Consumer News: Trump fires three Democratic members of Product Safety Commission

The smart shoppers couponing playbook

• Start with BOGO and plan ahead:These deals are the foundation, and you can often buy just one at half price. Build your list around them.

• Use the app and stack coupons:Clip digital offers and combine them with manufacturer and store coupons to maximize savings.

• Use extras most people miss:Rain checks, rebate apps, clearance items, and competitor coupons add even more savings.

Couponing at Publix isnt about extreme couponing or walking out with carts full of nearly free groceries.

Publix is one of the few grocery chains where understanding how their system works can consistently save you 2040% on your grocery bill without spending hours clipping coupons.

The first thing you need to do is create a free Publix account if you havent already. Next, I highly recommended downloading the Publix app and familiarizing yourself with it. Trust me, youll use the app a lot to save money on your future grocery hauls (more on the app below.)

Start with BOGO at Publix (this is your foundation)

Publixs Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) deals are the backbone of their entire savings system.

You can find all of the current BOGO deals on the app or on the Publix website.

BOGO deals rotate weekly and often include:

• Pantry staples
• Frozen foods
• Snacks
• Meats like chicken breast and pork
• Household items

But heres the BOGO secret sauce:In many states, BOGO items ring up at half price each, meaning you dont actually have to buy two to get the deal.

Why this matters:

• You dont need to overbuy.
• You can stay within your budget.
• You still get the same per-unit discount.

For example:

If pasta sauce is BOGO at $4 each, you can often buy just one for $2 instead of spending $4 upfront.

Also, many BOGO deals follow very predictable cycles, typically every four to eightweeks. Over time, youll start to notice:

• Your favorite cereal goes BOGO monthly.
• Cleaning supplies rotate every few weeks.
• Snacks and drinks follow seasonal cycles.

Pro tip: Keep a running note in your phone of stock-up prices. When something hits that number, thats when you buy more than two.

Use the Publix app like a savings tool

The free Publix app is where a lot of hidden savings live and is a must-download.

Inside the app, you can:

• Clip digital coupons.
• Browse weekly deals, including BOGO deals.
• Build a shopping list.
• Search specific products for discounts.

Just tap the little box next to a digital coupon to "clip" it. Then when you get to the checkout register, you just enter the phone number associated with your account, and the coupon savings automatically comes off your total.

Before heading to the store, smart Publix shoppers:

• Check BOGO deals.
• Clip every relevant digital coupon even if youre not 100% sure youll buy it.
• Build a list based on those savings.

By the time they walk in, they already know:

• What theyre buying.
• What it should cost.
• Whats actually a deal and what isnt.

Pro tip: Be sure to use their app when youre inside the store, too. This is because sometimes shelf tags dont reflect the latest pricing or digital deals.

Stack coupons (where real savings happen)

Unlike many retailers, Publix allows you to stack multiple types of coupons on a single item.

What you can stack:

• Manufacturer coupon (paper or digital)
• Publix store coupon
• Digital coupon from the app

In many cases, that means youre applying two or even three discounts to the same product. But keep in mind, most Publix digital coupons can only be used once per transaction, unless otherwise stated.

What this looks like in practice:

Lets say for example granola bars are BOGO, bringing them down to $3/box. If you also have a $1 manufacturer coupon AND there'sa $1 Publix digital coupon, your total for the bars would be just $1.

Most shoppers miss this because they assume:

• Only one coupon per item
• They forget to check for store coupons

Thats leaving significant money on the table, especially for large families.

Pro tip: If you regularly buy Publix in-house brands, youre in-luck, as they let you stack a paper and a digital coupon together on the purchase of one item.

Shop the weekly ad (timing matters)

Publix runs on a weekly sales cycle, and understanding that timing can give you a big advantage.

Most stores update their ads:

• Wednesday (or Thursday, depending on location)

This is when:

• New BOGO deals launch
• New digital coupons activate
• Old deals expire

How to use this to your advantage:

• Shop early in the week for the best selection.
• Shop late in the cycle for markdowns and clearance.

