Our Current Price Basket of Goods, Services and Cost Of Living

Our Price Basket

Our basket is representative of the goods and services we all use and buy, obviously different people spend different amounts and buy different types from what we use to calculate the basket, but overall, we believe the products provide an example of a typical cart that allows us to measure on a yearly basis. You can find below a more detailed list of what we included and the dates and locations prices gathered from
Our Pricebasket showing inflation of food etc. from 2008 to 2017

Our Price Basket - or Cost Of Living ( Inflation ) 2008 - 2017
Price Basket Consist of the following August 2017 Prices
Bread (Sara Lee White Bread) - $1.98 - Potatoes (Russet) - 78 cents per LB - Milk Prairie Farms - $3.12 - Bacon (Hormel 16 oz) - $4.84 - Dozen Eggs (Walmart Brand Regular - 68 cents - Coke (24 pack can) - $7.68 - Water (12 pk Ice Mountain) - $2.48 - Tomatoes (LB Roma) - 98 cents - Butter (15 oz Can't Believe It's Not Butter) - $2.68 - Cornflakes (18 oz) - $2.98 - Pizza (Jacks Pepperoni) - $2.98 - Sugar (4 LB) - $1.60 - Flour (5 LB) - $1.23 - Ground Beef (LB Lean) - $4.96 - Tide Powder (5.93 LB) - $12.96 - Folgers Classic Roast (priced as 2 LB 9 oz) - $10.05 - Green Grapes (LB) - $1.78 - Toilet Paper Rolls (Scott 4 pk) - $3.98 - Chicken Soup (Cream of Chicken Campbells 10.5 oz) - $1.58 - 1 Gallon of Gas $2.43

Latest Inflation Update August 2017
We created this page to address two specific needs
1. Providing a comparison for earlier years
2. As a means of watching how prices and wages react to the effects of inflation as the world comes out of the recession.

As you can see from our table the overall basket of goods has changed significantly from 2008 to 2017 but currently still lower than when highest in 2012. %'s Below are approximations

Our Price Basket: There has been about a 32% increase from 2008 to 2017.

Healthcare: There has been about a 32% increase from 2008 to 2017.

United States Consumer Price Index (CPI) : There has been about a 15% increase from 2008 to 2017.

Wages: There has been about a 12% increase from 2008 to 2017.

Both our Price Basket and Healthcare Inflation show much higher % than the published United States Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures and we believe that it reflects how the middle and working classes have been effected by real world prices and wage stagnation during the past few years.

Our basket is representative of the goods and services we all use and buy, obviously different people spend different amounts and buy different types from what we use to calculate the basket, but overall, we believe the products provide a decent example of a typical cart.

For different individuals and families, there are obviously multiple factors that can effect personal finances such as
1. Size of Family,
2. Income,
3. Healthcare Costs,
4. Debts and Loans,
5. Rent or Mortgage,
6. Student Loans
7. Location
among other additional costs, but, we hope that our price basket can help offer some insight into real world inflation as opposed to government statistics. State and Local Sales Tax can also dramatically impact the prices we see. Some states do not have sales tax on certain food items, while others can have a very high sales tax (over 10% in some areas).

As you can see we have had to update the style and design of the page to be mobile friendly and the basket itself as we have now been updating this page for 9 years and needed to change design slightly to allow us to continue updating each year, we have also added a couple of paragraphs further down the page to include something about healthcare and student loans

Price of Sarah Lee Bread White Bread 2008 - 2017

2008 $1.68 2009 $1.77 2010 $2.49
2011 $1.98 2012 $1.88 2013 $1.98
2014 $1.98 2015 $1.98 2016 $1.98
2017 $1.98

Price of 1 LB Potatoes (Russet) 2008 - 2017

2008 32¢ 2009 55¢ 2010 52¢
2011 60¢ 2012 42¢ 2013 88¢
2014 49¢ 2015 78¢ 2016 78¢
2017 78¢

Price of Gallon of Milk Prairie Farms 2008 - 2017

2008 $2.65 2009 $2.69 2010 $2.79
2011 $3.39 2012 $2.79 2013 $4.28
2014 $3.15 2015 $3.98 2016 $3.98
2017 $3.12

