Inflation watch: Food, housing, energy up

Plus, how is inflation calculated?  Prices Are Up … Again CPI shows rising costs Let's talk inflation. The topic has dominated news cycles for the past five years and our wallets have certainly been feeling it. But have you ever wondered how it's calculated? Every month the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers data from 75 cities across the country, including prices collected from some 22,000 retail and service providers and 6,000 housing units. The BLS uses this data to inform the CPI — the Consumer Price Index — a monthly report that shows pricing increases and decreases in categories like food, housing, energy and medical for 93% of the U.S. population. The CPI report comes out around the middle of the month with the previous month's data. August's CPI showed prices were up 0.4% from July and up 2.9% year over year — the biggest annual jump since January. Meanwhile, housing is up 0.4% from July, food is up 0.5% and energy is up 0.7%.  Our full report offers a deeper dive into this month's CPI, what it means for you and tips for saving when everything's more expensive. Inflation and Your Wallet $10K or More in Debt? Most People Don't Realize This Option Exists If you're not a big spender, it can feel especially frustrating to find yourself buried in debt. But with inflation and the rising cost of daily essentials, it's no surprise many people are leaning on credit cards just to get by. That's where National Debt Relief comes in. If you owe at least $10,000 in unsecured debt, like credit cards or medical bills, they can help by working with your creditors to reduce what you owe and setting up a payment plan that fits your budget. While there is a fee based on the amount settled, it's usually far less than the original debt, and many people become debt-free in just 24 to 48 months. National Debt Relief has already helped over 500,000 people find relief, and it only takes a few minutes to see your options with a free consultation. Sign Up for Your Free Consultation Support for our advertisers keeps our newsletter free! IN THIS ISSUE Fast Ways to Make Cash Today Dumb Things You Should Never Spend Money On Tips to Tackle the Rising Cost of Living How to Get an 800 Credit Score These Retail Store Closures Are Coming   Fast Ways to Make Cash Today Need cash, like now? Well then, you've hit the motherlode. These quick money opps are ready to hand out fast cash. Learn More → Dumb Things You Should Never Spend Money On Your wallet will be a whole lot happier once you stop spending on these silly things. They're holding you back from your goals. Learn More → Tips to Tackle the Rising Cost of Living The cost of living keeps rising, but here's how we're going to keep up. What about you? Learn More → How to Get an 800 Credit Score This is the way to the most excellent credit rating you can attain. So how do you get there? Learn More → These Retail Store Closures Are Coming Is your favorite store or pharmacy on the chopping block? These retail stores announced major closures this year. Learn More → Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners. We're letting you know because it's what Honest Abe would do. After all, he is on our favorite coin. © 2025 The Penny Hoarder. All rights reserved. 42 Future Way | Draper, UT 84020 | U.S. View in browser Mailing preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy