Current Events in December 2022

It seems with each passing day there’s an automotive recall. Recalls only occur after consumers in large enough numbers report the problems to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), which then must pressure the automaker to "voluntarily" recall the vehicles.

Many times people drive vehicles with performance or safety issues for months before there is a recall to address the problem. Here are three models that are currently accumulating some complaints.

Mazda CX-5

NHTSA is receiving reports from owners of Mazda CX-5s saying their car’s auxiliary power stays on after turning the engine off, which drains power from the vehicle and can result in a dead battery. The problem appears to be with the shift switch/sensor, which can cost several hundred dollars to replace. 

“The SUV requires you to power it back on and shut it off several times before it actually shuts down,” an owner from Houston reported to NHTSA. “The radio and other accessories will not shut off when the car is powered down. Resulting in serious issues possibly happening if the car is not shut down properly. Anyone could get in and start the vehicle back up if they wanted to.” 

The 2014 model appears to be especially problematic. Over one-third of all complaints made to NHTSA regarding 2014 Mazda CX-5 s pertain to this issue. 

Land Rover Discovery

Several Land Rover Discovery owners report their vehicles’ roof rail cover has detached from the top of the vehicle while they were driving it, posing a serious safety risk to other drivers. The issue appears to affect Land Rover Discovery vehicles with model years 2015-2019 and has produced numerous complaints.

“Unbelievable. I'm driving on the highway (approximately 75mph) and I start hearing a little slapping noise on the roof,” one owner recounted on a Range Rovers forum. “As I glance out the rearview mirror to start moving towards the shoulder, I see the trim piece go flying off into the oncoming traffic behind me! THANKFULLY it didn't hit any cars behind me. Although I think a couple cars had to dodge it.”

Land Rover issued a technical bulletin about this issue occurring among Discovery models from 2015-2019 in April 2019 but did not recall any affected vehicles.

GMC Acadia

Many cars now have a blind spot detection system, an important safety upgrade. However, if the system doesn’t always work, it could be a hazard. Some GMC Acadia owners have posted complaints on Acadia forums saying their vehicles’ blind spot detection system is failing.

GM appears to be addressing the problem short of issuing a recall. It issued a “special coverage adjustment” through NHTSA in April 2019, extending the warranty on the vehicles to six years/80,000 miles.

One owner posting on an Acadia forum advised other owners to contact their dealer because GM will repair the problem at no charge “if the vehicle meets certain criteria.” The source of the problem is said to be water intrusion.

You’re going up and down the grocery aisle and pick up an item that has a shelf label showing it’s one price, but when you check out you discover the price is actually higher. It appears to be happening more and more.

A Twitter user named Brandon posted his experience at Whole Foods, suggesting the Amazon-owned chain is ripe for a lawsuit.

“An advertised $1.69 became $1.99 at the register and $3.99 became $4.39 at the register,” he wrote.

Another Twitter user, going by the handle LingCod, complained of “price deception” while shopping at Kroger.

“Not placing items in the correct shelf space, so that you think you are getting one price, only to find out at the register that it is actually much higher,” LingCod wrote. “Time to boycott #Kroger including #FredMeyer stores.”

Home Depot too

The complaint is not limited to supermarket chains. A Home Depot shopper recently complained on Reddit that he found a lawnmower he wanted with a price tag of $999. But that’s not what the mower actually cost.

“Go to self-checkout, scan it, and boom, $1099,” the shopper wrote. “Cancel and go to the register for further assistance and it rings up as $1099. They ask me to take a picture of the display showing $999, so I do. They try to manually mark it down and can’t.”

At first glance, it appears to be a rampant epidemic of deceptive pricing sweeping through American retail. But could there be another explanation? Francois Chaubard, the CEO of Focal Systems, providing retail AI solutions, says inflation and the labor shortage are creating nightmares for retailers.

Inflation’s role

"In higher inflation environments, retailers need to change price tags a lot more often than normal,” Chaubard told ConsumerAffairs. “For example, if the price of a can of Coke needs to change once a year, now it is increasing in price by 1%-2% every month it so needs to be updated 12 times more. 

