True Love’s Cost of the 12 Days of Christmas: Chirstmas Price Index

True Loves to face most expensive Christmas ever as PNC Christmas Price Index jumps 8.1% in 2008.

Cost of “The 12 Days of Christmas” Song Items Reflect Consumer Pricing Trends; Interactive Web Site Provides Teachers and Students With Insights on U.S. Economy.

Each year, the Christmas Price Index reflects trends in the broader economy. This year, commodities prices, concerns about increased energy and shipping costs, jobs, and a second straight minimum wage increase were major factors in the cost.

Swans have always been expensive because they are rare: in 1995 there were only 14,000. French hens are “cheaper” because they are in less demand. Performance artists such as pipers piping or drummers drumming receive higher wages due to their specialized skills – while maids-a-milking are the only unskilled laborers in the index.

clipped from www.wisdomportal.com clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com The PNC Christmas Price Index increased by a lavish 8.1 percent over last year, the second biggest leap in the history of the whimsical economic analysis by PNC Wealth Management based on the cost of gifts in the holiday classic, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” the cost of the PNC CPI is $21,080 in 2008, $1,573 more than last year. clipped from www.jpgmag.com clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com seven swans a-swimming proved to be a driver of this year’s index, carrying the greatest weight with a whopping 33.3 percent increase due to their scarcity clipped from www.bbc.co.uk clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com True Loves will pay less for the five gold rings this year. Retail prices dropped by 11.4 percent clipped from www.patpalermino.com clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com Two other costs in the CPI dropped this year: three French hens and Six geese-a-laying clipped from mormontabernaclechoir.org clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com eight maids a-milking received a raise for the second straight year, due to another increase in the federal minimum wage clipped from www.bbc.co.uk clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com the drummers drumming, pipers piping and Llrds-a-leaping—jumped a modest 3 percent clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com clipped from www.pncchristmaspriceindex.com True Loves will pay more than ever before—$86,609—for all 364 items, up from $78,100 in 2007 10.9 percent increase