What's going on with consumers? This is one of the trickiest puzzles of this weird economic moment we're in. We've covered a version of this before under the term "vibecession," but it's safe to say, the struggle is in fact real. It is not just in our heads. Sure, sure, some data is looking great. But not all of it. What's interesting, is exactly why the bad feels so much worse than the good feels good. Today on the show, we look into a few theories on why feelings are just not matching up with data. We'll break down some numbers and how to think about them. Then we look at grocery prices in particular, and an effort to combat unfair pricing using a mostly forgotten 1930's law. Will it actually help? Today's episode is adapted from episodes for Planet Money's daily show, The Indicator. Subscribe here. Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other episodes from Planet Money
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Why does the government fund research at universities?
28 May 2025
Planet Money
The secret world behind those scammy text messages
23 May 2025
Planet Money
How economists (and TikTok) know if a recession is coming
21 May 2025
Planet Money
The 145% tariff already did its damage
16 May 2025
Planet Money
What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war
14 May 2025
Planet Money
Is the reign of the dollar over?
09 May 2025
Planet Money