The prank economy: OK, there’s this new site called Dare Market that pays people in crypto to do pranks. Film yourself doing something ridiculous, and if the crowd likes it, you get Solana. If not, congrats, you humiliated yourself for free. It’s raised $2 million already. They swear no one’s getting hurt, but I’ve heard that before.
Why your car insurance hates you
ChatGPT
My car insurance jumped 32%. I didn’t crash. I didn’t speed. I simply exist.
Sound familiar? Full-coverage car insurance rates rose 25% on average last year, and in some states, it was closer to 40%. Overall, rates are up 55% since 2022.
📈 Why rates keep rising
It’s the tech. Modern cars are rolling computers packed with cameras, sensors, software and expensive materials. That makes them safer but wildly more expensive to repair.
- More parts = more money. When Toyota redesigned the Camry, the front bumper went from 18 parts to 43, mostly for driver-assist features. Even a minor front-end bump means, aside from paint, you’re recalibrating radar and cameras. A basic fender bender costs about 45% more to fix than a year ago.
- LED headlights are pricey. They’re brighter, more efficient and last longer than halogen, but they cost up to 5x more to replace. If you drive a newer car with fancy headlights, a parking lot ding is a $1,000+ bill.
- Aluminum is great until it isn’t. More automakers are using aluminum to make cars lighter. It also crumples better in crashes, protecting passengers. But it’s harder to repair, requires special tools and costs significantly more than steel.
- EVs? Even trickier. EVs take 40% longer to repair and cost about $500 more in labor per job. Not to mention there’s a nationwide shortage of EV-certified technicians.
Add in supply chain issues, inflation and the fact that 60% of car parts come from China, and any new tariff could make things even worse.
🤑 What you can do about it
I’m always hunting for ways to save and sharing the best ones with you:
- Raise your deductible. Lower premiums, but be ready to pay more out of pocket.
- Drop full coverage if your car’s older and paid off. Just keep liability.
- Get discounts. For safe driving, low mileage, anti-theft devices, bundling and more.
- Enroll in autopay, pay in full or go paperless. Easy discounts.
- Improve your credit score. In many states, it affects your rate.
- Take a defensive driving course. Knock off 5%–15% many times.
- Shop around. Don’t stay loyal to an insurer that isn’t saving you money.
Pro tip: Tell ChatGPT about your car, mileage, insurance rates, and ask it to tell you who has the cheapest rates. I did that, and it worked for me!
That ‘free space’ in your closet might be worth hundreds or more
Bing Image Creator
Let me guess, you’ve got a few mystery boxes in the garage, a closet that could double as a thrift store, and a drawer of random chargers for devices you haven’t seen since the Obama administration.
We all hold onto stuff we might use again but never do. That clutter? It could be worth real cash and might come in handy for Christmas and holiday gifts.
See what your stuff’s really worth: Before you post, check what people actually pay. On eBay, click the Advanced button next to Search, type in your item, tick Sold items under Search including and press Search. You’ll see real prices, not the fake bargains on Marketplace. No more undercutting yourself.
Crypto with ketchup: Hungry? Steak ’n Shake is handing out $5 in Bitcoin (at 400 participating locations) with every Bitcoin Meal. You get steps on how to redeem your Bitcoin with your meal. They also brand your (burger) bun with a ₿. This is real. Finally, my portfolio and cholesterol can rise together.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Save money on printer ink. Arial looks clean but burns through cartridges. Try Times New Roman instead. Tests show it can use up to 27% less ink over time.
🚨 Code kale red: Hang onto your kombucha. Imagine standing in Whole Foods, home of the healthy organic alternative, when a robot whips through the aisles with a Tide Pod and a Pepsi. Amazon’s testing “ShopBots” (paywall link) in some stores, so you can grab your kale, then order junk food like it’s contraband. It’s part of Amazon’s full takeover as Whole Foods execs now report to Amazon’s top brass.