“However, retailers don’t have enough labor as it is, so tags do not get updated fast enough. Retailers will change the price file, but won’t update the tags, leading to a discrepancy between what is on the shelf and what the customer gets charged.”

Consumer laws may vary by state but there is no federal law that requires a business to honor a price that's wrong on the shelf. If a company can show the pricing error was a mistake, many legal experts say it won’t be considered false advertising.

As we have noted, rising heating bills are putting the squeeze on consumers earlier than usual as cold, nasty weather moves in. But scientists report a breakthrough they say could result in free, unlimited electricity in the not-too-distant future.

Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California, after decades of research, reported that earlier this month they were able to produce more energy from a nuclear fusion reaction than the energy required to trigger the reaction.

That simple step has been the Holy Grail among energy researchers who have tried for years to make nuclear fusion an efficient form of energy. Unlike nuclear fission, which powers today’s nuclear power plants and produces highly radioactive waste, fusion produces almost no waste.

Nuclear fission produces energy by splitting uranium atoms. Nuclear fusion produces energy by combining, or "fusing," hydrogen atoms.

According to Mark Herrmann, a program director at the lab, scientists used 2.05 megajoules of energy from a laser and produced 3.15 megajoules, a net gain of energy that could have boiled water. The amount of megajoules – a unit of energy – used in the experiment is comparable to about 2.5 gallons of gasoline.

The next challenge

If replicated on a huge scale, scientists said the technology could be used to power the world’s electric grids, producing unlimited, clean energy. That’s the next challenge.

Scientists say the achievement is something to celebrate but for consumers, its practical application is years away. Think in terms of decades before it’s widely used.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the successful use of fusion ignition to create a net gain in energy means the future is literally a little brighter.

“Ignition allows us to replicate for the first time certain conditions that are found only in the stars and the sun,’’ Granholm said at a news conference. “This milestone moves us one significant step closer to the possibility of zero-carbon abundant fusion energy powering our society.’’

It’s not too late to get deals on holiday gifts! 

To help shoppers check everyone off their lists – while also saving money this holiday season – Target has announced more last-minute deals. In addition to discounting items through Christmas Eve, Target is offering several same-day shopping options that can benefit anyone who may have waited until the last minute – or needs a gift on short notice. 

“As guests turn to Target to finish up their holiday shopping, our stores nationwide are well-stocked, staffed with the best team in retail, and ready with great deals on everything needed to host gatherings, give gifts, and celebrate the season,” said Mark Schindele, executive vice president and chief stores officer at Target. “Whether guests choose to shop our aisles or use our convenient same-day fulfillment services, Target will save the day with fast and easy ways to get all their favorite deals, right up to the last minute.” 

Shop the sales

For shoppers looking for discounts on holiday gifts, Target has announced new sales – many of which run through December 24. 

Here’s what’s on sale through December 17: 

• 30% off matching family pajamas

• 30% off clothing and accessories

• 30% off seasonal decor

• 30% off shoes

• 40% off kitchen appliances

Here’s what’s on sale through December 24: 

• 30% All in Motion fleeces

• 50% off small kitchen appliances

• 5% off all pre-paid gift cards bought with a Target RedCard

• 40% off men’s seasonal apparel 

• 50% off toys 

• Buy one get one 25% off beauty gift sets

• 30% off Wondershop pet apparel 

• 40% off select women’s sweaters

• 15% off Game Pass gift cards

• 50% off connected home security from Amazon, Google, Ring, and more

• 50% off seasonal decor and trees

Last-minute gift options

Target shoppers can actually wait until the last minute to finish checking everyone off their holiday gift lists – if they want to! The retailer is offering several same-day shopping options that customers can access straight through up to Christmas Eve. 

For starters, all Target stores will be open on Christmas Eve, and most stay open until 8 p.m. local time. Shoppers can head to their local stores for the majority of Christmas Eve to pick up any last-minute essentials. 

There’s also the option to utilize Target’s order pick-up or drive-up options. Any order placed before 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve will be ready to be picked up before stores close that day. This also comes with no additional charge or membership required. 

