Inflation has dominated the news for the past year. These are a few of things that will cost more in 2024:

Frozen Veggies – An actual labor shortage in that field (perhaps triggered by our obsession with finding and deporting illegal immigrants) has led to higher wages for those who ick our crops. That, in turn, has led to higher prices at the grocery checkout.

Admission to Live Events – Higher salaries for sports stars as well as strong demand for tickets (not to mention a virtual monopoly on ticket-selling) have all contributed to a steep rise in the prices for admission to sporting events and concerts.

Food from Vending Machines – Never a bargain, increased labor costs have led these already pricey items (compared to buying at the grocery store) to move even higher.

There are some bright spots, however. Here are a few of the things that are cheaper this year:

Eggs – Down over 22% from last year’s high. The avian flu that created egg scarcity is over and prices have come back down on this food staple.

Health Insurance – This one is a bit tricky. While premiums are up, insurers are also paying out more on health claims. The result is most of us are getting more bang for our buck. With our out-of-pocket expenses for health going down, it’s an overall win in the health insurance market.

Smartphones – Another tricky statistics. Overall, the sticker price of phones has ticked up slightly, but those phones do more and more service providers are also offering specials on the phones when you subscribe to their service, so the end result is that you should end up paying less for your phone.

Believe it or not, one of the most healthy thing you can do for your heart is to eat banana. According to a study done in 2020, people who ate bananas regularly had a 24% lower risk for coronary heart disease. Don’t like bananas? There’s evidence that eating more fruit and vegetables in general can lower your risk.

No matter how old we get, our credit score remains important. If affects the rate you get on your car loan, whether you can get additional credit cards and more.

Here are some things to keep in mind to keep your credit score up.

1.) Your age actually works in your favor – all other factors being equal, your credit score automatically rises as you get older.

2.) Make sure you’re making at least the minimum monthly payments on your credit cards – Your score goes down for every payment you miss. Even if your balance is only $5, you get penalized the same amount on your credit score as if you missed a payment for several hundred dollars. Even better, pay off the entire balance on your cards every month.

3.) Adding additional cards may actually help your score – Part of your score is determined by how much of your total credit limit you aren’t using. Adding more cards can mean increasing the total amount of credit available to you.

4.) The above tactic only works if you haven’t maxed out the rest of your cards.

As some of us are veteran Christmas Eve shoppers, we learned a few tricks on how to save big as the big day approaches.

1.) Smartphones – When a new generation of a phone is introduced, retailers begin discounting the previous generation. So, by staying on the trailing edge, you can save big bucks. Right now, both Apple & Google have introduced new versions of their smartphones, meaning you should be able to find bargains on the older version.

2.) Video Games – Believe it or not, video game consoles and the games themselves become cheaper the closer we get to Christmas. Beware, though, because this also means the particular model or game you want may be sold out or in short supply.

3.) Extended Warranties – Do we even have to remind you not to purchase an extended warranty on appliances and electronics? Often times, you already have an extended warranty by using a credit card (check your cards benefits) and most appliances and electronics are built to way out last any extended warranty.

William Frawley is best remembered for playing Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy and Bub on My Three Sons, but in 1951, he was he first one to sing what has since become a classic holiday song.

The movie was The Lemon Drop Kid, a Bob Hope comedy based on a Damon Runyon story. And the song was “Silver Bells,” written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans especially for the movie. The plot concerns Hope’s character (the aforementioned Kid) organizing a bunch of Broadway ne’er-do-wells to collect money he owes a gangster by posing as street corner Santas, collecting for charity.

Frawley is one of those phony Kris Kringles and he starts singing “Silver Bells” as a way to attract contributions to his pot. He is soon joined by Hope and leading lady, Marilyn Maxwell, both much better singers than Frawley. That duo continues the tune as it evolves into a big production number. If you listen closely to the lyrics, you’ll see it’s about those little bells the sidewalk Santas use to attract donors.

In fact, the film was shot in the summer of 1950 and the first recorded version of the tune was cut by Bing Crosby and released in the fall of the same year, six months before the film hit the theaters. As the song became a big hit for Christmas 1950, the movie cast was called back to the studio to film a much bigger production number than originally planned.

