Consumer News: FDA investigates multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to cucumbers

However, getting a job remains a challenge

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• U.S. economic growth modest but broadening, with activity rising in most regions after months of stagnation.

• Labor markets steady but weak hiring persists, as businesses fill vacancies rather than expand payrolls.

• Price pressures remain persistent, with moderate inflation and tariff-related cost pass-throughs affecting businesses and consumers.

The Federal Reserves latest Beige Book, released Wednesday, paints a cautiously optimistic picture of the U.S. economy, indicating a modest uptick in activity across most parts of the country while highlighting ongoing labor and inflation challenges.

Compiled from anecdotal reports by the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks, the report found that overall economic activity expanded at a slight to moderate pace in eight districts, with only a handful reporting stagnation or contraction. Eight districts reported stable employment levels, reflecting a labor market that is not rapidly adding jobs but also not deteriorating sharply.

According to the Beige Book, economic activity has improved compared with the last several reporting cycles, when many districts signaled little change. Consumers continued to spend, particularly during the holiday season, though the pace varied by income group.

Affluent consumers drive spending

Higher-income households were more likely to maintain or increase discretionary spending, while lower- and middle-income consumers remained price sensitive and selective in their purchases.

Business investment showed signs of stabilization, with some firms reporting steady orders and improved revenues, though others noted that uncertain demand kept capital spending cautious. Service sectors such as travel and hospitality saw stronger performance in certain regions, partly buoyed by sustained tourism and leisure activity.

Despite the uptick in overall activity, the labor market remains subdued. Most districts reported that employment levels were largely unchanged, with firms more focused on filling existing vacanciesoften hard to recruit forthan on broad new hiring initiatives. Technical and specialized occupations, such as in engineering and healthcare, continued to experience recruitment challenges.

The report noted that the impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence on hiring decisions is still limited, though some firms are beginning to adjust their workforce strategies in anticipation of future technological shifts.

Inflation and tariffs

Price growth remained a consistent theme in the Beige Book. Most districts reported moderate increases in prices, with tariff-related cost pressures now being passed along to customers as inventories purchased before tariff hikes are depleted. This has contributed to rising costs for businesses and consumers alike.

Energy, healthcare, and insurance expenses were also flagged as key contributors to overall cost pressures in several regions. While wage growth has eased from prior peaks, it has yet to fully align with inflation levels that many businesses and households find challenging.

Economists say the Beige Books nuanced viewshowing modest growth alongside persistent labor and price constraintssuggests that the Federal Reserve may maintain a cautious stance when setting interest rates at its next policy meeting. Recent indicators outside of the Beige Book also point to subdued job growth and an inflation rate above the Feds 2% percent target.

But inventory levels remain tight to start 2026

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Existing-home sales rose 5.1% in December, marking the strongest seasonally adjusted pace in nearly three years, according to the National Association of REALTORS.

• Sales increased month over month in every region, with the South posting the largest gain, while inventory tightened sharply heading into year-end.

• Home prices continued to climb nationally, extending a nearly 2-year streak of annual price increases, even as mortgage rates edged lower.

Sales of existing homes rebounded in December, offering a late-year boost to a housing market that had struggled under the weight of high prices and borrowing costs for much of 2025.

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales increased 5.1% from November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.35 million. Sales were also 1.4% higher than a year earlier, signaling modest improvement after a prolonged slowdown

2025 was another tough year for homebuyers, marked by record-high home prices and historically low home sales, said Lawrence Yun, NARs chief economist.

However, in the fourth quarter, conditions began improving, with lower mortgage rates and slower home price growth.

Strongest in three years

Yun noted that Decembers results were particularly encouraging. After seasonal adjustments, home sales were the strongest in nearly three years, with gains spread across all four major regions of the country.

Inventory remains a key constraint, however. Total housing inventory fell to 1.18 million units in December, down 18.1% from November, though still 3.5% higher than a year earlier. At the current sales pace, that represents a 3.3-month supply of homes, down from 4.2 months in November.

Inventory levels remain tight, Yun said. With fewer sellers feeling eager to move, homeowners are taking their time deciding when to list or delist their homes. He added that, as in prior years, more listings are expected to appear beginning in February.

Prices still going up

Prices continued to rise nationally, underscoring the ongoing imbalance between supply and demand. The median existing-home price for all housing types reached $405,400 in December, up 0.4% from a year earlier. That marked the 30th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

Single-family home sales climbed 5.1% from November to an annual rate of 3.95 million and were 1.8% higher than a year earlier. The median price for a single-family home was $409,500, up 0.2% year over year.

Condominium and co-op sales rose 5.3% month over month to an annual rate of 400,000, but were down 2.4% from December 2024. The median price in that segment increased 1.5% to $364,400.

While affordability challenges remain, the combination of easing mortgage rates and early signs of increased listings could shape a more active housing market as 2026 begins.

Service interruption affects mostly Verizon but some other customers also report problems

Tips to outsmart the grocery store at every turn

• Stores slow you down on purpose by forcing you past impulse items, narrowing aisles, and stretching the distance to basic staples longer trips almost always mean higher grocery bills.

• Deals often override your math brain as sale signs, BOGOs, and endcaps trigger urgency and trust even when the unit price doesnt actually favor you.

• Placement beats value when eye-level shelves and oversized multi-packs quietly push higher-margin items while better deals sit lower or in smaller sizes.