Price of 1lb Bacon ( Hormel ) 2008 - 2017

2008 $2.96 2009 $3.19 2010 $3.22
2011 $3.98 2012 $4.48 2013 $4.28
2014 $4.98 2015 $5.48 2016 $5.24
2017 $4.48

Price of Dozen Eggs 2008 - 2017

2008 $1.29 2009 $1.34 2010 $1.37
2011 $1.25 2012 $1.54 2013 $1.88
2014 $1.98 2015 $2.77 2016 $1.33
2017 $0.68

Price of 24 pack of Coke 2008 - 2017

2008 $5.48 2009 $5.98 2010 $6.98
2011 $6.98 2012 $6.98 2013 $7.18
2014 $7.18 2015 $5.98 2016 $6.48
2017 $7.68

Price of 12 Pack Water 2008 - 2017

2008 $1.98 2009 $1.94 2010 $2.08
2011 $2.63 2012 $2.68 2013 $2.63
2014 $2.50 2015 $2.63 2016 $2.63
2017 $2.48

Price of Folgers Classic Roast (priced as 2 Lb 9 Ounces) 2008 - 2017

2008 $5.49 2009 $7.98 2010 $8.78
2011 $12.98 2012 $8.98 2013 $7.98
2014 $8.98 2015 $10.63 2016 $9.48
2017 $10.05
** Price adjusted for change in size from 2LBS 9 Ounces to 1 Lb 14.5 Ounces **

Price of Lb Green Grapes 2008 - 2017

2008 $1.85 2009 $2.15 2010 $2.97
2011 $1.96 2012 $1.98 2013 $2.48
2014 $1.98 2015 $1.48 2016 $2.28
2017 $1.78

Price of Scott 4 pack Toilet Rolls 2008 - 2017

2008 $3.49 2009 $3.49 2010 $3.98
2011 $3.98 2012 $3.96 2013 $3.98
2014 $3.98 2015 $3.98 2016 $3.98
2017 $3.98

Price of Campbell's Cream Of Chicken Soup 2008 - 2017

2008 $1.89 2009 $1.95 2010 $2.08
2011 $2.10 2012 $1.75 2013 $1.58
2014 $1.35 2015 $1.34 2016 $1.58
2017 $1.58

Price of 1 lb Roma Tomatoes 2008 - 2017

2008 68¢ 2009 75¢ 2010 97¢
2011 $1.59 2012 $1.79 2013 $1.12
2014 $1.18 2015 $1.24 2016 98¢
2017 98¢

Price of Can't Believe It's Not Butter 15 ounces 2008 - 2017

2008 $1.90 2009 $1.94 2010 $2.28
2011 $2.68 2012 $2.68 2013 $2.49
2014 $2.88 2015 $2.88 2016 $2.88
2017 $2.68

Price of Cornflakes - Large -- 18 Ounces 2008 - 2017

2008 $2.34 2009 $2.68 2010 $2.98
2011 $3.50 2012 $1.98 2013 $2.92
2014 $2.98 2015 $2.93 2016 $2.93
2017 $2.98

Price of Pizza -- Jacks Pepperoni 2008 - 2017

2008 $2.49 2009 $2.49 2010 $2.90
2011 $3.00 2012 $3.33 2013 $2.52
2014 $2.98 2015 $2.50 2016 $2.36
2017 $2.98

Price of 5 Lb Bag of Sugar 2008 - 2017

2008 $2.68 2009 $2.78 2010 $3.12
2011 $2.92 2012 $2.42 2013 $2.68
2014 $1.98 2015 $2.47 2016 $2.17
2017 $2.00

Price of 5 Lb Bag of Flower 2008 - 2017

2008 $1.97 2009 $2.06 2010 $2.18
2011 $3.12 2012 $2.98 2013 $2.46
2014 $1.98 2015 $1.46 2016 $1.38
2017 $1.23

