You look through the list of goods, keeping an eye open for anything than can be regarded as a romantic gift or activity. There are some items that are not currently in the inflation basket, such as flowers and jewellery. However, other amorous items such as restaurants, package holidays and chocolate are included (click on the image to enlarge).<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n Any viable options?<\/p>\n A romantic, candlelit dinner at a restaurant might seem like a good choice, but according to the data, the cost of dining at a restaurant went up by 5,9% in December 2017 compared with December 2016 \u2013 higher than overall inflation.<\/p>\n Images come to mind of the last time you and your significant other had a romantic night out at a restaurant. It didn\u2019t go that well: heartburn from food that was far too spicy, the smartly dressed but morose waitron, and the overly enthusiastic violin player who just wouldn\u2019t take a hint.<\/p>\n Nope, moving on\u2026<\/p>\n You\u2019re pleased to see, however, that the price rises of most gifts and activities have remained below overall inflation. The average price of a 150 g chocolate slab, for example, was only 2,8% more expensive in December 2017 than in December 2016.<\/p>\n You glance at your wallet again, and then back at the price list. A lightbulb goes off\u2026<\/p>\n A romantic picnic!<\/p>\n You look again through the list and pick out possible items that can fill a picnic basket for an adventurous outing with your significant other. Biscuits, wine, ground coffee, glasses, chocolate, a blanket, rolls, ham, and cheese. Perfect! A picnic it shall be.<\/p>\n According to Stats SA\u2019s data, the total average price of your basket will be about R430.2<\/sup> This, of course, excludes the items that don\u2019t appear on the list but that will definitely be included, such as flowers, a gift card, and those naughty cupcakes you bake so well.<\/p>\n Now armed with a plan, you breathe a sigh of relief. You get up, grab your wallet and head for the door. Time to put your plan into action. But just before you reach the door, you take a second to set a reminder on your phone for the next time it\u2019s your turn for Valentine\u2019s Day. You won\u2019t make the same mistake again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1<\/sup>Download the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) release here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2<\/sup>The key word to keep in mind when interpreting these prices is average<\/em>. Stats SA visits retail outlets around the country every month to record thousands of prices. The prices mentioned here are not necessarily the exact prices that you will see in the store, but are averages of prices recorded for various items.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You\u2019ve got no one to blame except yourself. Admit it. You totally forgot about Valentine\u2019s Day. Now that it\u2019s just around the corner you\u2019ve got to come up with something fast! It was months ago when you and your significant other agreed that it would be your turn this year to do something special. You read more »<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Picture1\"](\"https:\/\/www.statssa.gov.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Picture1.jpg\")
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