Economy
Let's talk about the economy.
MIT's 'Living Wage' for Maryland Leaves $0 Leftover—Here's the Math
I came across the MIT Living Wage Calculator for Maryland. It says a single adult needs $25.94 an hour to survive—no kids, full-time work. Two adults both working? $16.96 each. That's the minimum to c…
The Silver Tsunami Isn't Coming — It's Already Here, and Nobody's Talking About the Part That Matters
# The Silver Tsunami Isn't Coming — It's Already Here, and Nobody's Talking About the Part That Matters Here's what nobody's really saying about the aging of America: The silver tsunami isn't mostly…
Can Two $20/Hour Workers Actually Afford a Kid?
# Can Two $20/Hour Workers Actually Afford a Kid? My wife and I talk about this more than I'd like to admit. We're up there in age. We've been putting it off. And every time we sit down and actually…
We Pay to Dig the Mine. Big Pharma Takes the Gold.
I just watched a clip from Joe Rogan's podcast with Brigham Buhler where they break down what's happening with GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. And I went down the rabbit hole fact-checking everyt…
The Car Affordability Trap Nobody Is Talking About
I keep seeing headlines about inflation cooling. And on most things — groceries, electronics, furniture — the math checks out. Prices have stabilized. For now. But there's one category that didn't…
National Gas Prices Rise One Dollar Per Gallon in 30 Days Amid Strait of Hormuz Disruption
The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose from approximately $2.98 to $3.98 over 30 days, a one-dollar increase driven by the U.S.-Iran conflict and disruption to shipping throu…
USDA Forecasts 3.1% Grocery Price Increase in 2026, Above 20-Year Average
The USDA's 2026 food price outlook projects grocery prices will rise 3.1% this year, exceeding the 20-year average of 2.6%. Overall food prices, including restaurants, are forecast to climb 3.6%. This…
U.S. Economy Lost 92,000 Jobs in February While Prices Continued Rising, Raising Stagflation Concerns
The U.S. economy shed 92,000 jobs in February, against economist expectations of a 60,000-job gain — a swing of 152,000 jobs. Simultaneously, prices continued to rise. The Federal Reserve has formally…
Cost of Living Data Shows Affordable States Becoming More Expensive as Migration Increases
Cost of living data for 2026 shows significant variation across U.S. states, but states that were previously considered affordable are experiencing rising costs as population migration increases deman…
Five Arguments Against Raising the Minimum Wage. Here's Why I Think They're All Wrong.
I keep hearing the same five arguments against raising the minimum wage. From podcasts, from business owners, from politicians, from people on the internet who took one econ class in college and now t…
Who Actually Owns New York? Because It's Not New Yorkers.
You hear stories about billionaires from overseas buying up condos in Manhattan and never setting foot in them. I always assumed it was exaggerated. Rich people buying a few penthouses — whatever. Tha…
Jamie Dimon Is Worried Again. Should You Be?
Jamie Dimon has been warning us about the economy for years now. In 2022, he said a "hurricane" was coming. It didn't. The economy grew, jobs kept coming, and the hurricane turned out to be a light br…
Nobody's Buying. Nobody's Selling. And the Loans That Do Exist Are Starting to Crack.
Here's a stat that blew my mind when I first saw it: in 2025, only about 28 out of every 1,000 homes in America changed hands. That's a turnover rate of 2.77% — the lowest in at least three decades (R…
A House Used to Cost 3 Years of Your Salary. Now It's 5. What Happened?
I'm not an economist. I'm not a policy analyst. I'm a guy who served in the military, went to culinary school, worked hard, and still can't afford a house. And I'm starting to wonder if the math ever …