The Crazy Amount of Money America Spends on Valentine's Day
Americans are expected to spend a near-record $20 billion this Valentine's Day, but what are they shelling out all that money for? Lisa Rowan, Writer at The Penny Hoarder, joins Your Cheddar to discuss how you can keep the love in your wallet this Valentine's Day.
If you can believe it, Americans will spend $4.7 billion on jewelry, $3.7 billion on an evening out, $2 billion on flowers and $1.8 billion on candy! But because of supply and demand, a lot of the usual Valentine's Day gifts go up in price. Rowan says you may want to avoid going to a restaurant or booking a hotel room for a romantic evening because prices could increase up to 30%.
So what should you do if you don't want to break the bank but still want to give your partner a little something? Rowan suggests thinking about what their hobbies are and aligning with something they love to do. Maybe its a smaller gesture, but it will mean more than flowers or candy.
Sonia Lapinsky, managing director of retail at AlixPartners, breaks down some new shopping trends she's seeing at a time when inflation is near a 40-year high. She also explains what fresh economic data and recent retail earnings could mean for the future of the industry.
The 2022 NBA playoffs are intensifying as four teams vie for an NBA finals berth. Tonight, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors can book their finals ticket with a win over the Dallas Mavericks, while Miami will be feeling the 'heat' tomorrow night, facing elimination against the Boston Celtics.
And with the growing popularity of sports betting, the NBA playoffs offers a potential money-making opportunity for fans. Trysta Krick, host of BetMGM Tonight, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Snap stock saw the worst day ever after a large drop in price on Tuesday following warnings of revenue and earnings slowdown. This trend caught on with other social and digital media stocks due to fears that brands heavily relying on advertising get hit with the same inflation struggles. However, some analysts note that Snap may be a unique case due to a rapid, possibly unsustainable, expansion leading to the current grim forecast.
From Meta’s Oculus to PlayStation’s VR headsets, Cheddar News anchors Ken Bufa and Kristen Scholer cover the potential for this tech in Cheddar Connected as more heavy hitters like Apple look to take the stage.
As the holiday weekend arrives, travelers are bracing themselves for higher gas prices amid the inflation surge, but Robert Sinclair, AAA spokesperson, joined Cheddar News to discuss how the higher costs likely won't hold people back this Memorial Day Weekend. “We're near pre-pandemic levels. Nearly 40 million people are traveling. And of that total, about 35 million will be driving to their destinations," he said.