A Chanel flap bag cost $4,900 in 2016, according to CPI Reserve figures read on the TBPN show. Today it runs $11,700, also per CPI Reserve as read on the show. The hosts put the rise at 139%. Co-host Jordi Hays gave his opinion right away: “You’re a bozo if you’re still buying this.”
Behind the joke, the inflation rate that hits your budget is set by what you buy. The official number is an average, and most households land somewhere above or below it. On their October 16, 2026 episode, hosts John Coogan and Hays went down CPI Reserve’s price list. It showed how far apart two households’ inflation can drift over a decade.
CPI Reserve is an independent index that tracks inflation for very wealthy households. It has no connection to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and its figures are not official government data.
Wealthy Households’ Inflation Ran Ahead of the Official Gauge
CPI Reserve’s website says its index for wealthy households rose 63% from 2016 to 2026. This amounts to 5% a year. The same site shows headline consumer inflation (CPI-U, the government’s main price gauge) rising 40% over that stretch, or 3% a year.
| Measure | Rise, 2016 to 2026 | Annual pace |
|---|---|---|
| CPI Reserve wealthy household index | +63% | 5% |
| Headline CPI-U | +40% | 3% |
A gap of a point or two a year looks small. Over ten years, compounding turns it into a large difference in what a dollar buys. The Chanel bag ran ahead of both measures. On the show, the hosts described its increase as more than triple standard inflation.
Met Gala Tickets, Space Seats and Porsches Led the Climb
CPI Reserve’s list, as cited on the show, is full of price jumps that make a handbag look small. The hosts took them one at a time:
- Met Gala tickets: $30,000 in 2016 and $100,000 today. Hays called them “underrated still,” and said that “this is charitable giving, so the more the better.” The charity framing is his argument, offered with a grin.
- A seat with Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE): $250,000 in 2016 and $750,000 now. Coogan called it a “steal of the century.” Hays said he would “go to great lengths” to avoid going.
- The base Porsche Carrera: up 61% since 2016, to $135,000, as cited on the show. Hays still thinks the car is undervalued for the joy it gives. He wanted Porsche could hold the base model at $99,000.
- Big Law partner billing rates: $1,500 an hour in 2016 and nearly $3,000 today, per the show. Wealthy families pay those rates for estate planning, deals and disputes, so this is a real line in their budget.
Manhattan Luxury Real Estate Went the Other Way
One item on the list moved back. Per the show, Manhattan luxury real estate actually fell over the period. The section gave no figure for the decline.
Ordinary housing did the opposite. The Case-Shiller national home price index, which tracks single-family homes, rose from 184 in October 2016 to 337 in July 2026. So a buyer shopping for a Manhattan penthouse saw prices drop, while a family buying a typical house saw them rise. Even inside one household’s spending, categories can pull in opposite directions.
Your Personal Inflation Rate Depends on Your Basket
Official inflation tracks the price of an average basket of goods and services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics builds that basket from spending surveys. In its most recent annual survey, the average household spent $78,535 in 2024. Nobody buys exactly that mix.
If more of your spending goes to things that rose faster than average, your personal inflation rate runs higher than the headline number. If more goes to things that rose slower, or fell, your rate runs lower. A long daily commute is one example. CNBC reported that September’s rise in consumer prices came as gas prices skyrocketed, and that hits a driver harder than someone who works from home.
To find your own rate, pull the last 12 months of bank and card statements. Group the spending into a handful of categories, such as housing, food, transportation, insurance and child care. Then compare each one with the BLS category price changes published alongside the monthly CPI report. Your biggest category that is rising fastest is the one that sets your real inflation rate, and the one to budget around.
Your Own Receipts Set the Inflation Rate That Matters
Whether paying $11,700 for a flap that once cost $4,900 makes a buyer a fool is Hays’s call. For everyone else, the inflation rate that matters comes from your own spending.