Allie Trella-Jones

Michael Strain has been going to the same French restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, for more than a decade.

And in the last handful of years, he's watched menu prices climb.

Strain is an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, so he obviously understands all the forces behind inflation.

And he's done the math on whether his earnings have kept up.

They have.

But this logic only takes him so far.

He still feels bad about inflation.

What prices used to be.

Strain is 44, so that's an actual reference point for him, a history that most people in their 20s are too young to have.

And it's likely a big reason why Americans under 35 have a bit more confidence in the economy and why those 35 and older have less.

Michael Madowitz is an economist at the Roosevelt Institute.

And it's true, Gen X has the lowest level of consumer confidence, according to the conference board's survey.

Can I pay for my kids' college?

Can I support my aging parents?

Will I be able to collect Social Security?

Dana Peterson, chief economist at the Conference Board, says it's important to measure consumer confidence by age because it can help us better understand the economy.

For instance, less confident Gen Xers might pull back during their peak earning and spending years.

That's super important because...

Consumption is 75% of the economy if you add in goods, services, and housing.

She says in some ways, a specific age group's feelings can be a more pointed signal to understand where the economy is heading.