By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PITTSBURGH — These are anxious times in which to feed our families.

Grocery shopping is not just wildly expensive these days — the Consumer Price Index in July was up 2.7% year-over-year, with the price of some foods reaching record levels — but also filled with uncertainty.

Just when you think the price of a box of Honey Nut Cheerios couldn’t be higher (seriously folks, $7?) we have to worry about how big a hole President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs will burn in our pockets going forward.

Nearly 75% of U.S. food imports will be affected, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit. A 25% tariff on all Mexican imports all but guarantees the cost of fresh produce will go up, and we also can expect to pay more for household essentials like coffee and bananas.

The price of eggs is (maybe?) down to a bearable level. Recently, a dozen Good & Gather large white eggs were on sale at Target for $2.79. But the cost of ground beef is still climbing along with prices for dairy.

As someone who grocery shops several times a week — always within a set budget — I feel your pain. I’ve probably been caught on a security camera more times than I can count cussing the price of a single tomato or a pint of orange juice while checking out at the register. And I’ve got plenty of company: About half of all Americans say the cost of groceries is a “major” source of stress, according to a poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Because I’m well acquainted with every grocery store within a 10-mile radius, and am tasked with keeping recipe costs down, I’ve become a more savvy shopper in recent years. You can, too, if you follow some of these tips.

In a nutshell, it involves putting pen to paper, doing some basic arithmetic and forcing yourself to plan ahead. But trust me, in the end you’ll save some of your hard-earned dollars.

Learn to budget

Most of us have a certain amount of money coming in and going out each month for fixed expenses like mortgage or rent, utilities, insurance and childcare. So it’s important to budget so you don’t overspend what’s left over for grocery store purchases.

“It’s a four-letter word,” says Vic Conrad, of Pinnacle Financial Strategies, “because nobody wants to live with strains on them.” But knowing exactly how much money you have for food shopping prevents you from spending beyond your means.

“It’s the reality,” says Conrad. “It’s basically blocking and tackling” — football-speak for focusing on the essential tasks needed to accomplish a goal.

But budgeting only works if you actually stick to the dollar amount you’ve set aside for meals. Not good at mental math? Use your phone’s calculator to keep a running tally of what goes into the cart.

Or as Conrad puts it, “Go in with discipline.”

Plan and shop with a list

If you shop without a plan, you’re more apt to buy haphazardly. So decide what you’re going to cook that week (the PG website has tons of great recipes!), make a written or Google list of all the ingredients needed and take the list with you to the store. Then, stick to it! Impulse buys will drive up the total, and can also lead to food waste if you buy something you don’t end up using.

Afraid you’ll still go wild, even with a list? Order curbside pickup.

Shop your fridge first

Always, always do an inventory of what you’ve already got on hand before heading to the store. We all forget about the boxes of pasta, bags of rice, frozen meat and veggies we got the week before at our favorite farmers market but haven’t used yet. Repurposing leftovers will also save you a few bucks. I believe almost any leftover protein, grain or vegetable can be turned into a taco, for instance, and don’t forget we’re heading into soup and stew season.

Redefine dinner

Does dinner really have to be a complicated, three-course meal? Think grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs, pancakes, stir-fries that don’t need a lot of meat, and beans and rice instead. A bowl of cereal topped with fruit also makes a good supper.

Don’t shop hungry

Head to the grocery store with an empty stomach and you’re just asking for trouble. A rumbling tummy makes everything look sooo good, especially bad-for-you snack foods that will never make it onto the dinner table. Shop after a meal and you won’t crave what you don’t need.

Go generic

According to Consumer Reports, many store and generic brands taste just as good and have the same quality as national brands. And they can cost substantially less. While we’d never tell you to buy no-name ketchup instead of Heinz, choosing generic cereal and grain products, over-the-counter medications, frozen produce, canned goods, pasta and baking staples like sugar, salt and flour will save you money.

It also pays to occasionally visit discount grocery chains like Aldi, which offer lower prices on essential goods.

