The Consumer Price Index for July 2010 increase 0.3% from last month. The previous 3 months CPI has declined. Core CPI increased +0.1%. This report is from the BLS website.

The increase was over 2/3rd energy, which increased +2.6%. Gas alone increased 4.6%. Food, on the other hand, was unchanged, 0.0%, but eating your veggies just dropped -1.9% for the month. Drinking yourself to oblivion over the economy just got more expensive, a rise of 0.5% for the month. Smoking over the economy just increased as well, +1.6% for the month. Not seasonally adjusted, CPI has risen 1.2% for the year.

Not seasonally adjusted, fueling up your ride has increased 7.4% for the year (gas prices). What's interesting is energy commodities are up 8.0% for the year. Speculation anyone? Pity those who use fuel oil to heat their homes, it is up 15.1% for the year.

If you had your car repossessed, then public transportation also is more expensive, up 7.7% for the year. Below is a graph of gas prices, percent change in comparison to one year ago. This graph is up to August 8th, 2010.

Look at the flatness of prices minus food and energy, or core CPI, a total yearly increase of +0.9%, which has been the same for the 4th month in a row. Below is percent change from a year ago in core CPI.

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.1 percent in July after increasing 0.2 percent in June. The indexes for shelter, apparel, used cars and trucks, and tobacco all continued to increase in July. In contrast, the indexes for medical care and recreation turned down in July and the indexes for airline fares and household furnishings and operations continued to decline. The 12-month change in the index for all items less food and energy remained at 0.9 percent for the fourth month in a row.

While housing is heavily weighted (obviously the biggest expense is shelter for most people), look at the two categories of energy vs. housing in the below graph. Housing is not just home prices, it's everything related to sheltering oneself. Shelter by itself increased +0.1%. Housing (including energy to heat it, stuff to put in it like a chair, and so on), increased 0.1% for the month (flat).

Medical costs decreased -0.1% this month. Unadjusted for the year, medical costs have risen +3.2%.

CPI-W increased 1.6% for the year. This index is used to calculate cost of living adjustments for social security.

Here is last month's report. This months report is here to look up individual categories of price changes.