Grocery bills didnt creep up by accident. Yes, food costs are higher, but grocery stores also got much better at using tricks to nudge shoppers to spend more without them realizing it.

Once you see these tricks, I guarantee you wont be able to unsee them. And once you stop reacting emotionally in the snack food aisle, your grocery bill will start to drop fast.

Layout psychology: Why you walk so far for basics

Have you ever noticed how milk, eggs, bread, and meat are always on the edges of the store, often against the sides and back wall? This is not done on accident.

It forces you to walk past all of the yummy snacks, drinks, seasonal items, and impulse foods just to fill your fridge and pantry with some of the basics.

Stores also design some aisles to slow you down and make your trip last longer. They do this by having wider main aisles to encourage you to wander. Then theyll have much narrower side aisles that force you to stop and let others pass, as well as making you navigate around displays.

The narrow aisles are to try and increase your brain load, which psychologists say weakens your impulse control, making add-on purchases more likely.

Why it works:

Studies consistently show that longer trips equal more stuff you throw in your cart, even when shoppers swear theyre just grabbing a few things.

How to avoid it:

• Treat grocery shopping like a mission to get in and out as quickly as possible. Do NOT treat it like an experience.
• Start with your perimeter items first, then only venture into the middle aisles to grab something on your list.
• Avoid browsing aisles just in case you forgot something; youll inevitably buy something you dont need.
• If you notice yourself drifting and not staying on task, thats your sign that its time to head to the checkout aisle.

Sale illusions: When the sign lies

Not all sales are fake, but many are definitely misleading.

Understand that stores actually rotate items through a sale cycle periodically, often without changing the price. Some items are even marked on sale more often than theyre sold at full price.

Youll even see stores raise the price of a product for a couple of weeks, just so they can mark it down to make it look like a great deal.

Why it works:

They know that when your brain sees the word Sale, it subconsciously gives you permission to stop checking for a better deal or doing any price comparisons.

How to avoid it:

• Get in the mindset of never trusting a sale sign alone.
• Always check the unit price and compare it to what you usually pay.
• If you dont know the normal price of something, skip it, especially if you dont necessarily need it right now.
• Keep a mental (or notes app, or camera roll folder) price list for your staples that you can quickly double-check when youre not sure if its a good deal or not.

BOGO manipulation: The math rarely favors you

BOGO deals are designed to increase the amount you buy and not necessarily to save you money.

With these types of deals, you often see a base price thats a bit inflated so the free item simply brings the cost back down to normal, or even slightly above. On top of that, buying two of something locks you into spending more money today, whether you actually need it or not.

For perishables, the waste factor alone kills the value of the deal.

Why it works:

Free triggers urgency in your brain and can override any buying restraint you might have.

How to avoid it:

• If its a buy 2, get 1 free deal, ask yourself if you would actually buy two at full price if the promo didnt exist.
• Be sure to compare the unit price to any single-item options that can you find. I like to do this to see if the BOGO deal isnt just fake marketing.
• I will typically skip BOGOs when it comes to produce, dairy, and baked goods unless I have some meals planned thatll use the stuff right away.

Shelf placement: Paying more for eye-level comfort

The eye-level shelves in a grocery store are premium real estate. Brands pay a lot for that placement because it has been proven to increase their sales. Just because a product is at eye level does not mean it tastes better or is a better deal.

So, get in the habit of looking on the low shelves as some of the better deals hide there.

Lower shelves often contain:

• Larger sizes
• Fewer frills
• Better value per unit

Why it works:

Naturally, your pupils land on the eye-level shelves first, and your brain assumes that they must be more popular and thus taste better. Wrong.

How to avoid it:

• Scan the entire shelf vertically, not horizontally.
• Make it a habit to check the bottom shelves first.
• Compare the ingredients, not the fancy packaging or branding.
• Looking down can save real money over the course of a year.

Endcaps: The illusion of featured = discounted

Endcaps, which are the small sections at the end of each aisle, exist because they make stores a lot of money.

Theyre placed at natural stopping points and intersections, catching your attention when you tend to slow down to work your way around a corner.

Most items on endcaps are either overstocked, seasonal, or offer a high profit margin for the store. This is why you never find discounted essentials in the endcaps.

Why it works:

High-visibility areas feel like an endorsement that this is something you need and it must be a good deal if the store puts it there.

How to avoid it:

• Treat endcaps like a store ad and not necessarily an opportunity to save money.
• Never buy from an endcap without checking the unit price first.
• If its not on your list, always pause before grabbing anything from an endcap.

Multi-pack math: Bigger isnt always better

Packaging with words like family size, value pack, and jumbo are not guarantees that youre actually saving money buying the larger size.

Retailers these days increasingly use multi-packs to do the following:

• To slip higher per-unit costs past shoppers not paying attention.
• Reduce comparison shopping as most think bigger must mean cheaper.
• Encouragewasteas stores dont care if you end up having to throw stuff away that goes bad.

In actuality, some multi-packs are actually a worse deal than buying smaller units individually.

Why it works:

Your brain associates size with savings automatically.

How to avoid it:

• I try to ignore packaging language and any marketing signs.
• Always compare price per ounce or unit to guarantee you avoid this trick.
• Dont buy bulk or family sizes unless you have room to store it and you know youll use it before the expiration date.

Service interruption affects mostly Verizon but some other customers also report problems