Could you imagine being one of these athletes and still needing a side hustle to pay the bills?
How I avoided a $40K scam
Paul emailed me about a $39,500 invoice, demanding I pay up ASAP. The problem? I didn’t owe him a cent. Plus, AI is eyeing 60 million jobs, Gen Z is trauma dumping on TikTok, and a woman was rescued after falling 60 feet off a mountain thanks to her navigation app.
AI jobs are exploding: There are 2.1 million listings already this year, and the average salary? $146,000. Roles mentioning generative AI skills pay up to 47% more than similar jobs without them. If you can prompt, code or even just speak AI fluently, you’re in high demand, and if you can’t, it’s time to catch up. Aren’t you glad you get this free newsletter?
$760
What it costs to unlock horsepower you already own. Volkswagen’s ID3 gives you 228 brake horsepower… but only if you pay to unleash it. Unless you subscribe ($20/month, $200/year) or cough up the one-time $760, you’re stuck with the 201 bhp version, which is like buying a cake and getting billed extra to eat the frosting.
💸 Buying from an overseas seller? PayPal lets you choose to pay in your own currency or theirs. Pick yours, and you’ll get slapped with a 3% to 4% conversion fee (it’s in the fine print). Go with the seller’s currency instead. Your bank or card usually gives you a better rate.
Amazon's smart shopping cart
I love the idea of being able to skip checkout and still pay for my stuff. One of my biggest questions is how much prices will differ depending on where you live.
1%
That’s the brave percentage of people who actually pay when faced with a paywall. Yea, I don’t either. We harness our energy into searching elsewhere for that kernel of information, or simply throw in the towel.
💳 I’m not overdrawn, I’m under-deposited! FICO has two new types of scores that now include Buy Now, Pay Later loans. Lenders can now see that debt or your on-time payments. Just passing it along.
🚘 Car wrap scam: You get a text saying big brands will pay you to wrap your car in advertising. After you fill out an application, a “rep” sends a cashier’s check and tells you to deposit it, then pay a local installer via Cash App. Plot twist: The check’s fake, it bounces later and you’re out thousands. Never stops.
DNA? Do Not Ask: After last year’s data breach leaked info from 7 million customers, 23andMe is bankrupt but still legally obligated to pay out. If you were a customer affected by the breach, you’ve got until July 14 to file a claim. Hope your genetic trauma came with receipts.
🛒 Attention shoppers: It might be worth signing up for the Amazon Visa. You get 3% back on Amazon purchases and lots more. Plus, there’s a bunch of travel perks and a $150 gift card if you’re approved. My rule of thumb: Only use it if you can pay it off in full each month.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
64 hours
That’s how long the workweek just got for some Samsung employees in South Korea. The legal limit is actually 52 hours, but the company got special government approval for staff in its chip-making division. Why? To stay ahead of competitors. Hopefully they’re getting overtime pay and unlimited coffee.
$1,000
How much you’re going to pay for a discontinued Trader Joe’s mini tote bag on eBay. The “Honey, I Shrunk the Tote Bag” version of its classic canvas tote was $3 in-store. Today, you’d need a small personal loan and a dream.
$1 million
Royalties Spotify paid nearly 1,500 artists in 2024. You need over 20 million streams a month to earn that. Guess who is the number one earner on Spotify? Yup, it’s a “Tay Day” pay day for Taylor Swift who made an estimated $79.8 million to $133 million from 26.6 billion streams.
Offline Nights: The hot new thing with 20 and 30-somethings addicted to their tech. Pay for a ticket, drop your phone in a deposit box and spend a few hours talking to real people, not staring at a screen. What will they think of next?!
Grok needs a tutor: Elon Musk is hiring thousands to train the xAI chatbot. You don’t need a degree, but it’s a plus if you have a knack for writing and speak more than one language. Most jobs are temporary full-time and pay $35 to $65 an hour. Check them out here.
💸 An older adult lost a whopping $2.09 million in a gold bar scam: But she’s getting 40% back. Morgan Stanley has to pay her $843K for failing to follow industry standards. Banks are supposed to flag big withdrawals and check with a trusted contact first. They didn’t.
Over $1 million
Earned from the 55-second “Charlie Bit My Finger” video. You remember it, right? The toddler crying because his baby brother bit his finger? Almost 900 million views later, Charlie is 18 and says the clip helped him pay for law school. A big chunk of that came in 2021, when the video sold as an NFT for over $600,000. Whoa.
6 minutes
To make a spray-on Olympic sneaker. Running company On makes its Cloudboom Strike LS shoe by spraying rubbery plastic onto a rotating robot foot. Kenyan silver medalist Hellen Obiri plans to race in them for the Paris marathon. Want a pair? You’ll have to wait until November … and pay $330.