Sadly though, your wife and kids will think you are an idiot if you don't raise your prices, even though your customers bitch about the higher price, they'll think you are an idiot also if you don't. That. imo , is the reality.
LOL I guess it depends on how you define "Gouging." For example, if a tornado wiped out every store in the city, and you were the only store left, and you decided to up the cost of a bottle of water by 50 cents, I would not consider that "gouging." That is simply supply and demand. If you ran a store and you were the only store left in the city which got wiped out by a tornado and you decided to charge 20$ for a bottle of water, i would consider that "gouging"
So what? Look at the need for water. If the going price of water is only 50 cents higher, why would anyone else bring water in to satisfy the thirst?
I never condemed it, i dont think laws should prohibit it. In the free market people are free to do what they want. Earlier i simply said that any company who does that kind of stuff will lose more money in the long term then they will gain in the short term.