Consumer Goods
Everyday items from clothing to household appliances. Some consumer goods have gotten remarkably cheaper thanks to globalized manufacturing, while others — especially anything with a service component — have climbed steadily.
Clothing Prices
The BLS Consumer Price Index for apparel is one of the strangest charts in all of economics. While virtually every other category — housing, healthcare, education, food — has marched relentlessly upward, clothing has barely budged. The index hit about 134 in the mid-1990s, drifted sideways for a decade, then actually declined through the 2000s. You can thank globalized supply chains, the rise of fast fashion, and an ocean of cheap imports from Asia. In real terms, Americans spend dramatically less on clothes today than their parents did.
Washing Machine Prices
Here's a fun one: a decent washing machine cost around $280 in 1970 and about $640 today. That's not even a 2.5x increase over 55 years — a period when overall consumer prices rose roughly 8x. In other words, washing machines have gotten dramatically cheaper in real terms, even as they've added electronic controls, larger drums, steam cycles, and Wi-Fi connectivity that would've seemed like science fiction to a 1970s consumer. Globalized manufacturing and intense retail competition deserve most of the credit.
Furniture Prices
The Consumer Price Index for household furnishings and operations from 1960 to 2025, tracking how the cost of outfitting your home has changed over more than six decades. Furniture is one of those rare consumer categories that actually got cheaper in real terms for about two decades thanks to globalization and offshore manufacturing. From the late 1990s through the mid-2010s, prices barely moved as cheap imports from China and Southeast Asia flooded the market. That trend reversed hard during the pandemic when supply chains broke down and shipping costs exploded.
Movie Ticket Prices
The average price of a movie ticket in the United States from 1950 to 2025, capturing one of America's most iconic entertainment expenses. Going to the movies used to be pocket-change entertainment — 46 cents in 1950, which is less than what a pack of gum costs today. Now you are looking at $11.25 on average, and that is before the popcorn and soda that typically double or triple the total cost of a night out. The rise of premium formats like IMAX and recliner seating has pushed average prices higher, even as standard screen attendance has been declining for years.
Postage Stamp Prices
The price of a first-class postage stamp in the United States from 1950 to 2025, tracing one of the most familiar small-dollar price increases in American life. Stamps are a surprisingly good inflation barometer because they represent a pure service cost — no raw materials, no manufacturing complexity, just the cost of moving a piece of paper from point A to point B. The price has gone from three cents to 73 cents, which sounds modest until you realize that is a 24-fold increase. Of course, with email and texting, most Americans rarely buy stamps anymore, which is part of why the Postal Service keeps raising the price.
Haircut Prices
The average price of a men's haircut in the United States from 1960 to 2025. Haircuts are a textbook example of what economists call a non-tradeable personal service — you cannot outsource your haircut to China or automate it with software, which means prices are driven almost entirely by local labor costs and rent. That makes haircut inflation a surprisingly clean window into how service-sector costs have risen over time. The price has gone from $1.50 to $28.00, roughly an 18-fold increase that tracks closely with wage growth in low-to-mid-skill service occupations.
Pet Ownership Costs
Average annual spending per pet-owning household in the United States from 1990 to 2025, covering food, veterinary care, supplies, grooming, and other pet-related expenses. Americans have gone from treating their pets as, well, animals to treating them as full-fledged family members — and spending accordingly. The pet industry has exploded into a quarter-trillion-dollar juggernaut fueled by premium organic food, designer accessories, pet insurance, and veterinary care that now rivals human medicine in sophistication. What used to be a bag of kibble and a yearly checkup has turned into a serious household line item.