News Summary

• Costco prices have remained remarkably calm amid an economy full of heat.
• A basket of 45 items I'm following rose 3% since July, but that change is largely attributable to the recent surge in motor oil prices.
• The full basket rose 2.3% from $864.60 in January to $884.60 on October 13.
• The basket rose slightly from January to April, largely because a two-pound bag of Starbucks coffee beans increased by $3.20.
• In May, the four-pound packs of organic ground beef were replaced with similar-sized packs of conventional beef for about the same price: $24.99.