Compare unit prices

What’s cheaper — a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes for $1.59 or a 28-ounce can for $2.69? Get into the habit of comparing unit prices, the price-per-ounce/pound/item displayed on the shelf tag beneath the product. If the grocery store doesn’t list it, use your phone’s calculator to divide the total price of the item by the number of units (e.g. ounces, pounds, items).

Use coupons and shop sales

Clipping coupons might seem old school, but actually, it’s never been easier, says extreme couponer Shayna O’Brien of Houston, Pennsylvania.

That’s because instead of sitting down with the newspaper and a pair of scissors (though that still works!), “every store has an app you can download onto your phone with digital coupons,” she says.

Take a few minutes to peruse and save them before you head to the store (remember, you’re planning meals and making a list) and you’ll instantly save money at checkout when you provide your phone number.

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You’ll also find the weekly specials and sales that are so smart to shop on your store’s app.

Oftentimes, coupons are stacked with in-store promotions — buy two of something and save $1, for instance — which leads to even bigger savings, says O’Brien, a mother of one, who says she saved about $300 on a recent shopping trip at Walmart and Shop ‘N Save.

“That’s when the magic happens,” she says.

If you don’t mind having to upload receipts, rebates that offer cash back from manufacturers can also often be found on grocery store apps. And don’t forget the exclusive offers and perks that come with loyalty programs, says O’Brien.

Don’t know where to start? Pick a store you’re comfortable with, then eventually branch out, she advises.

“Yogurt, crackers, toothpaste, cleaning products … you can pretty much coupon everything these days.”

Explore Flashfood app

This mobile app connects grocers that have surplus product or product that might be nearing its “best before date” with consumers who are looking for a great deal. Savings can be 50% or more. For instance, you can get a 10-pound box of produce for $5.

Shop farmers markets

During the peak growing season, produce is often cheaper at your local farmers market or farm stand. It’s definitely fresher, which can mean you’ll actually eat it. It’s also good for the local economy by supporting local families and helps reduce your carbon footprint because the fruits, veggies and other foods don’t have to travel long distances from farm to table.

Buy in bulk (when it makes sense)

If you have a large family or routinely purchase a lot of one certain product like paper towels or canned tomatoes, it can be good business to buy in bulk. But you’re going to need storage space, and to be able to use what you purchase before it goes stale or spoils.

Best bets are nonperishable items like canned goods, dried beans and grains, paper products and cleaning supplies. But still check unit prices to see if you’re actually getting a deal.

Pay with cash

It’s easy to overspend when you’re swiping a credit card or using Apple Pay instead of handing the cashier a $20 bill. Pay with cash, and you’ll be acutely aware of every single penny spent.

©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Madison Czopek, KFF Health News

It makes sense to approach some marketing efforts with skepticism. Scams, deepfakes, and deceptive social media posts are common, with people you don’t know seeking to profit from your behavior.

But should people extend this same skepticism to pediatricians who advise vaccines for children? Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said financial bonuses are driving such recommendations.

“Doctors are being paid to vaccinate, not to evaluate,” Kennedy said in an Aug. 8 video posted on the social platform X. “They’re pressured to follow the money, not the science.”

Doctors and public health officials have been fielding questions on this topic for years.

A close look at the process by which vaccines are administered shows pediatric practices make little profit — and sometimes lose money — on vaccines. Four experienced pediatricians told us evidence-based science and medicine drive pediatricians’ childhood vaccination recommendations. Years of research and vaccine safety data also bolster these recommendations.

Christoph Diasio, a pediatrician at Sandhills Pediatrics in North Carolina, said the argument that doctors profit off vaccines is counterintuitive.

“If it was really about all the money, it would be better for kids to be sick so you’d see more sick children and get to take care of more sick children, right?” he said.

Is Your Pediatrician Profiting Off Childhood Vaccines?

It costs money to stock, store, and administer a vaccine.

Pediatricians sometimes store thousands of dollars’ worth of vaccines in specialized medical-grade refrigeration units, which can be expensive. They pay to insure vaccines in case anything happens to them. Some practices buy thermostats that monitor vaccines’ temperature and backup generators to run the refrigerators in the event of a power outage. They also pay nursing staff to administer vaccines.

