Am I crazy, or is the economy teetering on the edge of boom and bust?

Jobs are still there. Markets are still standing. Inflation isn’t spiraling. So why does everything feel… off? In this episode, Pete the Planner tackles the growing disconnect between what the economic data says and how people actually feel about their money. This isn’t a recession episode—but it’s definitely not a “everything’s great” episode either. We dig into why households feel financially exhausted even as incomes rise, why good headlines don’t translate into confidence, and how higher prices, frozen decisions, and lingering uncertainty are quietly changing behavior. People aren’t panicking—but they are pulling back. Less splurging. More hesitation. A constant sense of “we’re fine, but only barely.” The show explores whether this tension is temporary or if we’re entering a new era of permanent caution—where trust takes longer to rebuild than balance sheets, and reassurance alone doesn’t calm nerves. Because maybe the real question isn’t whether a recession is coming… It’s whether people believe things will actually get easier. Plus, we close with BWOM and the latest news shaping how all of this plays out in real life.