Smart Spending
Consumer trends, deals, price changes, subscription services, comparison shopping, and making smarter purchasing decisions in everyday life.
Latest in Smart Spending
Walmart and Target no longer match competitors’ prices, ending a way shoppers trimmed their bills
Two of the country’s largest retailers have quietly removed a tool that budget-conscious shoppers leaned on for years: matching a rival store’s advertised price at...
Parents whose children used Google Play apps under age 13 can file a settlement claim before September 14
Families whose children downloaded or used apps from the Google Play Store while under the age of 13 have until September 14, 2026 to claim...
Fanatics shoppers who paid a handling fee can claim two $5 vouchers before the August 27 deadline
Shoppers who bought sports merchandise from Fanatics and were charged a separate handling fee can now collect a small piece of that money back, but...
Sony’s $7.85 million PlayStation settlement faces an October 15 approval hearing
A $7.85 million settlement figure does not yet translate into money available for PlayStation customers to claim. The court has scheduled an October 15 fairness...
USPS package base prices stay 8% higher through January 17
A temporary postal surcharge can become easy to mistake for a permanent rate once it has appeared on receipts for several months. The current package...
Forever stamps now cost 82 cents after USPS raises mailing prices
A four-cent postage increase looks small at the kitchen table, but it changes the economics of every recurring letter, greeting card and bill payment sent...
Disney’s $50 million streaming settlement opens claims through September 8
A $50 million partial settlement with Disney is accepting claims from qualifying YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream customers through September 8, 2026. The fund does...
Owners of 5,952 recalled SDADI step stools can request a full refund
Nearly 6,000 SDADI kitchen step stools are now attached to a full-refund remedy after a federal recall identified collapse, tip-over and entrapment hazards. The July...
Owners of 5,918 recalled teething toys can request a full refund
A full refund is available for about 5,918 Sili Factory pull-string teething toys recalled after federal regulators found that their silicone strings violate the mandatory...
Nara formula buyers can request refunds for all lots sold through June 2026
The Nara Organics infant-formula recall is unusually broad: every listed lot that reached the U.S. market from July 2025 through June 2026 is included, and...
$5,000 Dohman breach-loss claims run through September 10
A proposed data-breach settlement involving Nebraska accounting firm Dohman, Akerlund & Eddy gives eligible class members two very different cash paths before September 10, 2026....
$5,000 FMC breach-loss claims close August 31
FMC Services class members can seek up to $5,000 for losses connected to a 2022 data incident, but the settlement also offers an estimated $75...
$50 St. Joseph MyChart claims close August 14
St. Joseph Hospital’s proposed MyChart privacy settlement offers a simple $50 payment, but the class definition is more important than the amount. Eligibility depends on...
AH Media customers are getting new Zelle payments after $5.2 million in refunds
AH Media’s “free trial” case has moved through checks and PayPal and is now reaching missed recipients through Zelle. The Federal Trade Commission says earlier...
The FTC is sending 1,623 second payments totaling more than $136,000
The Sales Mentor refund fund still had money after its first distribution, so the Federal Trade Commission is sending 1,623 follow-up payments worth more than...
$27,074.99 can help eligible disabled veterans buy a specially equipped vehicle
The Department of Veterans Affairs can pay up to $27,074.99 toward a specially equipped vehicle for a veteran whose service-connected disability meets the program’s functional...
BMW owners can seek antenna-repair reimbursement through August 27
Owners and lessees of certain 2019 and 2020 BMW sport-utility vehicles have until August 27 to seek repayment for eligible past repairs involving the roof-mounted...
Mission Community Hospital breach claims close August 12 with cash and monitoring available
Mission Community Hospital’s proposed breach settlement offers four forms of value—documented-loss reimbursement, a California payment, medical-data monitoring and a residual cash share—but every route runs...
Ciuni & Panichi breach claims offer about $125 or up to $5,000 by August 18
Ciuni & Panichi class members face a choice between a roughly estimated cash share and reimbursement tied to proof of actual loss, and the two...
$25,000 is the Flagstar Bank breach-loss ceiling before August 11
Flagstar Bank’s proposed data-breach settlement places a high ceiling on documented losses, but the $25,000 figure is not a flat payment and the August 11...