This video is all over social media: It shows two of the young figure skaters who died in the crash, Angela Yang and Sean Kay, taking home gold in a November competition. Their excitement and smiles are just heartbreaking, knowing what happened. Be sure to have tissues near if you watch the video.
Sky-high car insurance rates? Blame it on all the tech in our cars

My car insurance just went up 32%. Did I have an accident or get a few tickets? Nope. Across the U.S., the average full-coverage car insurance bill went up 25% last year. In some states, it was closer to 40%. Geez.
The main reason? Today’s high-tech vehicles cost way more to repair. You don’t need to own a high-tech car to feel the pinch, though; it’s hitting everyone.
Driving up costs
Modern cars are packed with dozens of sensors and endless lines of computer code. Combine that with the rising cost of replacement parts and repairs, and voila — soaring auto insurance rates.
No wonder the average collision insurance claim jumped 64% between 2018 and 2022. In 2023, auto insurance rates climbed 20%, the biggest increase since 1976.
The rate increases are slowing a bit, but there’s no telling how tariffs could impact that. About 60% of car parts used in repairs are imported from China.
Let’s look under the hood
In 2018, Toyota redesigned its uber-popular Camry. The number of parts in the front bumper alone increased from 18 to 43. Most are related to advanced driver-assist features.
The upgrades also mean a front-end collision repair is 43% more expensive. It’s not just driver-assist jacking up costs.
- Many new cars have LED headlights, which cost around five times more than halogen lights to replace.
- New cars contain more aluminum. Compared to steel, aluminum is lighter, provides better gas mileage and offers more protection in a crash, but it’s harder to fix and more expensive.
- EVs take 20 days on average to repair. That’s 40% longer than traditional vehicles and $500 more expensive for labor.
Smart ways to save
I make it my business to find the best ways to save. Then, I pass them along to you. Let’s do this.
Delete location sharing apps – How to share in the ones you use

Location sharing helps you worry less. Whether your friend’s late for dinner, your kid’s almost home or your partner’s on the way from the airport, it sure beats sending a bunch of texts back and forth.
The bad news is more and more location-sharing apps have been caught selling your data to third parties. You don’t need a separate app for location sharing; it’s baked right into the apps you already use.
Angela Yang and Sean Kay, 2025 Midwestern Sectional U.S. Ice Dance Final
Love is in the cart
💝 The only thing sweeter than your valentine? These deals.
- Grab a card game (20% off) for deep convos or this one ($25) that’s a lot sillier.
- Put your favorite pic on this custom Spotify plaque ($10) with the soundtrack of your love story.
- Need to vent? Write all your troubles on a funny notepad ($7.25).
- Upgrade their headphones to Raycons.* Their earbuds sound great, get a ton of battery life and are a fraction of the price.
- Hug it out with cute salt-and-pepper (11% off) shakers.
- Celebrating Singles Awareness Day? Gift yourself under-eye patches (17% off).
Smart home upgrade: It only costs $30 to make your garage door smart, just sayin’. I love being able to check if mine is closed no matter where I am.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
Get some space: I’m always surprised when I see someone’s iPhone home screen covered in icons. It’s easy to sort them into folders. Press on an app icon until it starts to jiggle. Now, move it on top of another one that you’d like to pair it with. Bam, folder. Name it whatever you want.
Tim Cook says an Apple Watch saved his dad’s life
His father took a bad fall while home alone, but thanks to Apple Watch’s fall detection, what happened next prevented a tragedy.
This video is all over social media: It shows Angela Yang and Sean Kay, two of the young figure skaters who died in the Washington, D.C., crash, taking home gold in a November competition. Their excitement and smiles are just heartbreaking, considering what happened. Be sure to have tissues nearby if you watch the video.
$24,000
What reality star Spencer Pratt got in donations on TikTok after he and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their home in the LA wildfires. They got another $125,000 on GoFundMe. Keep in mind the couple made anywhere from $70,000 to $90,000 per episode of “The Hills” and, until the fire, bragged on social media about their luxury lifestyle, including a $1 million wardrobe. The Pratts had insurance. If you want to help victims of the fires, I have a better idea: Donate to RedCross.org.
