THE JOURNAL
Every writeup,
in order.
Sourced essays on life, debt, work, and the systems most people live inside without ever choosing to.
August 2026 · Essay · International
The Math of Calling In Sick
The United States is the only advanced economy on Earth with no federal paid sick leave mandate.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Despair
Deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide hit a record 209,225 in a single year. The most recent data shows the first real decline in over two decades.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of the Grocery Bill
47.9 million Americans live in food-insecure households. The average federal food benefit is $6.17 a day per person.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of the Minimum
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 an hour for 17 straight years — the longest stretch without an increase in the law's history.
August 2026 · Essay · International
The Math of the Prescription
A vial of insulin costs ten times more to manufacture for the U.S. market than for almost anywhere else on Earth.
August 2026 · Essay · Outlook
The Math of Automation
The honest projection is a net gain of 78 million jobs globally by 2030. That doesn't help the 375 million who have to switch careers to get there.
August 2026 · Essay · History
The Math of One Income
In 1967, more than a third of married-couple households ran on a single paycheck. Today it's fewer than one in five.
August 2026 · Essay · International
The Math of Parental Leave
The United States is one of six countries on Earth with no national paid parental leave. Norway offers 49 weeks at full pay.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of the Commute
Car loan delinquencies just passed their 2010 financial-crisis peak. The average new car payment is $770 a month.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of the Gap
The top 1% of Americans own 32% of the country's wealth. The bottom half own 2.6%.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Renting
Nearly half of American renter households pay more than a third of their income just to keep the lease.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of the Degree
Some majors pay for themselves seventeen times over. Others cost more than not going to college at all.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Being Your Own Boss
Gig work advertises $21 an hour and freedom. After expenses and taxes, the real number is often below minimum wage.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Borrowed Time
A $10,000 credit card balance, paid at the minimum, takes 19 years to clear and costs $21,600 in interest.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Childcare
Before the twelve years of school even start, there are years of childcare that cost more than college in 38 states.
August 2026 · Essay
The Cost of Dying
The average American's final year of life costs about $80,000. Then the funeral costs another $8,300.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of a Raise
Since 1979, worker productivity has grown four times faster than worker pay. Here's where the difference actually went.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Retiring
Nearly half of Americans have nothing saved for retirement. The backstop they're counting on instead has a depletion date.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Staying Alive
Americans spend more on healthcare than anyone else on Earth and live shorter lives than every comparable country doing it.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of Owning a Home
The national price-to-income ratio is nearly double what's considered affordable. Here's what it actually takes to buy a house in America right now.
August 2026 · Essay
The Math of an American Life
Twelve years of school. Four more after that. Then about forty years of work to pay for it. Here's what the numbers actually say.