The Economics of Everyday Things

The Economics of Everyday Things

Freakonomics Network
Business
en
Who decides which snacks are in your office’s vending machine? How much is a suburban elm tree worth, and to whom? How did Girl Scout Cookies become a billion-dollar business? In bite-sized episodes, journalist Zachary Crockett looks at quotidian things and finds amazing stories.

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Episodes (51)

The Economics of Everyday Things

EXTRA: Emoji and the Law

September 04, 2025 19m
How do courts interpret those little icons on your phone? Zachary Crockett brings down the hammer.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Home Staging (Replay)

September 01, 2025 19m Episode 15
How do you turn an empty house into a buyer’s dream home? Zachary Crockett pulls back the curtain.
The Economics of Everyday Things

104. Private Investigators

August 25, 2025 19m Episode 104
They expose fraud, catch cheating spouses, and track down missing assets — but they don’t come cheap. Zachary Crockett takes the case.
The Economics of Everyday Things

103. Satellites

August 18, 2025 22m Episode 103
There are now nearly 12,000 satellites orbiting Earth. What does it cost to put them there, and how do they make money? Zachary Crockett launches an investigation.
The Economics of Everyday Things

102. “The Starry Night”

August 11, 2025 20m Episode 102
How does a museum place a value on a priceless work of art? And how much does it cost to keep it safe? Zachary Crockett appraises the situation.
The Economics of Everyday Things

101. Street Performers

August 04, 2025 15m Episode 101
Performing for passersby takes more than talent. Buskers have to cope with hecklers, civic regulations, aggressive competitors — and uncertain pay. Zachary Crockett passes the hat.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Mobile Home Parks (Replay)

July 28, 2025 19m Episode 18
They’ve long been associated with crime and blight. Now, the investors are moving in. Zachary Crockett follows the trail.
The Economics of Everyday Things

100. Podcasts

July 21, 2025 27m Episode 100
What goes into creating an episode of The Economics of Everyday Things? And how do shows like this one make money? Zachary Crockett turns the mic on himself.
The Economics of Everyday Things

99. Emoji

July 14, 2025 18m Episode 99
We send 10 billion of them every day. Where do they come from? Zachary Crockett hearts this topic.
The Economics of Everyday Things

98. Police Sketches

July 07, 2025 17m Episode 98
When security cameras and facial recognition tools fail, law enforcement investigators fall back on a witness's memory and an artist's hand. Zachary Crockett's nose was a little bigger than that.
The Economics of Everyday Things

EXTRA: Fireworks Stands

July 02, 2025 16m
How does an industry built on roadside pop-ups make billions of dollars in two weeks of the year? Zachary Crockett gets pyrotechnical.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Car Washes (Replay)

June 30, 2025 15m Episode 21
Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood.
The Economics of Everyday Things

97. Elevators

June 23, 2025 18m Episode 97
Americans take more than 20 billion elevator rides every year — and keeping them safe is an expensive proposition. Zachary Crockett makes small talk.
The Economics of Everyday Things

96. School Buses

June 16, 2025 20m Episode 96
Districts across the country are facing shortages of school bus drivers. Can technology help? Zachary Crockett takes a seat in the back.
The Economics of Everyday Things

95. Airplane Food

June 09, 2025 20m Episode 95
Everyone loves to complain about it — but preparing a meal that tastes good at 35,000 feet is harder than you might think. Zachary Crockett will have the fish.
The Economics of Everyday Things

94. Fireworks Shows

June 02, 2025 21m Episode 94
Every year, America celebrates its independence with millions of dollars worth of explosives imported from China. Zachary Crockett lights a fuse and backs away quickly.
The Economics of Everyday Things

93. Pearls

May 26, 2025 19m Episode 93
These glistening round gemstones have come a long way since your grandmother's time, but procuring them is still a lot of work. The world is Zachary Crockett’s oyster.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Little League (Replay)

May 19, 2025 21m Episode 52
Youth baseball — long a widely accessible American pastime — has become overrun by $10,000-per-year, for-profit travel leagues. Zachary Crockett peers inside the dugout.
The Economics of Everyday Things

92. Data Centers

May 12, 2025 17m Episode 92
Where is “the cloud,” anyway? It’s in a bunch of nondescript warehouses all over the country. Zachary Crockett serves up the story.
The Economics of Everyday Things

91. Roller Coasters

May 05, 2025 22m Episode 91
A new thrill ride can cost an amusement park $20 million or more — but roller coasters attract customers like nothing else. Zachary Crockett must be at least this tall to host this episode.
The Economics of Everyday Things

90. Closed Captions

April 28, 2025 19m Episode 90
It takes a highly skilled stenographer — and some specialized equipment — to transcribe TV dialogue in real time at 300 words per minute. Will A.I. rewrite the script? Zachary Crockett tries to keep...
The Economics of Everyday Things

89. Locksmiths

April 21, 2025 18m Episode 89
The ability to get into any home, car, or safe can be lucrative — but fixing locks is a tough business. Zachary Crockett gets the key information.
The Economics of Everyday Things

88. Fortune Cookies

April 14, 2025 20m Episode 88
Those tiny treats that predict your future may come free at the end of a Chinese meal, but they’re big business (and not Chinese). Zachary Crockett will go on a long journey.
The Economics of Everyday Things

87. Ski Areas

April 07, 2025 20m Episode 87
When you hit the slopes, you might not be thinking about water rights, controlled avalanches, and liability insurance — but someone has to. Zachary Crockett shreds the pow.
The Economics of Everyday Things

86. Toothpaste

March 31, 2025 16m Episode 86
We reach for it twice a day — without thinking about the decades of research and engineering that went into that squeezable tube of minty goo. Zachary Crockett extracts the last bit.
The Economics of Everyday Things

