By The Numbers

A taste of hipster chocolate

Marketplace Staff Dec 23, 2015
$40

 That’s how much it costs to feed one adult for about a week, according to the Department of Agriculture’s thriftiest estimate. For those who earn minimum wage — $7.25 an hour — it’ll take nearly a day’s work to cover those costs. A recent report from the U.S Conference of Mayors found that the leading cause of hunger among those it surveyed is low wages. 

630 million

 That’s how many packages UPS is estimated to deliver this year’s holiday season between Black Friday and New Year’s Eve. That’s a more than 10 percent increase from last year. IUPS said one of the reasons driving its delivery boost is “consumers’ preference for e-commerce.”  

3.5 percent

 That’s how much more a three-bedroom rental will cost, on average, in 2016 than this year. A new report from RealtyTrac said that rents are rising faster than wages, with weekly wages up 2.6 percent. The reason for the higher rents, RealtyTrac said, is because of higher demand — the housing crisis led to lost homes, and millennials haven’t been purchasing. 

$10

 That’s how much a Mast Brothers Chocolate bar sold for a few days ago. But then, the artisanal concoction became the target of negative press, reports Bloomberg. Quartz dubbed it “crappy hipster chocolate” and the Guardian said it tasted like a “sweaty gym sock that you might have found lying in the hay of a cow barn.”  A writer for Bloomberg examined the science of taste, and discussed how expectations can alter “the experience of eating and drinking.” 

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