Lastly, Target shoppers can utilize Shipt’s same-day delivery option. With this option, customers need to spend at least $35 to receive their delivery within one to two hours, and for non-Shipt members, delivery will run $9.99. 

While these options are always available for Target shoppers, it can be especially helpful to know the last-minute options during this hectic time of year. 

Travelers who are thinking about hitting the high seas in 2023 should also be thinking about the prices they’re going to have to pay to make that happen. 

According to policyholder data from InsureMyTrip, cruisers got a good deal in 2022 – paying an average of $4,104 to take a cruise between January and March of 2022.

However, for the same time in 2023, policyholders will pay an estimated $6,250 for their ocean voyages. That’s a 40%, $2,100 increase. 

That’s a sizable increase for most people, one that can easily cause would-be travelers to scrap other vacation plans.

Why are cruise lines charging more? Well, basically because there are more travelers who want to enjoy a week or two at sea. Another reason is that almost every cruise line has launched a new ship -- or will in 2023 -- so they want to be able to pay for that investment.

It’s not Armageddon cruise experts say

Yes, the ships are filling up fast -- thanks in part to future cruise credits (FCC's) that were given to all those with canceled cruises due to COVID-19.

"These FCC's have an expiration date so they have to be used by a certain date, hence 2023 bookings. Demand has resulted in higher prices and less availability,” Elisa Karen Ball, a travel advisor at Total Travel Experts, told ConsumerAffairs.

Ball says that cruising is still a good value because cruise lines are rolling out packages like there’s no tomorrow.

“Many luxury cruise lines have packaged everything so the guest pays one price,” she said.

Other travel experts agree

Experts from InsureMyTrip, and Cruise Critic have also combined forces to help travelers find the best deals and make the most informed decisions when booking a cruise in 2023. Here are some FAQs they shared with ConsumerAffairs:

Q: I’m looking for a deal.  Should I book a cruise before or during wave season?  

“You’re likely to score a great deal at either time, but the big question is around your flexibility. If you have specific needs or preferences (date, ship, cabin type), it’s early enough that you’ll likely be able to book exactly what you’re looking for – and secure a great deal,” Cruise Critic’s Colleen McDaniel said. 

She, like Ball, said that the secret sauce is the available perks, but don’t just take the first deal you see – take a comparative look and play one cruise line’s offerings against another. And whatever you do, don’t book solely on price. 

“It’s easy to see a low fare and want to jump on it immediately. But it’s important to do your research to make sure it’s the right ship and experience for you. Read reviews from other cruisers and read more about what you can expect onboard,” she suggested. 

Q: How important is travel insurance?

Travel insurance took a hit during the pandemic because of what was and what wasn’t included if COVID impacted a cruise, a destination, or a family of cruisers. Now that things have settled, InsureMyTrip’s Meghan Walch says the safest bet is buying travel insurance with the added Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) rider. 

“If you need to cancel a cruise for something other than a covered reason – CFAR may reimburse you up to 50%-75% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs,” she said.

And you should also take a look at your medical insurance to see what’s covered, too.

“If you’re traveling out of the country – we recommend emergency medical coverage because most domestic health insurance plans will not cover medical bills overseas,” Walch said.

Q: Should I buy travel insurance through the cruise line or a third party?

 This is a thorny subject. Walch recommends that you do your research. “Don’t just check the travel insurance box on a cruise line website. These plans may not cover what you think they will.”

She said that InsureMyTrip researchers analyzed popular cruise lines and found while many offer basic travel insurance perks, few cruise lines offer robust trip cancellation insurance or expansive emergency medical care coverage.

As ConsumerAffairs found, buying travel insurance through the cruise line can wind up being a can of worms if something goes wrong.

“Bought this insurance based on Viking River Cruises recommendations on Viking's booking system. Was removed from cruise after two days. Numerous calls and emails later they still can't do math in Claims Department,” Courtney from Grand Haven Mich. wrote in her review of TripMate.

Though the holidays are now right around the corner, retailers have been preparing consumers to shop the sales for months. But what about a gift that you can’t necessarily find packaged in a store or shipped straight to your doorstep? 

