Allow Me to Reintroduce This Newsletter

What it is, who it’s for, and where to start

If you’re new here, welcome! And if you’ve been here a while, thanks for sticking around. Nearly 1,000 people have joined the Monday Morning Economist in the past few months, so it feels like a good time to step back and say: allow me to reintroduce myself.

This newsletter is for people who are curious about how economics can explain the world around them, but don’t want to get lost in academic papers or buried in cable news segments. Some of you are students, teachers, or policy wonks. Others are just trying to make sense of everyday headlines without getting buried in the jargon. Either way, you’re in the right place.

Each Monday morning, I send out a short, accessible post that connects real-world events to core economic ideas. No lectures. No jargon-filled charts. Just timely insights and practical examples you can use in class, at work, or in everyday conversation.

Here are five reader favorites to help you get a feel for what this newsletter is all about:

• Taylor Swift Did Not Add Billions to the U.S. Economy
  Big headlines about economic impact sound impressive, but often miss the tradeoffs underneath.

• The Real Price of Being Home Alone
  Let’s re-watch Home Alone to see how inflation changes the cost of everyday spending over time.

• The Hidden Cost of Buying American
  Even when something says “Made in the USA,” tariffs and global supply chains still shape its price.

• Why Aren’t Cars as Colorful as They Used to Be?
  A look at how economic incentives pushed automakers (and buyers) toward a sea of gray.

• The Economics of “Girl Math”
  Behind the jokes are real lessons about how people frame costs, justify spending, and make decisions.

Know someone who’d enjoy learning alongside you? This newsletter is built for curious people like you, and chances are, you know someone who’d appreciate it too. Invite a friend to join the community, and you might even get a small thank-you from me down the line.