Consumer price changes, depending on which side you are on, buyer or seller, was both good and bad over the past year. Overall, U.S. inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, rose 2.9%. For energy producers, the 26% rise in gasoline prices was a boost, not so, for drivers. TV manufacturers cratered down a deflationary spiral as new prices plummet 18% year over year making it a crummy business to be in, and yet, a good time to buy a new tv for those in the market. Eggs, moving costs, lawn maintenance, and my pet peeve “automobile insurance” dented our pocketbooks. But for those purchasing music, computers, toys and the like, prices actually fell for the year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Index.
