If inflation is only around 2–3%, why does everything feel so much more expensive?
In this episode, we break down how inflation is actually measured, and why your personal experience can feel completely disconnected from the official numbers. From grocery bills and gas prices to rent and mortgages, not all price increases hit the same way—and some matter a lot more than others.
We also dig into the hidden forces shaping your cost of living: shrinkflation, quality drops (“chocolatey” vs. chocolate), and the limits of how agencies like Statistics Canada track price changes. The result? A single inflation number that masks wildly different realities depending on how you live, spend, and earn.
In other words: there isn’t one inflation rate. There are millions.
Chapters
00:00 Intro: Why We Underestimate Inflation
00:28 Official Stats vs. Public Perception
01:20 Breaking Down the "Spending Basket"
02:07 Why Every Family Experiences Inflation Differently
03:33 Why Reading & Media Prices are Dropping
04:04 Biggest Price Jumps & Surprises
05:56 The Reality of Shrinkflation at the Grocery Store
06:46 The Kraft Dinner Test: Smaller Sizes, Same Price
07:43 Cutting Ingredients: Chocolate vs. "Chocolaty"
09:03 Housing & Shelter Inflation
11:46 Boomers vs. Gen Z: Who Wins in High Interest Rates?
12:55 Final Thoughts: One Economy, Multiple Realities
Research Links:
Consumer Price Index and Inflation Perceptions in Canada: Can measurement approaches or behavioural factors explain the gap?
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/62f0014m/62f0014m2021017-eng.htm
Shrinking products, rising prices: Food-specific quantity adjustments in the Consumer Price Index
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2025016-eng.htm
Greedy bastards. This just happened in the past few weeks.
https://www.reddit.com/r/loblawsisoutofcontrol/comments/1s116uj/greedy_bastards_this_just_happened_in_the_past/
Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux
Produced by Meredith Martin
This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.
