EXPLAINED: 3 | Rare Historical Photos

10 Things That Are Weirdly Expensive Now — Even People With Good Incomes Are Complaining

A comfortable salary used to mean a little room for spontaneity. Families could grab dinner without calculating every side dish, book a vacation without a financial strategy session or replace a failing appliance without rearranging the month’s bills. Now, even households earning good money often find themselves reconsidering ordinary purchases.

Budget and the Bees · Oct 22

Your BNPL Payments Are All Small — Until 6 of Them Hit the Same Week

Buy now, pay later can make a $160 purchase seem harmless when checkout shows four payments of only $40. The problem begins when several purchases overlap and those small BNPL payments start hitting your account within days of each other. Shoes, concert tickets, a birthday gift, groceries, and a new…

Budget and the Bees · Oct 21

Your Friends Keep Suggesting Expensive Plans — Is It Rude to Tell Them You’re Broke?

It starts innocently enough: dinner at the new restaurant, concert tickets next month, then a weekend trip everyone seems excited about. Suddenly, keeping up with your friends feels like another monthly bill, and admitting that you cannot afford the plans can be uncomfortable. Yet setting a friendship budget is increasingly…

Budget and the Bees · Oct 21

Kyle Cooke Makes Money From Reality TV, Loverboy and Now DJing — What Is the ‘Summer House’ Star Worth?

Kyle Cooke has spent years turning reality-TV exposure into businesses, brand recognition and, increasingly, a career behind the DJ booth. The longtime “Summer House” star is now juggling television appearances, his Loverboy beverage company and paid DJ gigs that can generate serious money.

Budget and the Bees · Oct 18

Why Are We More Willing to Spend $500 in Five Small Payments Than $500 at Once?

A $500 purchase can feel expensive enough to make you close the browser tab, but five payments of $100 may suddenly seem manageable. The total price has not changed, yet the way our brains process that price has. That difference helps explain the enormous popularity of buy now pay later…

Budget and the Bees · Oct 18

Willie Nelson Owed The IRS Millions — How Did He Pay It Back?

Willie Nelson has spent decades singing about hard times, but one of his biggest financial battles happened offstage. In 1990, the country legend faced an IRS bill reportedly totaling about $16.7 million, including taxes, interest, and penalties.

Budget and the Bees · Oct 17

Your Brother Lived With Mom for 10 Years — Should He Get More of the Inheritance?

When a parent dies, an inheritance can turn old sibling tensions into a financial argument almost overnight. One particularly difficult question arises when one adult child lived with Mom for years while the others built lives elsewhere.

Budget and the Bees · Oct 17

The Strange History of Why Prices End in 99 Cents

Walk through almost any store and you will see the same pattern: $4.99, $19.99, $299.99. That one-cent difference looks trivial, yet 99-cent pricing has survived from cash registers to smartphones. Its staying power is not simply about shoppers being “fooled.”

Budget and the Bees · Oct 16

Theresa Caputo Has Been the ‘Long Island Medium’ for Years — How Much Is She Worth Today?

Theresa Caputo turned an unusual profession into a recognizable entertainment brand after “Long Island Medium” introduced her to millions of viewers. Since the TLC series premiered in 2011, she has expanded into books, podcasts, live appearances, merchandise and another television series.

Budget and the Bees · Oct 16

17% of Young Adults Have Gone Into Debt to Date — How Much Is Romance Costing Now?

Finding love has never been free, but dating costs are becoming a serious financial concern for younger Americans. A September 2026 survey found that 17% of Gen Z and millennials have taken on debt to maintain a lifestyle with someone they were dating. Between restaurant bills, transportation, entertainment, and appearance-related…

Budget and the Bees · Oct 15