Wages and Prices with Fexingo: Cost of Living, Pay Raises, and Workers' Purchasing Power

In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how rising wages are finally outpacing the cost of owning a pet, from vet bills to pet insurance to food. Using the latest data—average hourly earnings at $37.50 in May 2026 and the PCE price index at 131.5—they break down why pet expenses have grown at about 6% annually while wages have grown faster. They dig into the shift toward pet insurance, the rise of...

Episode 78 of Wages and Prices tackles a surprising victory for workers: textbook costs. While college tuition keeps climbing, the price of course materials has actually fallen 12 percent over the past five years, thanks to digital rentals, open educational resources, and a shift in how publishers sell. Lucas breaks down the data — average hourly earnings are up 2.4 percent year-over-year, while t...

In episode 77 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how wage growth is finally outpacing airline ticket inflation. With average hourly earnings at $37.50 and median weekly earnings at $1,204, real purchasing power for air travel is improving. They break down the factors: airlines added capacity post-2023, fuel costs stabilized, and competition on domestic routes intensified. But...

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine why wage growth is finally outpacing the cost of new cars. With average hourly earnings rising to $37.50 in May 2026 and new car transaction prices plateauing after years of increases, the affordability equation is shifting. They break down the numbers: how median usual weekly earnings of $1,204 now cover more of a typical car payment tha...

In Episode 75 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine how wage growth is finally outpacing the cost of everyday household essentials like paper towels, laundry detergent, and trash bags. Using the latest data from May 2026—including average hourly earnings at $37.50 and core CPI at 336.1—they break down why a category that felt persistently expensive is now becoming more affordabl...

Episode 74 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo dives into a persistent pain point for most households: out-of-pocket medical expenses. Lucas and Luna examine fresh data showing that while healthcare inflation has cooled, the real burden of deductibles and copays has grown. They zero in on the 2026 employer-sponsored insurance landscape, where average deductibles for single coverage have hit $2,575 —...

In episode 73 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine a surprising shift: after years of grocery inflation outpacing wage gains, the trend has reversed. With average hourly earnings up to $37.50 and core CPI at 3.4%, wages are now growing faster than the cost of staples like eggs and bread. The hosts dig into Bureau of Labor Statistics data, break down the categories where shopper...

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising shift: after years of menu price inflation outpacing wage growth, the tide is turning. With the latest data showing average hourly earnings up to $37.50 while the core CPI for food away from home has moderated, workers in some metro areas now have more real purchasing power at restaurants than they did in 2023. Lucas breaks...

In episode 71 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna explore a bright spot for homeowners: after years of double-digit premium increases, home insurance costs are finally growing slower than wages. Using fresh May 2026 data on average hourly earnings and the latest CPI shelter index, they explain the structural shift — from climate model repricing to state-level rate caps to the quiet normalization o...

Episode 70 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo explores a major life event that's been nearly impossible to budget for: weddings. With average hourly earnings up to $37.50 and core PCE inflation cooling to 2.4 percent, Lucas and Luna break down why the typical wedding cost—around $33,000—is now growing slower than wages for the first time since 2020. They dig into data from The Knot, the rise of micr...

Episode 69 of Wages and Prices finds Lucas and Luna digging into a quiet victory in the inflation wars: for the first time in three years, average hourly earnings are growing faster than energy and water utility prices in most metro areas. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data from May 2026, they break down how the typical private-sector worker's $37.50 per hour now buys more kilowatt-hours and cu...

In this episode of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising turn in the cost of car insurance. After years of double-digit premium increases, the latest CPI data shows auto insurance inflation slowing to just 2.8% year-over-year, while average hourly earnings have risen 4.1%. The hosts break down why insurers are finally easing up—citing fewer accidents post-pandemic, bet...

In episode 67 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising milestone: wage growth has finally pulled ahead of gasoline price inflation. With average hourly earnings up 2.4% year-over-year and gasoline prices down 6% from a year ago, real purchasing power at the pump is improving for the first time since 2021. But the hosts dig into the nuances — the national average masks...

In episode 66 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore a quiet but meaningful shift: after years of relentless hikes, streaming services and digital subscriptions are finally becoming cheaper relative to wage growth. Using the latest May 2026 data on average hourly earnings (up to $37.50) and the CPI reading of 334.0, the hosts show how a 3.5% wage gain is outpacing the roughly 2.8...

In this episode of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down the latest wage growth data versus the interest payments on credit card debt. With average hourly earnings hitting $37.50 and the Federal Reserve holding rates steady under new chair Kevin Warsh, the cost of carrying a balance is finally shrinking in real terms. Lucas walks through the numbers: wage growth of 3.2% year-ove...

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine a surprising consumer win: apparel prices are falling even as wages rise. With average hourly earnings at $37.50 and clothing costs down over 2% year-over-year, the purchasing power for clothing is at a generational high. They drill into the specific data — the CPI apparel index versus wage growth — and discuss why this trend is happening...

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna dive into the latest data showing that wage growth is finally outpacing the soaring cost of childcare. Using the May 2026 average hourly earnings of $37.50 and the latest CPI figures, they explore how a 2.9% annual wage increase is now more than double the 1.3% rise in childcare costs. They discuss what's driving the slowdown—from increased suppl...

In Episode 62 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna unpack a quiet but significant shift: for the first time in years, wage growth is outpacing the cost of vehicle repairs and maintenance. Using new May 2026 data showing average hourly earnings at $37.50 and the latest CPI breakdown, the hosts explain why your paycheck is winning against transmission replacements and oil changes—and why mechanics ar...

In Episode 61 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine a surprising shift in the American paycheck: for the first time in years, wage growth is outpacing the rise in employer-sponsored health insurance premiums. Using fresh May 2026 data (average hourly earnings at $37.50, CPI at 334.0, core CPI at 336.1), they break down why premiums, which historically ate up raises, are now growing more slow...

In Episode 60 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna examine a long-awaited shift: wage growth is finally outpacing college tuition increases. With average hourly earnings at $37.50 and median weekly earnings hitting $1,204, workers are gaining ground against education costs that have risen faster than inflation for decades. The hosts break down the numbers behind this trend, discuss how...

In Episode 59 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how wage growth in smaller metro areas is finally outpacing housing cost increases, even as major cities remain stretched. Using May 2026 data showing average hourly earnings up to $37.50 and the latest CPI figures, they examine why places like Boise and Chattanooga are seeing real purchasing power gains for renters, while coas...

In Episode 58 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into a surprising area where wage growth is finally outpacing inflation: pet care. Using May 2026 data showing average hourly earnings at $37.50 and CPI at 334.0, they explore why veterinary costs and pet food prices have moderated while paychecks keep climbing. They discuss how the pandemic pet boom led to a surge in demand and p...

Episode 57 of Wages and Prices with Fexingo dives into a surprising trend: for the first time in years, hourly wage growth is outpacing furniture price increases. Lucas and Luna break down the data—median weekly earnings are up 3.9 percent year-over-year, while furniture prices have actually fallen 1.2 percent over the past twelve months. They explore why furniture costs are declining: a combinati...

In Episode 56 of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising turn in the cost of living: car insurance premiums, which soared over 20% annually through much of 2024 and 2025, have finally slowed to single-digit growth. Meanwhile, average hourly earnings in the private sector hit $37.50 in May 2026, up from $37.41 the month before. The hosts explore why premiums are cooling—fewer acciden...

For years, buying a new refrigerator or washing machine felt like a losing battle — prices kept climbing while wages struggled to keep up. But in this episode, Lucas and Luna break down the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that average hourly earnings have now outpaced the price of major household appliances for three consecutive quarters. They explore why appliance inflatio...