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Price changes in the thrifty food plan versus the consumer price index for food: why the difference?(changes in food plans)
- Article from:
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Family Economics and Nutrition Review
- Article date:
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March 22, 2004
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2004 Superintendent of Documents. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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From June 2003 to June 2004, the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP or the Plan) increased 5.8 percent for the reference family (a husband and wife, ages 20 to 50, with two children ages 6 to 8 and 9 to 11). However, the cost of food as gauged by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food, the standard measure for food price changes, increased 3.7 percent over this time. The difference between these increases led to a question: Why did the cost of the TFP exceed the rate of food inflation? The answer relates to the TFP containing only food consumed at home and the types of foods in the Plan.
Two aspects of the TFP result in its price changes differing from those of the CPI ...