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What $100,000 Would Have Bought 10 Years Ago
You may not have thought about what $100,000 would have bought in 1998, being that many of us were at the prom and watching non-rerun episodes of 90210. But 10 years later, money is on all of our minds, and maybe we worry a little more than we'd like. Most of us have a much better understanding of the value of a dollar than we did back then and can now truly get a feel for some of the surprises in terms of what $100,000 would have bought in 1998.
How Money Are You: Christmas Price Index
From celebrities and fear to Christmas, it seems there's an index for pretty much everything. PNC Wealth Management calculates the Christmas Price Index, which includes the cost of the items in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song, from a partridge in a pear tree to 12 drummers drumming.
This year's price is $86,608, up 10 percent from last year.
Save Your Airport Receipts For an Experiment!
Upon reading the opinion of Laura Samuels, director of corporate communications for a transportation retailer, I almost forwarded the article to GiggleSugar because here's what Laura wrote in an email to CNN Money.
Airport prices reflect the local street prices where the airport is located, in some cases allowing a small percentage above to allow for additional handing/freight costs to airports. We feel that though customers may be somewhat 'captive' during their wait times at airports, they are also very savvy consumers who know the cost of goods.
Wait, So Gas Prices in the US Aren't Actually That Bad?
A survey of gas prices collected the numbers from gas pumps in 155 countries and placed the US as number 111, meaning prices are 45th cheapest out of the countries surveyed. The reason prices in the US have been comparably low is that taxes on gas have been kept to a relative minimum when measured to international standards. Some experts say that Americans are extra sensitive to hikes in gas prices because we've been spoiled by cheap gas in the past, and feel any increases more acutely than countries who are used to being taxed more.
Do You Know How Much the Same Items Cost Last Year?
You've surely noticed that your grocery and gasoline bills have totals that are much higher than last year's, but do you know how much more you're paying for the same items? Sure it's frustrating, but it's also important to be aware of the changes that affect your budget and modify the way you spend if needed. See how observant you've been when you take this quiz!
News Flash: 2007 Saw Fastest Inflation Jump in 17 Years
Consumer prices rose in 2007 at the fastest pace since 1990. Prices rose the most for energy, food, health care, housing and education but they fell for clothing, new cars and computers. Core inflation — which the Fed closely monitors and excludes food and energy — dropped slightly and that's a sign of economic slowdown.
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Savvy ATM: Your Money, Your Lifestyle
Have you heard of lifestyle inflation? It basically means buying things just because you can afford them. Think about it like this: You worked relentlessly over the past year and got yourself a sweet raise.
News Flash: Asia's Impact on Your Shopping Habit
Asian exporters are feeling rising inflation pangs and passing their increased costs on to Western consumers, who have been spoiled for decades by cheap imports from countries like Japan, Korea, China, increasingly Vietnam and India. The New York Times explains that because about half of all US imports are produced by developing countries and the onset of inflation in these countries arrives as many of their currencies are rising against the dollar, consumers in the US will be feeling this two-sided hit. We'll be paying more because the dollar buys less, and also to cover some of the higher production costs.
Some Bank Fees Have Outpaced Inflation
A newly released Bankrate study about checking account fees found that the associated fees have reached an all-time high. ATM surcharges increased 11 percent from just last year, going from $1.78 to $1.97, fees for bounced checks rose 2.5 percent to $28.95, and monthly service fees on interest bearing accounts increased from $11.72 to $11.97. According to Greg McBride from Bankrate.com, "Fees have been going up for years.
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