Don’t sleep through these deals
🛏️ You spend around one-third of your life sleeping. Give your bedroom an upgrade.
- Put motion-activated lights (14% off) under your bed to light the way when you get up.
- Nightstand overflowing? Here’s a wall mount ($16) to hold all your tech.
- Now you have room for an alarm clock that doubles as a mirror.
- If you need a little white noise, try these comfy sleep headphones (33% off).
- Breathe better with a smart humidifier ($40) that works with Alexa.
🏡 The rest of your home? I’ve got you covered. Check out my page for more goodies I think you’ll like.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
💡 Lights on, but nobody’s home: That’s a good thing. Smart bulbs usually have a vacation-mode setting that turns them on and off when you’re away to scare off thieves. This three-pack is $24.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
🔍 Where app thou? Apple’s App Store can’t be deleted, but if the icon is hidden, swipe down for Spotlight Search, type App Store and tap to open it … or find it in the App Library by swiping left on your iPhone’s last Home Screen page. Press the app’s icon and drag it onto the home screen. Don’t lose it again.
🌡️ Thermostat myth: Turning it up won’t heat your home faster. Say you’re freezing and want to heat things to 70 degrees. Cranking it to 80 will make your HVAC unit run longer instead of working harder. It’s just an on/off switch. My husband keeps insisting we try 69, but I think we should keep the thermostat at 72 degrees this winter.
Swatting spree: You’re sitting at home when the SWAT team rushes in, convinced someone inside just committed murder and has explosives set up. A 23-year-old in Wisconsin, along with another guy, hacked into the family’s Ring camera and called the cops with that story. Once police arrived, they livestreamed it all. One of them is already serving 17 years in prison. If you have a Ring camera, turn on 2FA.
Prep your home for emergencies
Boy, will you be thankful if you ever need to use this gear! It’s all about peace of mind.
- Flashlights (25% off) and batteries are both musts.
- A battery-powered or hand-crank radio is perfect in case there’s no cell signal.
- Don’t forget a first-aid kit … which you should already own, really.
- Grab a manual can opener (20% off) if yours is electric.
- Make sure you have a cooler (this one keeps ice for five days!) and lots of ice packs (20% off).
- I like to keep around a solar charger, too. It’s a good time to buy, with this one now 28% off.
💩 You take your phone to the bathroom. Sanitize it the right way! This top-rated UV model gets rid of 99% of germs in 10 minutes.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
50% off alert: My home security pick, SimpliSafe, is having a massive sale. Get all the gear to lock down your home. You’ll sleep better at night.
Minimize your stress: Pressing Windows key + M on a PC or Cmd + Option + H + M on a Mac minimizes all your windows so you don’t have to do it one by one. To minimize all but the one you’re using, use Windows key + Home on a PC or Cmd + Option + H on a Mac.
On the cheap: Ever wonder what happens to all the surplus inventory from online retailers? Liquidation.com hawks packages and undelivered goods from Amazon, Target, Walmart and The Home Depot. You can filter by brand or retailer.
No salesperson, no long contracts: Ready to install a home security system? With SimpliSafe, it’s easy to order everything you need online and set it up yourself. (If you need help, they can do it for you.) Plus, it comes with 24/7 professional monitoring, because peace of mind shouldn’t break the bank. Hit this link for 50% off.
10% to 35%
How much Wall Street thinks U.S. homes are overvalued. Investors are waiting for a market correction, but they’re also growing their portfolios by building their own properties or buying newly constructed units directly from builders (paywall link). And don’t trust Zillow’s Zestimate; it’s been way off lately. Remember, the only valid home price is what someone is willing to pay.
Not a movie set: The other day, Ben Affleck came home to a huge military Hummer parked outside and a visit from police and FBI. They were investigating whether someone at his home or in the area launched a hobby drone that damaged a plane fighting the Pacific Palisades fire last week. By looking at the photos, and keeping in mind Ben survived J.Lo, I’d say he’s officially unshakeable.