The following pie chart and graph are extracted from Doug Short. The pie chart gives the components and its weights. That is, food is weighted at 15.3% of the CPI; while housing is weighted at 41%.
The next chart shows the annualized rate of change (solid lines) and the cumulative change (dotted lines) in CPI and Core CPI, or core inflation, since 2000. Core inflation is the overall inflation rate (CPI) excluding Food and Energy, which doesn't make any sense at all to exclude those two components. Why? Well, it would only make sense if you do not eat nor heat your home or put gasoline into your car. But, then again, what do I know. However, I am sure that our policy makers at the Bureau of Labor and Statistics and the Federal Reserve System would provide you with a perfectly sane and rational explanation.
Looking at the bottom part of the above chart, one just might conclude that an annualized CPI rate of 2.5% is not that bad to your wallet. However, when you look at the cumulative (dotted) lines, it takes on a whole new perspective. That is, what cost you $100 in 2000 would now cost you $140, or a 40% increase. Now, tell me has your "real" income and/or wages gone up by at least 40% since 2000? I didn't thing so!
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