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Month: July 2024

US cities where you’ll pay more or less for hotels versus Airbnbs

US cities where you’ll pay more or less for hotels versus Airbnbs

Patrick Clarke | (TNS) TravelPulse

Travelers have plenty of accommodation choices when they travel this summer thanks to the emergence of home-sharing platforms like Airbnb, making it easier to save on their stay.

Upgraded Points recently analyzed average nightly rates for hotels and Airbnbs in 100 of the largest cities across the U.S. to reveal which places it pays to book a hotel stay over an Airbnb (entire home) or vice versa.

“Hotels have long been the go-to choice for travelers seeking comfort and convenience, but Airbnb has grown in popularity as an alternative, offering unique stays and a taste of local life,” Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points, said in a statement. “When choosing between comfort and uniqueness, cost plays a huge role, and we wanted to find just where you could find the best accommodation deals.”

Airbnb was determined to be the most cost-effective accommodation option in 71 out of 100 cities examined, with an average nightly rate of $156 compared to $208 for hotels. In some cities in the Midwest, the difference was roughly $200 per night. read more

Survey: The average American feels they’d need over $200K a year to be financially comfortable

Survey: The average American feels they’d need over $200K a year to be financially comfortable

Sarah Foster | (TNS) Bankrate.com

From stubborn inflation to rising interest rates, it’s exceptionally expensive to have a shaky personal financial situation in 2023 — but in today’s era, it costs a lot to be financially comfortable, too.

Americans feel they’d need to earn approximately $233,000 a year on average to be secure or comfortable with their finances, a new Bankrate survey finds. To be rich and achieve financial freedom, Americans say they’d need to make about two times more: roughly $483,000 on average, according to the poll. Both numbers are significantly larger than the average earnings full-time, year-round workers made in 2021 ($75,203), according to Census Bureau data.

Americans’ income needs highlight mounting affordability challenges that households are facing when it comes to growing their wealth — a problem many were navigating long before inflation skyrocketed in the aftermath of the pandemic. More money seems like it may beget more financial success at a time when college tuition has more than doubled and the median home price when adjusted for inflation has climbed 40% over the past 20 years. On the flip side, Americans’ buying power judged by their personal income has climbed a smaller 21% pace since 2003, according to the Department of Commerce’s per-person measures. read more

What to buy (and skip) on Amazon Prime Day 2024

What to buy (and skip) on Amazon Prime Day 2024

By Tommy Tindall | NerdWallet

Amazon Prime Day is July 16-17. It’s like Black Friday, but in July and with less burden to buy for others.

Some people may already have holiday gift-buying in mind, but most are likely shopping for themselves, says Jane Boyd Thomas, a professor of marketing at Winthrop University.

More emphasis from retailers on summer deals has shifted trends on Google. “In recent years, searches for ‘deals’ have spiked in mid-July, even surpassing search interest in ‘vacation,’” said Sean Scott, vice president and general manager of consumer shopping at Google, in a blog announcing Google’s enhanced shopping tools. Its updated “deals destination” is intended to make it easier to shop for deals across retailers in one place.

Whether you start on Amazon or Google, the key is to nab deals on planned purchases over impulse buys. Keep this list in mind as you decide what to buy (or skip) on Prime Day.

Buy: Electronics

Thomas says electronics will be the best category for Prime Day deals, which will likely include Apple products. She chuckled when mentioning an Apple Pencil she recently paid full price for ($129.99), only to hear later that it’ll likely be cheaper on Prime Day. In fact, it is $79 on Amazon at the time of this writing, before Prime Day. AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) ear buds were down to $189.99 in late June (Apple’s price is $249, but Amazon regularly sells them for $199), and could go lower during the sale. read more