What's Inflated ↑

The items you buy most often are the ones that sting the most. Eggs and coffee lead our 'Small Pain' Index — everyday purchases where inflation is impossible to ignore.

Fast food was supposed to be the cheap option. But with combo meals pushing $12-15, cooking at home has become the clear budget winner again.

Your streaming bill has crept up $30-50/month over five years as every service raised prices and added ad tiers. The era of cheap streaming is over.

Auto insurance is up 22% year-over-year and home insurance is surging in disaster-prone states. We explain the structural forces behind the premium shock.

Nominal wages are up, but after adjusting for inflation, most workers have barely broken even. Lower-income households are falling further behind.

Health insurance premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs keep rising faster than wages. The average family now spends $24,000/year on healthcare.

Childcare costs now rival rent in many markets, averaging $1,200-$2,000/month per child. The staffing crisis is making it worse.

Same price, smaller package. Shrinkflation is rampant across grocery aisles and most shoppers don't notice until they read the fine print.

America is short 3-5 million homes. Until we build more, housing costs will keep climbing. We dig into why construction can't keep up.

Menu prices are up 25%+ since 2019, and tipping expectations have expanded to 20-25%. The full cost of eating out has never been higher.

The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009. State minimums range up to $16.28, but even the highest ones just match 1968's purchasing power.

We rank every major spending category by cumulative price increase since 2020. Auto insurance leads at +55%. The results reveal where households are truly squeezed.

Insurance costs are surging, but you're not helpless. Comparison shopping, higher deductibles, and bundling can save hundreds per year.