BTW – if you’re looking for an often overlooked Christmas film, The Lemon Drop Kid is worth a look.

With online payments, credit & debit cards, we’re becoming an increasingly cashless society. Yet, experts still say you should have around $1,000 (in $20 dollar bills) somewhere at home should you ever have to leave your house in a sudden emergency.

According to them, $1,000 should get you through almost anything until you can access your bank account or find somewhere you can use your plastic.

We’ve all read that chocolate can be healthy, but most of the ways we consume the stuff are loaded with sugar. So, how do you get the health benefits without the downside?

The benefits come in the form of flavanols and antioxidants. That good stuff is found in cacao. If you find a chocolate bar that’s, say, 85% cacao, that leaves much less room for sugar. Do we even have to say that you’ll find that sort of proportion in dark, not milk, chocolate?

Back when Baby Boomers were still in our Wonder Years, the average life expectancy was right around 65 years. Well, the Greatest Generation blew past that like it didn’t exist and life expectancies just keep getting longer. So, we thought you’d probably like a few tips that will help ensure you don’t outlive your money.

• Keep Working – Because birth rates declined in the U.S. many of us have found that there is no pressure from businesses to take retirement at 65. But even if working 9 to 5 isn’t what you really want, why not take some part-time work? Sure, you’ll only be earning less, but every dollar is a dollar of your retirement funds you don’t have to touch.
• Consolidate Your Retirement Accounts – the experts say it’s much easier to keep track of your money if it’s spread around fewer places. Also, you may be able to reduce some of the fees charged by money managers as you reduce your number of accounts. Firms may also offer additional discounts for larger accounts.
• Reconsider Major Expenses – This includes dropping a bundle on one of the children’s weddings or helping with a grandchild’s college tuition. We’re not saying be a Scrooge, but if you run out of money, you’ll wind up becoming a financial burden to someone else, and we’re sure you want to avoid that.

Fed up with counting calories? Counting carbs? Here’s the best way to shed weight and keep it off. According to experts, simply eat more fiber. Studies have shown those who increase their fiber intake lose weight more effectively than people on more complex diets. Oh, it also helps control blood pressure and insulin as well.

Always consult your physician before making changes to your diet.

“Now and Then,” the newly released Beatles song (with posthumous contributions by John and George) has gotten a lot of attention, but did you know that the group also re-released two of their previous albums with fresh mixes?

Considered something of “greatest hits” packages, The Beatles (1962-1966) and The Beatles (1970) were best-sellers when they were initially complied by back in 1973. Now, to celebrate “the final Beatles song,” both of these double albums have gotten shiny, new remixes with the aforementioned “Now and Then” also being added to disc 2 of The Beatles (1967-1970).

The first volume, 1962-1966, features completely new remixes as well as adding 12 tracks not on the 1973 release. Those tracks are: "I Saw Her Standing There", "Twist and Shout", "This Boy", "Roll Over Beethoven", "You Really Got a Hold on Me", "You Can't Do That", "If I Needed Someone", "Taxman", "Got to Get You into My Life", "I'm Only Sleeping", "Here, There and Everywhere", and "Tomorrow Never Knows". Additionally, the version of "Love Me Do" with Ringo Starr on drums, originally issued only on first pressings of the 1962 UK single, replaced the version with Andy White on drums and Starr on tambourine formerly used for the ‘73 compilation.

Nearly all of the remixes on 1967-1970 have been previously issued on “Anniversary” releases of some the boys’ later albums. This volume contains 9 tracks not on the original version. They are: "Within You Without You", "Dear Prudence", "Glass Onion", "Blackbird", "Hey Bulldog", "Oh! Darling", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "I Me Mine", and "Now and Then". Songs that received new, 2023 remixes include: "I Am the Walrus", "The Fool on the Hill", "Magical Mystery Tour", "Revolution", "Hey Bulldog", and "Old Brown Shoe."

Along with the new album from the Rolling Stones, here’s hoping you’re partying like it’s 1969!