Episodes

  • How Your Grocery Store Is Quietly Shrinking Packages

    How Your Grocery Store Is Quietly Shrinking Packages
    Jun 29 2026
    Episode 81 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo: Lucas and Luna reveal how 'shrinkflation' is hitting your grocery cart harder than official CPI data suggests. They break down a real-world example—a bag of coffee that dropped from 12 ounces to 10.5 ounces while the price stayed the same—and explain why the Bureau of Labor Statistics struggles to capture these hidden price increases. Lucas brings the data: core CPI for food-at-home rose 2.1% year-over-year, but private researchers estimate shrinkflation adds another 0.5 to 1 percentage point. Luna shares a smart shopping hack: tracking unit prices on shelf labels. They also discuss why packaged goods companies resort to this tactic during sticky inflation and how the Fed's 3.63% funds rate influences the trend. A practical episode for anyone tired of paying more for less. #Shrinkflation #Inflation #GroceryPrices #ConsumerPriceIndex #CPI #FoodInflation #PersonalFinance #PurchasingPower #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationAndYourMoney #PackagedGoods #UnitPricing #HiddenInflation #CostOfLiving #Investing #Finance Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Life Insurance Premium

    How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Life Insurance Premium
    Jun 28 2026
    Episode 80 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo explores an overlooked inflation victim: life insurance premiums. Lucas and Luna break down how persistent inflation has pushed up the cost of term and whole life policies by 8-12% in 2026, using real data from the May CPI report and recent Fed signals. They explain the mechanics — higher claims costs, rising bond yields, and insurers repricing risk — and offer practical tips for locking in rates or adjusting coverage. A concrete, numbers-driven conversation for anyone concerned about protecting their family without overpaying. #LifeInsurance #Inflation #TermLife #WholeLife #PremiumHike #CPI #FedRate #BondYields #PersonalFinance #InsuranceStrategy #CostOfLiving #CoverageTips #FinancialPlanning #InflationHedge #PolicyRenewal #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • How Durable Goods Inflation Is Hiding in Your Appliances

    How Durable Goods Inflation Is Hiding in Your Appliances
    Jun 28 2026
    Episode 79 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna uncover a stealth inflation vector: major home appliances. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says washing machine prices have dropped 12% year-over-year, but the actual cost per wash cycle has climbed because of mandated efficiency features and repair complexity. Lucas walks through a specific example: a typical front-load washer that cost $800 in 2021 now sells for $750, but the control board failure rate has doubled, turning a $200 repair into a $600 replacement. The hosts discuss why CPI undercounts this, how manufacturers are shifting costs into consumables like detergent pods and filters, and what listeners can do to protect themselves — including buying extended warranties on specific components and avoiding smart-connected models with forced firmware updates. A data-driven look at the gap between headline inflation and real household expense creep. #DurableGoods #ApplianceInflation #CPI #CostPerWash #RepairCosts #ExtendedWarranty #SmartAppliances #ConsumerPriceIndex #InflationHedge #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Finance #PersonalFinance #PurchasingPower #WashingMachine #ControlBoard #Firmware #LucasAndLuna Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Travel Rewards Points

    How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Travel Rewards Points
    Jun 27 2026
    Lucas and Luna dive into a hidden inflation casualty: travel rewards programs. With CPI at 334 and the ten-year breakeven inflation rate at 2.20 percent, the purchasing power of your miles and points is quietly being devalued. They break down how major loyalty programs have been increasing the number of points needed for award flights and hotel stays by 15 to 25 percent over the past year, effectively acting as a stealth price hike. Using specific examples from Delta SkyMiles and Marriott Bonvoy, they explain the math behind points devaluation, why it's happening now, and what you can do to protect your rewards balance — including booking early, transferring points to partners, and treating points like a depreciating asset. The episode closes with a practical strategy for redeeming before your stash loses more value. #Inflation #TravelRewards #PointsDevaluation #DeltaSkyMiles #MarriottBonvoy #AirlineMiles #HotelPoints #LoyaltyPrograms #PurchasingPower #CPI #BreakevenInflation #PersonalFinance #ConsumerTips #TravelHacks #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Homeowners Insurance

