On the other hand. . . .

Yesterday, I wrote a post about some products that may experience price increases as a result of the higher price of oil. Today, almost as if pre-destined, I came across an article that actually discusses items that have decreased in price in recent months! Unfortunately, none of these things could be considered 'necessities', like food, shelter, and in some cases, gas. But all the same, it was nice to see that there are still some items that have been immune to inflation so far.

For example:

• If you're in the market for a new TV, guess what? You may very well pay less than you would have six months or a year ago. This is due to the fact that electronic items are designed to become obsolete in a very short timeframe these days----that fancy TV you bought last year is already 'old news'; you could probably pick it up new as 'last year's model' for a steal.
• My favorite, women's clothing! I've been oh so very good at ignoring my impulse shopping. I haven't even entered a Banana Republic in ages, much less actually purchased something there. But guess what? The prices of women's clothing have decreased about 4% over the past year, while men's and children's clothing has increased in price! Now might be the time to stock up on turtlenecks, jeans, and other wardrobe staples.
• Although airline prices are steadily rising, it turns out that hotel rooms are actually becoming cheaper. This slight decrease is a result of fewer business travelers---more supply, less demand = lower prices.
• If you live anywhere near a theme park, aren't you lucky? Why? Because people just aren't splurging on activities like these in the current economic environment. As a result, the prices for tickets have decreased accordingly.
• If you can't afford the theme park, how about a new toy for the kids? These are also getting less expensive, mostly due to low overseas production costs and a shrinking demographic (there are fewer 'kids' out there these days, I guess).

Now, I'm not actually encouraging you to go out and start purchasing any of this stuff---aside from maybe benefiting from cheaper hotel costs, if you have a family reunion to attend. It's simply nice to know that there are some things that we don't need to worry about, as far as inflation. I only wish my mortgage, my gas bills, and my grocery costs could appear on a list of things that are decreasing in price. . . . .