Contrary to what you may have heard in the media, not everything in this country has been hit by rising prices. Yes, inflation is a problem that has burdened a lot of us and has affected the prices of a lot of things that we buy. But believe it or not, some things have seen price decreases (no, not just real estate) and you might be able to find yourself a bargain!

Here's an easy rule of thumb about the products have decreased in price: Retail items that aren't necessities are prime targets for bargain hunters. The retail world has felt the economic impact of the economy and sales are down. Plenty of stores have reduced the prices of "extras" to get consumers buying again.

On the list of products with price decreases: electronics like cameras and flat-panel televisions, desktop computers, women's clothing, toys, and household goods like kitchen items. Also on the list are service businesses like hotels, which are feeling the pinch of slightly decreased business travel. Theme parks are offering plenty of deals too, as the operators realize that taking the whole family just might not be in the budget this summer.

Don't run out and spend all your money just because of some deals like this. But if you already planned on getting some of these items this summer, have fun knowing you're saving a bit extra, thanks to the shaky economy.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

Rising gas prices are everywhere in the news as the fall-out continues. One article fears for $5 gas by July 4, others focus on the unlikely winners in the wake of such high prices at the pump, like Segway scooters. Meanwhile, if you are driving in your car still these days, it will get easier to choose which satellite radio service to purchase, since the FCC approved the merger of XM and Sirius.

News nuggets you need to know today:

• Rise in gas ripples through the economy
• Gas prices forcing many to pick up and move
• Floods May Send Gas Up 15 Percent
• $5 Gas Likely by July 4th; Get Ready for 'Stay-Cation'
  
• Price Jolt: Electricity Bills Going Up, Up, Up
• High Gas Prices Boost Interest in Segway Scooters
• Gas Prices, Economy Ease Shortage of Truckers
• Where to Find Deals as Inflation Soars

Elsewhere on the Web:

• CEO Pay Climbs Despite Companies' Struggles
  
• Five Ways to Cut Car Insurance Costs
  
• Slash Your Grocery Bills: 3 Steps for Reining in Costs
  
• Some Employees Buy Own Laptops, Phones for Work
  
• He's Big Bird: Caroll Spinney Loves Every Feather
• The Necktie, Knot What it Used to Be, Still Hangs On
  
• Nike Lets Sponsored Swimming Change Brands
• New Kits Can Turn Your Car into a Hybrid
  
• How Much You Need In Your Wallet For Your Next Flight
  
• Protect Your Child from Online Dangers the 'Cyber Dad' Way
  
  
  
  

Did you know that, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, consumer spending actually increased by 0.4% in March? That's right: statistics show that the United States' economy, as indicated by consumer spending, is actually growing!

Well, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. Actually, if you were to account for inflation, consumer spending has risen by an anemic 0.1%. The other 0.3% increase was due to rising prices, specifically the increased cost of food and energy.

Basically, people are buying the exact same things that they were buying a month ago, but are now paying more for those items. And, to be honest, there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of this tunnel. Energy costs are probably going to keep on rising, at least for the time being, and food prices will probably keep pace. Basically, as economists keep telling us, we are at the tail-end of a boom cycle and we can look forward to an economy that will now readjust to reflect its actual dimensions.

Inflation was recently ranked as a number-one worry to consumers in a CNN poll. I can definitely understand why, CNN showcased several price increases over the past year, from 13% for milk to 33% for gas! It's clear that the prices for items we use everyday are going up up up.

These changes to the economy should spur you to change your saving strategy if you want to ride ride out the ever inflating prices at the pump and the supermarket. Right now you would almost be better of buying milk than putting money into your savings account, 13% growth is pretty good. Pity milk doesn't keep like gold though.

CNN offers three rules to use for anyone trying to save during a time of inflation.

Everyone's worried about inflation, and the Labor Department just released March numbers to help us assess where we are as a country. There was a very small increase in consumer prices: 0.3%. That figure means that for the last 12 months, inflation is up by 4%.

The increase is calculated for a group of goods that the average consumer is likely to purchase. Part of that group is food, which has gone up 4.4% over the last year. Energy costs were the biggest driver of the increased pricing, going up 17% over the most recent 12 month period. What went down? Clothing costs, with a 1.3% drop in prices, a huge drop for that sector.