Price of Lb Ground Beef 2008 - 2017

2008 $3.68 2009 $3.99 2010 $3.78
2011 $3.78 2012 $4.78 2013 $4.68
2014 $5.98 2015 $5.26 2016 $4.97
2017 $4.96

Price of Tide Detergent 2008 - 2017

2008 $5.98 2009 $6.98 2010 $7.97
2011 $10.55 2012 . $17.97 2013 $11.98
2014 $17.97 2015 $11.76 2016 $12.57
2017 $12.96

Average Price Gallon of Gas 2008 - 2017

2008 $3.39 2009 $2.51 2010 $2.73
2011 $3.89 2012 $3.91 2013 $3.80
2014 $2.75 2015 $2.21 2016 $2.49
2017 $2.43

Some notes on our Price Basket:

1. Our basket shows a decrease from year to year starting in 2014, which is not surprising when you consider that the price of gas has decreased recently.

2. Some manufacturers change the weight of items which makes it more difficult to reflect real price changes. Most notable was the weights of Coffee and Laundry detergent. They are consistently variable. We have also noticed that the bag of Sugar has been reduced from the traditional 5 Lbs. to 4 Lbs.

3. We have taken food prices from our local Wal-Mart and try to update every few months when we have the time. This is not a super scientific method but we still believe it can show some of the basic effects of inflation on prices in the long term.

4. Fresh produce prices can rise and fall depending on the season, but we still include them with the hope that it will contribute to the information in the long term.

5. Prices from 2008 to 2012 were taken from a Wal-Mart located in a Rural/Small Town populated area in SE Wisconsin. Prices from 2013 to 2016 were taken from a Walmart located in a more densely populated area in Indianapolis, IN.

6. The prices in the graph include all of the food items plus one gallon of gas.

7. These figures are also dependent on special offers by the store or manufacturer or a combination of both.

Other Prices Collected but Not Included in Price Basket 2008 - 2017

Movie Ticket 2008 - 2017

2008 $6.95 2009 $7.18 2010 $7.50 2011 $8.20 2012 $8.20
2013 $10.25 2014 $10.25 2015 $10.65 2016 $10.49 2017 $8.86

First Class Stamp 2008 - 2017

2008 42¢ 2009 42¢ 2010 44¢ 2011 44¢ 2012 45¢
2013 46¢ 2014 49¢ 2015 49¢ 2016 47¢ 2017 49¢

College Tuition 2008 - 2017

2008 $6,015 2009 $6,585 2010 $7,020 2011 $7,605 2012 $7,695
2013 $8,893 2014 $9,139 2015 $9,410 2016 $9,960 2017 $9,650

Wrangler Jeans 2008 - 2017

2008 N/A 2009 N/A 2010 $15.98 2011 $17.68 2012 $15.77
2013 $15.77 2014 $16.77 2015 $16.77 2016 $16.77 2017 $16.77

Average House Rent 2008 - 2017

2008 $800 2009 $780 2010 $945 2011 $955 2012 $1045
2013 $1195 2014 $1314 2015 $1,258 2016 $1,300 2017 $1,600

Average House Purchase 2008 - 2017

2008 $238,880 2009 $232,880 2010 $268,700 2011 $202,100 2012 $263,200
2013 $289,500 2014 $373,500 2015 $364,100 2016 $379,800 2017 $371,200

KW/Hr Electric 2008 - 2017

2008 11.03¢ 2009 11.76¢ 2010 11.97¢ 2011 12.35¢ 2012 13.30¢
2013 13.30¢ 2014 12.72¢ 2015 12.00¢ 2016 12.00¢ 2017 13.22¢

Wages 2008 - 2017

2008 $40,523 2009 $39,423 2010 $39,856 2011 $40,925 2012 $44,321
2013 $44,888 2014 $46.481 2015 $44,600 2016 $46,409 2017 N/A

Unemployment Percentage 2008 - 2017

2008 5.4% 2009 8.6% 2010 9.8% 2011 9.2% 2012 8.1%
2013 6.7% 2014 5.8% 2015 5.0% 2016 4.7% 2017 4.3%

