Giving thanks for inflation, Paul Mescal and more

• wage growth

Wage growth is at 4.6%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which means it's outpacing inflation. And additional raises could be on the way: Employers say they intend to increase salary budgets by 3.9% on average next year. That's great, because I need more disposable income so I can buy…

• Cretors caramel corn

I think I've eaten three bags of this stuff in the past six weeks. Sweet, crunchy, a little salty: It's the perfect dessert. NOBODY TELL ME THE NUTRITION FACTS.

• my metal credit card 

As we learned in Issue #225, most credit cards these days are made from PVC because plastic is resistant to water and wear. However, the Chase Sapphire Preferred that I got last year is made of metal. It weighs about 13 grams. 

On one hand, I know the metal card is a marketing ploy — Chase wants me to reach for it before other cards so it can maximize the profits it makes off my transactions. (Those interchange fees seriously add up.) But on the other, I feel really cool when I slap my card down on the table at brunch and it makes a metallic clang.

• the New York Mets

This year, I threw myself into Mets fandom, and it has been incredibly fun! I love Grimace, "OMG" and Citi Field hotdogs. I ride or die for Francisco Lindor. We might not have won the playoffs, but we sure tried. Catch me in the stands again come 2025.

• savings buckets

I absolutely adore my Ally savings buckets, which I've come to see as a crucial tool for achieving my financial goals. On paper, buckets work because of mental accounting, or the behavioral theory that people make decisions about money based on its source or intent. In practice, I like them because they keep me organized and provide peace of mind. When I can assign my dollars purpose, then I can spend them without guilt.

• you!

I'm grateful you — yes, you — support my exploits and follow along as I ask experts off-the-wall questions about personal finance. I appreciate your readership, your replies, your questions and your pet photos more than you could ever know.

I've got a lot to be thankful for.

Actor Cillian Murphy and his wife, artist Yvonne McGuinness, just made an appropriate investment: They bought a 105-year-old movie theater in Ireland. The couple intends to refurbish The Phoenix, which is the only theater on the Dingle peninsula and holds particular significance for Murphy. "My dad saw movies there when he was a young man before me, and we’ve watched many films at The Phoenix with our own kids," he said in a statement. Did someone say Barbenheimer part two?

See you next week.

P.S. What are YOU thankful for this year? If you bought a movie theater, what's the first film you would show there? Do you have any good Christmas cookie recipes? Send feedback to julia@money.com, and your reply may appear in a future issue!