ONS have just released the CPI/RPI Basket of Goods and Services update for 2010, and though it may not look too interesting on the face of it (unless stats are your thing), it becomes a fascinating read when you trawl back through the archives and consider the influence of outside factors on our buying decisions.  

From what I remember of 2009, it wasn’t a great year. There were bushfires, earthquakes, tsunamis and an economic meltdown, and it was a spectacularly bad year for music and film fans, with the deaths of Michael Jackson, Les Paul, Patrick Swayze, Brittany Murphy & Farrah Fawcett to name but a few.

But did this have an effect on what we purchased?

Favourites such as garlic bread, liquid soap, cereal bars and hair straighteners have been added to the basket product list, while pitta and squash court hire have been removed. It looks to me like we were struck with a case of the ‘why waste your time on the squash court when there is so much life to be out there living’?

Of course I don’t know if this is the case, but personally, disasters such as earthquakes and tsunami’s make me realise how precious life is, and that frankly, I’d rather be out there enjoying myself rather than worrying about how healthy my diet is or how I’ve missed one of my twelve sessions in the gym this week. So yes, I’d much rather have some garlic bread than dealing with rubbish dry pitta, thanks!

And if you look back to 2003? Pot noodles, slim fast and Ikea bookshelves were the order of the day, while electronic keyboards, tinned spaghetti and vinyl floor coverings were no longer en vogue!

See, fascinating!