Skip to content
Broke by Choice
Diese Seite auf Deutsch

Every number we looked up

The price list carries what we calculated. This is the counterpart: every number we could not calculate but had to look up – with the publisher, the source, and the day we last saw it.

133 sources from 42 publishers

Every number we looked up

Checking is part of it: a source older than a year does not become wrong, it becomes due for review. These carry their retrieval date so you can decide for yourself which ones you trust.

Sources with publisher and retrieval date
Sourcesretrieved
Federal Excise Tax Increase and Related Provisions: the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act increases the federal excise tax on tobacco products effective April 1, 2009; small cigarettes from $19.50 to $50.33 per 1,000 Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, U.S. Department of the Treasury Used in: The cost of smoking: what a pack a day adds up to in a…
Checking Account and ATM Fee Survey: 47 percent of non-interest checking accounts charge no monthly fee, and 48 percent waive it with direct deposit; figures from 245 institutions in 25 large US markets, surveyed 2 June to 3 July 2025 Bankrate Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Checking Account and ATM Fee Survey: among non-interest checking accounts that charge a monthly fee, the average is 5.47 dollars with an average waiver balance of 496 dollars Bankrate Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Checking Account and ATM Fee Survey: average minimum balance required to waive the fee on an interest-bearing account, 10,705 dollars Bankrate Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Checking Account and ATM Fee Survey: average monthly service fee on interest-bearing checking accounts 15.65 dollars, charged by nearly nine in ten such accounts Bankrate Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Checking Account and ATM Fee Survey: average total cost of an out-of-network ATM withdrawal 4.86 dollars, a 3.22-dollar surcharge plus 1.64 dollars from the account holder's own bank Bankrate Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Checking Account and ATM Fee Survey: average yield on interest-bearing checking accounts, 0.07 percent APY Bankrate Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Checking Fees Survey: Americans keep the same checking account for an average of 19 years Bankrate Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 January 2026: Club membership 60 dollars a year, Club+ 120 dollars BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc., filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Used in: The membership fee is the least interesting number in…
Annual report on Form 10-K: members spending 2,500 dollars or more a year on branded groceries can save more than ten times the 60-dollar membership fee (company statement) BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc., filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Used in: The membership fee is the least interesting number in…
Consumer Credit G.19, credit card plans: 22.15 percent on accounts assessed interest (2026 Q2) Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Your first 1,000 dollars: the order that actually matters
Consumer Credit G.19, credit card plans: 22.15 percent on accounts assessed interest, 20.94 percent across all accounts (2026 Q2) Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because the minimum payment looked like a plan
G.19 Consumer Credit, Terms of Credit: average interest rate on credit card accounts assessed interest, 22.15 percent in the second quarter of 2026 Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because it was on sale, Overdraft: the loan you never applied for, at a rate no…
G.19 Consumer Credit, Terms of Credit: credit card plans, all accounts 20.94 percent and accounts assessed interest 22.15 percent; 24-month personal loan 11.86 percent; 72-month new car loan 6.97 percent Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Pay it down or put it away? The arithmetic is clearer than…
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025, Economic Hardships: 59 percent of adults had at least one type of major unexpected expense in the prior 12 months, most commonly a major vehicle repair or replacement, followed by a major house or appliance repair and unexpected major medical expenses Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because life happened
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025, figure 22: 26 percent of adults went without some form of medical care because they could not afford it; 38 percent among those under $25,000 against 13 percent at $100,000 or more Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because life happened
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025, Income and Expenses: 30 percent of adults had income that varied at least occasionally, 11 percent struggled to pay bills because of it, and 58 percent of self-employed adults reported month-to-month variation Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because life happened
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025, Income and Expenses: 30 percent of adults had income that varied at least occasionally, and 11 percent struggled to pay bills as a result Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Twenty minutes of bank statements beats a year of budgeting
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025, table 19: 16 percent of adults did not pay all their bills in full in the prior month; 34 percent among those with family income under $25,000 against 7 percent at $100,000 or more Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because life happened
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025, table 25: 12 percent of all adults said they would be unable to pay an unexpected 400-dollar expense by any means, down from 13 percent in 2024 Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because it was on sale
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: 63 percent could cover a 400 dollar expense with cash or its equivalent, 12 percent could not pay it at all, 45 percent of card owners carried a balance Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Broke because the minimum payment looked like a plan, Broke because nobody ever showed you the arithmetic
Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025: 63 percent could cover a 400 dollar expense with cash or its equivalent, 12 percent could not pay it at all, 55 percent had three months of rainy day savings Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: Your first 1,000 dollars: the order that actually matters
Why does the Federal Reserve aim for inflation of 2 percent over the longer run? The FOMC judges that inflation of 2 percent over the longer run, measured by the annual change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures, is most consistent with its mandate Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Used in: The cost of smoking: what a pack a day adds up to in a…
California Business and Professions Code § 17602(a)(8): the notice must state that the service renews unless cancelled, the length and additional terms of the renewal period, the costs, and one or more methods of cancellation California Legislative Information Used in: Two years, one month, done - except that is a German rule
California Business and Professions Code § 17602(b)(2): a renewal notice is required where the consumer accepted an offer with an initial term of one year or longer that automatically renews California Legislative Information Used in: Two years, one month, done - except that is a German rule
California Business and Professions Code § 17602(c)(2): calls must be answered promptly without obstructing or delaying cancellation, and a voicemail must be processed or returned within one business day California Legislative Information Used in: The cancel button, and the federal rule that was struck…
California Business and Professions Code § 17602(d)(1): a business making an automatic renewal offer online must allow a consumer to terminate the automatic renewal or continuous service exclusively online, at will, and without engaging any further steps that obstruct or delay the consumer California Legislative Information Used in: Your gym membership: the most expensive way not to work out
California Business and Professions Code § 17602(d)(1): a business that allows online acceptance must allow termination exclusively online, at will, through a prominently located direct link or button California Legislative Information Used in: The cancel button, and the federal rule that was struck…
California Business and Professions Code § 17603: goods sent without the consumer's affirmative consent are deemed an unconditional gift, with no obligation to pay return shipping California Legislative Information Used in: The cancel button, and the federal rule that was struck…
California Civil Code § 1812.84(a): a contract for health studio services may not exceed three years, and a termination notice period in the contract may not exceed 30 days California Legislative Information Used in: Two years, one month, done - except that is a German rule
Proposed Tobacco Excise Tax Changes in H.R. 5376, the Reconciliation Bill (IF11941, October 6, 2021): small cigarettes $50.33 per 1,000 ($1.01 per pack of 20) under current law, $100.66 per 1,000 ($2.01 per pack of 20) under H.R. 5376 as reported on September 27, 2021; state and local governments receive revenue from their own tobacco taxes Congressional Research Service Used in: The cost of smoking: what a pack a day adds up to in a…
Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices (CRS Report R41990): twelve permanent federal holidays, one of which (Inauguration Day) falls every four years and only in the District of Columbia area; federal holidays apply to federal employees and do not oblige private employers Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress Used in: Coffee versus investing: the 30-year math, and the number…
Assess your spending Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: First apartment budget: move-in cash and monthly costs
Assess your spending – current spending, savings and less frequent expenses in a monthly budget Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Annual expenses: build them into your budget, Monthly budget: plan what is really left
Comparing auto loan offers beyond the monthly payment Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: A lower car payment can hide a longer, more expensive loan, Compare auto-loan offers beyond the monthly payment
Data Spotlight: consumers paid more than 5.8 billion dollars in reported overdraft and NSF fees in 2023 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Overdraft: the loan you never applied for, at a rate no…
Data Spotlight: reported overdraft and NSF revenue is down 6.1 billion dollars a year against pre-pandemic levels, saving the average overdrafting household about 185 dollars a year Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Overdraft: the loan you never applied for, at a rate no…
How do I get a copy of my credit reports: one free report a year from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies through AnnualCreditReport.com Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
Overdraft and Nonsufficient Fund Fees (December 2023): the implied annual percentage rate of overdraft credit is 8,273 percent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Overdraft: the loan you never applied for, at a rate no…
Overdraft and Nonsufficient Fund Fees (December 2023): the median overdraft fee was 35 dollars among the 119 banks and credit unions with more than 10 billion dollars in assets that charged one Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Overdraft: the loan you never applied for, at a rate no…
Regulation Z, section 1026.18(b), (g), (h) and official interpretations: amount financed, prepaid charges and payment schedule Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Compare auto-loan offers beyond the monthly payment
Understanding an auto-loan Truth-in-Lending disclosure Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: A lower car payment can hide a longer, more expensive loan, Compare auto-loan offers beyond the monthly payment
Your Money, Your Goals: Bill calendar – recurring bills, automatic payments and income dates Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Fixed expenses list: what belongs in your budget?