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“Vaccines are hugely expensive,” said Jesse Hackell, a retired general pediatrician and the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Pediatric Workforce. “We lay out a lot of money up front.”

When a child with private insurance gets a vaccine, the pediatrician is paid for the vaccine product and its administration, Hackell said.

Many pediatricians also participate in a federal program that provides vaccines free of charge to eligible children whose parents can’t afford them. Participating in that program isn’t profitable because even though they get the vaccines for free, pediatricians store and insure them, and Medicaid reimbursements often don’t cover the costs. But many choose to participate and provide those vaccines anyway because it’s valuable for patients, Hackell said.

When discussing vaccine recommendations, pediatricians don’t make different recommendations based on how or if a child is insured, he said.

Jason Terk, a pediatrician at Cook Children’s Health Care System in Texas, said a practice’s ability to make a profit on vaccines depends on its situation.

Terk’s practice is part of a larger pediatric health care system, which means it doesn’t lose money on vaccines and makes a small profit, he said. Some small independent practices might not be able to secure terms with insurance companies that adequately pay for vaccines.

Suzanne Berman, a pediatrician at Plateau Pediatrics, a rural health clinic in Crossville, Tennessee, said that 75% of her practice’s patients have Medicaid and qualify for the Vaccines for Children program, which the practice loses money on. When she factored in private insurance companies’ payments, she estimated her practice roughly breaks even on vaccination.

“The goal is to not lose money on vaccines,” Terk said.

So What’s Driving Your Pediatrician’s Vaccine Recommendations?

Pediatricians typically recommend parents vaccinate their children following either the American Academy of Pediatrics’ or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommended vaccine schedule.

Diasio said the driving force behind pediatric vaccine recommendations is straightforward: Trained physicians have seen kids die of vaccine-preventable diseases.

“I saw kids who died of invasive pneumococcal disease, which is what the Prevnar vaccine protects against,” Diasio said. “We remember those kids; we wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”

Still, your pediatrician will consider your child’s health holistically before making vaccine recommendations.

For example, a few children — less than 1% — have medical reasons they cannot receive a particular vaccine, Hackell said. This could include children with severe allergies to certain vaccine components or children who are immunosuppressed and could be at higher risk from live virus vaccines such as the measles or chickenpox vaccine.

“When people have questions about whether their kids should get vaccines, they really need to talk to their child’s doctor,” Diasio said. “Don’t get lost down a rabbit hole of the internet or on social media, which is programmed and refined to do whatever it can to keep you online longer.”

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Jae Bratton, NerdWallet

If you wanted a crypto-earning credit card at the end of 2021, you had a blockchain buffet of options. Multiple crypto companies like Gemini and BlockFi had launched cards that earned crypto rewards directly, while more established credit cards tacked on crypto as a redemption option.

But then the so-called crypto winter of 2022 hit, which completely reshaped the cryptocurrency ecosystem, credit cards included. BlockFi’s co-branded credit card was the first domino to fall after the company filed for bankruptcy. Other cards ended the ability to redeem rewards for crypto. By the end of 2024, the crypto credit card market had fizzled, and you could count on a couple of fingers the number of remaining options.

Fast-forward to 2025, though, and an infusion of crypto-friendly legislation seems to have given the market a second wind.

“This comeback of crypto credit cards is likely due to the more accommodating, softer regulatory environment making banks feel comfortable partnering with crypto platforms,” says Tonantzin Carmona, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who focuses on financial and emerging technologies, among other topics.

How long this renaissance will last — and where the market will end up over the next few years — are open questions. But what’s clear is that right now, crypto credit cards are back.

Pro-crypto laws, plus eased regulations

The Trump White House is pro-crypto. Members of the Trump family co-founded World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency business, and President Trump has his own crypto token. This partiality toward crypto has trickled down into legislation, none more important than the GENIUS Act, which became law in July 2025.

