Economics Are Boring …

… unless you don’t want them to be.

Of course, you could geek out to The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index (LEI), a set of 10 indicators “used to predict the direction of global economic movements in future months.” And then there’s the Phillips Curve, a classic economic indicator comparing inflation and unemployment. Interesting? Sure! But a little boring? … well, maybe.

However, economics doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, some pretty interesting changes in other areas happen in correlation with the economy. Some might even surprise you. Today, when I was searching for quirky economic indicators, I found a gold mine. Read on to learn about some of my personal favorites.

Clothing

I remember hearing about “The Men’s Underwear Index” on CNBC a few years ago, and it gave me a chuckle. The basic idea is that, in bad economic times, men’s underwear sales slow — I suppose because holey drawers can stretch out a little longer when money is tight.

And that’s far from the only clothing-related economic indicator. Maybe changes in how men wear different types of ties when the economy shifts from favorable to uncertain and back is more your style.

Food

Interested in the “Big Mac Index”? With McDonald’s locations worldwide — or Makudonarudo if you’re in Japan — economists use the price of a burger to track changes in currency exchange rates.

My new food favorite, though, may very well be “The Pizza Principle” because … mmmm, pizza! This delicious index tracks the similarity in price between a single slice and a subway ride in New York City. Rarely a gap, the two are near-constants in the Big Apple.

Sports

Football fans, this one’s for you: History shows that when an American Football Conference (AFC) — one division of the National Football League (NFL) with the other being the National Football Conference (NFC) — team wins a Big Game, the S & P 500 drops nearly 5%. On the other hand, if an NFC team wins, the S & P 500 gets about a 15% boost. Choose your side wisely.

Cosmetics

When times get tough, those who wear makeup splurge on lipstick. While it might sound counterintuitive, lipsticks tend to be colorful and relatively inexpensive beauty products, allowing those who are scrimping and saving to buy a little mood boost without breaking the bank. And, according to the MoneyWise article, rising cosmetics prices also track with an uncertain economy.

Economic fun for everyone

Like to mix it up? If you want to keep your economics timely, interesting, and fun, “The Indicator” podcast from National Public Radio (NPR) might provide your index fix. With fresh 10-minute-or-so mini-episodes served up on weekdays, hosts or guests pick a newsworthy topic and number associated with it, then look at how the economy impacts that number — or vice versa.

Whatever your index preference, staying up to date on the numbers can help you keep in touch with how the economy is doing. In turn, your econ knowledge can help you better manage your money — and you might even have a little fun doing it.