Cooler but still well above normal this week

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For our wallets and the U.S. economy, 2023 was in many ways the year life began to look more like it did before the pandemic. 

The American shopping frenzy slowed and credit card debt inched up, while the labor market 

 and unemployment remained near historic lows. Prices continued to climb but at a slower pace, and by year's end wage growth was outpacing inflation.

How does it all add up? Here are some of the ways our lives got both pricier and cheaper in 2023.  

Supermarket sticker shock eased this year, and some grocery prices are 

. Last year’s eye-popping costs of eggs (

) and butter (due to lower dairy production) have finally come down. So have coffee and sugar costs. Let them eat cake! (Or at least scrambled eggs.) Frozen orange juice is still expensive, because of weak production in Florida and Brazil, but overall, grocery prices in November were 

 compared to a year ago. The previous year, grocery prices had soared by 12 percent.

Housing costs continued to climb this year, but the worst could be behind us. Mortgage rates, which approached 8 percent in the fall, 

average sales price for a home in November

 was up 4 percent from a year ago. Outstanding 

, topping a trillion dollars after falling early in the pandemic. But hey, at least our 

s also climbing from rock-bottom levels. And to address that auto insurance price hike: Turns out, premiums are 

 riskier drivers, natural disasters and costlier car parts. 

It’s time to fly! The lower price of gasoline was a major driver of cooling inflation, and falling jet fuel prices helped lower the price of airplane tickets. Restaurant meals are still pricier because of higher costs of both food and wages, but we’re still eating out a ton. Spending at restaurants and bars 

 compared to last year — more than double the increase in menu prices.

This was the year when higher wages finally caught up to and ever-so-slightly outpaced inflation. It was also a year of 

 and big wins by established unions, although 

 behemoths like Amazon and Starbucks for recognition. The 

 has shrugged off high-inflation woes and rising interest rates. Millions of people joined or rejoined the workforce this year, but the unemployment rate remains very low at 3.7 percent. It’s early days, but ChatGPT 

While many forecasters expected rising interest rates to tip the U.S. economy into recession this year, we appear to have dodged that bullet. GDP grew at a 

 in the 12 months ending in September, and it seems on track to keep growing as 

shoppers are spending through the holidays

. Inflation is still higher than the 2 percent target set by the Federal Reserve. But Fed officials have signaled that they’re 

 and may be ready to start cutting rates in the coming year. The prospect of lower borrowing costs cheered investors, pushing the stock market to near-record highs. 

Calculations rely on the latest data. Most compared November 2023 to November 2022. Credit card debt, student loan debt and unfair labor practices filings are from September, compared to a year earlier. S&P 500 and the dollar data are from Dec. 26,

compared with a year earlier. The dollar value is measured against a basket of currencies using the U.S. Dollar Index. 

Business and Economic News

Scott Horsley

Author

Alina Selyukh

Inflation eased this year, and wages are now climbing faster than prices. Americans are still spending, even if they have to borrow money to do so. 

5 ways life got pricier, but also cheaper, in 2023

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