85. Executive Recruiters

March 24, 2025 21m Episode 85
When a Fortune 500 company needs a new leader, it turns to a well-connected headhunter who assesses candidates with psychological tests and mock TV interviews. Zachary Crockett activates his network.
The Economics of Everyday Things

84. Mall Cops

March 17, 2025 18m Episode 84
Security guards make malls feel safer, but what can they do when there’s trouble? Zachary Crockett observes and reports.
The Economics of Everyday Things

83. Game Show Winnings

March 10, 2025 19m Episode 83
How do TV producers decide how much money to give away? A little psychology and a lot of math. Zachary Crockett phones a friend.
The Economics of Everyday Things

82. Chain Restaurant Recipes

March 03, 2025 16m Episode 82
A fast-food burger has to taste the same — and cost the same — thousands of times a day at restaurants across the country. Zachary Crockett mans the fryer.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Used Golf Balls (Replay)

February 24, 2025 17m Episode 32
American golfers lose 300 million balls a year — and all those bad swings are someone else’s business opportunity. Zachary Crockett hits the links.
The Economics of Everyday Things

81. Guide Dogs

February 17, 2025 21m Episode 81
Before a guide dog can help a blind person navigate the world, it has to pass a series of tests, then go through $75,000 worth of training. Zachary Crockett sniffs around.
The Economics of Everyday Things

80. Going-Out-of-Business Sales

February 10, 2025 16m Episode 80
Behind that 70% off sign, there’s a liquidation consultant trying to maximize retailer profits. Zachary Crockett seeks a deal.
The Economics of Everyday Things

79. School Photos

February 03, 2025 19m Episode 79
Picture day is an annual tradition for American families — and, for the companies that take the photos, a lucrative one. Zachary Crockett smiles for the camera.
The Economics of Everyday Things

78. Porta-Potties

January 27, 2025 20m Episode 78
They're not always the nicest places to go — but for their owners, portable toilets are a lucrative revenue stream. Zachary Crockett lifts the lid.
The Economics of Everyday Things

77. Hand Models

January 20, 2025 16m Episode 77
You can be a top model and still not get recognized on the street — as long as you keep your cuticles healthy and your moons white. Zachary Crockett points a finger.
The Economics of Everyday Things

76. Hotel Art

January 13, 2025 17m Episode 76
A watercolor of a harbor? A black-and-white photo of a pile of rocks? Some hotels are trying to do better. Zachary Crockett unpacks.
The Economics of Everyday Things

75. Butchers

January 06, 2025 19m Episode 75
Before beef ends up at your favorite steakhouse, it passes through the hands of a trained specialist with an encyclopedic knowledge of bovine anatomy. Zachary Crockett chews the fat.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Pistachios (Replay)

December 30, 2024 15m Episode 24
How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Cashmere (Replay)

December 23, 2024 15m Episode 11
Once a luxury good, the soft fiber is now everywhere — which has led to a goat boom in Mongolia. Zachary Crockett tugs at the thread.
The Economics of Everyday Things

74. Fonts

December 16, 2024 22m Episode 74
Behind almost every character you see displayed on a page or a screen, there’s a complex — and sometimes lucrative — web of licensing deals. Zachary Crockett is just your type.
The Economics of Everyday Things

73. Used Bookstores

December 09, 2024 17m Episode 73
Americans throw away 320 million books every year. How do some of them find a second life? Zachary Crockett is just browsing.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Greeting Cards (Replay)

December 02, 2024 15m Episode 29
The tradition of sending cards to loved ones was in decline — until it was rescued by a new generation. But millennials have their own ideas about what sentiments they want to convey. Zachary Crockett...
The Economics of Everyday Things

72. Helium

November 25, 2024 20m Episode 72
It’s unreactive, lighter than air, and surprisingly important to the global economy. Zachary Crockett goes up an octave.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Stadium Names, from The Indicator

November 22, 2024 10m
How did Florida International University’s new football stadium come to be named after the rapper and singer Pitbull? Adrian Ma and Wailin Wong of The Indicator from Planet Money explain.
The Economics of Everyday Things

71. Mannequins

November 18, 2024 19m Episode 71
Mannequins may be made out of plastic or fiberglass, but for retailers they’re pure gold. Zachary Crockett strikes a pose.
The Economics of Everyday Things

70. Prison Labor

November 11, 2024 21m Episode 70
Incarcerated people grow crops, fight wildfires, and manufacture everything from motor oil to prescription glasses — often for pennies per hour. Zachary Crockett reports from North Carolina.
The Economics of Everyday Things

69. Highway Signs

November 04, 2024 19m Episode 69
It takes millions of giant green placards to make America navigable. Where do they come from — and who pays the bill? Zachary Crockett takes the exit.
The Economics of Everyday Things

68. Zoo Animals

October 28, 2024 18m Episode 68
When a zoo needs an elephant, or finds itself with three surplus penguins, it doesn’t buy or sell the animals — it asks around. Zachary Crockett rattles the cages.
The Economics of Everyday Things

67. Tow Trucks

October 21, 2024 21m Episode 67
Tow-truck drivers: roadside rescuers or car confiscators? Zachary Crockett gets hooked.
The Economics of Everyday Things

66. Stradivarius Violins

October 14, 2024 19m Episode 66
Why are these 300-year-old instruments still coveted by violinists today? And how do working musicians get their hands on multimillion-dollar antiques? Zachary Crockett is not fiddling around.
The Economics of Everyday Things

Card Counting (Replay)

October 07, 2024 18m Episode 30
Casinos think they can stop skilled gamblers from eking out a tiny edge at blackjack. Is that a losing bet? Zachary Crockett doubles down.

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