Jason and John are back for Episode #129 of I Shower After Work, and this week they’re talking about the cost of living, the stuff we need, the stuff we want, and all the sneaky little ways everything seems to cost more.

The episode starts with Jason apologizing for missing last week after dealing with another kidney stone, then the guys jump into a wild relationship honesty story: is “100% honesty” actually healthy, or are some thoughts supposed to stay inside your head where they belong?

From there, they talk Stitch Fix, clothing that actually fits, John’s graphic tee collection, and then get into the main topic: inflation, rising costs, food prices, gas, energy, shrinkflation, and the consumer side of getting squeezed.

Jason and John break down how groceries, fuel, fast food, subscriptions, streaming services, phone bills, and food delivery apps all hit differently when prices creep up a little at a time. They talk Gatorade bottles getting smaller, Doritos bags shrinking, fast-food deals quietly changing, and why companies should have to be more obvious when they give you less for the same price.

They also get into Disney adding ads, paying extra to avoid commercials, algorithms going sideways, Star Wars Halloween costumes, expensive lightsabers, LARPing, Renaissance Festival sword rules, Wi-Fi entitlement videos, European cost-of-living comparisons, Chick-fil-A being great but closed on Sundays, and why sometimes the little service details still matter.

Later, the guys talk about job security, AI, making yourself harder to replace, skilled trades, certifications, being valuable at work, warning signs that your job may be getting bird-dogged, and why being asked to document every single thing you do may be a bad sign.

They also set up a future Part Two about corporate profits, CEO pay, big companies, and how businesses can keep making money while consumers feel the squeeze.

The episode closes with practical ways to cut costs: make coffee at home, drive less and plan errands better, use cash for groceries, delete the food delivery apps, and send in your own money-saving tips.

Question for the Showerheads:

What’s one thing you’ve changed, cut back on, or completely stopped buying because the price got stupid?

00:00 Cold Open and Setup

00:58 Too Honest Marriage Story

03:33 Relationship Honesty Rules

06:33 Do I Look Fat Debate

07:23 Stitch Fix and Style

10:28 Rising Costs Two Parter

11:17 Gas Food and Work Trucks

15:56 Grocery Inflation Numbers

18:24 Shrinkflation Examples

25:12 Streaming Ads Double Dip

28:51 Canceling Disney Bundle

29:10 Digital Xbox Upgrade

30:01 Algorithm Costume Chaos

31:20 Lightsaber LARP Rabbit Hole

32:57 Ren Fest Reality Check

33:55 WiFi Karen Ring Cams

35:56 US vs Europe Costs

40:01 Chick-fil-A Dilemma

43:11 Career Proofing Advice

47:50 Gas Prices and Chevron

51:02 Everyday Cost Cutting

56:25 Wrap Up and Contact

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https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-by-category.htmhttps://www.businessinsider.com/shrinkflation-grocery-stores-pringles-cereal-candy-bars-chocolate-toilet-paper-cadbury-2021-7#walmart-great-value-paper-towels-dropped-from-168-sheets-per-roll-to-only-120-while-the-price-stayed-the-same-5