Smart Spending
Consumer trends, deals, price changes, subscription services, comparison shopping, and making smarter purchasing decisions in everyday life.
Latest in Smart Spending
Federal regulators warned parents to stop using Hongmingzheng crib bumpers over suffocation risk
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission told parents to immediately stop using Hongmingzheng crib bumpers, warning that the blue padded product poses a risk of...
Amazon moved Prime Day to June for the first time since 2021 — and Walmart, Target, and Best Buy scheduled rival sales the same week
Amazon scheduled its Prime Day sale for June 23 through 26, marking the first time since 2021 that the retail giant has placed its flagship...
GM raised the Silverado’s delivery fee 40% in one year — most full-size GM and Ford trucks now carry a $2,795 destination charge
Buyers shopping for a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado will find nearly $800 more tacked onto the window sticker before they even start negotiating. GM increased the...
World Cup group-stage tickets are reselling for $650 to $1,100 as FIFA’s dynamic pricing changes seat prices by the hour
Fans hoping to attend a 2026 World Cup group-stage match are finding secondary-market prices between $650 and $1,100 per seat, even though FIFA has advertised...
Flying on a Tuesday saves about $56 over a weekend departure this summer
Travelers booking U.S. domestic flights this summer stand to save roughly $56 per ticket simply by departing on a Tuesday instead of a weekend day....
Americans will spend a record $24 billion on Father’s Day this year, about $199 per shopper
American shoppers are set to push Father’s Day spending to $24.0 billion in 2025, a new record that works out to roughly $199.38 per person...
TOMY is recalling Boon NURSH baby bottles because the outer shell can peel into a choking hazard
Parents who purchased Boon NURSH 8 oz reusable baby bottles at Walmart should stop using them immediately. TOMY is recalling approximately 40,000 of these bottles...
New-car buyers who financed in 2025 will see Form 1098-VLI from their lender next January — the OBBB lets them deduct up to $10,000 in interest on U.S.-built vehicles
A borrower who financed $35,000 at 7.5 percent over five years for a new pickup truck assembled in Fort Worth, Texas, paid roughly $2,500 in...
Federal Lifeline gives qualifying low-income households up to $34.25 off the phone or internet bill every month — but most who qualify never sign up to claim it
Roughly 30 million American households qualify for a federal discount on their phone or internet bill, yet fewer than 8 million are currently enrolled. The...
Federal rules cap any unclaimed-property or heir-finder fee at 10% of what they recover — and the official state search at unclaimed.org is always free anyway
The letter arrives out of nowhere, usually on official-looking letterhead: a company claims you are owed money and offers to recover it for a fee....
Cell carriers offer quiet “loyalty” discounts of $5 to $15 a month — but you have to call retention and ask; the operator never volunteers them
Your wireless bill probably has room to drop by $5 to $15 per line, per month. T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all maintain some version of...
Ashley Furniture is paying $9 million over mattresses that leaked fiberglass into homes — owners can claim a store voucher per mattress through July 17
If you own an Ashley Furniture memory foam mattress and have ever found tiny, irritating glass-like fibers on your sheets, walls, or clothing, you may...
Hospitals quietly offer “prompt-pay” discounts of 10% to 30% — but only if you ask before the bill goes to collections
Somewhere in the billing office of nearly every nonprofit hospital in the country, there is a written policy that could knock 10% to 30% off...
Hospitals routinely overcharge — request an itemized bill, and you can dispute the errors that studies find on most of them
Picture a three-night hospital stay for a broken ankle. The summary bill arrives: $47,000. But when the patient calls the billing department and asks for...
Anyone who subscribed to the streaming service MUBI may qualify for a cash payment from a class-action settlement — the deadline to file a claim is June 9
MUBI, the streaming service that originally built its reputation on a rotating selection of 30 hand-picked films and has since expanded to a larger curated...
The health FSA limit rises to $3,300 this year — but whatever you don’t spend by December usually vanishes, handing your own money back to your employer
A worker who set aside the full $3,300 in a health flexible spending account for 2025 and spent only $2,400 on medical bills lost $900...
A new batch of class-action settlements pays out before July — Krispy Kreme is sending up to $3,500 and Trader Joe’s about $100, most with no proof required
Krispy Kreme customers who placed online orders and Trader Joe’s shoppers who bought certain grocery products may be in line for cash payouts this summer,...
Summer airfares are running 21% above last year — but analysts say the cheapest move is to wait and book August, when fares finally drop
Summer airfares are running 21% above last year – but analysts say the cheapest move is to wait and book August, when fares finally drop...
Every major streaming service except Amazon raised prices in 2026 — Netflix’s top plan now runs $26.99 a month, and the typical household is juggling four subscriptions at once
Every major streaming service except Amazon raised prices in 2026 — Netflix’s top plan now runs $26.99 a month, and the typical household is juggling...
Americans spent a record $38 billion on Mother’s Day — Gen Z averaged $922 per mom while boomers spent $168
A 22-year-old in Austin buys his mother a gold bracelet, a spa certificate, and a brunch reservation that runs $150 before tip. A 68-year-old retiree...