Can you afford 12 days of Christmas gift-giving?

If you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping already, we’re down to the final two days.

And while you may have already found this year’s yuletide gift-giving comes with a higher price tag than a year ago, if your plan for lavishing your true love with a series of gifts from “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” expect it to cost more than $45,000.

For the 39th year, PNC Financial Services Group has presented its annual light-hearted take on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, measuring the average change in prices consumers should expect to pay for the gifts outlined in the wellknown holiday song. This year, the price of those gifts is up 10.5%, the third highest year-over-year increase in the index’s history.

The dozen days of gift-giving begins Sunday with a partridge in a pear tree, the cost of which is 26% more than last year’s $223. I don’t know if it’s the tree or the bird or both that increased the cost to $280, but almost half of the cost increases are attached to those gifts involving fowl. (PNC suggests its the cost of feeding the birds that accounts for the higher costs.) The two turtle doves had the biggest jump, a 33% increase from $450 to $600, while the three French hens are 25% greater, hiking from $255 to $319. Meanwhile, the six geese a-laying are up 9%, increasing from $660 to $720. If you’re wanting to invest in our fine feathered friends, now seems to be the time to buy four calling birds and seven swans a-swimming, because the cost of these two gifts has remained stable from a year ago. Four calling birds still cost $600, and the price of seven swans a-swimming remains unchanged at a hefty $13,125.

Not surprisingly, if you’re wanting to give your true love gold for the holidays, it’s the gift that’s increased the most. Last Christmas, those five golden rings had a price tag of $895. This year, those same golden rings are up 39% at $1,245.

If you’ve done much grocery shopping lately, surely you’ve noticed the cost of milk has kept pace with inflation. That appears to be because of big dairy operations with big herds of cows and automated milking practices, because when you’re talking eight maids a-milking, it’s a bargain that has the same price tag as a year ago at $58.

Those in the performing arts are charging more this year to do the things they do, like leaping, dancing, drumming and piping. Therefore, nine ladies dancing costs $8,308, which is 10% more than last year’s $7,553. When it comes to 10 lords a-leaping, I can only guess that it’s increased medical costs in the event of injury or a hike in insurance coverage that’s responsible for a 24% increase from $11,260 to $13,980, the single biggest price tag for the dozen days.

Meanwhile, there’s been a modest 3% increase for both 11 pipers piping (from $2,944 to $3,021) and 12 drummers drumming (from $3,183 to $3,267).

So when the last of your gifts are delivered on Jan. 5, you’re looking at a price tag of $45,523, up $4,317 from last year’s $41,206. To be sure, your true love, like mine, may be a bargain at twice that price. But if your expressions of Christmas love are later regifted or show up for resale on Marketplace, you may want to rethink next year’s gift-giving, choosing a generous gift card instead. If not, your true love will be sharing the next two weeks and beyond with 23 birds, 42 dancers and musicians, and eight dairy cows, but your true love will be sporting five golden rings.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.