There has been a lot of talk about how certain legislation has effected the economy. The CNS News reported this week:

So far, during the presidency of Barack Obama, the price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 83 percent, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

During the same period, the price of ground beef has gone up 24 percent and price of bacon has gone up 22 percent. ….

The price of unleaded gasoline never reached the 10-year high of $4.09 back in July 2008 under George W. Bush’s administration, but it did get close.

By May 2011, gas prices hit a high under the Obama administration at $3.93, about four percentage points away from the July 2008 high. (Read the entire article at CNS News.)

Thankfully, during this time the price of a few staple foods hasn’t shifted much.

Whole milk prices averaged above three dollars [for] 33 out of the 36 months since Obama took office. In January 2009, the price for one gallon of whole milk was $3.58; but by December 2011, milk prices had slightly declined less than one percent (0.28 percent) to $3.57 per gallon.

The average retail price of Grade A eggs per dozen from January 2009 to December 2011 increased by less than two percent (1.30 percent) from $1.85 to $1.87. (Read the entire article at CNS News.)

Interestingly, many freezer items like ice cream and bacon jumped substantially during this time. It seems as if the average American is trying to buy foods that will last them a long time.

However, if given the option, a can of food from The Ready Store would last a whole lot longer than something in your freezer. Food at The Ready Store can last between 10-30 years.

On a side note, The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a collection of cool databases, tables and calculators.

Inflation Calculator. One interesting calculator figures out the “changes in prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households. This index value has been calculated every year since 1913. (Click here to see the BLS Inflation Calculator.)

Pricing Index. The BLS also provides price data for a number of products including fruits, vegetables, gas, electricity, coffee and other goods from across the years. (Click here to see the BLS Consumer Price Index.)