Table 22.4 shows the fruit prices that the typical college student purchased from 2001 to 2004. What is the amount spent each year on the “basket” of fruit with the quantities shown in column 2?
| Items | Qty | (2001) Price | (2001) Amount Spent | (2002) Price | (2002) Amount Spent | (2003) Price | (2003) Amount Spent | (2004) Price | (2004) Amount Spent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apples | 10 | $0.50 | $0.75 | $0.85 | $0.88 | ||||
| Bananas | 12 | $0.20 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.29 | ||||
| Grapes | 2 | $0.65 | $0.70 | $0.90 | $0.95 | ||||
| Raspberries | 1 | $2.00 | $1.90 | $2.05 | $2.13 | $2.13 | |||
| Total |
Edna is living in a retirement home where most of her needs are taken care of, but she has some discretionary spending. Based on the basket of goods in Table 22.5, by what percentage does Edna’s cost of living increase between time 1 and time 2?
| Items | Quantity | (Time 1) Price | (Time 2) Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gifts for grandchildren | 12 | $50 | $60 |
| Pizza delivery | 24 | $15 | $16 |
| Blouses | 6 | $60 | $50 |
| Vacation trips | 2 | $400 | $420 |
How to Measure Changes in the Cost of Living introduced a number of different price indices. Which price index would be best to use to adjust your paycheck for inflation?
The Consumer Price Index is subject to the substitution bias and the quality/new goods bias. Are the Producer Price Index and the GDP Deflator also subject to these biases? Why or why not?
If inflation rises unexpectedly by 5%, would a state government that had recently borrowed money to pay for a new highway benefit or lose?
A fixed-rate mortgage has the same interest rate over the life of the loan, whether the mortgage is for 15 or 30 years. By contrast, an adjustable-rate mortgage changes with market interest rates over the life of the mortgage. If inflation falls unexpectedly by 3%, what would likely happen to a homeowner with an adjustable-rate mortgage?