Dollar stores are now the fastest-growing food retailer in the U.S.

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Dollar store food purchases nearly doubled between 2008 and 2020, according to new research.

• Lower-income households and people of color are most likely to turn to dollar stores for food.

• While dollar store food is less healthy overall, most families balance purchases with healthier options elsewhere.

In many rural areas of America, supermarkets are few and far between. That gap is increasingly being filled by dollar stores, according to new research from Tufts University and the USDA-Economic Research Service.

The study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, shows that calories obtained from dollar store purchases nearly doubled between 2008 and 2020, rising from 3.4% to 6.5% of total household food purchases.

The analysis, which tracked food-buying habits of 180,000 U.S. households over 12 years, sheds light on how the rapid expansion of dollar stores has influenced American diets. While dollar store food purchases were found to be less nutritious than items bought from grocery and club stores, researchers say families appear to be using them strategically, often supplementing with healthier foods from other outlets.

The trend is particularly pronounced among lower-income households and families led by people of color, groups that often face limited access to full-service grocery stores. In rural areas, dollar stores frequently serve as the most convenient option, especially where the nearest supermarket may be miles away.

People go to different types of stores for different reasons, and the dollar store is one that people choose because of the price advantage, said study lead author Wenhui Feng, a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine. There are a lot of concerns that foods on dollar store shelves are less healthy, but whats on the shelf does not equal what each household takes home.

Dollar stores expanding footprint

Dollar stores are now the fastest-growing food retailer in the U.S., with more than 37,000 locations nationwide. Their presence is particularly strong in the South and in communities outside of major cities. While they offer low prices, most dollar stores primarily sell packaged foods and sugary beverages, with limited fresh produce or meat options.

Concerns about the spread of dollar stores have prompted at least 25 local governments to impose restrictions on their expansion. Critics point to potential public health risks, competition with local grocers, and even safety issues tied to understaffing. But the study suggests more research is needed before policymakers can fully assess their impact.

On average, U.S. households still obtain more than half (55%) of their non-restaurant calories from grocery stores and another 22% from club stores. While foods from dollar stores scored lower on measures of healthfulness, the researchers found evidence that shoppers may be offsetting those purchases with better choices elsewhere.

Some people seem to be going to dollar stores strategically to buy sweets and snacks, along with other packaged foods, said senior author Sean Cash of Tufts University. We need more data on the real effects of dollar stores on healthy eating, as some communities may be putting the policy cart before the horse.

Cities in the Midwest tend to have the lowest monthly costs

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• San Jose tops the list as the most expensive U.S. city for household bills, with residents paying a median of $3,523 per month.

• Cleveland ranks lowest, where households spend just $1,606 monthly22% below the national median.

• Nationwide, bills average $2,058 per month, making up the single largest category of household expenses.

A new analysis of household spending shows that where Americans live has a dramatic impact on how much they pay in recurring bills. The doxoINSIGHTS 50 Largest U.S. Cities Household Spend Report 2025 examined actual bill payment data from millions of households, covering more than 97% of U.S. zip codes.

The findings reveal a stark contrast: residents of San Jose, Calif., face the nations steepest household costs at a median of $3,523 per month a staggering 71% above the U.S. median while households in Cleveland, Ohio, pay just $1,606 per month, the lowest among major cities.

While discussions about cost of living often focus on housing prices, doxo emphasizes that household bills are the largest recurring expense for families, exceeding mortgage or rent, insurance, utilities, internet, and even mobile phones.

Bills are the largest category of household spending, yet their impact on the cost of living is often overlooked, said Jaimie Sheridan, head of INSIGHTS at doxo. This level of transparency provides actionable insights based on actual paymentsnot estimateshelping consumers improve their financial well-being and businesses better understand their customers economic realities.

Most and least expensive cities

According to the report, California dominates the high-cost list, with San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles joining San Jose as expensive when it comes to household bills. Along with Cleveland, cities such as Detroit, Dayton, Saint Louis, and Indianapolis all appear on the list of least expensive places to manage monthly expenses.

The report underscores how these differences can shape consumer decisions:

• Financial health Families can benchmark their bills against local and national medians to spot savings opportunities.

• Provider evaluation Bill-by-bill comparisons reveal where certain services may be disproportionately expensive.

• Relocation considerations For those weighing a move, understanding how bills contribute to overall living costs provides a more realistic financial picture.

With U.S. households spending a median of $24,695 annually on bills, the study offers a rare glimpse into the true day-to-day costs of American life, beyond the price tag of housing alone.

