America wants a price check.

A third (27%) of people have hit a limit and aren’t willing to pay more for many items from their shopping lists, according to Empower research. Consumers say they’ll quit buying goods including:

• ☕ 1 in 3 (34%) aren’t willing to pay even $1 more for a cup of joe.
• 🥖 1 in 5 Gen Xers will stop buying loaves of bread if it increases by more than a buck.
• 🍊 1 in 5 Gen Z will chop fresh fruits and vegetables from their shopping lists if the price increases by $1.

One way to balance the highs and lows: 37% of people say they’re open to the concept of dynamic pricing, even at a grocery store.

— The Editors 

⚡ A billion-dollar break: Americans cashed in on $8.4 billion* in tax breaks by making their homes more energy efficient last year. Qualifying improvements for tax credits include adding insulation, energy efficient windows and electric heat pumps. The average American spends $2,000 a year on energy, so these steps can help lower long-term utility bills.

🚚 Move a mile, save a million: Around two-thirds of Americans are interested in relocating during retirement, according to Empower research, and nearly 1 in 5 want to move to a less expensive state. Nine states – Arkansas, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming – leave wages and salaries untaxed. Moving a few miles can add up to savings, as most of these locations gained population from neighboring states in 2022.

✈️ On-the-go deals: In August, the average price of gas dropped to $3.41,* setting a two-month low that’s around $1.60 less than the all-time record of over $5 a gallon from June 2022. The Travel Price Index reported a 1.6%* drop in airline fares for July. With round-trip domestic tickets forecasted to cost under $300,* experts predict ticket prices will stay below 2023 levels through the end of the year.

📺 Screen savers: Regular-season NFL games attracted nearly 18 million* viewers on average in 2023, and with football season now underway, sports fans can snag a bigger screen at a smaller price. The cost of TVs was down 5.4%* in July compared to last year. Three-quarters of U.S. households (74%*) now own smart TVs. According to Empower research, around 2 in 5 people (38%) consider a big-screen TV a luxury purchase, so now could be a good time to entertain a technology splurge.

Relief on the home front

Patience is paying off for those who have been waiting for a housing market cooldown: In July, listings with price cuts increased to 18.9%, a two-year high, and buyers can find drops all over the map.

The U.S. median home list price fell slightly month-over-month to $439,950 in July. Deals aren’t just coming to existing properties, either: New U.S. homes are selling for $3.50 less per square foot than old ones across 21 major metro areas like Los Angeles and Salt Lake City.

Mortgage holders are getting in on the action, too. In early August, mortgage rates fell to their lowest level in more than a year,* which resulted in home loan refinance applications surging 35% in one week.

If you’re considering locking in lower rates, check out factors that affect mortgage rates and what goes into refinancing a mortgage.

Robot trainers wanted

While Empower research shows over half (51%) of young Americans say artificial intelligence developments make them worry about job stability, Tesla is hiring human workers to help train its AI-powered robots.

For up to $48* an hour, Tesla is calling for “data collection operators” to perform tasks while wearing motion-capture suits and virtual reality headsets to simulate the movements of its Optimus robots – the data can then be used to train the AI system. Applicants must be able to walk for over seven hours a day and should be between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-11 to wear the special suits.

Tesla says its bots could drive its EV company to a $25 trillion valuation, which is 36 times its current market cap. While the number of companies using AI is on the rise, it’s still reasonably low: Only 5.4% of firms were using AI as of February 2024, up from about 3.7% in September 2023.

A day well spent

With the majority of people (70%) concerned about rising prices, daycations to local spas and resorts can offer up a slice of relaxation at a fraction of the cost of  more traditional getaways.

Though hotel prices have fallen 2.8%* over the past year, day passes can offer a bigger bargain compared to booking an overnight stay away or short getaway, ranging from $25* to a few hundred dollars, depending on the property.

Close to a third of Americans (30%) would sacrifice vacation time to achieve their financial goals, according to an Empower study, though with savings available for shorter stints, they can stretch their money – and still enjoy their time off.

Check it out: What are you not willing to spend $1 more on before cutting it from your shopping list? 

• Eggs
• Soda
• Pizza
• Paper towels
• Gum