Your Spending Through The Decades – The Numbers Tell The Story

Your spending through the decades illustrates some of the items that have come in and out of the CPI basket through the decades – from the 1960s through to 2020. People are spending more on vaping, including e-cigarettes. But they are spending less on fading technology such as cordless phones, CDs and travel guides.

In the 1960s, the following items were introduced into the basket:

• deodorant
• hairspray
• instant coffee
• LP records (33 rpm).

The following items were removed from the basket in the 1960s:

• corsets
• tram fares
• tinned herring.

In the 1970s, the following items were introduced into the basket:

• saveloys
• kiwifruit
• audio cassettes
• margarine.

The following items were removed from the basket in the 1970s:

• kerosene
• tripe
• mops
• sheep’s tongue.

In the 1980s, the following items were introduced into the basket:

• personal computers
• compact discs
• waterbeds
• wine coolers.

The following items were removed from the basket in the 1980s:

• hairspray
• shoe polish
• marmalade
• telegrams.

In the 1990s, the following items were introduced into the basket:

• buzzy bee toy
• avocado
• energy drinks
• internet services.

The following items were removed from the basket in the 1990s:

• LP records (33rpm)
• waterbeds
• wine coolers.

In the 2000s, the following items were introduced into the basket:

• hummus
• laptop computers
• soy milk
• cellphones.

The following items were removed from the basket in the 2000s:

• saveloys
• audio cassettes
• buzzy bee toy
• photographic film.

In the 2010s, the following items were introduced into the basket:

• flavoured tea
• e-books
• tablet computers.

The following items were removed from the basket in the 2010s:

• dictionaries
• luncheon meat
• satellite navigation.

In 2020, the following items were introduced into the basket:

• surgeon’s fees
• e-cigarette refills
• e-cigarette devices
• exercise equipment.

The following items were removed from the basket in 2020:

• compact discs
• cordless telephones
• home theatre systems