The law makes it easier for banks to transact in stablecoins, a cryptocurrency that is less volatile than other coins because its value is pegged to a real asset such as the U.S. dollar. And indeed, big banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America® and Citi are considering getting involved in stablecoins. Once major banks and credit unions are issuing cryptocurrency, it’s not hard to imagine the same financial institutions issuing crypto-earning credit cards.

“This administration has made sweeping regulatory changes that have made traditional financial companies feel more comfortable moving into the crypto market without putting their existing business at risk,” says Will Reeves, founder and CEO of Fold, a Bitcoin financial services company.

While crypto-friendly legislation was advancing to Trump’s desk, crypto regulation was being pulled back.

On April 25, 2025, the Federal Reserve said it was rescinding two supervisory letters concerning the oversight of banks involved in crypto-related activities. At the same time, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency collectively withdrew two joint statements “regarding banks’ crypto-asset activities and exposures,” according to the Board’s press release.

These new laws and policies have created a political, legal and financial environment that’s friendly to crypto.

“If you want to stay competitive, why not get into a space that’s gaining traction and support,” Carmona says. “It makes it easier to enter a space if you’re not being held to a certain standard.”

The comeback

Crypto credit cards are returning in a big way this year with announcements from major players in the cryptocurrency and finance worlds.

On June 10, 2025, the crypto exchange platform Crypto.com launched a credit card with Bread Financial. Two days later, rival crypto platform Coinbase announced that its own co-branded credit card, issued by First Electronic Bank, would debut in the fall of 2025.

Coinbase made an even bigger splash at the end of July with its news that it was partnering with JPMorgan Chase. By late 2025, Chase says, customers will be able to fund Coinbase wallets with a Chase credit card; by 2026, the bank says, it will allow its customers to link a bank account to a Coinbase wallet and transfer their credit card rewards to Coinbase accounts.

That partnership marks a shift for both companies and highlights just how dramatically the fortune of crypto credit cards has changed in three years: Previously, Coinbase didn’t allow its users to buy crypto with a credit card. And Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has in the past been an outspoken critic of crypto, calling crypto tokens “decentralized Ponzi schemes” during a 2022 House hearing on bank oversight.

By the end of 2025, a Bitcoin-earning credit card from Fold is expected to be on the market. Reeves says 75,000 people are already on the waitlist.

Crypto history calls for caution

As crypto credit cards become more widespread, the general public — not just crypto enthusiasts — may want to get in. Reeves predicts that Bitcoin-earning credit cards will “rapidly eat into the dominance of airline miles and cash back programs in the next five years.”

However, Carmona urges caution.

“When big banks and mainstream companies go into this world or prop it up, they legitimize it, and people may think that crypto is safer than it actually is,” she says.

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Cryptocurrency is an inherently volatile asset, and the limited oversight of the crypto industry can leave consumers unprotected from financial risk. For example, stablecoins are not insured by the government, so if a crypto exchange fails, consumers may not get their money back.

The fallout from BlockFi’s collapse also serves as a warning for those considering a crypto credit card. After BlockFi filed for bankruptcy, its credit card was no longer usable.

Reeves says that any concerns about the safety of crypto credit cards are legitimate given recent history, but argues that the second wave of cards is less risky because of the higher quality of companies involved in issuing the cards and managing the rewards programs.

It’s undeniable, though, that the crypto credit card industry is still in its nascent stages. If you get a crypto credit card, it’s probably wise to have a backup payment method. You never know whether another crypto winter might be around the corner.

Jae Bratton writes for NerdWallet. Email: jbratton@nerdwallet.com.

The article Crypto Credit Cards Hit a Wall in 2022. They Appear to Have Scaled It originally appeared on NerdWallet.

Continental duck numbers are similar to 2024 but down from long-term averages since 1955, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday, Sept. 2, in reporting results from its 2025 Waterfowl Population Status Report. The report includes results from surveys and population estimates conducted in May by the FWS, Canadian Wildlife Service and numerous state and provincial partners.

The estimate for total breeding ducks in the traditional survey area was 34 million, unchanged from last year, but 4% below the long-term average since 1955, the FWS said in the report. Mallards, at 6.6 million, were similar to 2024 and 17% below the long-term average.

