Rip off Republic? Some products have actually gotten cheaper over the years

It feels like the cost of our shopping is always going up rather than down but that's not actually the case for everything in our trolley.

Certain consumer products have actually become cheaper for Irish shoppers over the years, according to a new report. Teabags, milk and pork chops are some of the things we've seen a saving on. Pork loin chops in Irish supermarkets would typically set you back €3 today, whereas our great-great-grandparents would have paid the equivalent of €4.89 for them back in 1914. Back in 1999, meanwhile, a two litre carton of milk would cost €2.60. In 2018, the cost would be closer to €1.49 for the same amount. Unsurprisingly though, most of the things we buy have become more expensive over time due to inflation. The cost of the typical Irish shopping basket has increased by 31 per cent since 1914, according to the report by Provident Personal Credit. A bag of crisps would have set you back you the equivalent of €0.04 in the 1970s while the cost today is closer to €0.85. Similarly, a dozen eggs cost €2.64 in the 1980s but now costs €3. Cigarettes have seen the biggest inflation over the years, rising 110 per cent from €5.71 in 1999 for 20 king size cigarettes to €12 in 2018. Fuel has also seen a major increase in cost - unleaded fuel has gone from €0.89 a litre in 2003 to €1.40 in 2018. House prices, as most of us know, are sky-high now - they're up 35 per cent since 2003. Back then, the average price was €224,567 whereas it's now €322,680. Even pampering is now much more expensive than they it once was. A wash, cut, blow-dry has jumped 22 per cent in average price, going from €32 in 2006 to €39 now.