Some locations even allow sale overlap, where you can catch deals from both weeks at the same time.

Look for hidden savings (most shoppers miss these)

Publix is full of small savings opportunities that arent heavily advertised.

1. Yellow shelf tags

These mark:

• Temporary discounts
• BOGO deals
• Special promotions

2. Clearance sections

Youll often find these hiding:

• On end caps
• In back aisles
• Near the bakery or meat department

3. Managers specials

These are items marked down for quick sale. Youll find them most often early in the morning in the meat, produce, and bakery department.

The items might be close to expiration, but if youll use them in the next day or two, or can freeze them, they can save you a lot of money with very little food waste.

They are often discounted 3050% or more, and when combined with coupons, the savings can be really significant.

Build your list around deals (this is the mindset shift)

This is the biggest difference between average shoppers and savvy ones.

Most people:

• Make a grocery list
• Then look for deals

Smart shoppers:

• Look at deals first
• Then build their list

Why this works:

It allows you to:

• Take advantage of sales cycles
• Avoid overpaying for full-price items
• Stay flexible with your meals

Pro tip: Think of your weekly ad as your menu planner. If ingredients are on sale, thats what you eat that week.

Use rain checks (a hidden advantage)

If a sale item is out of stock, Publix often offers a rain check and they actually have a great policy in this regard.

This allows you to:

• Lock in the sale price.
• Come back later and purchase it.

If you have a rain check and a coupon for an item, you can still use the coupon even if its now expired. As long as it was valid on the date the rain check was issued, Publix will honor it.

A rain check can actually be issued for up to eight individual items or up to fourdeals, with a maximum of 20 total items.

Pro tip: Use rain checks on high-demand items like paper goods or popular BOGO deals.

Stack savings with rebate apps

I know I say this in almost all of my couponing articles, but try to take advantage of the extra savings that rebate apps giveyou. The two apps worth your time and effort are:

• Ibotta
• Fetch

How they work:

• Buy the item at Publix.
• Upload your receipt via the Ibotta or Fetch app.
• Earn some cash back.

The cool part is both apps stack on top of coupons and BOGO deals, giving you an extra layer of savings. Think of an Ibotta rebate as more of a manufacturer coupon, except its not an instant discount at the register. You get paid after you upload your receipt in the Ibotta app and they verify your purchase.

Get in the habit of always checking rebate apps before you shop. It only takes a minute and the savings add up over time.

Publix also accepts coupons from competitors

Publix accepts competitor coupons, and Im not going to lie, their policy is kind of terrific.

Amazingly, they will accept a coupon from a competing stores private-label item. Publix sees this as a great opportunity to introduce shoppers to their in-store brands, which they're quite proud of.

Theyll also honor BOGO deals from competing stores in your area.

They even go a step further by accepting prescription coupons from local retail pharmacies, as well as competitor coupons tied to rewards or loyalty programs.

Keep in mind, acceptance can depend on location. Each store only takes coupons from nearby competitors, and theyll have a posted list in-store. So, one Publix might accept coupons from Target and Safeway, while another may only accept coupons from Winco.

Ask an employee if you dont see the list posted.