A new survey conducted by OnePoll for Forbes Advisor analyzed how travel will come into play as a gift this holiday season. 

Ultimately, the survey revealed that over 50% of Americans with rewards credit cards would give those rewards as a gift this holiday season.  

A closer look at gifting travel

OnePoll surveyed over 1,000 adults across the United States between November 22-28 to better understand trends related to gifting travel this holiday season, and also how consumers’ credit card rewards come into play. 

The survey found that the younger demographic – those between the ages of 18 and 25 (64%) – were the most likely to give their credit card points or rewards as a gift this holiday season. Comparatively, the next youngest age bracket – those between the ages of 26 and 41 – were among the least likely to gift their credit card rewards (26%). 

Overall, 56% of respondents said they’d consider giving a travel-related gift this holiday season. However, not just anyone would be on the receiving end of such a gift. The majority of survey participants said they’d mainly consider those gifts for the people closest to them – 25% would give it to their kids, 23% to a spouse or significant other, and 22% to parents. 

What would a travel-related gift look like? Plane tickets, hotel stays, and cash were the top three choices from the respondents. These also correspond with the rewards that are most likely to come from travel credit cards. 

Making the most of travel-related gifts

While travel is certainly a memorable gift to give, it’s also important that consumers are getting the most for their money – or their rewards points. Caroline Lupini, a Forbes Advisor Travel Analyst, shared her top five tips with ConsumerAffairs for anyone considering giving the gift of travel this holiday season: 

1. With an increase in travel costs due to inflation, consumers should look to book flights or hotel stays they plan to gift well in advance (at least 30 days out) to save money. If booking a highly sought-after destination, booking during the off-peak season will also help keep costs in check. Flight and hotel bookings may be refundable (either for cash or a credit) if prices decrease, so know the policies for your booking and monitor for price decreases if applicable.

2. If consumers plan to use their travel credit card to give the gift of travel, they should be aware of the benefits their travel credit card offers, how points/rewards can be redeemed, and whether the card has travel insurance. The gift may be for someone else, but a statement credit could offset costs when it’s time to pay the credit card bill. 

3. When making travel gift purchases, consumers should keep in mind that plans could change. Purchasing tickets, stays, or other travel experiences that can be returned, exchanged, or modified at no additional cost will provide more flexibility for the recipient of the gift. It might also be worth looking into travel insurance just in case. 

4. If someone plans to redeem points or rewards for a flight, hotel stay, or another travel experience that will be given as a gift, understanding the redemption value of the points is key. Be sure to run the numbers – if the purchase doesn’t provide good value with points, it may make sense to save the points for another day and book with cash instead. 

5. When purchasing travel experiences, read the fine print to ensure that the gift recipient doesn’t end up covering unexpected costs. For instance, budget airline tickets might seem more affordable until the person who receives the tickets has to pay more money out of pocket for seat selection, a carry-on bag, and a bag of peanuts onboard.

The claims windows are now open on a handful of class-action lawsuit settlements that could result in cash payments to affected consumers. According to Top Class Actions, these five companies will pay out nearly $17 million to consumers.

In one settlement that is now accepting claims, American Airlines will pay a total of $7.5 million to settle a suit claiming that it overcharged for baggage fees for some passengers. Consumers may be eligible if they were charged to: 

• Check a bag on or after Feb. 24, 2017

• Received a ticket issued before April 9, 2020

• Received an email from the airline saying they could check a bag for free

• Had a credit card account with American Citi or Barclays that entitled them to check a bag for free

Though people can submit a claim form now, they have until Feb. 22, 2023 to do so here. Affected consumers will get a full refund.

Uber

Ride-sharing company Uber will pay $2.2 million to put to rest a lawsuit claiming it discriminated against disabled passengers with unfair wait-time fees. The money will be paid to the U.S. Justice Department but it will be used to compensate affected customers.

Eligible consumers are those who opted in to Uber’s wait-time fee waiver program for riders who have disabilities on or before May 12, 2022. Many disabled riders complained they were charged the fee anyway.

Eligible consumers have until  April 24, 2023, to file a claim. You’ll find the form here.

