There was a point this spring on the island of Maui when the cheapest rental car you could find.

A Toyota Camry was $722 a day.

Yeah, you heard that right. $722 a day. That's according to Hawaii's KHNL.

In fact, it is still so hard to find a rental car there that tourists are renting U-Halls instead.

Hawaii U-Hall executives say it's the busiest they've been in years.

In fact, this U-Hall thing has become such a popular alternative that the state tourism

board felt compelled to say, quote, does not condone visitors renting moving trucks and vans for

leisure purposes. Tourists are finding them way more affordable than rental cars.

Of course, that also means now we're seeing a shortage of U-Halls.

Now Hawaii is an extreme example, but nationwide, the price of rental cars has more than

doubled in the last year. Prices have also soared for air travel, washing machines, and used cars.

Not to mention all the stuff in the grocery store that cost more than it did a year ago.

The big question now is, how long will this last?

Well, we're seeing some inflation. I don't believe it's permanent, but we will watch this very carefully.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said earlier this month that she expects price pops will level out

as supply chains catch up with pent-up pandemic demand.

We shouldn't expect this process to be complete in a month or two, but I strongly believe

we're on a recovery path and we're making progress. Consider this. That recovery path depends on

global supply chains. Supply chains that policymakers in Washington DC are urgently trying to make

stronger. From MPR, I'm Elsa Chang. It's Monday, June 14.

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