“Waterfowl again demonstrated their adaptability to changing water conditions despite overall dry conditions in 2024, as late-nesting species capitalized on spring rains in the prairies and those that settled in the Boreal (forest) held their own,” Steve Adair, Ducks Unlimited chief scientist, said in a statement. “These flexible breeding strategies and use of continental habitat resources in 2024 appear to have contributed to decent production last year, which carried over to a similar breeding population this spring.”

Pintails were estimated at 2.2 million, 13% above 2024, but 41% below the long-term average. As a result of a change in federal harvest models, hunters in all four flyways — Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Atlantic — are expected to have a three-pintail daily bag limit option for next year’s 2026-2027 season, based on this year’s breeding population results.

Cause for concern

The survey results released Sept. 2 also reflected generally dry spring breeding conditions. According to the FWS, the 2025 May pond estimate was 4.2 million, a 19% decrease from the 2024 estimate of 5.2 million and 20% below the long-term average.

That’s cause for concern, Delta Waterfowl said in a news release.

“Duck production is not likely to be good this year,” Frank Rohwer, president and chief scientist of Delta Waterfowl, said in a statement. “When you look at the wetland conditions maps from May, they show it was very dry everywhere across the Prairie Pothole Region except eastern South Dakota. The best hunting seasons occur in wet years when the fall flight has more young ducks in the migration.”

Spring wetland conditions in North Dakota also were poor before “nourishing rains” in May, the Game and Fish Department reported in June. That likely caused early migrating species such as mallards and pintails to pass through North Dakota in search of better water conditions farther north. North Dakota’s breeding duck index, at about 2.66 million, was down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023, Game and Fish said.

In Minnesota, the Department of Natural Resources in August reported that total breeding ducks (excluding scaup), at 417,000, were up 8% from 2024 but 32% below the long-term average. The DNR estimated blue-winged teal numbers at 64,000, down 60% from 2024 and 69% below the long-term average. The decline likely results from dry conditions and fewer of the small, temporary wetlands that blue-winged teal prefer for breeding, the DNR said.

Duck production across the prairies is likely to be fair to poor, despite May rains, Delta Waterfowl predicts.

“The May rains likely helped support a moderate number of nesting ducks,” Mike Buxton, waterfowl programs director for Delta Waterfowl, said in a statement. “However, much of the precipitation in North Dakota and Saskatchewan arrived too late, and the gains were short-lived as heat, wind and a lack of more rain dried up wetlands in June. Localized areas of Alberta received rain in June, and they stood out as rare bright spots.”

The prairies now have faced several consecutive years of drought, among the longest stretches in recent memory, Ducks Unlimited said.

“Although May rains provided some relief to extremely dry winter conditions, the cumulative effects of widespread and long-term drought in the prairies are apparent, as parched soils soak up available moisture and more and more wetlands continue to dry out,” DU’s Adair said. “There are long-term benefits of recycling nutrients and exposure of seed banks, but droughts are painful when they’re happening.”

Other highlights

Ducks Unlimited also highlighted several key takeaways from the survey:

— According to the companion Adaptive Harvest Management (AHM) report, the FWS is expected to recommend liberal frameworks for the 2026-2027 duck season across all four flyways.

— Blue-winged teal estimates in the traditional survey area were 4.4 million, a 4% decrease from 2024, which is expected to keep hunters in the Central, Mississippi and Atlantic flyways at a nine-day early teal season for 2026–2027.

— The Boreal Forest and other northern survey areas saw generally drier, but variable, habitat conditions. An early spring coupled with prairie drought resulted in another year of an above-average number of breeding ducks settling in the Boreal.

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— Canvasbacks (up 22%) and redheads (up 17%) saw notable increases from 2024.

— Duck populations in the eastern survey area remained healthy, reflecting overall stable wetland conditions. Atlantic Flyway hunters are expected to have another four-mallard daily bag limit for the 2026-2027 season.

The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey and the Waterfowl Status Report are the result of a collaborative effort conducted annually by the FWS, Canadian Wildlife Service and the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central and Pacific flyway councils.