Proctor & Gamble

Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble has agreed to pay $8 million to resolve claims that it sold aerosolized products containing benzene, which is classified as a carcinogen. The funds will compensate consumers who bought a number of different aerosol products containing the cancer-causing chemical.

The brands of the products include Old Spice, Secret, Pantene, Herbal Essences, Hair Food and Aussie between Nov. 4, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2021. 

Affected consumers have until Jan. 26, 2023, to file a claim form, which can be found here.

All-Clad

All-Clad, a company that makes a wide range of cookware and kitchen utensils, is writing a check for $4 million, settling a class-action suit that claimed cookware marketed as “dishwasher-safe” was anything but.

Plaintiffs contend that the company’s “dishwasher-safe” pots and pans were damaged after being run through the dishwasher. Specifically, the complaint said machine-washing caused the non-stick surface of the pan to peel away from the base, creating sharp edges.

Consumers who purchased All-Clad D3, D5 or LTD cookware may be eligible for a claim. In some instances, proof of purchase may be required. Claims must be submitted by March 27, 2023. The claim form is here.

ConAgra

If you purchased a “natural” Wesson Oil product between January 2006 and July 2017, you may be eligible for a cash payment from ConAgra’s $3 million settlement. The company has agreed to settle a lawsuit that said the company incorrectly labeled the products as “natural.”

The products in question are Wesson Vegetable Oil, Wesson Canola Oil, Wesson Corn Oil and Wesson Best Blend. The plaintiffs claimed the company marketed them as natural when they weren’t.

The deadline for filing a claim, found here, is May 22, 2023.

Have you ever had this experience? 

You place an order and, then, you wait. 

And wait. 

You check the tracking and things look good. 

Then, you wait some more. 

But now, that package that was supposed to be delivered by December 23 is nowhere to be found.

If you’ve ever gone through the agony of ordering something online that never showed up, the last thing you want to hear is that it’s happened to everyone at some point.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it feels your pain and says there are things you can do to lower your anxiety and the time sitting on your front steps waiting for UPS to appear and make everything good.

If you didn’t get your order…

The first thing the FTC says to do when your order doesn’t arrive when the seller said it should is to contact the seller. Depending on the seller and the depth of its customer service, you might find an angel on the other end of the phone who can help out and keep from you cutting ties and taking your business elsewhere.

As examples, when ConsumerAffairs looked through all the reviews readers have posted in the last year where “customer service” was mentioned and the company was given a 5-star rating, on that list were America’s Value Channel, Appliances Connection,CyberPowerPC, iBuyPower, and JustFab. 

And that’s just scratching the surface. FreshWorks, a company specializing in customer service platforms for large retailers, says that Amazon and IKEA rank among the top on their “best of” list, too. 

Not to cut Amazon any special slack, but given the flood of orders it deals with every December, two-day Prime delivery might not be as efficient as it is the rest of the year. To help consumers better understand Amazon’s delivery efforts, OJDeliverySolutions has put together a very thorough outline of what is fair to expect from the company.

If that doesn’t work…

If the customer service center is a dead end, the FTC says that if the charge shows up on your credit card statement, dispute the charge. 

If you paid by debit card, then you should contact your bank and see if they can help. The FTC even wrote a letter that it thinks will work in those situations. Feel free to use it to make your point.

If your order came late…

You might not realize this, but online sellers have to ship when they say they will, even in an ad. If they don’t? Well, they’re required to tell you and give you an opportunity to cancel the order or get a full refund.

And, the next time you order something online, remember this

While it may be too late now, the FTC says that the next time you shop online, heed this advice:

“Head problems off by doing some research before buying from an unfamiliar online store,” Colleen Tressler, FTC, Division of Consumer and Business Education, said.

“Check out the company or product. Search online for the name plus words like 'review,' 'complaint,' or ‘scam.’ See what other people say about it. And read the seller's description of the product carefully. If they offer name-brand goods at steeply discounted prices, they might be fakes.”

She also said that the most powerful protection any consumer has is paying by credit card. “You’ll get protections under federal law, so you don’t have to pay for things you ordered but didn’t get,” Tressler said.

