Monday, December 1, 2014

'Twelve Days of Christmas' to cost you 1 percent more

Here's some good -- and bad -- news on this Cyber Monday from PNC Financial Services Group.

According to the Pittsburgh-based lender's 2014 "Christmas Price Index," an annual tongue-in-cheek economic analysis, buying all of the items in the classic “The Twelve Days of Christmas" song would cost you a total of $27,673.21 -- only 1 percent more than last year's total.

That's the cost to buy everything in the song -- from the partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming -- at a store (as opposed to online).

The 1 percent increase is close to the U.S. government's Consumer Price Index, which stands at 1.7 percent for the past 12 months through October. When volatile food and energy prices are removed, the Consumer Price Index is up 1.8 percent.

According to the PNC report, in its 31st year, tumbling energy costs and inflation remaining calm are behind the "tame" increase in the Christmas Price Index.

That's the good news.

The bad news is for online shoppers, who would pay $42,959.07 to buy their true love all of the song's items. That's $15,285 more than if the items were bought in person -- and a whopping 8 percent more than it cost to buy the items online last year.

So if you're looking to save, you might want to actually go into a store to buy your six geese-a-laying.

Just be sure to put some newspaper or something on the floor and seats of your car for the ride home.

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