Your Money, Your Goals: Cutting expenses – review realistic options and recurring bills Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Reduce recurring bills: a practical contract review
Annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 August 2025: Gold Star and Business membership 65 dollars a year, Executive membership an additional 65 dollars Costco Wholesale Corporation, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Used in: The membership fee is the least interesting number in…
Annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 31 August 2025: membership renewal rate 92.3 percent in the United States and Canada, 89.8 percent worldwide Costco Wholesale Corporation, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Used in: The membership fee is the least interesting number in…
Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/826, Annex III European Commission Used in: Electricity Cost Calculator: Appliance Running Cost
What is the average credit score in the U.S.: average FICO Score of 713 in 2025 Experian Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
2023 FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, report: not having enough money to meet minimum balance requirements was the most cited reason (42.3 percent); one-third of unbanked households (33.4 percent) cited a reason related to fees or a minimum balance as the main reason Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
2023 National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households: 4.2 percent of US households (about 5.6 million) unbanked, 14.2 percent (about 19.0 million) underbanked Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Used in: The account that charges you for not having enough money…
Deposit Insurance At A Glance: the standard insurance amount is $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Used in: Pay it down or put it away? The arithmetic is clearer than…
National Rates and Rate Caps, as of 17 August 2026: savings 0.38 percent, money market 0.63 percent Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Used in: Pay it down or put it away? The arithmetic is clearer than…
Saving for the Unexpected and Your Future, FDIC Consumer News, January 2025: financial experts generally recommend setting aside at least six months of living expenses where the employment outlook is uncertain Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Used in: Emergency fund: how much you actually need and where it…
Highway Statistics 2023, Table VM-1 Federal Highway Administration Used in: Car Cost Calculator: Cost per Mile incl. Wear and Tear
Highway Statistics 2023, Table VM-1: 11,026 miles per light-duty short-wheelbase vehicle and year, 24.7 miles per gallon Federal Highway Administration Used in: A year of driving, line by line
2022 National Household Travel Survey, Summary of Travel Trends: average commute trip 13.43 miles one way across all modes, 13.56 miles by privately owned vehicle Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation Used in: The first 33 minutes of your working day are worked for…
Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit: credit card balances of 1.26 trillion dollars at the end of the second quarter of 2026, up 21 billion dollars in the quarter Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Center for Microeconomic Data Used in: Broke because it was on sale
Auto trade-ins and negative equity: owing more than the car is worth Federal Trade Commission Used in: A lower car payment can hide a longer, more expensive loan
Federal Trade Commission Cigarette Report for 2022 (published October 30, 2023), tables 1A and 1B: cigarettes sold by the major manufacturers to wholesalers and retailers, 636.5 billion in 1981, 510.9 billion in 1991, 190.2 billion in 2021 and 173.5 billion in 2022 Federal Trade Commission Used in: The cost of smoking: what a pack a day adds up to in a…
Financing or leasing a car: written price, add-ons and trade-in debt Federal Trade Commission Used in: A lower car payment can hide a longer, more expensive loan, Compare auto-loan offers beyond the monthly payment
Free credit reports: the three nationwide credit bureaus permanently offer free weekly reports through AnnualCreditReport.com Federal Trade Commission Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
Getting In and Out of Free Trials, Auto-Renewals, and Negative Option Subscriptions Federal Trade Commission Used in: Annual vs monthly subscriptions: find your break-even point
How To Use the EnergyGuide Label To Shop for Home Appliances Federal Trade Commission Used in: Annual kWh cost: turn appliance energy use into dollars, Energy efficiency: is the higher appliance price worth it?, Replace an old refrigerator: does the saving pay off?