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Watching TikTok gaining more and more social media eyeballs by the day, Amazon has decided that it can learn a lesson from TikTok and is launching a new in-app feature called Inspire.

According to details Amazon recently posted, Inspire’s uniqueness will hopefully come from a content hub where consumers can go on a discovery mission to find products that they might find interesting. The content will be developed by other customers, influencers, and by brands and, a la TikTok, presented in a scrolling format where users can “like” items and click on links to those items.

When ConsumerAffairs reviewed mockups of Inspire, consumers will be able to decide what types of content they want pushed their way, all by checking everything that interests them (e.g., skin care, work from home, hiking). After that’s done, their shoppable feed will be personalized with photo and video content that matches those interests.

Rolling out slowly

The new feature won’t be available to everyone in one fell swoop, though. Amazon’s announcement said Inspire will begin its rollout to select U.S. users starting this month and will become available to all U.S. sometime in the coming months.

If you’re curious about Inspire and want to give it a test ride, all you need to do is open the Amazon Shopping app, tap the "light bulb" icon on the bottom navigation bar, select your favorite interests and then you’re ready to start scrolling. 

No light bulb icon? Well, then, you’re one of the U.S. customers who’ll just have to wait a while. Or, if you use Amazon on your desktop, you’re out of luck there, too. Inspire is only available via Amazon’s smartphone app.

Can consumers expect more TikToky things?

Since social media lives and dies on the success of an app, TikTok’s influence will probably continue to impact consumers across the social media landscape.

“Social commerce continues to be a growing focus for many social media apps as well as brands. In October, TikTok started posting job openings for fulfillment centers, indicating an interest in having a more direct role in the product promotion occurring on its app,” MarketingDive’s Dani James said.

Amazon’s not the first to try and leverage TikTok’s magic, however. James said that formal attire brand David’s Bridal started the ball rolling in June with a campaign on TikTok featuring shoppable content. That was a smart move on David’s Bridal’s part, too – one that brought in a click-through rate twice its average.

Apparel company Pacsun also decided that TikTok might be worth an investment and saw its followers climb to 2 million on the app in August.

Amazon has hosted a number of sales in recent months to prepare consumers for the holiday season – the Prime Early Access Sale, Black Friday sales, and Cyber Monday deals.  

Now, with under two weeks left to finalize gifts, Amazon is holding another discount shopping event for consumers – Very Merry Deals. 

Now through December 21, Amazon will continue to discount many of the biggest items this holiday season. Additionally, new items will be discounted every day, making it imperative for consumers to check back regularly if they’re looking for specific items. 

The sales are designed for consumers who need to wrap up last-minute shopping and will feature exclusive deals in several major categories: electronics, toys, beauty, home goods, fashion, and kitchen. 

What’s on sale? 

While these deals are expected to be updated on a daily basis, below is a list of some of the items available now at discounted rates: 

Amazon Devices: 

• 60% off Ring Video doorbells and bundles

• 46% off Fire TV devices

• 30% off Eero mesh WiFi systems

• 24% off Kindles

• 50% off Echo devices

• 45% off Fire tablets

Toys:

• 51% off Bakugan, Paw Patrol, and more

• 32% off National Geographic kits

• 47% off Melissa & Doug toys

Home Goods:

• 20% off Casper mattresses and accessories

• 69% off items from TempurPedic, Shark, Levoit, and more

• 63% off National Tree Christmas trees and holiday decorations

Electronics: 

• 29% off Bose home audio products 

• 54% off Logitech G gaming products

• 33% off LG OLED and QNED TVs

Kitchen: 

• 40% off SodaStream makers and bundles

• 25% off Nespresso coffee and espresso machines

• 46% off Instant Brands air fryers, mixers, and more 

Other deals include: 

• 50% off Crest White Strips and Oral-B electric toothbrushes

• 43% off Anker Charging Accessories

• 48% off Teeter FitSpine X3 Inversion Table

• 66% off Anne Klein watches

• 47% off Hiboy Electric Scooters

Consumers can shop all of Amazon’s last-minute holiday shopping deals here. 