Toyota, Mitsubishi, and trailers are part of this week's recall roundup

```

Recent research suggests doing different types of exercise not just more of it could help you live longer

• Doing a wider variety of physical activities was linked to a lower risk of early death in a recent study.

• The benefit held steady even when total exercise time stayed the same.

• People with the most exercise variety had a 19% lower risk of premature mortality.

Weve all heard that getting enough exercise is key to staying healthybut recent research suggests how you move may matter just as much as how much.

A study highlighted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who regularly mix up their physical activities think walking one day, strength training another, maybe even gardening or yoga tend to live longer than those who stick to just one type.

The idea isnt to overhaul your routine overnight. Instead, the findings point to something surprisingly simple: variety itself may offer added health benefits, even if your total exercise time doesnt change

People naturally choose different activities over time based on their preferences and health conditions. When deciding how to exercise, keep in mind that there may be extra health benefits to engaging in multiple types of physical activity, rather than relying on a single type alone, corresponding author Yang Hu, research scientist in the Department of Nutrition, said in a news release.

The study

The study, published in BMJ Medicine, followed more than 111,000 adults across two long-running datasets: the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants were tracked for over 30 years, regularly reporting their physical activity habits from walking and running to swimming, weightlifting, and even yardwork.

Researchers didnt just look at how much people exercised. They also created a variety score, based on how many different types of activities participants did consistently. Then they compared those scores with long-term health outcomes, including deaths from all causes as well as specific conditions like heart disease and cancer.

To make the findings more reliable, the analysis accounted for other factors that could influence health, such as lifestyle habits and medical history. It also excluded participants with major diseases at the start and used long follow-up periods to better capture real-world patterns.

What the study found and why it matters

The results were striking: people with the highest variety of physical activity had a 19% lower risk of premature death compared to those with the least variety.

Whats more, that benefit showed up at every level of exercise. In other words, even if two people spent the same amount of time being active, the one who mixed in more types of movement tended to have better outcomes.

The study also found lower risks of death from major causes including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory illness among those with greater activity variety.

There are some caveats. The data relied on self-reported activity, and most participants were white health professionals, which may limit how broadly the findings apply.

Still, the takeaway is pretty approachable: instead of doing the same workout on repeat, adding a little variety whether thats trying a new class, rotating activities, or just changing up your routine could offer extra benefits over time.

Rising premiums are pushing consumers to reconsider coverage but going without it comes with real risks

• Rising health insurance premiums are pushing more Americans to question whether they can afford to keep coverage or go without it entirely.

• Online searches for cheap and lower-premium plans are surging, signaling growing financial strain and shifting consumer behavior.

• Experts warn that going uninsured can come with penalties in some states and serious financial risks, but there may still be ways to lower costs and stay covered.

As health insurance premiums climb, more consumers are starting to ask a question that once felt unthinkable: Can I afford to go without coverage altogether?

New data from healthinsurance.org suggests this isnt just a passing concern its part of a broader shift in how people are responding to higher costs.

ConsumerAffairs spoke with Louise Norris, a health policy analyst at healthinsurance.org, who explained that these trends reflect mounting financial pressure but also some confusion about what going uninsured actually means. While skipping coverage might seem like a way to save money in the short term, there are still potential penalties in some states and significant financial risks if something goes wrong.

The current state of the health care market

The report from healthinsurance.org found that there has been a recent surge in search terms like "cheap health insurance" and "catastrophic health insurance."

This is indicative of a market where people are struggling with the premiums they have to pay to maintain their coverage, Norris said. The expiration of federal subsidy enhancements caused sticker shock that people began to experience last fall when they got their renewal notices for their Marketplace coverage.

Search interest in these terms has continued to grow sharply in early 2026, which could stem from the fact that nearly 9 million people let their Marketplace coverage auto-renew for 2026. Some of these enrollees might not have been aware of how much their net premiums would increase in 2026, leading to increased search interest for lower-cost coverage after the start of the year.

Driving premiums higher

Over the next several weeks, health insurance plans will be filing their proposed rates and plans for 2027 coverage. What does this mean for the future?