Fear not: Even though consumers and the media are all panicked about "the recession," we are not in a recession. The economic data just doesn't support it. Even though prices our up, our economy continues to grow. A recession means that our economy has declined for two consecutive quarters, and we're just not there. (We don't even have one quarter of decline under our belts!)

I say consumers should continue to budget carefully and save for a rainy day as much as they can. Eating at home is one of the best ways to offset the rising food costs, and by staying home you'll also save gas to help deal with the rising energy costs. Consumers do have lots of options to help with saving and responsible budgets. (And WalletPop is one great way to be aware of the great deals available to consumers!)

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

Signs explaining how management has no choice but to pass along their increasing costs to the end consumer are becoming as familiar a point-of-sale display as an Am-ex tent card. Everything from a carton of eggs at the supermarket to the paper cup for my coffee comes with a side order of doom these days.

So it was refreshing, to say the least, to receive this in an e-letter from a Little Rock, Arkansas business yesterday:

NO HIGHER PRICES!

Boulevards answer to the unbelievably higher prices for flour, (from $10 a bag to $29 a bag), butter, eggs, and all other commodities is to be more efficient, waste less, to work harder, and to build volume through great service and exceptional quality products, (we are working tirelessly to improve service daily)!

You will NOT see a price increase for the foreseeable future! Please continue to support us, every customer is SO appreciated and loved!!!

-Scott McGehee, Boulevard Bread Co.

I called up Scott, who owns and operates the coffee/gourmet food shop, beloved by local hoity-toities and hipsters alike, to ask him about this radical departure from the herd. He told me that he is determined to find reasonable alternatives to making his customers carry the burden of his increased costs. How novel. Most other businesses seem to turn to the consumer's wallet as a line of first defense, not the last resort.

Last week, Walletpopper Zac Bissonette wrote about the dividends of honest customer service. Is goodwill toward an establishment money in the bank? If so, strategies like Boulevard's might yield better returns in the long run than the usual "we're suffering, so should you" line.

Have you heard of any businesses in your community taking a similar approach?

Kyran Pittman blogs about life at Notes to Self. Her essays have been featured three times in Good Housekeeping magazine's "Good Reads" section.

I've been actively looking for some good economic news, so I could write about something pleasant for a change, and I found something intriguing, in case any of you missed it. It's a four-day old article at the CNNMoney.com web site, but it's news that pertains to the rest of the year. While prices for about everything seem to be going up, at least one commodity is predicted to stay even and possibly drop: milk.

Why? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, milk prices shot up 12% last year, but this year, it'll hold or drop because there's been a 1.1% increase in the cow population. What's more, there's been a 1.7% growth in the average output per cow.

Now, I realize that this isn't much help when gas prices are what they are ($111 a barrel according to the most recent news), but it will help families with young children who do need to drink milk, and for impoverished families, that's indisputable good news.

While the news media is in a panic about inflation and the potential for a recession, the actual numbers are a bit more encouraging. The Labor Department released the figures for February, showing consumer inflation at the lowest level in the last six months. Energy and food prices leveled out, and played a big part in this. (Although this month, energy prices sure have been on the rise!)

Experts say that February's numbers won't be repeated again soon, though. Increases in energy prices are expected to continue to be painful. The food numbers were interesting: prices declined for vegetables, fruit, poultry and pork. They were up for cereal and bakery. Overall food prices are expected to increase in the coming months, though, as corn is being used in ethanol and creating a ruckus in every industry that previously depended on corn. (Think corn-based food products and animals that use corn as feed.)

Inflation was bad in 2007, with a 4.1% increase, the largest in the last 17 years. 2008 isn't expected to look any better overall, so I think consumers will just be forced to change their lifestyles to accommodate the price increases. I don't think that government intervention is the answer. In fact, government meddling in the form of regulations, mandates, and taxes has a track record of screwing things up even worse. Your best bet is to control your spending now and save some money for a rainy day to help you weather the even higher prices that are coming soon.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

Is it any wonder that the economies of the Asian manufacturing behemoths are beginning to wilt? Should we be surprised by the downwardly revised economic outlook for Japan? Does China's burgeoning inflation rate give us pause to ponder the reasons why? Ha! They're getting what they got coming to them. They asked for it and they have done it to themselves.

