Christmas Present Inflation (CPI) Index

Are you thinking of giving the gifts from "The Twelve Days of Christmas." to your loved one this Christmas? Think again.

According to the PNC Wealth Management, the cost of putting together this Christmas hamper extraordinaire have gone up considerably since last year:

• a partridge in a pear tree alone will cost you around $165 a set - a 13.8% increase since 2006.
  
• four calling birds about $600 compared to $480 last year.
  
• labour costs (milking maids, leaping lords, piping pipers, and drumming drummers) have gone up.
  
• gold and geese are much more expensive than they were last year.
  

In total, this year's basic "12 Days" package would set you back about $19,507. And if you give the multiple sets specified in the lyrics it all adds up to about $78,100.

Copyright Enough Wealth 2007