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July 26, 2021

What inflation? 10 consumer items getting cheaper

Inflation is a real pain.

1037486_3d_decay_graph_bar It’s raised the price of certain commodities, made it so no working stiff can even consider owning his own home in many urban cities, and jacked the cost of bacon so high the term “strategic pork reserve” has entered the modern-day lexicon.

But remarkably, in the face of rising costs, some consumer items are actually getting cheaper.

And no, not just outdated items, like VHS tapes or the RIM PlayBook (count it!).

According to Time.com, no fewer than ten things are becoming less expensive these days, and from a variety of shopping categories: cars, furniture, entertainment, leisure, etc.

A few notables from their list:

1) Volkswagens -- The base price of the Jetta ($15,875 in Canada) and Passat ($23,975) continue coming down, drawing loads of value-driven buyers.

2) IKEA furniture -- Thanks to lower corporate costs for transport, design and marketing, the Swedish home outfitter has committed to slicing its prices by 2-3 per cent this year and a further 2-3 per cent the next.

3) 3D-TVs -- Lousy demand has taken the price premium right out of the 3D-TV market, and the extra fee you’d normally pay (on top of the regular 2D incarnation of the same TV) is now just $400 more, as apposed to about $900 more a year ago.

4) Pools -- By SmartMoney.com’s figures, sales of in-ground pools have plummeted by 75 per cent since 2004, setting off a selling frenzy that’s causing poolmakers to slash prices and do whatever they can to get you swimming.

Add to these four examples the ever-dipping costs of consumer electronics (TVs, laptops, digital cameras, etc.) and, suddenly, maybe it’s not the worst time to be a shopper.

What items have you noticed are dipping, or have dipped, in price lately?

By Jason Buckland, MSN Money

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Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason BucklandJason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...