Make a Budget: income and expense worksheet Federal Trade Commission Used in: Rental costs beyond rent: build the full monthly total
Making a Budget Federal Trade Commission Used in: How much rent can I afford? Start with your budget
Online Shopping Federal Trade Commission Used in: Coworking day pass vs membership: compare actual use, Gym membership vs pay per visit: compare actual use
16 CFR 233.1, Guides Against Deceptive Pricing: a former price comparison is legitimate only where the former price was the actual, bona fide price at which the article was openly and actively offered for a reasonably substantial period of time Federal Trade Commission, via the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations Used in: Broke because it was on sale
16 CFR 233.1, worked example: an article costing the retailer 5 dollars with a usual 50 percent markup and a regular price of 7.50 dollars, briefly marked up to 10 dollars and then advertised at half price Federal Trade Commission, via the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations Used in: Broke because it was on sale
16 CFR 233.1: reducing an article from 10 dollars to 9.99 and advertising it as reduced misleads the purchaser, because the amount of the reduction is insignificant next to the impression created Federal Trade Commission, via the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations Used in: Broke because it was on sale
Rule Concerning the Use of Prenotification Negative Option Plans, Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 13 March 2026: the Eighth Circuit vacated the amended Negative Option Rule on 8 July 2025 Federal Trade Commission, via the Federal Register (document 2026-04952) Used in: Two years, one month, done - except that is a German rule
Rule Concerning the Use of Prenotification Negative Option Plans, Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 13 March 2026: the Eighth Circuit vacated the amended Rule on 8 July 2025 under section 22 of the FTC Act, and ROSCA is the only Federal law primarily designed to regulate negative option marketing Federal Trade Commission, via the Federal Register (document 2026-04952) Used in: The cancel button, and the federal rule that was struck…
Standard mileage rates: 76 cents per mile for business use of a car for travel on or after 1 July 2026, up from 72.5 cents for the first half of the year Internal Revenue Service Used in: The first 33 minutes of your working day are worked for…
Topic no. 409, Capital gains and losses: net capital gains are taxed at 0, 15 or 20 percent depending on taxable income, with some exceptions taxed higher (page last reviewed or updated February 25, 2026) Internal Revenue Service Used in: The cost of smoking: what a pack a day adds up to in a…
26 U.S. Code § 5701(b)(1): on small cigarettes, weighing not more than 3 pounds per thousand, $50.33 per thousand; last rate amendment by Pub. L. 111-3 (2009) Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School Used in: The cost of smoking: what a pack a day adds up to in a…
Powerball, FAQs: Powerball costs $2 per play; drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET; on average 35 percent of every $2 ticket stays in the jurisdiction where it is sold Multi-State Lottery Association, powerball.com Used in: Powerball every week: what one play per drawing costs in a…
Powerball, Prize Chart: odds of winning the grand prize 1 in 292,201,338; overall odds of winning a prize 1 in 24.87; odds for all nine prize tiers Multi-State Lottery Association, powerball.com Used in: Powerball every week: what one play per drawing costs in a…
What's in my FICO Scores: FICO Scores are calculated only from the information in credit reports; income is not part of the score myFICO, Fair Isaac Corporation Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
What's in my FICO Scores: payment history 35 percent, amounts owed 30 percent, length of credit history 15 percent, new credit 10 percent, credit mix 10 percent myFICO, Fair Isaac Corporation Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
What's in my FICO Scores: payment history is the most important factor in a FICO Score myFICO, Fair Isaac Corporation Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
What's in my FICO Scores: the impact of any single factor cannot be measured without looking at the entire credit report myFICO, Fair Isaac Corporation Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
2023 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement: average expenditure 1,281.60 dollars per insured vehicle, 19.21 percent above 2019 National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: The car insurance quote you have not re-run since you…
Auto Insurance Database Report National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: Car Cost Calculator: Cost per Mile incl. Wear and Tear
Auto Insurance Database Report: countrywide average expenditure 1,075.08 dollars (2019), 1,047.76 (2020), 1,060.23 (2021), 1,124.45 (2022), 1,281.60 (2023) National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: The car insurance quote you have not re-run since you…
Auto Insurance Database Report: countrywide average expenditure of 1,281.60 dollars per insured vehicle in 2023 National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: A year of driving, line by line
Auto Insurance Database Report: countrywide average expenditure rose 13.98 percent from 2022 to 2023 National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: The car insurance quote you have not re-run since you…
Auto Insurance Database Report: Florida 1,863.82 dollars, New York 1,752.55, Louisiana 1,749.22 per insured vehicle in 2023 National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: The car insurance quote you have not re-run since you…
Auto Insurance Database Report: median state expenditure 1,114 dollars per insured vehicle in 2023 National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: The car insurance quote you have not re-run since you…