🏙️ Open fraud plan: What do you do when you can’t afford the $2K monthly rent? If you’re like some renters, you might get “creative” with your pay stubs. The wild part? Influencers are selling “rental packages” (paywall link) with fake pay stubs, fake jobs, fake everything. Landlords say it’s so bad, half the apps in some buildings are made up.
Turn gadgets into gift cards: Got old tech collecting dust? Amazon takes e-readers, smart speakers, phones and more. Tell them what you’re trading in and its condition to get an estimated value as an Amazon Gift Card. Bonus: If you trade in Amazon gear like a Fire Tablet, you’ll also score 20% off a new device.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🪓 Amazon trims the suits: Amazon axed 14,000 corporate jobs, about 4% of its white-collar crew. Yep, it’s not the warehouse workers getting replaced this time, it’s the middle managers (paywall link). Gartner says one in five companies will flatten management with AI by 2026. AI can handle reports, strategy planning and meetings without needing HR drama sessions, paid paternity leave or sabbaticals.
No more credit card offers in the mail: Visit optoutprescreen.com to stop financial junk mail you’d have to shred. Choose to opt out for five years or forever. Opting out permanently? You’ll have to use snail mail, but it’s worth it. Print, sign and mail a confirmation form. I did it.
🚘 Wrap it up: You’ve seen cars wrapped in giant advertisements. You can make $100 to $450 per month. Want to try it out? Check out Carvertise and Wrapify.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Set up bank alerts for every purchase, so you’ll know right away if someone steals your card. In your banking app, go to Settings > Alerts or Notifications and turn on Text and Email. So smart.
💸 Need tech on a budget? Amazon Renewed sells open-box, pre-owned and refurbished gear from big brands. Think phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, TVs and cameras. Everything’s inspected to look almost new, and you get a 90-day guarantee if it doesn’t work out. Much safer than Facebook Marketplace.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Speaking of: Got Amazon Prime? You might have a (small) check headed your way. Amazon’s shelling out $2.5 billion to settle claims it trapped users in sneaky Prime subscriptions. Payouts max at $51 each, covering members from 2019 to 2025. If you used your Prime benefits three times or fewer in any 12-month period, you’ll automatically get a payment (no claim needed) by Dec. 24, 2025. If you’re not in that group but eligible to file, a third-party claims administrator will email or mail instructions by Jan. 23, 2026.
⛽ Save on gas with Amazon Prime: Until Dec. 26, Prime members save 25¢ per gallon on Fridays. Download the Earnify app, link your Amazon account and find a bp, Amoco or ampm station in the app. Then use the app at the pump to apply the discount. Bonus: After the promo, you’ll still get 10¢ off per gallon. Nice.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🎁 Get a free smart home energy checkup: Want to see how much energy your gadgets are really using? Many utility companies offer free smart home energy audits, some even throw in free smart plugs, LED bulbs or thermostat rebates. Just search “[Your Electric Company] free energy audit” to see what’s available in your area. Some companies also offer free Nest or Ecobee thermostats if you enroll in energy-saver programs.
💸 Stop paying for Microsoft 365: Use free alternatives like LibreOffice instead. To cancel your subscription, sign in on Microsoft’s website. Go to My Microsoft account (top right) > Subscriptions > Microsoft 365 > Manage > Cancel subscription, then scroll down and click I don’t want my subscription. Money saved. Score.
🤑 Whoopsie on the blockchain: Get this. Paxos, PayPal’s crypto partner, accidentally minted $300 trillion worth of PYUSD stablecoins, more than double the world’s GDP. It was only an internal test gone sideways and got deleted 20 minutes later. No hacks. No lost funds. Just … a minor blip involving more imaginary dollars than Earth can handle. Sounds like a ghost story for economists. OoOoOh…
Goldman Sachs expects gold to hit $4,900 per ounce by December 2026. I own gold, and you should have some, too. Get Goldco’s free kit, The Ultimate Guide to Gold & Silver, and find out how to get started.