Saving
Can We Still Use Pennies? Congress Plots a Penniless Future
America may finally have a plan to survive without pennies. The Treasury Department stopped minting pennies in 2025, under orders from President Donald Trump. Pennies cost more to mint than they were worth. Most Americans found them a nuisance. But retailers need pennies to make change, and penny…
Costco’s Biggest Money-Saver Isn’t Inside the Warehouse
Ask most people to name the best deal at Costco, and you’ll hear about the rotisserie chicken or the food-court hot dog. Costco would point you somewhere else: the gas station out in the parking lot. On the company’s Sept. 24 earnings call, CEO Ron Vachris said Costco estimates it “saved our…
Trick or Treat? Trader Joe’s Halloween Mini Tote Bags Are Back
Trader Joe’s is getting into the Halloween spirit with a new mini tote bag. The company’s Halloween totes, called the “Trick-or-Treat Mini Canvas Totes,” are available in stores beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30, the company told USA TODAY. The bags were a social media sensation last year, with…
Insurance and What Else? 3 Ways to Protect Your Home From Expensive Surprises
For most Americans, their house is the most valuable asset they will ever own. Yet, of nearly 5,000 homeowners who filed claims after Colorado’s Marshall Fire, 74% lacked enough insurance to rebuild. More than a third fell short by at least a quarter of what their home would cost to replace…
10 Super-Simple Food Staples You Can Easily Make for Cheap
Krakenimages.com / Shutterstock.com Most people would agree that cooking from scratch yields tastier results than cooking with premixed ingredients — or ordering fast food. And magazines, books, TV channels and Pinterest are dying to make Martha Stewarts of us all. Few people have the time or…
New Car Ownership Now Tops $1,000 a Month. The Payment Isn’t the Worst Part.
New cars are expensive, but you already know that. You might not be thinking about the total cost of ownership, however. An analysis released in September by AAA puts the average annual cost to own and operate a new vehicle at $12,863, or $1,071.92 per month. That’s higher than last year’s analysis…
Faulty Whirlpool Fridge? You May Be Eligible to Get up to 75% Back
Consumers may be able to get up to 75% back on their Whirlpool fridge due to a class-action settlement. According to a settlement website, Whirlpool reached an agreement regarding certain side-by-side refrigerators with in-door ice makers, ice dispensers and water dispensers manufactured from 2018…
Costco Got $184 Million in Tariff Refunds. Here’s What Got Cheaper
Recently, I asked a simple question: Costco shoppers paid billions in tariffs, so who gets the refund? Now we have the first real answer. On its Sept. 24 earnings call, Costco said it collected $184 million in tariff refunds during its fiscal fourth quarter: $174 million in refunds plus $10 million…
7 Urgent Money Moves to Protect Your Retirement From Economic Shocks
Global conflicts are driving up energy costs and sending inflation surging once again. The economic climate in 2026 is uniquely volatile, and the rules that worked for building wealth in your earlier years are not the same rules that protect it now. Tariffs are shaking international markets…
What Makes a Metal Precious? And Does That Make It a Good Investment?
Humans have prized precious metals for thousands of years, as money, as jewelry, as a store of wealth and more recently as industrial inputs. Precious metals have had a remarkable run, with gold, silver and platinum all hitting record highs in 2026. Palladium has yet to return to its 2022 peak. Are…