Auto Insurance Database Report: North Dakota 807.77 dollars, Maine 856.28, Idaho 863.96 per insured vehicle in 2023 National Association of Insurance Commissioners Used in: The car insurance quote you have not re-run since you…
Uniform Unit Pricing: Tools for Consumers to Fight Shrinkflation National Institute of Standards and Technology Used in: How to Calculate Shrinkflation from Package Sizes, How to Compare Unit Prices at the Grocery Store
Consumers expected to return nearly 850 billion dollars in merchandise: retailers estimate 15.8 percent of 2025 annual sales, worth 849.9 billion dollars, will be returned National Retail Federation, with Happy Returns Used in: Broke because it was on sale
Consumers expected to return nearly 850 billion dollars in merchandise: retailers expect 17 percent of winter holiday season sales to be returned National Retail Federation, with Happy Returns Used in: Broke because it was on sale
Water-On-the-Go Fountains Will Help New Yorkers Stay Hydrated This Summer - “At approximately one penny per gallon, tap water is about 1,000 times less expensive than bottled water” New York City Department of Environmental Protection, release 19-053 Used in: The water you already pay for, and then buy again
12 CFR 1026.7(b)(12), repayment disclosures: minimum payment warning, payoff estimate in years, total cost, the payment that clears the balance in 36 months, and a toll-free number for credit counseling Regulation Z, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Used in: Broke because the minimum payment looked like a plan
Membership sign-up page: Club membership with a first-year promotional price of 25 dollars (the standard annual price is rendered by the page script and is not in the delivered source) Sam's Club Used in: The membership fee is the least interesting number in…
Speak to an Expert: quitlines are free, anonymous telephone counseling services; 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) connects directly to your state’s quitline, and hours of operation and services vary from state to state Smokefree.gov, National Cancer Institute Used in: The cost of smoking: what a pack a day adds up to in a…
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Car Cost Calculator: Cost per Mile incl. Wear and Tear
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024, cellular phone service: 1,359 dollars per consumer unit and year U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Your phone bill: 1,359 dollars a year that renews itself
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024, per consumer unit: 984 dollars maintenance and repairs, 217 dollars tires, 148 dollars vehicle registration, 63 dollars vehicle property tax, 1.8 vehicles owned U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: A year of driving, line by line
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024: 185 dollars per consumer unit for video streaming, rental and downloads, 35 dollars for audio U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: The library card: the cheapest thing you already own, The streaming stack: the bill nobody ever decided on
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024: 6,224 dollars per consumer unit for food at home, 3,945 dollars for food away from home U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Delivery fees: paying twice for the same dinner, Eating well for less: the split nobody looks at
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024: average annual expenditures of $78,535 per consumer unit (series CXUTOTALEXPLB0101M, retrieved through the BLS public data API) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Twenty minutes of bank statements beats a year of budgeting
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024: average annual spending per consumer unit of $6,224 on food at home and $3,945 on food away from home (series CXUFOODHOMELB0101M and CXUFOODAWAYLB0101M, retrieved through the BLS public data API; the two sum exactly to the published food total of $10,169) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: What a home-cooked portion actually costs
Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024: food total $10,169 per consumer unit, of which $6,224 at home and $3,945 away from home (series CXUFOODTOTLLB0101M, CXUFOODHOMELB0101M, CXUFOODAWAYLB0101M; the two components sum exactly to the published total). The 12.9 percent share is our own calculation against total expenditures U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Twenty minutes of bank statements beats a year of budgeting
Consumer Expenditure Survey, average annual expenditures by quintile of income before taxes, 2024 (series CXUTOTALEXPLB0102M to LB0106M): $35,046, $50,054, $66,900, $89,972 and $150,342; retrieved through the BLS public data API U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Broke because the raise arrived and nothing changed
Consumer Expenditure Survey, income after taxes by quintile, 2023 (series CXUINCAFTTXLB0102M and LB0106M): $16,171 and $211,042 against expenditures of $33,776 and $150,093; the 209 and 71 percent shares are our own calculation from those figures U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Broke because the raise arrived and nothing changed
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, U.S. city average, all items (CUUR0000SA0): 333.918 in July 2026; the 3.4 percent twelve-month change is our own calculation against the same month a year earlier U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: Pay it down or put it away? The arithmetic is clearer than…
Consumer Price Index news release: motor vehicle insurance index fell 0.3 percent in July 2026 after a 2.0 percent decline in June U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Used in: The car insurance quote you have not re-run since you…
Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey: total US retail and food services sales of 763.6 billion dollars in July 2026, up 5.0 percent from July 2025 U.S. Census Bureau Used in: Broke because it was on sale