Since the 1940's the Asian manufacturing block has built its economies upon the backs of hard working Americans, aided mostly by American corporations seeking out their sustenance hungry work forces which were willing to work for just pennies a day. Now, it's coming back to bite them in the rumps. Cry me a river, won't ya?

Dig out your lava lamps and put on your pukka-shell necklaces. While some of the 1970's cultural excesses, like vomit-orange cars and pea-green appliances, might never return, one of the dominant cultural forces of the denim decade may be on its way back.

Stagflation.

Stagflation, which is on the official list of "most awkward portmanteaux ever," combines the words "stagnation" and "inflation." Essentially, it refers to an economy that is experiencing an economic slowdown or recession (generally measured in unemployment or wages), coupled with an inflation in the cost of consumer goods.

Whether you prefer organic milk or orange juice for breakfast; whether coffee or cola gets you caffeinated; whether it's beef or chicken that's for dinner, you're paying more for it this month than ever before. Our friends at AOL Money & Finance took a look at a group of groceries on many people's shopping list and compared the average U.S. prices in December 2006 to the prices in December 2007. What we weren't surprised about: all these prices are higher this year than last. What we were surprised about: some of the increases are truly monumental.

You can browse through our gallery to see the ones we thought would impact us the most, and what were the highest increases -- over 30% in two cases! But I was amazed at how universal the increases were. While lemons don't make up a big portion of my grocery budget, it's shocking to see that the prices are up 23.2%. And sweet peppers, a staple in many Tex-Mex and Cajun dishes, are up 15.7%. The aforementioned orange juice, part of that complete breakfast the cereal makers are always advertising? Up 13.3%.

Everyone knows that money is getting tight. Everyone knows our economy is faltering. Everyone knows it's going to get worse before it gets better, but does everyone know how it happened?

A professional CPA who commented on a blog post at our sister blog, BloggingStocks really put the matter in perspective. It's so simple that even I can understand it and they'll tell you around here that I'm no one's statistical economist. The writer identified himself as Marty, and I'll attempt give you the benefit of his straight forward wisdom.

Marty stated: "...from 1976 to 1984 the (cost of living adjustment) increases in Social Security were 75% over that period. If you made 10k in '76, you were getting 17.5k in '84. Similarly, pensions and job incomes were inflated as well. By the end of the inflation cycle people had higher incomes to pay off their (mostly) fixed debts. Now, in the last eight years (cost of living adjustment) has been 25% total. This is way below how high prices have gone for the average person."

It seems simple doesn't it? Yet none of the main stream media outlets seem to want to address the real issue. The talking heads expect you to believe that inflation is running at an acceptable annual rate of 2.6%. Do you believe that? Are you paying just $2.60 more for every $100 worth of groceries you purchased last year? Are you paying just $2.60 more for every $100 worth of heating fuel? Is just $2.60 more being deducted from your paycheck for every $100 worth of health insurance premium you paid last year? I could go on and on, but I'm sure that you get the idea.

The lesson here is simple, and I know that all of you will understand it. Someone has been lying to you about the increases to your cost of living. I probably don't need to explain that to you, because you have a bank account and you pay your own bills. I'm sure that you're feeling the pressure all too well.

Even now, the major media outlets expect you to believe that the housing market is crashing because banks and borrowers all got together and did something stupid. The truth of the matter is that we're just plain running out of cash down here on the lower rungs of the ladder.

If you've been watching the news and the financial markets for the last several weeks, you may get the impression that the sky is falling. Everyone is screaming "inflation" and "recession" and talking about the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling and what this means for us as consumers.

It's important to put all of this in context. Do we have inflation? Yes, the prices of many goods are rising, and that's due to a whole lot of different factors. The price of oil is one that is mentioned often. But the cost and availability of raw materials is another factor, and one that more relates to the buying habits of consumers. Our buying habits do have an effect on the price of things, as wholesalers and retailers will adjust their pricing according to the demands of consumers.

And then we have the stock market. Yes, the Dow Jones has fallen a good bit, but remember that it is only one measure of the health of companies and the economy. There are other measures like the S&P 500, but no matter the measure, it is often biased because it only includes certain sectors or companies of a certain size.