" wine has disappeared from Trader Joe's in California. Now it's $2.49 a bottle, but "Two-and-a-Half-Buck Chuck" doesn't roll off the tongue quite the same way.

Gas, health care, tuition, food prices, and taxes have all gone up with hardly a shrug. But two-buck chuck? Now we're concerned!