Prospective homebuyers hoping for a big drop in home prices may have a longer wait. The Labor Department’s November Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows housing costs, which include rent, are still rising.

In fact, the report says the index for shelter was by far the largest contributor to the monthly 0.1% increase in the CPI. The cost of putting a roof over your head increased 0.6% from October, even though home sellers in many housing markets have cut their asking price.

For the year, housing costs have increased by 7.1%, making a home purchase much more difficult for many because interest rates have also risen.

Food costs are also rising

Food costs also continued to rise last month. The food index rose by 0.5% last month, slightly less than October’s 0.6% rise. Over the last 12 months, food costs have risen by 10.6%.

Where you buy food continues to make a difference in what you pay. The cost of food purchased at the grocery store and consumed at home has risen 12.1% over the last 12 months. The cost of restaurant meals is up just 8.5% on an annual basis.

Food has been a consistent inflation driver and has had an outsized impact on household finances. Four of the six major grocery store food group indexes increased in November. 

The index for fruits and vegetables increased 1.4%, a sharp rebound from October’s 0.9% decline. The price of cereals and bakery products rose 1.1%, slightly higher than the 1% increase in dairy products.

Egg prices are finally coming down

But there was some relief at the supermarket last month. The cost of meats, poultry, fish, and eggs fell 0.2% over the month after rising 0.6% in October. The prices of beef and pork were also lower last month.

Offsetting higher prices for food and shelter, the cost of energy plunged 1.6% last month, helped by a 2% decline in the price of gasoline. According to AAA, the national average price of regular is now $3.24 a gallon, nine cents a gallon less than a year ago.

Natural gas and electricity costs were also cheaper in November, defying mid-year forecasts that winter heating costs could hit record highs. So far, at least, that appears less likely.

The cost of used cars and trucks continued to fall after reaching record highs earlier this year. Used vehicle prices fell 2.9% in November and are down 3.3% over the last 12 months.

Besides being a month loaded with holidays, December is the start of marriage proposal season, with many questions being popped between now and Valentine's Day. After that, the wedding planning begins.

But many newly engaged couples may receive a shock when they start looking at price tags. According to Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study, a wedding last year cost an average of $28,000 – $34,000 if you count the cost of rings.

But do you have to spend that much in order to have a beautiful, memorable wedding? The event planning experts we consulted say there are many ways to save money.

All of the planners we consulted advised engaged couples to take these money-saving steps:

Pick a date for the wedding that is not during prime “wedding season,” May to October

“Simple economic law of supply and demand will ensure these dates are most expensive – high demand, low supply,” Colleen Carswell, former wedding planner and creator of DIY Wedding Planning Made Easy, told us. “Contrastingly, winter weddings are less popular as are Sundays, and even more so, weekdays. So if you were to get married on a weekday in early February when demand is at its lowest in most parts of the country, you'll likely see much lower venue prices as well.”

Choose a location that can host both the ceremony and reception

“This eliminates the need to rent two separate spaces and can help to reduce other costs such as transportation,” said Jordan Cullen, founder of Cullen Jewellery, who has worked with many couples planning a wedding.

Jean Neuhart, a retired wedding planner and author at Weddings From The Heart, says the venue is one of a wedding’s biggest expenses.

“Compare an all-inclusive venue to one where you have to bring in everything yourself,” Neuhart told ConsumerAffairs. “Saves time from having to secure other vendors and/or decor items, and can save money on do-it-yourself projects.”

Carswell says you can save money by weighing every aspect of reception costs individually and collectively when selecting a venue. For example, one venue might have a rental fee of only $500 but you must provide all the tables, chairs, linens, catering, service staff, and more. But another venue with a $5,000 food and beverage minimum could turn out to be a better deal.

“If they include the staffing, catering, rentals, setup, teardown, venue coordinator, ceremony and reception space, ceremony chairs, backup rain plan, etc., it's very likely you'll come out ahead with the venue that appears at first glance to cost significantly more,” she said.

Minimize spending on flowers

“Be your own florist,” said Forrest McCall, a financial adviser who recently got married. “Other than the bridal bouquet, my wife decided to do all of the flowers herself. This saved us well over $1,000 on the cost of a traditional florist. While it's a time-consuming process, it can be a great method to save money on your wedding.”