    How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Homeowners Insurance
    Jun 27 2026
    Episode 77 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna dive into a hidden inflation victim: homeowners insurance premiums. With CPI still sticky at 3.1% year-over-year as of May 2026, and the Fed holding rates at 3.63%, home insurance costs have surged 15-20% in many states, far outpacing general inflation. Lucas breaks down why—rising reinsurance costs, climate-driven catastrophe losses, and a hard market cycle. Luna asks if shopping around every year actually works, and they discuss whether bundling is still a good strategy. They also touch on the latest Fed comments from Kashkari hinting at a rate hike. If you own a home and haven't checked your renewal notice closely, this episode is for you. Plus, a brief donor-supported moment: how listener contributions keep the podcast ad-free. Concrete tips to protect your purchasing power against invisible premium creep. #HomeownersInsurance #Inflation #Premiums #Reinsurance #ClimateRisk #FedRateHike #Kashkari #CPI #CoreCPI #InsuranceCycle #HardMarket #Bundling #PurchasingPower #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InflationAndYourMoney #InsuranceHack Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Restaurant Meals

    How Inflation Is Quietly Eating Your Restaurant Meals
    Jun 26 2026
    Episode 76 of Inflation and Your Money. Lucas and Luna dig into a specific inflation blind spot: the restaurant menu. Most of us think we notice when prices go up, but restaurants have been using a subtler strategy — shrinking portions, reformulating recipes, and shifting menu mix — to conceal the real inflation hit. Lucas walks through data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that 'food away from home' has risen 5.2 percent year-over-year, while grocery prices are up only 1.8 percent. But even that gap understates it, because restaurants are also quietly reducing the amount of protein or the size of sides. We talk about how to spot 'shrinkflation' on a menu, why the breakeven inflation rate hitting 2.21 percent matters for your dining budget, and one simple habit that can save you $400 a year without giving up eating out. Also: a brief listener-support moment and why keeping this show ad-free depends on people who find value in it. #Inflation #Shrinkflation #RestaurantInflation #MenuInflation #FoodAwayFromHome #CPI #CoreCPI #BreakevenInflation #PurchasingPower #PersonalFinance #ConsumerSpending #EatingOutCosts #HiddenInflation #PortionShrink #MenuEngineering #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • How Inflation Is Hitting Your Pet Insurance Premium

    How Inflation Is Hitting Your Pet Insurance Premium
    Jun 26 2026
    Episode 75 of Inflation and Your Money with Fexingo looks at a surprisingly vulnerable spot in your budget: pet insurance. With pet medical costs rising at more than double the rate of human healthcare inflation, carriers are jacking up premiums aggressively. Lucas and Luna break down the specific data — including a 23% average premium increase in 2025 alone — and explain why the standard inflation hedges you'd use for other expenses don't work here. They discuss how to shop for policies smartly, whether pet insurance is still worth it, and what the shift in underwriting practices means for pet owners. If you've got a dog or cat, this one hits close to home. #PetInsurance #Inflation #Finance #PetHealth #Premiums #CPI #Underwriting #VetCosts #PersonalFinance #InsuranceHacks #LucasAndLuna #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #PurchasingPower #PetOwners #DogCat #InflationHedge #Episode75 Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Why Silver Is Losing Its Inflation Hedge Status

    Why Silver Is Losing Its Inflation Hedge Status
    Jun 25 2026
    Episode 74 examines silver's recent collapse as an inflation hedge, down over 10% in a week as gold stumbles too. Lucas and Luna unpack the industrial demand shift, the role of interest rates, and whether silver's dual identity as both a monetary metal and an industrial commodity makes it a risky bet right now. They reference real-time data: silver trading near $58.50, the 10-year breakeven inflation rate falling to 2.18%, and the Fed holding rates steady. The conversation explores whether the traditional playbook for precious metals still works in a world of higher real yields and slowing inflation. A must-listen for anyone holding silver or thinking of buying the dip. #Silver #InflationHedge #PreciousMetals #IndustrialDemand #InterestRates #RealYields #BreakevenInflation #Gold #SilverPrice #Commodities #FedPolicy #PurchasingPower #InflationAndYourMoney #Fexingo #FexingoBusiness #FinancePodcast #PersonalFinance #Investing Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins