Big Lou’s Pizza in San Antonio gives new meaning to redefining the size of a pie.

At 42 inches, their large pizza could easily feed a famished family of six. Or a hungry herd of eight. Or perhaps just a sampling score of nibblers if they’re satisfied with a simple starter. That’s the beauty of the world’s biggest pizza pie – you can divide it into as few or as many slices as fits the bill.

If only household budgets were nearly as compliant in a world of slow income growth amid the rising cost of essentials. This taxing environment was actually given a name by a good friend, hedge fund manager and world thinker, Doug Kass: “screwflation.” No soul has yet to top the characterization.

Today’s consumer price index is a striking case in point for what ails those insulted by news that inflation remains too low. Headline inflation, which is economic speak for the whole enchilada of prices, rose by 1.4 percent over January 2015. And core inflation, which strips out food and energy due to their volatile nature, was reported at 2.2 percent over last year and the highest rate in nearly four years.

Ask any mother who goes through a gallon of milk a day and she’ll happily report to you that three years ago she was spending $4.50 a gallon, two years ago $5.00 and last year $5.50. That’s not volatility. It’s stability in a bad way.

As for those lower energy costs, they are indeed awesome. But reaping great fortunes at the gas pump requires that the cost of bigger line items to not overwhelm what you’re saving. If only life’s necessities came down to that soon-to-be-disposable flat screen TV, we’d all be rolling in excessive disposable income. But the fact is rent has risen to an all-consuming status among budget line items. Of course, housing has always been the biggest line item for the average household. Still, the ranks of renters are unprecedented in modern history; the percentage of households who are renting is the highest in 50 years.

Today’s consumer price index (CPI) also reported that rents are rising by 3.7 percent over the last 12 months. If you get the sense that your rent’s been growing faster than that, perhaps you should consider a figure not imputed by government statisticians.