We haven't yet seen the proposed rates that carriers will be filing, Norris said. So a lot remains to be seen, but we do know that the individual market has a smaller overall risk pool this year, and that's expected to shrink even more once we see effectuated enrollment numbers.

And in general, it tends to be healthier people who are most likely to drop their coverage when premiums rise, leaving a smaller, less healthy pool of insureds. Over time, this will tend to drive premiums higher.

Penalties for going uninsured

For those who opt to go without health insurance, there could be consequences. Many states will leave consumers with a financial penalty for being uninsured.

Norris broke it all down:

There is a penalty in New Jersey, DC, Massachusetts, California, and Rhode Island, she said. But California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts all offer state-funded subsidies, in addition to federal subsidies, to make coverage more affordable. And DC has a Basic Health Program for residents with income up to 200% of the federal poverty level.

So in general, most of the states that have a penalty for being uninsured are also states that have worked to make coverage more accessible to people. All of these states have had penalties for at least several years now, so most residents are likely aware that health coverage is part of the state tax return.

Advice for Marketplace enrollees

For those who currently have Marketplace coverage and are struggling to keep up with payments but dont want to go uninsured, you have options.

It's important to understand that contributions to a pre-tax retirement account and/or an HSA (if you have HSA-eligible coverage, which now includes all Bronze and Catastrophic plans) will reduce household income, potentially making [you] eligible for larger subsidies or helping avoid the subsidy cliff, Norris said.

The hidden grocery bill draining your wallet every week

• Americans waste about $728 a year on food, often throwing away everyday items like bread, milk, and produce.

• Most people misunderstand date labels best by usually refers to quality, not safety, leading to unnecessary waste.

• Simple habits like meal planning, checking your fridge, and freezing food can quickly cut waste and save hundreds.

With Stop Food Waste Day right around the corner on April 29th, its a good time to take a closer look at one of the most overlooked ways Americans are losing money.

Its not subscriptions. Its not those impulse buys. Its food theyre throwing away.

According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American wastes about $728 worth of edible food every year. For a typical household, that number can easily climb into the thousands.

And much of it comes down to a simple misunderstanding.

The biggest mistake shoppers are making

Most people believe food date labels tell them when something is no longer safe to eat.

But it turns out labels like best by or best if used by are more about quality and freshness, not safety. The only major exception is infant formula.

Still, a recent survey found that 73% of Americans think these dates mean food should be thrown out, and that number jumps to 88% among Gen Z.

This translates into perfectly good food getting tossed in huge numbers.

Where the money is going

The average household wastes hundreds to thousands of dollars annually.

Large states like California may be throwing away tens of billions of dollars in food each year. Even smaller cities lose millions in edible food.

And its not just obscure items getting tossed. The most commonly wasted foods are everyday staples like:

• Bread
• Lettuce
• Milk
• Chicken

Why its getting worse

Younger shoppers, in particular, are throwing away the most food, with some estimates showing they discard up to 30% of what they buy.

The reason is a mix of these:

• Confusion over food labels
• Overbuying (especially in bulk)
• Poor meal planning
• Busy schedules leading to unused leftovers

In other words, people are buying more than they can realistically use.

How to actually save money (starting this week)

In addition to conducting the survey, NetCredit gave some smart tips that can easily save a family hundreds of dollars per year.

1. Stop trusting the dateuse your senses.Before tossing food, take a few seconds to check it out. Look at the texture and appearance, then give it a good smell. Most foods dont suddenly become unsafe the day after a best by date. Many popular foods like eggs, yogurt, and cheese are safe well beyond the printed date.
2. Plan meals before you shop.Try to plan three to fourmeals for the week and choose ingredients that overlap to cut down on food waste. Also, try to be realistic about your schedule. If you know you wont cook on certain days, dont buy fresh items that depend on it.
3. Check your fridge before buying anything. Before heading to the store, take inventory of what you already have and build meals around it. Create a use first section in your fridge for items that need to be eaten soon so they dont get forgotten.
4. Be careful with bulk buying. Bulk only saves money if you actually use everything. It works best for non-perishables or items you use consistently. If youre unsure that youll finish it before it goes bad, its probably not a deal.
5. Use leftovers strategically. Leftovers dont have to mean eating the same meal twice. Repurposingthem into something new is very smart and reduces waste. For example, try turning roasted chicken into tacos or soup. Think about your second meal before you even cook the first.
6. Freeze more than you think. Freezing can extend the life of many foods, including bread, meat, and pre-cooked meals.