Inflation is still high but some prices are coming down - USA TODAY

While everything whitethorn consciousness much costly with yearly ostentation astatine 7.7%, not everything is. 

For instance, beef prices and veal prices are down astir 4% compared to past year. That's conscionable 1 of 22 spending categories the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks successful its user terms scale that are costing little than past year.

But those declines hardly made a dent successful header CPI since they relationship for a comparatively tiny portion of people's budgets and truthful transportation little value than overarching categories similar food, structure and energy.

All 3 groups are major culprits of ostentation since they're costing much and they instrumentality up a large chunk of the mean American's budget. 

The BLS tracks much than 200 spending categories. And prices for the remaining 90% of categories are either higher than past twelvemonth oregon the same. 

With those caveats successful mind, present are the apical three items with the biggest terms decreases compared to past year.

CPI report: Inflation moderates successful October, but consumers won't consciousness overmuch relief. Here's why.

The week successful review: Crypto crash, ostentation and much happened arsenic radical voted

Smartphones

Smartphones cost 23% little compared to past year.

But here's wherever it gets interesting: Apple's iPhone has accrued successful terms since past year. Its newest model, the iPhone 14, has a starting terms of $800 portion the iPhone 13 had a starting terms of $700 erstwhile it was rolled retired past year. 

If 1 of the astir fashionable smartphones got much costly wherefore is the BLS saying otherwise? 

The mode the bureau measures terms changes for smartphones and different forms of exertion are antithetic from however it measures, for instance, terms changes for butter. That's due to the fact that food hasn't changed overmuch implicit the years. So erstwhile the terms goes up, it's casual for the BLS to accidental food is comparatively much expensive. 

Meanwhile, older iPhone models are precise antithetic from the latest exemplary for assorted reasons. Therefore it's inaccurate to conscionable look astatine smartphones' terms tags to relationship for terms changes. Instead, the BLS makes a "quality adjustment" erstwhile caller smartphone models travel out. 

“For example, CPI analysts person estimated the worth of smartphone features specified arsenic surface resolution. So if a shaper provides a higher solution surface to the latest exemplary successful their smartphone line, the CPI adds the worth of further solution to the terms of the predecessor item,” according to a post by the BLS.

Then analysts instrumentality to the older exemplary and adhd backmost successful the dollar worth of the prime adjustments and comparison the terms to what the newer exemplary costs.

So, the terms tags of smartphones could precise good beryllium higher than past twelvemonth but erstwhile taking into relationship the caller features manufacturers added, they're comparatively cheaper.

Tickets to sports games 

Tickets to sports games outgo 18% little compared to past year. 

Last twelvemonth though, request for tickets to sporting games changeable up arsenic fans could yet be games in-person erstwhile COVID-19 vaccines were rolled out. 

So yes, tickets are cheaper but chiefly due to the fact that they changeable up truthful precocious this clip past year.

TVs

Just similar with smartphones, the BLS performs prime adjustments to relationship for caller features successful the latest models. But dissimilar iPhones, the terms tags of the latest TV models person gone down arsenic well. 

That's a effect of retailers overordering TVs during the pandemic erstwhile consumers were flush with stimulus checks. But erstwhile those funds dried up, they stopped buying TVs. At the aforesaid time, ostentation began to emergence for mundane necessities, causing consumers to dedicate a greater information of their budgets to those items.

Now retailers are discounting TVs, particularly during the vacation season.

Elisabeth Buchwald is a personal concern and markets correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her connected Twitter @BuchElisabeth and motion up for our Daily Money newsletter here