If you’ve ever wanted to build a man-cave or become a vegetarian, the present is as good a time as any. According to Statistics Canada’s April inflation figures, while B.C. inflation was flat 1.6% in April, some of the key items for metrosexuals and vegetarians are at a two-year low.
Prices for home-theatre items have continued to fall in April.
Since 2010, the key items with declines include:
- home entertainment equipment (-13.8%)
- audio equipment (-12.5%)
- upholstered furniture (-6.7%)
Those cost savings offset the marginal increase in price for the liquid essentials for watching a game on the flat screen in surround sound. The average price of beer has risen 2.2% in the last 24 months and only 1.9% for liquor.
The home theatre savings also offset the higher-than-average price increases for men’s clothing (+2.3%) and shoes (3.3%) for the style-conscious.
Vegetarians, too, are a beneficiary group of current price levels. The price of tomatoes in Canada has fallen more than 26% in the past two years, the item with the largest price decline measured in the Consumer Price Index, second only to photographic equipment (-26.7%).
Overall, the price of fresh vegetables has fallen nearly 6% in B.C. The price of fresh fruit has edged up only 2% in the past two years in B.C. compared with 4.6% in Canada overall.
Based on the latest data, suburban omnivores seem to be the worst off in B.C. The price of gasoline has jumped 23.4%, and the cost of inter-city transportation has risen 15% in the past two years. Even that coffee or tea you might consider taking on the commute has gone up more than 17%.
Those looking for some meat and potatoes for dinner have had to fork over more at the supermarket. Potato prices have had the highest percentage increase in Canada (+32.2%) in the past 24 months. The price of fresh or frozen meat in B.C. has risen by 17.5%, while eggs have increased 8.2%.