Another way to reduce spending on flowers is to use larger tables for your guest’ seating. You’ll end up needing fewer tables and chairs, and in turn fewer centerpieces and linens.

“My number one recommendation when decorating a wedding is to first look at upgrading the linens,” Carswell said. “As opposed to a large floral centerpiece arrangement that can cost hundreds per table, a simple upgraded linen may only cost $10-$20 per table. Even with just some simple greenery or candles the aesthetics and ambiance can really pop with the right linen selection.”

Personal touches

“There are plenty of ways to add personal touches without breaking the bank,” Cullen told us. “If you're looking for something truly unique, you could even get married in a place that has special meaning to you, like the place you first met or the site of a significant event in your relationship. You can also ask family and friends to contribute their own talents, whether it's baking a special cake or playing music during the ceremony.”

“With the cost of weddings paired with the constant inflation we’re seeing these days, saving money has never been so important,” Neuhart said. “And the couple doesn’t have to sacrifice style in order to save. Prioritizing all the different elements that go into a wedding then focusing on the top three and going minimal, or eliminating altogether the elements that aren’t important is helpful too.”

Because weddings are so expensive, things associated with a wedding may have a higher price. For that reason, Neuhart says couples should forgo a traditional wedding cake and purchase (or bake) a small two-layered cake for the ceremonial cutting. Purchase small individual cake slices to serve to guests.

What parent doesn’t want their child to have an opportunity to grow cognitively? Ever since Teddy Ruxpin started talking to kids in 1985, toy manufacturers have continued to up the ante on building toys that could elevate a child’s learning.

Now, however, some manufacturers may have gone too far – collecting and using data about the children who interact with their toys, according to a new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. Smart Decisions about Smart Toys: High-tech toys can put children at risk builds on the group’s recent investigation of dangerous toys undertaken for the recent 37th annual Trouble in Toyland report. 

How far is too far? As an example, the manufacturer of the software that brings the Fuzzible Friends Alexa-connected toy to life states in its privacy policy that it may receive the geolocation and transcripts of a child’s interactions with the toy, contingent on parental consent.

And, get this – if a child happens to say their age while playing with the toy, that information would be included in the transcript the company receives. 

“Toys are toys. They shouldn’t be devices companies use to harvest our children's personal information, picture or voice,” said R.J. Cross, director of PIRG Education Fund's Don’t Sell My Data campaign.

“Unnecessary data collection puts our children at risk. Toy manufacturers must take the safety and security of children seriously.”

'We have your data and we’ll have it forever'

Think about this. In the wrong hands, the possibility exists that a 3-year-old toddler’s data could be repurposed over and over again, year after year.

Cross said that toy manufacturers may partner with other tech companies to process and store data, and if they feel they’ve reserved the right to share a child’s data with other parties, they could possibly sell or share that data further, including to third-party marketers. 

And with cyber thieves as cunning as they are in breaching a company’s user data pool, the chances a child’s data will be exposed in a breach or a hack grows exponentially. In fact, that’s already happened.

In one instance, when smart toy manufacturer Vtech’s data was breached in 2015, the names, birthdays, genders, and even photos and voice recordings of 6.4 million children were exposed online. 

Other risks include unsecured internet connections which can allow a toy to become an eavesdropping device, a microphone that bad actors could potentially use to talk to kids, and toys with companion apps that may include in-app purchases, where kids may run up big bills by accident. 

Before you buy your child a 'smart toy,' take these precautions

U.S. PIRG offers a complete guide as to what parents should consider before buying their child a smart toy, but the basics are simple. If a toy has any of the following features, a parent would be wise to reconsider purchasing it unless they also have the ability to set time limits, control privacy, etc.:

• Cameras, microphones or sensors

• Chat functions

• Location sharing

• In-app purchases

• Programming to accomplish a high level of individual personalization

“Read the fine print,” Cross urges. “Look at the terms & conditions and privacy policies for answers to key questions like what data does the toy gather about my child, what does the manufacturer use it for, and does the manufacturer share my child’s data with other companies?”