This is our annual “what to expect in the new year” episode, and our hot take is “affordability” is about to be the most overused, and least understood, word of 2026.

You’re going to hear it everywhere, and this week, we’re explaining why that should make you a little nervous.

We break down why affordability is becoming the new catch-all word for economic stress, how it’s being used to sell certainty in an unstable system, and why more people are about to find themselves saying, “I thought I could afford it.”

If you’re trying to plan, decide, or stabilize in the year ahead, this episode is your reminder to stop accepting affordability at face value and start defining it in a way that actually protects your life.

We get into:

Why affordability is always relative, and why it changes faster than people admit
The danger of treating percentages (25%, 30%, 10%) like universal laws
How 2026 pricing strategies will make more things feel affordable in the moment
The difference between being broke and being overextended
Why something can fit the budget and still cost you peace, flexibility, or future options
How to spot the signs that something isn’t actually affordable anymore
A more honest question to ask before you say yes to buying something you think you can “afford”

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