The average rate fell this week at the fastest rate in a year

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• Mortgage rates are falling quickly: The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 6.35%, down 15 basis points from last week the largest weekly decline in a year. The 15-year fixed rate also fell to 5.50%.

• Homebuyer demand is responding: Lower rates have fueled renewed interest, with purchase applications showing the strongest year-over-year growth in more than four years.

• Market balance is shifting: Realtor.com reports a five-month housing supply, signaling a rebalancing toward buyers in many markets. However, conditions vary with buyers holding more leverage in Miami, Austin, and Orlando, while sellers remain dominant in places like Milwaukee and Boston.

As the housing market sputtered over the summer, mortgage rates began to fall, adding momentum to that trend this week. Freddie Mac reports its Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averages 6.35%.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell 15 basis points from last week, the largest weekly drop in the past year, said Sam Khater, Freddie Macs chief economist. Mortgage rates are headed in the right direction and homebuyers have noticed, as purchase applications reached the highest year-over-year growth rate in more than four years.

Current rates

• The 30-year FRM averaged 6.35% as of September 11, 2025, down from last week when it averaged 6.50%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.20%.

• The 15-year FRM averaged 5.50%, down from last week when it averaged 5.60%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.27%.

If falling rates draw more buyers back to the housing market, a new report from Realtor.com suggests theyll find better deals in once-hot housing markets. The August report showed an inventory level of five months, a level not seen in the summer months since Realtor.com began tracking the metric in 2016. This shift signals the continuation of a slow rebalancing in favor of homebuyers, though local conditions vary significantly across regions and metros.

"The national housing market is now more balanced between homebuyers and sellers at five months of supply, but that balance conceals a wide range of local realities," said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com.

"In Miami, Austin, and Orlando, buyers are clearly in control, while in metros like Milwaukee and Boston, sellers remain firmly in the driver's seat. The takeaway for buyers and sellers alike is that local conditions, not national headlines, are what matter most for pricing, competition, and timing."

Researchers explored how caffeine can quietly reduce the power of some antibiotics by changing how bacteria let them in

• Everyday substances, including caffeine, can trigger changes in bacteria like E. coli that make antibiotics less effective.

• Caffeine activates a regulatory path involving a bacterial protein called Rob, leading to less porin channels, which antibiotics use to enter the cell.

• The weakening effect depends on the antibiotic, the bacterial species, and specific genes; in Salmonella, for example, caffeine didnt reduce antibiotic effectiveness the same way.

We all know caffeine wakes us up, but what if that same caffeine could interfere with antibiotics we need?

A new study from researchers in Germany has found that caffeine (and other common chemicals) can affect how bacteria respond to certain antibiotics.

The kicker: its not because caffeine kills bacteria or is antibacterial itself, but because it alters the way bacteria regulate what they let in and push out. In some cases, that can make antibiotics less able to do their job.

Our data show that several substances can subtly but systematically influence gene regulation in bacteria, researcher Christoph Binsfeld, said in a news release.

The study

To figure out how everyday substances might change the way bacteria react to antibiotics, researchers ran a kind of stress test on E. coli, a common gut bacterium.

They exposed the bacteria to 94 different chemicals including antibiotics, prescription drugs, and food-related compounds like caffeine and watched how the bacteria responded.

Instead of just looking to see whether the bacteria grew or died, the team zoomed in on the gates and pumps in the bacterial cell wall. These are the entry and exit points that antibiotics use to get inside or get pushed back out. By using a glowing marker system, the scientists could track whether these gates opened wider, closed tighter, or stayed the same when exposed to each chemical.

They also tested slightly altered versions of E. coli that were missing certain control switches. This helped them pin down exactly which internal regulators were responsible for the bacterias reactions.

The results

Caffeine stood out as one of the surprising players. On its own, caffeine didnt harm the bacteria. But when it was present, it flipped on a genetic switch that told the bacteria to close some of its entry gates specifically a channel called OmpF, which many antibiotics rely on to slip inside.

With fewer gates open, antibiotics like amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin couldnt get in as easily. That meant it took higher doses of those antibiotics to slow the bacteria down. In fact, in some tests, E. coli became up to 40% harder to stop when caffeine was added.

The effect wasnt universal, though. It depended on the specific bacteria and the drug. For instance, when the same tests were run on Salmonella, caffeine didnt have the same impact. This shows that caffeine isnt automatically a problem with all antibiotics, but it highlights how even common, everyday substances can sometimes tip the balance in bacterias favor.

Such fundamental research into the effect of substances consumed on a daily basis underscores the vital role of science in understanding and resolving real-world problems, President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. (Dshisha) Karla Pollmann said in the news release.