American Community Survey, commuting: 69.2 percent of American workers drove alone to work in 2024 U.S. Census Bureau Used in: The first 33 minutes of your working day are worked for…
American Community Survey, commuting: 9.3 percent of workers travel 60 minutes or more each way U.S. Census Bureau Used in: The first 33 minutes of your working day are worked for…
American Community Survey, commuting: mean travel time to work 27.2 minutes in 2024 U.S. Census Bureau Used in: The first 33 minutes of your working day are worked for…
The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses (EIB-121): 21 percent of the food supply, about 90 billion pounds a year, lost at the consumer level U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service Used in: The membership fee is the least interesting number in…
The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses (EIB-121): 371 dollars per capita per year of food loss at the consumer level, 9.2 percent of food expenditures U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service Used in: The membership fee is the least interesting number in…
Make a Plan U.S. Department of Agriculture, MyPlate Used in: Packed lunch vs buying lunch: calculate the real saving
Calculate Fuel Costs and Savings U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency Used in: Estimate annual mileage: odometer readings and trip planning
Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3 U.S. Energy Information Administration Used in: Electricity Cost Calculator: Appliance Running Cost
Electric Power Monthly, table 5.3: average residential price 18.44 cents per kilowatthour in May 2026 (monthly), 17.30 cents as the 2025 annual total. The 16.78 cents in the same table is the year-to-date figure through May 2025, not an annual average U.S. Energy Information Administration Used in: Unplugging everything saves you $1.62 a year
Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: residential price in May 2026 of 14.15 cents per kilowatthour in Louisiana and 52.00 cents in Hawaii, against 18.44 cents for the U.S. total U.S. Energy Information Administration Used in: Unplugging everything saves you $1.62 a year
How much electricity does an American home use? In 2022 the average annual amount of electricity sold to a U.S. residential electric-utility customer was 10,791 kilowatthours, about 899 kWh per month U.S. Energy Information Administration Used in: Unplugging everything saves you $1.62 a year
Same page: Louisiana had the highest annual electricity purchases per residential customer at 14,774 kWh, Hawaii the lowest at 6,178 kWh U.S. Energy Information Administration Used in: Unplugging everything saves you $1.62 a year
Weekly U.S. Regular All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices U.S. Energy Information Administration Used in: Car Cost Calculator: Cost per Mile incl. Wear and Tear
Weekly U.S. Regular All Formulations Retail Gasoline Prices: 3.49 dollars per gallon as the mean of the 52 weekly readings from 25 August 2025 to 17 August 2026 (range 2.779 to 4.500) U.S. Energy Information Administration Used in: A year of driving, line by line
Preventing Wasted Food At Home U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Used in: Is Buying in Bulk Cheaper? Count What You Use
Water Health Series: Bottled Water Basics - “Bottled water is much more expensive, per gallon, than tap water” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water Used in: The water you already pay for, and then buy again
Statistics and Facts: “Each American uses an average of 82 gallons of water a day at home” and “The average family spends more than $1,000 per year in water costs” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense Used in: The water you already pay for, and then buy again
Understanding Your Water Bill: “Uniform Rate Example” - “$0.00295 per gallon (or roughly 3 cents for every 10 gallons)” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense Used in: The water you already pay for, and then buy again
GAO-09-610, Bottled Water: FDA Safety and Consumer Protections Are Often Less Stringent Than Comparable EPA Protections for Tap Water, June 2009 U.S. Government Accountability Office Used in: The water you already pay for, and then buy again
GAO-09-610, Highlights: state and District of Columbia officials report that “consumers often believe that bottled water is safer or healthier than tap water” U.S. Government Accountability Office Used in: The water you already pay for, and then buy again
15 U.S.C. § 8403, Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act: a seller must provide simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop recurring charges U.S. Government Publishing Office, United States Code Used in: The cancel button, and the federal rule that was struck…
Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681c: accounts placed for collection or charged to profit and loss, and other adverse items, may not be reported after seven years U.S. Government Publishing Office, United States Code Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681c: cases under title 11 may not be reported after ten years U.S. Government Publishing Office, United States Code Used in: Your credit score, as arithmetic instead of folklore
Investor Bulletin “Investor Resilience”, World Investor Week 2022: set a savings goal, such as three to six months of living expenses, in an emergency fund U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy Used in: Emergency fund: how much you actually need and where it…
Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use Virginia Cooperative Extension Used in: Measure appliance electricity use and calculate annual cost

The price list of your life

The Five-Dollar Slap

Once a week: one money trap, one way out. No fluff, no sharing your address.

Double opt-in, your address is never shared, one click to unsubscribe – and that deletes your address rather than just switching it off.