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@malwaretech @mkoek the closest indicator that could be measured is real purchasing power based on a basket of goods that have relevant impact. Measure the cost of braces and rotisserie chicken and gas and insurance copays and yes, even eggs. But the key is not the actual cost. It’s the delta between how much someone on a fixed or trailing salary can afford to purchase of those goods and the inflated cost. That gap has massively widened in the last 10 years.

The reason we are all obsessed with eggs is they’re a cheap protein that is flexible, storable, and ubiquitous. I used to be able to buy eggs at .99c a dozen 20 years ago, and 1.99/doz ten years ago. They’re now $10/doz in Seattle. In the last ten years, the cost of the most common and accessible protein has risen 5x but the median salary certainly has not.

When someone used to be able to afford steak and now they can’t afford hamburger, they correctly perceive it as losing something. That’s the sentiment @malwaretech is saying to measure.