Fed Base Rate Percentage 2008 - 2017

2008 4.25% 2009 1.00% 2010 0.25% 2011 0.25% 2012 0.25%
2013 0.25% 2014 0.25% 2015 0.25% 2016 0.5% 2017 1.25%

Dow Jones 2008 - 2017

2008 12,500 2009 9,171 2010 9,908 2011 11,326 2012 13,553
2013 15,883 2014 17,280 2015 17,245 2016 17,993 2017 21,987

Inflation US Gov 2008 - 2017

2008 3.8% 2009 0.4% 2010 1.1% 2011 3.1% 2012 2.6%
2013 1.5% 2014 1.7% 2015 1.3% 2016 1.6% 2017 1.7%

CPI US Gov ## based upon a 1982 Base of 100 ## 2008 - 2017

2008 216.632 2009 213.856 2010 218.178 2011 224.906 2012 233.506
2013 233.049 2014 234.8 2015 236.51 2016 239.26 2017 244.786

Gold per Ounce 2008 - 2017

2008 $820.00 2009 $953.00 2010 $1,068.33 2011 $1,559.95 2012 $1,677.95
2013 $1,208.00 2014 $1,221.80 2015 $1,085.70 2016 $1,272.50 2017 $1,326.65 *** Note: We try to wait for government published figures whenever possible consequently the last year is often not updated until the later in the year

Compare

We spent many hours researching cost of living information for each year and I created this page after being asked a number of times about why I did not include current prices alongside our cost of living information for each year and thought this was the easiest way to make the information available. It also allows our members to comment on how much they pay for these goods and services around the country or to give me links to more current information.

Healthcare Costs

We have struggled to find reliable, unbiased figures on the cost of healthcare over the past few years so we do not include that in what we have provided but thought it was important to address the subject with a few observations. Over the past few years, healthcare costs for the average person have seemed to increase significantly, taking up a larger portion of a person's wages than before. What many figures and reports tell us, and what many working people already know, is that employers have been shifting the cost of healthcare to employees by reducing the number of fuller coverage options available for insurance and encouraging employees to use high-deductible plans which end up costing more out of pocket for the individual or family. These changes can significantly contribute to the reasons that wage stagnation has felt particularly hard on the American consumer's wallet in the past few years. There have also been prescription drug price increases as well as decreases with more generic options available, these can also effect the overall cost of healthcare.

College Tuition and Student Loans

The cost of college tuition in most public institutions has also increased dramatically over the past few years, with out-of-state prices increasing a little more than in-state, in general. This has contributed to the fact that more students are leaving college with larger student loans than before. Having large student loans can impact the amount of extra income that many new entrants into the working world have at their disposal as those loans have to be paid back and often have higher interest rates than the current Federal rate. This can make it more difficult for the younger generations to save money, buy homes, and contribute to the economy through spending on higher ticket items like cars and other investment options.

2010 Data

Average Cost of new house ( 2009 ) $232,880 2008- $238,880
Average Cost for house rent( 2009 ) $780.00 per month 2008- $800.00
Average wages per year ( 2009 ) $39,423 2008- $40,523
Cost of a gallon of Gas ( February 1st 2010 ) $2.73 August 2009- $2.51
Average Cost C per kilowatt hour Electricity ( October 2009 ) $11.76 C ( April 2009 ) $11.59
A 20 ounce loaf of Bread ( January 2010 ) $2.27 ( February 2010 ) $2.49
A LB of Bacon ( January 2010 ) $3.22 A LB of Russet Potatoes ( January 2010 ) $0.52 Dozen Eggs ( January 2010 ) $1.37 Movie Ticket ( 2009 ) $7,50 College Tuition State ( February 2010 ) $7,020 + Most States have raised tuition fees for 2009 - 2010 by between 5 and 15% ( August 2009 ) $6,585
First Class Stamp ( February 2010 ) $0.44 ( August 2009 ) $0.42
Consumer Price Index ( December 1st 2010 ) 215.263 ( July 1st 2009 ) 215.693
Money Matters
Current Fed Base Interest Rate ( january 1st 2010 ) .25% Current Inflation Rate ( December 1st 2009 ) 0.03% ( July 1st 2009 ) 215.693
Dow Jones ( January 9th 2011 ) 9,908 ( August 2009 ) 9,171
Price Of Gold Per Ounce ( January 9th 2010 ) $1068.33 ( August 1st 2009 ) $953.00
Price Barrel Of Oil ( February 1st 2010 ) $77.62 US Dollar Exchange Rate Euro ( February 9th 2010 ) 1.26750 ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.426
US Dollar Exchange Rate Pound ( February 9th 2010 ) 1.56.09 ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.672
Unemployment Rate ( January 2010 ) 10.1% ( November 2009 ) 10.2%
Only those goods, services or items that have changed since last update ( May ) are included below with original prices. I will try to update each 3 months and leave earlier figures below to provide comparison data

2008 and 2009 Data

How Much things cost With Earlier Older Prices Only Prices that have changed included Average Cost of new house ( 2008 ) $238,880 Average Cost for house rent( 2008 ) $800.00 per month Average wages per year ( 2008 ) $40,523 Cost of a gallon of Gas ( August 2009 ) $2.51 Average Cost C per kilowatt hour Electricity ( April 2009 ) 11.59 C A 20 ounce loaf of Bread ( August 2009 ) $1.77 A LB of Bacon ( August 2009 ) $3.19 A LB of Russet Potatoes ( August 2009 ) $0.55 Dozen Eggs ( August 2009 ) $1.34 Movie Ticket ( 2009 ) $7,18 College Tuition State ( August 2009 ) $6,585 + Most States have raised tuition fees for 2009 - 2010 by between 5 and 15% First Class Stamp ( August 2009 ) $0.42 Consumer Price Index ( July 1st 2009 ) 215.693
Money Matters
Current Fed Base Interest Rate ( August 1st 2009 ) 1% Current Inflation Rate ( July 1st 2009 ) -1.43% Dow Jones ( August 1st 2009 ) 9,171 Price Of Gold Per Ounce ( August 1st 2009 ) $953.00 Price Barrel Of Oil ( August 1st 2009 ) $69.45 US Dollar Exchange Rate Euro ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.426 US Dollar Exchange Rate Pound ( August 1st 2009 ) 1.672 Unemployment Rate ( November 2009 ) 10.2% Average Cost New Car ( 2008 ) $27,958 Average Cost C per kilowatt hour Electricity ( Jan 2009 ) 11.03 C A loaf of Bread ( 2009 ) $2.79 A LB of Bacon ( 2009 ) $2.99 A LB of Potatoes ( 2009 ) $0.32 Dozen Eggs ( 2009 ) $1.89 College Tuition State ( 2009 ) $6,585 First Class Stamp ( 2009 ) $0.42 Consumer Price Index ( May 1st 2009 ) 213.240
Money Matters
Current Inflation Rate ( May 1st 2009 ) 0.38% Dow Jones ( May 1st 2009 ) 8,168 Price Of Gold Per Ounce ( May 1st 2009 ) $885.30 Price Barrel Of Oil ( May 6th 2009 ) $56.47 US Dollar Exchange Rate Euro ( May 1st 2009 ) 1.327 US Dollar Exchange Rate Pound ( May 1st 2009 ) 1.485 Unemployment Rate ( May 1st 2009 ) 8.6% Unemployment Rate ( July 1st 2009 ) 9.7% If You Would Like to see other things added to our Current Price Basket Please Let Us Know ( target 20 items for our shopping basket )

About and Help

Please Help If I have screwed up with current prices or rates let me know any mistakes Thanks Steve
Whenever possible prices have been taken from Government statistics, any help with links to better and more up to date information will be appreciated , Please remember to join to make a comment or help keep this information up to date. The Comments are like all comments on The People History moderated. If you want to give examples of what you are really paying in the shops in your area please do, it will make interesting reading for our other visitors (( Steve Webmaster The People History )). I will try to update the information every three months) only prices that have changed in the earlier quarter. Prices for LB's of food stuffs are difficult to get perfectly correct because it does depend on the quantity / Quality and where purchased ( State Tax etc ) but I think it is still a worthwhile exercise.