Every day, public and private data-gathering agencies publish economic reports that are widely reported on by the business media.
GDP, manufacturing, and labor market data all help to inform us about what's going on in the economy – but there are other things we can look at to supplement our view.
Some of the more unusual ones we've come across include the Guns-to-Caviar Index, Tylenol usage, and the Mosquito Bite Indicator.
Eric Platt helped compile the research for this feature.
The First Date Indicator
The Concept: People seek out others for first dates when the economy turns down and sentiment falls (they're lonely!).
The Proof: Match.com notices strong patterns on its site that correspond to economic downturns. The company said the fourth quarter of 2008 was its busiest period in seven years (its second busiest weekend ever came when the Dow dropped to five-year lows in November 2008). Match said traffic also spiked after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Buttered Popcorn Index
The Concept: To escape the doldrums of reality, consumers flock to cinemas to see Jason Bourne and Harry Potter, regardless of the movie's quality.
The Proof: The box office posted one of its biggest years during the 2009 recession, before plateauing as markets eased. If there's a double-dip, expect popcorn sales to be up again.
Unclaimed Corpse Indicator
The Concept: Because of high funeral costs, family members never claim the bodies of the deceased so the state will pay for costs.
The Proof: In 2009, at the height of the financial crisis when non-farm payrolls were falling by more than half a million a month, Detroit logged a massive increase in the number of unclaimed bodies at its morgue. State payouts for burials nearly doubled over a two month period compared to just a year earlier.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.