Food

Best places to travel for Labor Day 2026

Rita R. Robison / September 5, 2026

Labor Day is a great time to travel. School may have started, but a short trip is fun and good […]

Facts and figures for Labor Day 2026

Rita R. Robison / September 4, 2026

As summer fades, it’s time to face up to the fact that it’s Labor Day on Monday and fall and

drinks in glasses on a banquet table

Alcohol industry fails to provide voluntary nutrition and ingredient information on labels, study finds

Rita R. Robison / August 28, 2026

Do product labels from the top 150 beer, 150 spirits, and 150 wine brands sold in the United States contain

cows feeding in a slovakian winter farm scene

McDonald’s, Subway, and Taco Bell fail to honor their pledges to reduce the use of antibiotics in the beef they serve customers, report says

Rita R. Robison / August 25, 2026

Available data suggests that McDonald’s, Subway, and Taco Bell appear to have failed to honor their commitments to reduce, or

woman writing on a newspaper

Check out these ways to support brain health daily

Rita R. Robison / August 23, 2026

While improving heart health has been studied for decades, attention is turning recently to brain health, too. Some of the

City of Seattle is considering banning surveillance pricing

Rita R. Robison / August 19, 2026

Mayor Katie Wilson and City Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster are advocating for a new policy to stop

What do you do with pumpkin seeds?

Rita R. Robison / August 16, 2026

After my company this summer left, I found this tub of pumpkin seeds in my cupboard. One of my daughters

a person holding a dropper

RFK Jr.’s food ingredient proposal is weak and he’s punted again on a definition for ultra-processed food, consumer group says

Rita R. Robison / August 10, 2026

Two actions to modernize federal oversight of food ingredients and establish a stronger scientific foundation for future nutrition policy were

How is your garden doing?

Rita R. Robison / August 8, 2026

It’s August. Gardens are coming into full production. I went on a two-week vacation the end of July and beginning

This week's top 10 money tips

1. Consider buying certificates of deposits, or CDs, but check on the interest rate for renewing after they expire.

2. Take a look at which companies are sharing tariff refunds with consumers: Walmart, Target, and Burlington by reducing prices, and which ones aren’t, Home Depot, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, Ross Stores, Lowe’s, and Apple.

3. Check out these seven essential rules to get the best customer support every time such as verifying your warranty and account status, have critical details in front of you, keep detailed contact logs, and know when and how to escalate.

4. Check out these ways to be a good budgeter and see how your state ranks among the best to worst for the best budgeting skills.

5. Compare prices to get in on what some supermarkets are doing to win back inflation weary shoppers including: cutting prices on selected groceries – Walmart, Stop & Shop, and Giant Eagle; expanding cheaper private-label products – Kroger and Target; and giving reductions that are temporary, regional, or tied to loyalty programs.

6. Watch out for companies that are offering the buy now, pay later payment method for electricity and rent.

7. Check out these ways couples can reduce the stress in their relationship about money including establish common goals, make financial conversations routine, and be transparent about major financial decisions.

8. Take this quiz to find out if you’re really on your best investing behavior.

9. Keep an eye on Costco’s pilot program to offer Medicare Advantage plans to see if they can overcome the significant disadvantages of the plans such as high denial rates, delays in getting care, and limits on the providers that can be seen.

10. Research carefully if you want to retire to a low-tax state. Relocating could actually cost you more than you’d save.

Sign up for my newsletter and you'll get 10 tips like this every week, for no charge. And, tell your friends and co-workers about it so they can make savvy money choices, too. Here’s the sign up: https://tinyurl.com/makeyourmoneywork. And, for a big bonus, you’ll also get my free e-book on how to optimize their personal finance decisions.

September 3, 2026