Why Your Raise Is Finally Beating the Cost of Pet Care

In this episode of Wages and Prices, Lucas and Luna examine how wage growth is finally outpacing the cost of pet care in mid-2026. With average hourly earnings up to $37.60 and the CPI easing to 332.6, pet owners are seeing some relief after years of rising vet bills and pet insurance premiums. The hosts break down the numbers behind a typical annual vet visit, discuss why pet care costs have been sticky, and explore what this means for household budgets. Lucas explains how the 4.5% year-over-year increase in weekly earnings compares to the roughly 2.2% rise in pet care costs, and Luna raises the question of whether this trend will hold if new tariffs on imported pet supplies take effect. They also touch on the broader picture of wage gains versus services inflation, and what the data tells us about consumer spending on non-essentials like pet wellness plans. A data-driven, conversational look at one slice of the cost-of-living puzzle. #WagesAndPrices #PetCare #CostOfLiving #WageGrowth #Inflation #AverageHourlyEarnings #CPI #VetCosts #PetInsurance #HouseholdBudgets #ConsumerSpending #Tariffs #Economics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #PodcastEpisode #EconomicIndicators #RealWages Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo