This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 10, and the countdown is officially on. The good news? It doesn’t have to turn into a last-minute scramble. Whether you’re planning ahead or you’ve just realized the day is suddenly very close, our checklist will help you create the perfect Mother’s Day experience. And one important note: Remember that Mother’s Day isn’t just about your mom—it’s for all the moms in your life who deserve a few kind words and a special day.

Read on for a foolproof checklist that will get you on the right track ASAP and help you pull off a thoughtful Mother’s Day.

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Your 2026 Mother’s Day checklist

1. Write a heartfelt note.
   A sweet, personal message from you? Best. Gift. Ever. And the key is to handwrite it. Trust us when we say that this is what she wants most of all—and she’ll treasure it forever. Not sure how to start? Try one of these prompts:
   • One thing you taught me that I still use is … 
   • My favorite memory with you is … 
   • I don’t say this enough, but I appreciate … 
   • You always make me feel …
   • If I could thank you for one thing today, it would be … 
2. Buy a card, and pop it in the mail.
   Pop that personal message in a card—and make sure it gets to her on time. Mail will generally arrive within two days, but giving yourself five to seven days will ensure postal delays don’t mess things up. That puts your ideal mailbox run between May 3 and May 5.
3. Order flowers right now! 
   You don’t need to panic (despite that exclamation point), but you also don’t want to wait. Delivery services book up early, the best blooms sell out, and you could end up paying rush fees if you do this late. Click through to our favorite flower delivery sites right now to make this super easy.
4. Make reservations, or whip up a home-cooked meal.
   Mother’s Day is the busiest restaurant day of the year in the U.S., especially for brunch. If you want a spot she’ll actually enjoy, book it now. Call her favorite place, or find something new through OpenTable or Resy. If you want to go the homemade route, find the perfect recipe, buy the ingredients in advance and make it the night before so you’re not stuck in the kitchen on the big day.
5. Plan a special experience for her—and with her.
   Try a picnic, movie night or spa day. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to be something special that you can do together. But be aware that spa and salon appointments fill up quickly around Mother’s Day, so book now for prime-time availability.
6. Buy or make a gift.
   Don’t underestimate how long shipping can take, especially if you’re ordering a personalized gift. If you’re running even a little late, stick with fast-shipping options from places like Amazon, Target or Walmart. If you have young kids, help them DIY something adorable for their mother and grandmothers.
7. Wrap those gifts ahead of time. 
   Why is this task so easy to forget? We don’t know, but it really is, and that’s why it’s on this checklist!
8. On Mother’s Day, do the “invisible labor” she’d normally handle.
   Dads, this one’s mostly for you. Take note of all the “little” things that need to happen to make the day go smoothly—getting the kids ready (hair brushed, teeth brushed, nice clothes on), tidying up before guests arrive and making sure someone actually takes pictures of the day, to name a few. Then do these things, without making a fuss or requesting her assistance.
9. Make a list of the moms in your life to contact.
   There are many moms in your life, and taking a minute to reach out with a phone call or text to say “Happy Mother’s Day” would mean the world to them. Pro tip: Schedule texts now to arrive on the morning of the 10th. Making a list like this is a good way to ensure you don’t forget anyone who should get more than just a shout-out—like your grandmother, mother-in-law or sister.
10. Set a few reminders for the big day.
    You have the best intentions, we know, but sometimes life gets in the way. Setting calendar alerts now (both on Mother’s Day and the days leading up to it, when you need to complete the tasks noted above) can help keep you on track … and make the special women in your life very happy!

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly was always framed as the villain, but she and the fictional Runway Magazine also reflected a work culture that was very real in the early aughts. And even now, as the sequel is hitting the big screen 20 years later, that old-school mindset of living to work instead of working to live hasn’t disappeared entirely.

But in 2026, the job that once felt aspirational reads more like a warning sign in designer shoes, and I don’t think I’m the only one who’s had that mindset shift. Gen Z didn’t invent buzzwords like burnout and boundaries, but when we started making our way into the workforce, we did force a bigger conversation: Maybe a “dream job” shouldn’t require giving up your life.

According to 2024 data from the Department of Labor, the number of Gen Z workers has now surpassed Baby Boomers, making up almost a fifth (18%) of labor in the U.S. And when that many people show up with different expectations, it gets a lot harder to keep selling the idea that a job like Andy’s is something to aspire to. As a Gen Zer who’s been on both sides of the equation, I know this all too well.

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Why The Devil Wears Prada hits differently now

In case you need a quick refresh and can’t spare the 109-minute runtime for a rewatch (though, really, you should), Andrea “Andy” Sachs is a recent journalism graduate who lands a job as Miranda Priestly’s assistant, only to realize the role demands total availability. Not just long hours, but constant sacrifice too.

Miranda—who was based on legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour—is obviously iconic, which makes it easy to overlook how brutal the job actually is. “By all means, move at a glacial pace” is still one of the best insults ever put to film. But it also captures something real about the culture it reflects. The job keeps demanding proof of Andy’s commitment. Always being on call. Unquestioning compliance. Erasure of herself in service to the company.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I love that glow-up montage of Andy jaywalking her way into a new life as much as the next gal. But the way her life erodes to make room for her job doesn’t seem so glamorous anymore. From where I sit now, it just feels eerily familiar.

Paying my dues meant giving up everything else

Like many young, ambitious people trying to craft a career out of thin air, I found myself willing to put up with quite a lot for the promise of a steady paycheck and health care. My first job out of college was working as a local broadcast news producer, and I quickly realized an old-school “pay your dues” mindset was baked into the industry. Overnight shifts, weekends and holidays were usually staffed with early career newbies like myself, and the ripple effects of a constantly shifting schedule showed up everywhere.

I missed family get-togethers and struggled to make friends or devote time to hobbies. I couldn’t have a life; I had a career. My body felt the toll, and my mental health did too.

In the years since, I’ve seen competitive co-workers, toxic managers and out-of-touch executives. I only wish they dressed as well or sounded as witty as the characters in The Devil Wears Prada. Instead, the reality of that kind of work environment is much uglier. A 2025 report from Aflac found that 72% of U.S. workers experience moderate to high stress, with Gen Z reporting the highest levels of burnout of any generation.

Research shows burnout doesn’t just make work feel harder; it actively affects how people do their jobs. According to a 2024 workforce report from HR software company iSolved, 36% of employees say burnout has directly reduced their productivity and output, while more than half report it lowers their overall engagement.

Rethinking what work should look like

For a long time, that kind of experience felt normal, like something you were supposed to endure if you wanted a real career. But eventually, it stopped feeling like something I was pushing through and started feeling like something I was just stuck in. I didn’t get into journalism because I wanted to miss every holiday or feel exhausted all the time. I wanted to tell stories and build a career I actually liked being in. At a certain point, I had to admit the version of success I was chasing just didn’t feel good.

So I made a shift into digital media. It still used the same skills, but the day-to-day felt different—more manageable and sustainable. For the first time, my job didn’t feel like it was taking over everything else. And I didn’t go freelance to make that happen. I stayed in full-time roles, but I started approaching them differently. It was about figuring out how to build a career within a full-time structure that didn’t require giving up everything else. I got more comfortable setting boundaries, protecting my time off and being honest about what wasn’t working. Earlier in my career, that didn’t feel like an option. Now it feels like something people actually talk about.

The difference showed up quickly. I started going to family events instead of missing them. I had time to make new friends, to have hobbies again, to feel like a person outside of work. And it turns out, having a life didn’t make me less ambitious. If anything, it made me better at what I do. The American Psychological Association’s 2025 Work in America survey supports that: It found that employees who report higher productivity are also more likely to say their workplace supports their mental health and helps them manage stress. In other words, the environments that expect less sacrifice tend to get better results.

How the definition of ambition has changed

One of the laziest takes on Gen Z is that we don’t want to work hard. But that’s never matched what I’ve seen—we’re just redefining what ambition means. We still want to be good at what we do, and we care about our work. But it’s not just about titles and accolades anymore, and certainly not at the expense of a healthy, well-rounded life.

Part of that shift is also practical. Remote, hybrid and more flexible setups are a real option in a way they weren’t before, and I’ve felt that firsthand. Working in digital media has given me more control over how I structure my day, and it’s been wonderful. I’m more focused when I’m working, and I don’t feel like I have to be “on” all the time. It’s not about doing less work; it’s about feeling more balanced.

I asked an expert about this, and she agreed. “Post-pandemic, fewer Gen Zers said they would be willing to work overtime or that they expected work to be a central part of their life,” says Jean Twenge, PhD, a psychology professor at San Diego State University and the author of Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future. “They are not willing to put in the hours that Boomers did when they were young. Instead, they favor balance and a focus on wellness. Although most want to be successful at work, they place less importance on that and more on having a life outside of work than previous generations did at the same age.”

What I want for the next Andy—and for all of us

It seems fitting that The Devil Wears Prada is getting a sequel nearly 20 years later. That gap is part of what makes the movie feel so different now. Back then, Andy’s job was framed as a necessary trade-off. It was the kind of opportunity you didn’t question, no matter what it asked of you. “A million girls would kill for this job” was the logic behind an entire era of work. Andy’s choice to walk away at the end was radical.

But a lot can change in two decades.

I don’t wish for less ambition for the Andys-to-be out there or even for people who came up in that older mindset. I just wish for a healthier version of it. The kind that can survive stepping away when life happens and doesn’t fall apart the second you stop proving yourself. The kind that knows it’s not worth it, even with the promise of Paris.

Stream it now

The Devil Wears Prada

Rewatch 'The Devil Wears Prada' before you head out to see the sequel!

Watch on Disney+

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Trendlines: “Changes in the U.S. Labor Supply”
• Aflac: “American workforce burnout reaches 6-year high”
• iSolved: “isolved Research: Burnout Eroding Engagement as 8 in 10 Employees Struggle in an Uncertain, Changing Workplace”
• American Psychological Association: “2025 Work in America Survey: The Experience of Working in America During Times of Change”
• Jean Twenge, PhD, psychology professor at San Diego State University and author of Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future; interviewed, April 2026

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The post I Can’t Believe We All Thought the Crazy Job Culture in <i>The Devil Wears Prada</i> Was OK—Here’s How Work Has Changed for the Better appeared first on Reader's Digest.

That part is expected. What’s easier to miss is how quickly those higher costs spread beyond the pump. Oil prices, explains Aleksandar Tomic, PhD, an economics professor at Boston College, “factor into not just the price of gasoline but also into the price of pretty much all other goods since they have to be delivered somehow.”

Oil also isn’t just fuel. Petrochemicals derived from petroleum are used in more than 6,000 everyday items and account for about 12% of global oil demand, according to the International Energy Agency. Which means that all of these prices go up—and most consumers don’t see it coming. And as consumer-savings expert Andrea Woroch explains, most people are “unaware that some of the items they use on a daily basis use crude oil to produce and manufacture.”

So which of your everyday items will be affected by the war in Iran? And just how much more will you be paying? Brace yourself—and then read on to find out.

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Which surprising items will cost more?

Tomic expects prices on many petroleum-based goods to rise by about 5% to 8%. To put that in concrete numbers: If you normally pay $50 for an affected item, you could soon pay an extra $4 for it—and this could be anything from a jumbo box of diapers to a trendy shirt. It may not sound like a lot at first, especially for lower-cost items, but trust us when we say this adds up, and fast, especially when you’re just trying to afford the basics.

Stuffed animals

That teddy bear is basically oil in disguise. Polyester fiber fill is petroleum-based, and when oil prices rise, so do the costs of producing plastics.

Lipstick and lip balm

Many beauty staples rely on petroleum-derived waxes and emollients. This makes them particularly sensitive to oil-driven manufacturing costs.

Crayons, markers and glue

Crayons are made from paraffin wax, which is a byproduct of—you guessed it—petroleum. The same goes for other school supplies, like markers and glue sticks. They also rely on petroleum-based plastics, adhesives and dyes. Even packaging depends heavily on oil-based plastics.

Fast fashion

The price of your next H&M or Temu fix may be impacted. Tomic points out that “petroleum is a major ingredient in polyester and will drive up the price of such clothing,” especially in budget-friendly brands. And because production is tightly linked to global shipping and energy-intensive manufacturing, oil shocks can ripple quickly through ultra-cheap clothing supply chains.

Takeout and delivery meals

You may want to rethink that DoorDash order—and not just because of the rising price of food. Plastic clamshell containers and sauce cups, delivery bags and utensils all depend on petroleum-based plastics. Restaurants often absorb small increases in packaging costs at first, but as Woroch notes, rising transportation costs are often passed on to the consumer in the form of delivery fees, menu prices or both.

Diapers and baby wipes

These everyday essentials rely on petroleum-derived plastics and super-absorbent materials. Because they’re high-volume, low-margin staples, even small increases in input costs can eventually show up in retail prices.

Fertilizer

Tomic notes a “double hit” here: higher fuel costs for farm equipment, and supply shocks that raise fertilizer prices. Nitrogen-based fertilizers depend heavily on natural gas, tightly linking them to energy markets. The World Bank has documented major spikes in fertilizer prices—often by 20% to 80%—during energy crises such as the 2008 and 2021–2022 crises.

Bottled water and soft drinks

While the liquids themselves aren’t oil-based, the plastic bottles, caps and packaging are. Rising petrochemical costs and transportation expenses can quietly push up prices across the beverage aisle.

Packaged snacks

Snacks get hit from multiple angles: fertilizer, transport and packaging. Woroch notes groceries—especially perishables—are among the first categories where consumers feel the pinch. And the International Monetary Fund notes that energy-price shocks tend to “cascade into processed-food inflation.” Here, we’re talking about chips, chocolate and a whole lot more of our guilty-pleasure snacks.

Condoms

Most condoms are made from latex, but everything around them—from lubricants and packaging to shipping—depends on petrochemicals and global logistics. Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, the world’s largest condom producer (more than 5 billion condoms a year for brands like Durex and Trojan), has said it plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% as the Iran war drives up production and transport costs.

Helium

Sure, we know helium is key to party balloons, but it also has a wide range of critical uses. It is essential in semiconductor manufacturing, which is needed for computers. And in health care, it is vital for MRI machines. It’s also used in fiber optic production, high-performance electronics and other industrial and scientific processes that require inert or ultra-cold conditions.

Though helium is not oil-based, its price is highly sensitive to supply disruptions and transport constraints because it is produced at a small number of global sites and shipped in pressurized containers. In early March, a helium complex in Qatar was shut down after Iranian drone and missile strikes, and as a result, prices rose roughly 20% to 50% in some markets, especially in Asia. While inventories and long-term contracts are still preventing a full shortage, analysts warn that continued disruption could lead to tighter supply in the coming weeks and longer-term export reductions.

When will we start seeing these prices rise?

Not all at once—and not immediately. Gas prices jump fast. Everything else takes a beat. “Companies really dislike raising prices,” says Tomic, “so prices are not so quick to rise,” especially if the shock might pass. But that delay has limits. “Within two months or so, companies really run out of options and end up raising prices,” he says.

Woroch adds that the changes tend to feel incremental: A product might cost “50 cents more or a dollar more,” but across a full shopping trip, the total bill becomes noticeably higher.

Tomic estimates the impact at roughly $50 to $150 for the average household—though depending on what you’re buying, if you’re doing any big home projects and what stage of life you’re in, those extra costs could skyrocket exponentially. And the longer the conflict drags on, he says, “the longer the effects will last.”

Is there anything you can do to avoid these rising prices?

You can’t escape global energy cycles, but you can blunt the impact. Start with the biggest lever: driving less. “The largest impact is reducing gasoline consumption,” says Tomic. Think: taking fewer trips, carpooling or working from home when possible.

From there, Woroch recommends getting sharper about spending. Her advice:

• Track spending and cut back on unnecessary purchases. “Often, people lose track of those small purchases here and there,” she says.
• Use a zero-based budgeting approach. This tracks every dollar you earn so you can understand how exactly you’re using your money.
• Hack monthly bills to reduce or bundle services. Looking at you, streaming services and insurance plans. This way, you’ll have extra room in your budget as prices rise in other areas.
• Get smart about credit cards and rewards. Make the most of rising prices by using a robust cash-back credit card (Woroch recommends the Bread Rewards American Express Credit Card) and tools (like Fetch) that reward you for the purchases you make the most.
• Stick with generics over name brands when possible. If you do this across everyday product categories, from household cleaning supplies to OTC meds, it can save you 20% to 50% in some cases.
• Shop local. Heading to the neighborhood farmers market will reduce transportation-driven price increases.
• Buy secondhand whenever possible. This is especially impactful with clothing, but you’ll also feel it with home goods and toys. “This will be cheaper—up to 80% in some cases!—and you can even sell your own unwanted items to help pay for these like-new purchases,” she says.
• Opt for certified refurbished electronics, appliances or anything with a plug. This can save you up to 60%. “Just make sure you buy from a reputable retailer,” Woroch notes.

For most consumers, the key is not reacting to headlines—it’s understanding which prices are structurally tied to energy markets. As Woroch puts it, many shoppers “may be unaware that some of the items they use on a daily basis use crude oil to produce.” Once you see that connection, the pattern becomes tough to miss.

Because once oil moves, it doesn’t just change what you pay at the pump. It quietly rewrites the price of almost everything.

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations, academic institutions and our writers’ personal experiences, where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Aleksandar Tomic, PhD, economist and associate dean at Boston College; email interview, April 27, 2026
• Andrea Woroch, consumer and money-saving expert; email interview, April 27, 2026
• AAA: “Fuel Prices”
• Department of Energy: “Products Made from Oil and Natural Gas”
• FDA: “Cosmetic Ingredients”
• Florida International University: “Pass-Through of Shocks into Different U.S. Prices”
• International Energy Agency: “The Future of Petrochemicals”
• International Monetary Fund: “Understanding Inflation Dynamics: The Role of Global Shocks in CEMAC”
• Bloomberg: “Pricier Condoms Show War Is Impacting Cost of Nearly Everything”
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: “Global Plastics Outlook”
• World Bank Group: “Commodity Markets Outlook”
• Exiger: “Iran War Disrupts One-Third of Global Helium Supply”

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The post 11 Surprising Things That Will Be More Expensive Because of the War in Iran appeared first on Reader's Digest.

It happened to be a Friday, and downtown San Francisco was buzzing. I grabbed a cookie from a corner bakery and headed to the train, taking in the Bay and the cliffside neighborhoods between downtown San Fran and the suburb where I still felt like a newbie after relocating a few years ago. The way the sun hovered behind the pine trees, just over the hill—

Wow, did that device ever perk up my neurons!

Then it hit me: This was the first afternoon in months that I’d given myself a break from my desk, and it was my first time exploring a part of San Francisco on my own. It wasn’t the brain stimulation treatment that was blissing me out; it was the adventure and freedom of new sights that had been the trademark of my single years. As a health journalist, I spend a lot of time reading about, and experimenting with, the latest in what’s good for the brain: sleep, diet, exercise and, yes, new technology. But it was a good old dose of Me Time in a city that’s still fresh to me that was sparking this amazing state of well-being.

“Travel introduces novelty, which is one of the strongest drivers of brain health,” says neurologist Majid Fotuhi, MD, author of The Invincible Brain. “Solo travel amplifies these benefits because your brain is fully engaged.”

I spoke with Dr. Fotuhi, along with psychotherapist Francesca Maxime, a somatic experiencing practitioner, to find out how a little alone time away can unlock a new level of your mental potential. And yes, there’s some real science behind all this. Read on to learn all the details—and get the mental boost you’ve been craving.

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How does traveling by yourself rewire your brain?

By the second half of our 20s, our experiences have shaped our worldview. Our brain has established its habitual responses to our environment—“Like, ‘OK, this is how it’s going to be,’” Maxime says. “‘This is what life is like.'” A trip by yourself, however, helps you expand beyond that by literally changing your brain. “Solo travel is one of the most powerful forms of real-world brain training,” Dr. Fotuhi says. Here’s what’s going on.

It creates new neural pathways

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections. It’s the mechanism behind learning, memory and recovery—and solo travel helps develop it. “Planning a trip, navigating new places and adapting to unfamiliar cultures stimulate your brain in ways that create new neural pathways,” Dr. Fotuhi says. “These experiences strengthen memory, improve problem-solving and keep the brain active and resilient.”

Maxime says that around our mid-20s, our synapses tend to become locked in, and our neural networks can go unchallenged. Solo travel shakes things up. When people dress differently than you’re used to, when their art and food and music are new to you, “it challenges the way that you are,” she explains. Travel “interrupts that—and you will then witness that people can do something differently and still be OK on the other side.”

It activates your frontal lobe and hippocampus

Both Maxime and Dr. Fotuhi say these two brain regions get a particular workout when you’re navigating the world solo.

The frontal lobe is your center for planning, decision making and executive functioning. It kicks into high gear when something doesn’t go according to plan and you have to figure out your next move without anyone to consult. “The frontal lobe is heavily engaged as you organize every step of your journey and respond to unexpected situations,” Dr. Fotuhi explains.

Meanwhile, the hippocampus, which governs memory and spatial navigation, is busy encoding new routes, faces and experiences. The parietal lobe also gets activated as you orient yourself spatially in an unfamiliar environment. And when you use these skills regularly, they may help preserve cognitive function over time.

It may lower your long-term risk of cognitive decline

In a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Public Health, researchers found that older adults who engaged in tourism had a significantly lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia than those who didn’t travel. The benefit appeared to come not from relaxation alone, but from travel’s unique combination of mental stimulation, physical activity and social engagement.

Dr. Fotuhi describes travel as a “multimodal intervention” for the brain. As it simultaneously activates memory systems, executive function, spatial navigation networks and emotional circuits, it may build what researchers call cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to withstand aging and pathology over time.

And solo travel can heighten this impact. When you travel with others, the cognitive load gets distributed, but when you’re alone, the burden lands entirely on you. “It is a full ‘cross-training’ experience for the brain,” Dr. Fotuhi says.

Are there psychological benefits as well?

There are, even beyond the pride you feel when you do something brave, or the relief when you navigate a tricky situation. Solo travel appears to create conditions in which the brain changes how it relates to itself.

It builds a corrective emotional experience

Maxime uses the phrase “corrective healing” to describe an experience that happens when people travel alone, particularly those who may have grown up feeling helpless or without agency. The solo traveler faces a challenge, figures it out and then knows—not as an idea, but as lived data—that they are capable. And then, when they’re feeling doubt, say, in the boardroom the following week, Maxime explains, they can say to themselves: “I know that I can do this.”

This reflects how the brain encodes self-belief: not through affirmation, but through experience.

It interrupts unhelpful patterns and expands what you believe is possible

Our brains are prediction machines. They constantly and unconsciously forecast what’s coming based on what’s happened before. Solo travel, Maxime explains, throws a productive wrench into that system.

When you encounter a community that eats every meal as a shared, multi-hour gathering—and discover that it’s warm and nourishing and nothing like the rushed meals you’ve come to know—your brain gets new information. It has to update its model of what “normal” looks like. “A new path,” Maxime says. “A new template for what’s possible.”

Over time, this chips away at limiting core beliefs about people, safety and your own ability in a way that just talking about those beliefs often cannot.

It sharpens curiosity, creativity and emotional flexibility

There’s a reason solo travelers often come home feeling creatively recharged: Unfamiliar environments light up the brain’s novelty-detection systems. This can involve dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with motivation and reward. New sights, smells, sounds, languages and social cues all demand attention in a way that familiar surroundings don’t.

“You can’t be curious and playful and imagining new things while you’re simultaneously scared, fearful and shut down,” Maxime notes. Solo travel invites curiosity, which is itself neurologically incompatible with the contracted, defensive mental state that anxiety or rumination produces.

Dr. Fotuhi adds that the stress-regulating effects of positive travel also support healthier nervous system balance, “potentially lowering long-term risk of cognitive decline.”

How can you maximize these benefits?

Here’s what the research and our experts suggest gets the most out of your solo trip.

• Keep your phone on you, but use it as little as possible. “Try walking in a new area without relying on your phone, and challenge your sense of direction,” Dr. Fotuhi suggests. Spatial disorientation is good exercise for the hippocampus. Navigating your way, even just around a museum, requires active memory-making, not passive GPS-following.
• Talk with locals and go deeper than the surface. Language immersion, a bike tour, a cooking class or even just eating where the locals eat exposes your brain to the kind of meaningful novelty that builds the richest new neural pathways. A “skillcation“—a trip built around learning something new (surfing, glass blowing, a new language)—is particularly effective because it combines novelty, challenge and maybe even mastery.
• Don’t beat yourself up when it doesn’t go right. This is where much of the real neurological and psychological opportunity happens. The missed train, the wrong neighborhood, the cafe server you just cannot understand—these are the moments where your frontal lobe earns its growth and your sense of self-efficacy gets its most durable upgrade.
• Stay present enough to soak in your brain’s experience. Constant social media posting, Netflix in the room or consuming content while you travel can dilute the neurological benefits. The brain encodes what it actually attends to.

Can you incorporate this into your life, even if you can’t take a big trip?

Definitely—and both experts are emphatic that you should. The brain responds to novelty, not necessarily to distance. “You do not need to travel far to challenge your brain,” Dr. Fotuhi says. Head out for a hike, go bird-watching in your area. “Exploring a new neighborhood, visiting a nearby city or learning about a different culture locally can create the same type of mental stimulation.”

He suggests visiting museums and cultural events, exploring communities with different traditions and cuisines, cooking meals from countries you’ve never been to or taking a class that puts you in a beginner’s mindset. Even small doses of the unfamiliar, encountered alone and with genuine presence, can yield real benefits.

Maxime adds that what really matters is the quality of the aloneness. It’s about being with yourself deliberately, without distraction, in a context that asks something of you. A morning in a neighborhood you’ve never visited, an afternoon potting plants, a dinner date with yourself—any of these activities can begin to do the work if you bring the right intention to them.

The key, both experts suggest, is genuine disconnection from the familiar. Tuck away your phone, post to the Gram tomorrow. This kind of growth depends on how fully you show up for yourself where you are.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Majid Fotuhi, MD, PhD, neurologist, author of The Invincible Brain: The Clinically Proven Plan to Age-Proof Your Brain and Stay Sharp for Life and creator of The Invincible Brain app; interviewed, March 19, 2026
• Francesca Marguerite Maximé, LCSW, somatic experiencing practitioner, founder of Maximé Clarity and host of the ReRooted Podcast; interviewed, March 18, 2026
• Frontiers in Public Health: “Tourism engagement and cognitive health in older adults”

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If you’ve ever struggled with shortness of breath after a virus or suddenly found yourself panting hard every time you set out for a run, you know the feeling (and probably wish you didn’t). Officially known as dysfunctional breathing, this maddening issue is actually much more common than you might think: Nearly one in ten adults have it, according to a 2019 study of adults in the U.K.

To find out more about dysfunctional breathing, I consulted Michael Marsh, MD, an interventional pulmonologist at Jupiter Medical Center, and Zachary Rubin, MD, a pediatric allergist and immunologist and the author of the new book All About Allergies. Read on to find out how this respiratory glitch happens, whether stress plays a role and how to reset your breathing to get back to a healthy rhythm.

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What is dysfunctional breathing, exactly?

In simple terms, dysfunctional breathing is an irregular pattern of breathing. It can include hyperventilating—when you’re rapidly breathing and exhaling too much carbon dioxide—shortness of breath and a feeling of “air hunger.”

When your breathing is out of whack, it can feel super uncomfortable—and even scary. “A lot of people describe it as feeling like they can’t get a full breath, even though their oxygen levels are normal,” says Dr. Rubin. “You might notice frequent sighing or yawning, tightness in the chest or throat, fast or shallow breathing, or feeling lightheaded.”

What causes this breathing problem?

It’s sometimes tricky to figure out what’s going on because “it’s not just one condition,” Dr. Rubin explains. “Dysfunctional breathing is more of a pattern that can come from different issues, like stress, asthma, reflux or even lingering effects after an illness.” The symptoms overlap with other health problems, and tests can look normal, he says, which makes it harder to pin down. That can be super frustrating.

Dysfunctional breathing is sometimes just a temporary, minor glitch—sort of a normal abnormality. “It’s not always related to a health problem,” Dr. Marsh says. It can even be a learned breathing habit (in other words, you get into a routine with it and can’t stop).

But in other cases, something medical is going on. These are the most common culprits:

Allergies and/or asthma

If you have allergies or asthma, you may be more likely to hyperventilate or notice air hunger. In fact, 25% of people with asthma—inflammation and narrowing in the airways—report dysfunctional breathing, according to a 2025 study. “Asthma can create a feeling of not fully exhaling, which adds to that ‘air hunger’ sensation,” Dr. Rubin explains.

But sometimes even regular old seasonal or year-round allergies can skew your inhales and exhales. “Allergies can block the nose and push people toward mouth breathing, which isn’t as efficient,” Dr. Rubin says. Keeping your allergies and asthma well controlled can make a big difference.

Post-COVID-19 infection or other virus

Catching a cold, the flu or COVID-19 can also lead to this pattern of abnormal breathing. “We are recognizing it more frequently, especially post-COVID,” Dr. Marsh notes.

In these cases, it may be a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which controls processes in our body that happen automatically, like your heart beating. And, you know, breathing.

Stress and anxiety

Then there’s stress (is there an end to all the ways stress is harmful?). “Stress can shift breathing patterns subconsciously, leading to chronic overbreathing or shallow chest breathing,” Dr. Marsh explains.

Vocal cord dysfunction

Does your throat get tight when you work out? Do you sometimes feel like you’re gasping in and making a weird noise? Is it like you have asthma—only your asthma meds don’t help? You may have vocal cord dysfunction, which is sometimes called exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO).

In this form of dysfunctional breathing, the vocal cords close when they should open, leading to scary symptoms like throat tightness, hyperventilation and a whistling sound when breathing in. The condition is relatively common in athletes and is also seen in post-viral syndromes, chronic illnesses that sometimes appear after—you guessed it—a viral infection. An ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT), a pulmonologist or an allergist can help diagnose and treat it.

What can happen if you have dysfunctional breathing patterns?

Improper breathing is not good because it throws off the exchange of gases that regulates many things in your body. Every time you breathe in, the air goes through your trachea to your lungs. Oxygen passes into your bloodstream, and you breathe out carbon dioxide.

At least that’s how it works when you’re breathing the right way. “If you’re breathing too fast or shallow, you can throw off carbon dioxide levels, which can lead to dizziness, tingling, chest discomfort and even more shortness of breath,” Dr. Rubin says. “Not fully exhaling can leave you feeling tight or like you can’t take the next breath comfortably.”

How can you tell if you’re doing this?

Often, you’ll know that your breathing is off. Dr. Marsh says things to watch for include frequent sighing, chest-dominant breathing (instead of breathing through the diaphragm), the inability to take a satisfying breath or disproportionate shortness of breath with normal lung function testing.

How do you know if you’re using your diaphragm to belly breathe, as you should, or doing chest breathing instead? Here’s a little test:

1. Get into a relaxing position.
2. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
3. Feel yourself breathe.

If you are breathing properly, you will feel your belly rise while your chest doesn’t move. If you notice that your chest moves, you are shallow breathing, which can become a (bad) habit.

So how do you breathe the “right” way?

To build a healthy breathing habit, follow these pointers from Dr. Rubin:

• Breathe through your nose when you can, because it naturally slows things down.
• Focus on belly breathing (letting your abdomen rise, not your chest).
• Slow your breathing down. Take a gentle inhale and a longer, relaxed exhale.
• If you still notice irregular breathing, work with a specialist (like a respiratory or speech therapist trained in breathing techniques). Getting pro help can be a game-changer.

How long does it take to reset your breathing pattern?

There’s no instant fix to correct a disordered breathing pattern. The good news? “If nothing major is driving it, many people can start to feel better within a few weeks of consistent breathing retraining,” Dr. Rubin says. Still, it might take four to eight weeks to truly rewire the pattern, he says. And if you’ve had your symptoms for a while or if they’re tied to stress or post-viral changes, it can take a few months, he adds.

Getting underlying issues like asthma under control can help speed the process. Beyond that, consistency is key: Keep working on your belly breathing every day. Remember, Dr. Rubin says, “your body learned this breathing pattern, so it can also unlearn it, but like any habit, it takes repetition.”

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Zachary Rubin, MD, pediatric allergist and immunologist and author of All About Allergies; email interview, April 29, 2026
• Michael Marsh, MD, interventional pulmonologist at Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Florida; email interview, April 29, 2026
• PubMed: “Dysfunctional breathing: what do we know?”
• BMJ Open Respiratory Research: “Dysfunctional breathing symptoms, functional impact and quality of life in patients with long COVID-19: a prospective case series”
• Respiratory Medicine: “Analysis of the breathing pattern in patients with asthma during physical exercise: A cross-sectional study”
• American College of Cardiology: “Dysfunctional Breathing in Athletes”
• National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute: “What Breathing Does for the Body”

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Everyone’s favorite suggestion? Switch to a job in the trades, which are more stable and less likely to feel the AI pinch in the short term. But if the traditional jobs in this sector, such as becoming a plumber, electrician or carpenter, don’t seem right for you, all is not lost. There’s an AI-proof skill that may suit you, and the job is now in high demand.

Hint: It’s a literal hands-on talent your parents and grandparents no doubt sought out regularly to make them look and feel like a million bucks. Read on for the details, then ready your resume.

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What skill is in high demand?

Tailoring! And we’re willing to bet you’ve never considered this occupation. It’s an old-school, behind-the-scenes trade that often comes with little fanfare. That’s changed, though. It’s now the hot job du jour, as fashion houses, ateliers, large retail stores, clothing boutiques, bridal salons and more are in desperate need of talented tailors.

Why? The number of professional tailors in the workforce is shrinking, and customer demand has overtaken supply.

“These days, clothing has become more generic. Everyone is looking similar, and there’s not much personalization in fit,” says Jo Baker Waters, a fashion designer and professor of practice in the fashion design department at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. That’s where a talented tailor comes into play. “People are realizing they want more individuality when it comes to what they’re wearing, and you’re seeing a pattern of people shifting back to celebrating a slower process and handcrafted skills.”

The best part is that the job needs a human touch. Since tailors are literally hands-on, they must be able to see the garment on the customer in order to know what needs fixing. Bottom line: Nothing can take the place of seeing, touching and working with textile materials and a tailor’s tools in real time—not even AI.

This is a job that requires in-person contact and communication, something a computer can’t do. “AI doesn’t listen like a person listens,” says Waters.

Why is there a shortage of tailors?

Going to a tailor to have clothing custom-fitted was pretty commonplace back in the 19th and 20th centuries. Fast-forward to the landscape of mass-produced clothing, often featuring trendier items people wear for a blip in time before tossing. With this shift to fast fashion, especially in the 21st century, many folks skip tailoring, instead spending money on poorly made clothing that’s likely to go out of style soon.

“I think the assumption is [that] as clothes have become cheaper and cheaper, and the quality of textiles has gone down, people think there’s really no point in having them tailored,” says Greg Climer, chair of the fashion design program and an associate professor at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. “The thought is, well, it’s just easier to buy new jeans than edit the ones I have.”

As a result, experienced tailors found they had less work, and many have chosen to hang up their tape measures for good. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), two years ago (the latest figures available), there were an estimated 18,540 employed tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers in the U.S. Compare that with 2014, when the BLS reported there were 26,160 employed tailors, a decline of nearly 30% over 10 years.

Professional tailors are also aging out of the industry. The BLS reports that the current median age of tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers in the U.S. is 54 years old, which is 12 years older than the median age for the entire employed population.

It makes sense. After all, tailoring can take its toll on the body, with prolonged hours of sitting, physical activity that can result in musculoskeletal pain, repetitive stress injuries, eye strain and exposure to fabric dust and chemicals, among other health issues. These factors may account for tailor burnout and early retirement among the pros.

What types of jobs can you get as a tailor?

There are jobs aplenty in the world of tailoring, especially when you understand that the skill goes beyond hemming a pair of pants or adding darts into a shirt for a better fit.

Tailors can do a multitude of things with their craft. Some work as fashion designers, bespoke tailors (which means creating a garment from scratch to fit the client—men’s suits are a popular bespoke tailoring item), pattern makers, garment repair specialists, costume designers, wardrobe fitters and stylists. You can find these positions in myriad places, including fashion design companies or brands, dry cleaners, department or clothing stores, bridal salons or the costume departments for film, television and theater.

Do you need special training?

Even if you’re an expert sewer or a confident DIYer when it comes to making your own clothes, it’s best to seek out some solid education to understand the fundamentals. There’s only so much you can learn from YouTube or Instagram about the craft, and watching videos on how to hem or stitch pockets by hand isn’t going to take the place of actually doing it. You also want to make sure you’re doing it properly and perfectly.

For this kind of expertise, consider attending an accredited two- or four-year fashion design school or institute. Climer notes that many community colleges offer great two-year fashion-design programs as well.

One program, a collaboration between Nordstrom and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), offers adult learners and early career professionals a certificate in custom alterations and tailoring techniques. This nine-week, in-person course is taught at FIT’s campus in New York City, and its mission is to equip participants with essential, practical, in-demand skills and offer a clear avenue to potential job opportunities in Nordstrom’s tailor shops and beyond.

Once you’re armed with practical know-how and experience, you’ll typically need to start at the bottom and learn the craft by working as an apprentice, trainee or assistant to a full, master or senior tailor, explains Waters. “You can’t learn the handmade skills of a tailor unless you observe and learn the craft firsthand from them,” she says.

Tailored Brands, a company that employs about 1,300 tailors at its chain stores, including Jos. A. Bank and Men’s Wearhouse, offers a structured apprentice program to create skilled tailors.

Where will you find work?

Waters adds that working in one of the big fashion cities, such as Paris, New York City, London or Los Angeles, provides you with access to prime jobs and networking opportunities, but it’s not possible for everyone. Not to worry! There’s a need for tailors all over the map, and you can find work wherever you are.

How stable is this career?

With the increased call for professional tailors and the fact that it’s pretty uncommon to find clothes that fit your body to its exact proportions, tailoring is a pretty safe bet.

A couple of societal shifts have increased the desire for tailoring:

• GLP-1s have gone mainstream. More people are losing a lot of weight these days on GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy, but instead of going out to buy a whole new wardrobe (hello, expensive!), they want to wear what they’ve got.
• Vintage is in. Younger folks are all about upcycling clothes and scouring thrift stores for vintage pieces they want to have altered to fit their own personal style.

Let’s face it: As long as humans are wearing clothes, there will be a need for someone to design, create and alter them. “Tailors now can charge so much more,” Waters says. “It can be a job for life.”

Who is well-suited to being a tailor?

Besides having a flair for design and a passion for fashion, someone interested in tailoring as a career should have a high level of manual dexterity to carry out different tasks, like intricate stitching, pinning, folding and cutting (patterns and fabric). Tailors need to be detail-oriented, patient, persistent and focused. A healthy work ethic and both mental and physical stamina are important too, since the hours can be long, especially if you’re working on a deadline.

Staying cool under pressure can serve you well in your career as a tailor as well, says Climer. “Sometimes a client would show up with a garment that cost as much as a car and want me to fix it on the spot—talk about intimidating,” he recalls. “You also have to have an encyclopedia of knowledge, so if you’re asked to change something on one part of a garment, you don’t pull it here and then, when you do, it wrinkles somewhere else.”

Overall, you want to be someone who exudes confidence, possesses strong communication skills, is open-minded and can think outside the box when it comes to a garment. Since you’ll be dealing with the public (and occasionally some fussy clients), being able to get along with different personalities will go a long way.

You may end up tailoring something for a celebrity, and that requires some decorum. “I’m not allowed to be starstruck when I’m working with a famous person. That’s a whole other level,” says Climer. “I don’t want to make them feel weird or uncomfortable, so it takes a little bit of kindness and gentleness to put them at ease.”

How much do these types of jobs pay?

Brace yourself: Starting out as a tailor isn’t going to make you rich. According to the BLS, the latest median annual wage for tailors in the U.S. is $42,930, compared with $62,608 for all workers. ZipRecruiter clocks the annual salary a bit higher, at $47,230, while Glassdoor lists the total base salary range for a tailor between $40,000 and $59,000 a year.

The money a tailor makes depends on the company they work for and where they’re located. For instance, a tailor working in Paris, London, Milan, New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles is most likely going to pull in more money than one located in Ohio or Florida.

You can expect to make a lower salary as an apprentice, but you probably won’t stay in that role for long. Somewhere between the two- and five-year point, young trainees move on because they can’t afford to live on a low salary, says Waters.

Higher pay tends to be for those who specialize in bespoke tailoring or luxury bridal alterations, as well as people who work as master tailors, particularly those who operate in high-end fashion houses or their own private shops.

Is tailoring a good side hustle?

It can be! If you can’t quite quit your day job to become a full-time tailor, parlaying your skills into a part-time gig can not only bring in some extra cash but also provide creative fulfillment.

Depending on how much you can take on, you could do anything from alterations to made-to-order designs from home, a workshop or a part-time job with a tailor or designer.

The great thing about tailoring as a side gig is that you can set your own rate and have the flexibility to do it in your free time. Maybe you stick with finding clients via word of mouth. Or maybe you advertise on platforms such as Thumbtack or Nextdoor. Getting the word out via Instagram or YouTube can expand your reach and allow you to show off your tailoring talents to the world.

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jo Baker Waters, fashion designer and professor of practice at Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts; phone interview, April 17, 2026
• Greg Climer, chair of the fashion design program and an associate professor at California College of the Arts; phone interview, April 17, 2026
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Occupational Employment and Wages. Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers, May 2024”
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2014”
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey”
• International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts: “Prevalence and Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Women Tailors”
• Wall Street Journal: “Suddenly Everyone Wants a Tailor. They’re in Short Supply.”
• ZipRecruiter: “Professional Tailor Salary”
• Glassdoor: “Alterations Tailor Salaries”

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Like, why is nothing sold warm in the Costco bakery section? We know that there are plenty of bakery items made in the warehouse, so why aren’t they showing that off by selling batches of buttery croissants still toasty from the oven? Ahead, I talked to chef and food developer Vivian Villa, who has worked with Costco on their baked goods, to learn more.

The answer is actually a practical one, but it still might surprise you, so keep reading.

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Why aren’t Costco baked goods sold hot?

It all comes down to food safety and delivering a quality product. Villa explains the reasoning, which has to do with the clear plastic trays Costco uses—and the fact that fresh baked goods release steam. “Putting a hot croissant into a plastic tray, it will lose its crisp and get soggy,” Villa says.

Once that moisture gets trapped inside, it creates a perfect environment for mold and bacteria growth. In fact, packaging and storage conditions are two of the biggest contributors to mold growth in bread, according to research published in the journal Fermentation. No thanks!

And trust us, you don’t want a bagel or croissant that’s been sitting around in a hard plastic shell since coming out of the oven, anyway. “Baked goods must be sold cooler so they don’t fall apart in a hot, moist, moldy container,” Villa says.

Does this apply to all baked goods?

Not quite. There is one exception where a Costco baked good can be sold fresh from the oven, and that is certain breads. “Bread can be sold warm if it’s packaged in a paper bag, not a plastic bag,” Villa says. Paper is breathable and allows steam to dissipate into the air rather than form into droplets on the plastic. In other words? “The bread is protected by the paper,” she says.

Other bakery items aren’t warm because they weren’t just baked. There are plenty of items that are produced off-site, shipped frozen and then thawed to put out for sale, like some of Costco’s iconic bar cakes. Of course, if you’ve ever tried to frost a cake before it has cooled completely, you also understand another reason why cakes can’t be sold warm—the frosting would melt or slide right off.

What about other hot foods?

Costco certainly makes plenty of things that are sold piping hot, like Costco’s famous $4.99 rotisserie chickens. What gives? “The chicken has been marinated with salt water, cooked and well past the kill point for bacteria,” Villa says. “Keeping it under a heat lamp will dry it out over time, but its rotisserie [chicken] is pumped with high salt solution to be prepared for this moment.”

She also explains the precautions Costco takes to make sure the chicken is safe for customers to purchase and consume. They keep their chicken at 185 degrees to be super safe, which is actually higher than the required safe-cooking temperature of 160 degrees.

Costco also goes above and beyond in terms of quality, pulling the chicken from shelves earlier than required. “It’s important to have the Costco chickens not sit for longer than two hours,” Villa says. “If it sits for longer than two hours, the chicken will have dried out.” Luckily, the chicken gets purchased a lot, she says. “The heating of the chicken is to entice people to buy and not have to re-heat.”

How can you ensure your Costco baked goods are fresh and stay mold-free?

Costco tries to take care of this for you by not packaging hot-from-the-oven bakery items right away, instead allowing them to cool to an appropriate temperature first. You should follow their lead once you have bakery items at home by storing them in a cool, dry place.

Generally speaking, refrigeration will cause bread to go stale faster. Instead, store it in a paper bag or in a bread box on a counter. Additionally, try to avoid storing it in any kitchen “hot spots” that might be warmer than others (like near the stove or oven). You can even freeze bread for anywhere from six to eight months, according to food safety experts at Kansas State University. They recommend making sure the bread is cooled completely, then wrapping it well before freezing for maximum preservation.

But because Costco’s bakery does such a high volume of business, nothing sits out for long. So you really don’t have to look for the “most fresh” package in the bunch, as everything you see on display has likely been freshly packaged that day. But, if a bag of, say, Kirkland Signature Bagels feels particularly warm, it may have been packaged before the product has had sufficient time to cool. If you see condensation on the bag, maybe choose a different one, and alert an employee to let them know of any concerns.

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Vivian Villa, chef, product developer and innovator behind UnButter; interviewed April 2026
• Kansas State University Extension: “Freezing Baked Goods”
• Fermentation: “Strategies to Extend Bread and GF Bread Shelf-Life”

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But the dangers of AI chatbots such as Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, Meta AI and others go beyond the misinformation that machine learning can sometimes hallucinate. And I’m not talking about sci-fi-like plots about robots taking over the world (although that is somewhat of a concern). Rather, sharing personal information with AI to gain answers to questions about your life can be a slippery slope: You start by asking a chatbot something innocuous, and it’s helpful, even kind—and then suddenly you’re asking it medical questions and for relationship advice, which can lead to your private data getting out there in the world and possibly misused.

“Who will see the personal information is only the tip of the iceberg,” says John Pavolotsky, a San Francisco–based attorney, partner at Stoel Rives and co-chair of the firm’s AI, Privacy and Cybersecurity group. “It’s equally important to ask how the information will be used by each of these parties. Will there be further downstream sharing? When will the information be deleted? How will the vendor and business secure the information? And how will these data-processing operations be enforced and audited?”

According to a September 2025 Pew Research poll, 65% of Americans interact with AI at least several times a week, with a third of those under 30 interacting several times a day—and those numbers are only likely to increase. I asked Pavolotsky and cyber tech expert Nicola Dell, associate professor at Cornell Tech, for guidance on what to be wary of sharing with AI chatbots, and why.

Read on for our experts’ advice about what you shouldn’t ask AI in order to keep your private info private.

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What are the main issues with talking to AI about anything and everything?

There are some big concerns with the rise of AI—you’ve likely heard worries about its environmental impact and its effect on jobs. Well, you can add a few more issues to the list, courtesy of tech and legal experts. Before you chat with your new AI best friend, keep these red flags in mind.

The privacy problem

AI chatbots are often large language models (LLMs) that learn how to respond using words that mimic the way humans talk. They’re trained to do this using huge amounts of data, including your interactions with them. “The business deploying the chatbot and the developer of the chatbot will see information inputted and outputted into the chatbot,” Pavolotsky says. “Other service providers may also see this information. Advertisers may see some of this information as well.”

And of course, anyone who has access to your device or your account on an AI chatbot could find out what you asked it. “Just like other people might look at your browser history to see what websites you’ve visited, they could look at your chat history to see how you’ve been interacting with the chatbots,” Dell says.

The lack of laws

There are no laws purely addressing AI privacy. “The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is probably the leading AI privacy law; typically, comprehensive state privacy laws, such as the CCPA, focus on the processing of personal information, regardless of technology,” Pavolotsky says. In 2025, the CCPA was amended with specific AI regulations aimed at creating more transparency and user safeguards for California residents, which will go into effect in 2027.

For most Americans, though, once your personal information is out there, businesses can use it however they see fit. They often keep it for a long period of time, without many regulations on how they can use it. “Keep in mind that anything you’re saying to the chatbot can be stored and used by the company that creates that chatbot,” Dell says.

The chance of misinformation

Not only may AI present false information, but doing so could have a cascading effect, such as marketing products or medicines to you that you don’t really need.

“Also, keep in mind that chatbots are not objective or neutral and certainly do not have the qualities of a human expert,” Dell says. “I would not rely on it for information about any sensitive topics.”

The flattery issue

AI is trained to agree with you, and you can’t trust a “yes” man—er, bot. “Worryingly, these tools are built to be sycophants and to mostly support or agree with users’ opinions or perceptions, which makes them unlikely to push back on false or problematic viewpoints,” Dell says.

What should you never talk to an AI chatbot about?

Some specific topics are particularly problematic to discuss with AI. You probably know the basics of online privacy when it comes to entering personal information such as your Social Security number, home address, passwords, credit cards or bank account numbers, which could lead to identity theft, fraudulent purchases or lost money. But the info you should avoid sharing with AI goes beyond that.

“I’d be very careful about chatting to these AI chatbots about any sensitive topics,” Dell says. That goes for all of the topics below.

Medical info

AI chatbots are not HIPAA compliant, so they don’t have to adhere to medical privacy laws. Anything you willingly tell AI could potentially fall into the hands of insurance companies, advertisers or other parties that could use that information to target you.

Plus, AI may misdiagnose you. In a February 2026 randomized study, small differences in how users asked their questions vastly affected the results, with only just over a third of LLMs (34.5%) coming up with the correct diagnosis.

Perhaps an even greater concern is the fact that a chatbot may give you dangerous medical advice. “Although the chatbot may sound confident, these tools still make a lot of mistakes, so definitely you’d want to carefully check any information provided by following it to the source and seeing if, for example, it comes from a valid medical website versus a random Reddit user,” Dell says.

Mental health issues

Employing chatbots as mental health providers can be useful AI for those who would otherwise lack access to a therapist, but artificial intelligence still can’t deliver therapy the way a human would. Because of its tendency to flatter and agree with users, an AI chatbot may even make mental health crises worse. In some cases, it’s led those with suicidal ideation to actually go through with it.

“Where a human mental health professional might push back, provide counterpoints and help someone reach a healthier place, a chatbot is more likely to confirm or amplify unhealthy ideas, or exacerbate someone’s tendency to spiral,” Dell says. “Although a chatbot may be easy to talk to, the way it interacts with people often achieves the opposite of what a mental health professional would provide.”

Just how risky is it to leave your mental health in the hands of AI? On April 22, 2026, the American Medical Association (AMA) urged Congress to put stronger laws in place to protect mental health patients’ privacy and keep them safe.

Legal problems

Anything you talk to chatbots about can be used against you in a court of law. So if you’re heading into a divorce or other legal dispute, you shouldn’t reveal anything about your potential case or ask the AI about a legal strategy. Just as HIPAA doesn’t apply to AI, neither does attorney-client privilege, as a U.S. District Court judge in New York ruled in United States v. Heppner in February 2026.

To confirm whether your AI inputs are legally protected, read the site or app’s privacy notice. “If a chatbot has a privacy notice associated with it, the sharing of personal information would likely be addressed by that notice,” Pavolotsky says. “And most notices would provide that if the information is properly subpoenaed, it may be provided to the requesting authority.”

Illegal activities

If you’re even considering looking up something illegal, beware: AI may one day call the police on you. Using AI to learn how to commit a crime, or to actually commit the crime, is prohibited by the terms of use for AI tools, Pavolotsky says. “The initial query and subsequent conversation may be subpoenaed by law enforcement, and we have seen quite a few instances of this,” he says.

But what if you’re just looking up illegal things in the process of, for example, researching an article or book? The tech world went into a tizzy recently when internal experimental testing found that, in extreme situations, Anthropic’s new Claude 4 model—dubbed a “snitch”—would automatically alert the authorities if it detected any potential wrongdoing. But the company says this could not happen under normal use. And even so, the FBI probably wouldn’t be knocking down your door: According to its website, the FBI verifies and validates all AI-generated leads with human experts.

Even though online platforms are not required to monitor activity, it’s possible they will. “Most of these AI companies will retain your chats and information for a period of time and will use that information to, if necessary, check your compliance with their usage policies,” Dell says. “In some cases, they could give it to law enforcement to comply with legal requests.” As of now, that’s most likely to occur only after a human reviews a flagged chat.

The bottom line: It’s still best to keep your curiosity in check, just as you’d do with a Google search. “AI does not change the paradigm in that search engines could, through queries, flag certain topics to share data with law enforcement, regulators or even the press,” Pavolotsky says. “The difference more broadly is that an AI tool could more effectively show how to execute an activity that may not be legal. Also, to the extent the AI tool has agentic [the ability to act independently] capabilities, it can be directed to execute an activity that may be problematic.”

Conspiracy theories

As with illegal activities, simply asking about conspiracy theories isn’t likely to get you in trouble with authorities, but it may lead you down a rabbit hole of misinformation. “Most of these tools have guardrails around controversial topics and will likely refuse to answer certain questions,” Dell says. “Of course, it’s sometimes possible to get around these guardrails, in which case the chatbot is again likely to respond in ways that are sycophantic and that confirm or support a user’s beliefs or opinions.”

Are some AI companies safer than others?

All AI programs have their faults, but Anthropic claims to put safety first (hence Claude’s “snitching” behavior) and is rated highly for privacy. The company did just hold back its most powerful product, Claude Mythos, calling it too dangerous to release to the public.

Still, Anthropic is not without criticism. It took a hit by switching its default for data use for training from “opt in” to “opt out” at the end of 2025. That means you have to go to settings and switch the tab if you don’t want Claude to use your data. This is also what you have to do with most other AI chatbots.

In general, you should read your user agreement and privacy policy, and adjust privacy and sharing settings on whatever platform you’re using. “Chatbots are as privacy-protective as the privacy notice associated with each,” Pavolotsky says—provided they actually follow it.

What should you do if you’ve talked to AI about one of these topics?

If you’ve already shared some personal info with AI that you’d prefer stay private, don’t worry. “Many chatbots provide the ability to delete your chat history, which would prevent others in your home, for example, from seeing your chats and, in some cases, will also delete your data from the AI company’s databases,” Dell says.

Here are some steps you can take to clear your chats:

1. Find out how your AI chatbot stores chats. Just as every AI chatbot has its own privacy policy, each also has different parameters for storing chats.
2. Delete the chats. In settings, delete the specific chats you want removed. Or delete them all.
3. Erase its memory. Many AIs have a memory that keeps some info about you for future conversations, even if the actual chat is deleted. You can usually go into settings and erase specific memories, or wipe the memory completely.
4. Ask it to “fuhgeddaboudit.” Give your AI a command it can’t refuse: Literally tell it to “forget about” the info you want removed, and it will be compelled to complete your request.
5. Consider backup info. As stated in its user agreement or privacy policy, the platform will likely still store a backup of your data for a specific amount of time, often 30 days, before the company deletes it. However, if the AI company is involved in a lawsuit, it may be instructed to “preserve” data even if a user wants to delete it.

What’s a safer way to get this information?

Before you share info with AI, review its privacy policy and manually change the settings. If you’re still hesitant to get candid with your chatbot, try one of these options instead:

• Set up a “temporary chat” if the AI tool has one. Using this setting, the AI won’t store a chat at all.
• Make sure you have toggled off the setting to share your data for AI training purposes. “You can request that the company not use your chats to train its AI models, which is often something you’d need to explicitly opt out of,” Dell says.
• Use a traditional internet browser, which may be more secure, to look up information. Be wary of private or incognito windows, though, which might give you a false sense of security: They only prevent your browser from remembering your search history but don’t hide your IP address or prevent data sharing from the sites you visit.
• Go analog. Sure, AI is quick, but the best sources of information may be books, your doctor, your lawyer or your therapist.

Ultimately, the best safeguard is not to share personal info with AI. “The general expectation is that information inputted into the chatbot will not be protected,” Pavolotsky says. “Understand the purpose of the tool, review the privacy notice and do not input anything into it that you would not want publicly shared.”

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• John Pavolotsky, JD, attorney and co-chair of Stoel Rives’s AI, Privacy and Cybersecurity group; email interview, April 2026
• Nicola Dell, PhD, associate professor of information science at Cornell Tech; email interview, April 2026
• Pew Research Center: “AI in Americans’ lives: Awareness, experiences and attitudes”
• Nature Medicine: “Reliability of LLMs as medical assistants for the general public: a randomized preregistered study”
• American Medical Association: “AMA urges Congress to strengthen safeguards for AI chatbots”
• NPR: “Their teenage sons died by suicide. Now, they are sounding an alarm about AI chatbots”
• New York State Bar Association: “Loose AI Prompts Sink Ships: How Heppner  Shook the Legal Community”
• FBI: “Artificial Intelligence”

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The latest carrier to edit its policy: American Airlines, which is adding a new restriction that affects a common travel device: portable chargers. If you never leave the house without a phone, tablet or laptop (or all three), you probably never travel without a power bank. And that, the airline says, is a safety concern.

So before you pick the perfect seat on the plane or triple-check those TSA liquid rules, make sure you understand the latest change. Read on for all the details.

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What is American Airlines’ new battery policy?

American Airlines is limiting portable chargers on its planes. Beginning on May 1, 2026, passengers are allowed to bring on board only two items powered by lithium or lithium-ion batteries, and neither can exceed 100 watt-hours. While the new rule mainly affects power banks (smartphones or vapes are too small to count), it also applies to suitcases with charging ports.

The devices must be visible to the flight attendants when used to charge phones, tablets or other items. And they need to be within easy reach at all other times throughout the flight. Storing them in the overhead bin is no longer an option. (Don’t plan on packing those chargers in your checked luggage either; federal aviation rules prohibit it.)

How does this compare with the old policy? Previously, American Airlines passengers were allowed up to four lithium or lithium-ion batteries with up to 100 watt-hours and two lithium or lithium-ion batteries between 100 and 160 watt-hours. Plus, you could store them in your carry-on luggage.

What’s the reasoning behind this?

Safety! The new guideline for power banks was implemented to prevent in-flight fires due to cabin pressurization. Over the past 10 years, there have been 561 verified lithium battery incidents on aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. And they’re on the rise. In 2025, there were 97 incidents, up from 89 in 2024. Case in point: An August 2025 American Airlines flight from Phoenix to Philadelphia had to make an emergency landing in Virginia because a passenger’s electronic device caught fire.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines alone have each reported at least three incidents in 2026 already. These include everything from extreme heat or smoke during the flight to—in the worst case—a midflight fire. In February 2026, for instance, an Alaska Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Seattle had to turn back after a passenger’s power bank started to burn.

Many airlines have already implemented stricter rules as a result.

Which other airlines have similar policies?

On April 20, 2026, Southwest Airlines restricted its passengers to one lithium power bank not exceeding 100 watt-hours. United Airlines currently allows two portable chargers up to 160 watt-hours per person, as does Delta Air Lines.

International airlines also have implemented new rules: The Lufthansa group and Singapore Airlines currently allow two devices up to 100 watt-hours, while British Airways permits up to four.

All the airlines above require passengers to keep their power banks at arm’s length instead of storing them in the overhead bin.

When does this new American Airlines rule go into effect?

The new American Airlines battery rule goes into effect on May 1, 2026. And it applies to all flights across the network.

Can you actually use a device with a lithium battery on your flight?

Yes. You can charge your phone, tablet, laptop or other devices with your power bank on the plane (which might be necessary, especially if you’re using the airline’s Wi-Fi on a long flight), but you are not allowed to charge the power bank itself.

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Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• American Airlines: “Restricted items”
• Federal Aviation Administration: “Lithium battery incidents”
• Safety Partners: “Lithium-Ion Battery-Related Aviation Incidents: What You Should Know”
• CBS News: “American Airlines tightens rules for portable chargers amid lithium battery concerns”
• ABC News: “American Airlines flight diverted after passenger’s device catches fire”
• Southwest Airlines: “Traveling with lithium batteries, portable chargers/power banks, e-cigarettes, and lighters”
• United Airlines: “Portable chargers, vapes and electronic devices”
• Delta Air Lines: “Battery or Fuel-Powered”
• Lufthansa: “Electronic devices and batteries”
• Singapore Airlines: “General restrictions”
• British Airways: “Restricted and prohibited items”

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But why isn’t Rover responding? Does your dog not recognize his own name? Is he just ignoring you? Or are certain types of names better than others when it comes to catching a dog’s attention? We asked research scientist Vanessa Woods, director of Duke Puppy Kindergarten, how to name a dog, what makes a good dog name and how to get your pooch to listen when you use it. Read on for all the doggy details—along with the real reason your dog may be ignoring you.

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How do you give a dog a name it will respond to?

The truth is, you can give your dog pretty much any name and teach him to respond to it. The trick is in the training. “Dogs are actually a lot smarter than we give them credit for,” says Woods. As the director of Duke Puppy Kindergarten, an NIH-funded research project at Duke University that is studying how dogs’ brains develop as they grow, Woods has raised more than 100 puppies and worked with thousands of dogs. “And based on our experience and what we know about the way dogs learn words, one name isn’t necessarily better than another,” she says. “A lot of times, dogs respond to your tone. So if you want to call your dog Rumpelstiltskin, have at it. The sky’s the limit.”

Still, while there’s no actual scientific research indicating that dogs respond better to certain names, there are some useful naming tips that might make it easier to train your dog to respond the way you want him to.

Keep it short

One- to two-syllable names tend to work best. This isn’t because your dog can’t handle multi-syllable words—it’s because you don’t want to find yourself tripping over your dog’s name when you go to use it. “Do you really want to yell ‘Rumpelstiltskin! Rumpelstiltskin!’ when your dog is way across the park and you see them doing something they’re not supposed to?” asks Woods. “It really comes down to what is easier for the owner.”

Two syllables might be the sweet spot for a dog name because it allows for a change in pitch when you say it aloud. Depending on whether your pitch is rising or falling, your dog can tell if you’re calling him with affection or displeasure. “Dogs are very sensitive to changes in pitch or tone,” says Woods. “They understand us incredibly well.”

Of course, most pet owners use multiple names for their dogs anyway, depending on the situation. So if you have your heart set on naming your hound Droolius Caesar or some other funny dog name, go for it—just be prepared to shorten it to Caesar or Drooly when you have to call him in public.

Avoid names that sound like commands

Even dogs with excellent hearing can mix up a name like “Bo” with “No” or the name “Shay” with “Stay.” That’s why many dog experts suggest avoiding giving your dog a moniker that sounds like a command you’d use in training.

“It’s not just the phonetics dogs listen to. They also pay attention to your tone and hand movements,” says Woods. “But if their name sounds like the command and you had similar hand movements, your dog can get confused.” In our tech-infused world, it’s also a good idea to avoid names like Alexa and Siri.

Skip the uber popular names

The most popular dogs names tend to feature hard consonants and long vowels. (More about that in a sec.) Chewy’s list of the top dog names of 2026 includes Luna, Bella, Daisy, Charlie, Lucy, Max, Cooper, Milo, Bailey and Buddy. All are great names, but if you go that route, know that the odds are very good there will be more than one Luna or Max at the dog park or doggie day care, and that can get confusing.

At Duke Puppy Kindergarten, each litter of puppies is named based on a common theme. “We just had the King Henry litter, so it was King Henry and his wives,” says Woods. “And then there were the witches, Elphaba and Sabrina and so on. We’ve done trees (Cypress, Willow), and next is cheeses, so Brie and Gruyere and such.” That kind of outside-the-dog-park thinking can help you find a name that still has the vibe you want but has a unique spin.

Hold on—aren’t names with hard consonants supposed to get dogs to listen?

You may have heard this common tip on how to name a dog the right way: choosing a name with a hard consonant sound like a “D” or “K” to better catch a dog’s attention. But Woods says she hasn’t seen any evidence of that, and more recent research suggests dogs don’t really differentiate phonetics the way we do. Ditto for the thinking that there’s an advantage to names that end in vowels, usually a long “ee” or a short “a” sound. “Humans might find them easier to say,” Woods says, “but I don’t think the dog cares either way.”

What dogs do seem to respond to is “motherese,” that sing-songy way of speaking that adults often use with babies—and pets. “When adults are talking to babies, their pitch automatically goes higher and their voice is friendlier and affectionate,” says Woods. “Service dogs in training responded really well to motherese—it seemed to motivate them and get their energy up.” But be forewarned: Some dogs might get a little too excited by this kind of talk. “When we tested pet dogs, some of them went bananas and couldn’t even function. It might just be temperament, because service dogs are bred to be super calm.”

So how do you teach your dog to respond to its name?

One word: treats. At Puppy Kindergarten, trainers will sit down on the floor next to a puppy, say its name and give it a treat, repeating the process over and over until the dog makes the connection. “Say their name, they look at you, you give them a treat,” says Woods. “It doesn’t take long.”

When the puppy is consistently responding to its name for a treat, trainers will say a different word instead of the name, and not offer a treat. “You only give them a treat when it’s their name,” says Woods. “That’s how we teach them to respond to it.”

Once the animal has learned its name, command training begins, with the dogs learning to sit, stay, come, etc., again with treats as the reward for tasks completed. And while some dogs learn faster than others, most are capable of learning far more than we give them credit for. “Dogs understand a lot, especially if you’re teaching them with intention,” says Woods. “But honestly, even if you’re not, they pick it up.”

Are there any differences if you’re naming a puppy for the first time vs. renaming a dog?

“Not really,” says Woods. “We have a lot of dogs that change names midlife—service dogs who retire and go to new families often get new names. We had a retired service dog who was our ‘principal’ at Puppy Kindergarten for years before he died. His name was something like Mackenzie, but we called him Congo, and he did just fine.”

So what does it mean when your dog doesn’t respond to his name?

He’s just being a dog. “It’s like when I call my kids sometimes, and they don’t respond because they’re doing something more interesting or something they want to do more than listen to me,” says Woods. “Or maybe they just can’t be bothered. There’s a whole bunch of reasons why your dog might be ignoring you when you call him, but it’s probably not his name.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on how to name a dog, Cynthia Sanz Carstens tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who frequently covers pets for Reader’s Digest. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Vanessa Woods, director of Duke Puppy Kindergarten and author of Puppy Kindergarten: The New Science of Raising a Great Dog; interviewed, April 2026
• Chewy: “The Most Popular Dog Names for 2026”
• American Kennel Club: “How to Choose Your Dog’s Name”
• Royal Society Publishing: “Event-related potentials reveal limited readiness to access phonetic details during word processing in dogs”
• Communications Biology: “Dog brains are sensitive to infant- and dog-directed prosody”

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Not necessarily. That first Google result doesn’t always mean it’s the best anymore—it might simply mean the company paid Google to get priority billing on the search engine. Now, scammers are infiltrating Google’s sponsored-advertising system to trick buyers, and if you’re not careful, your next online shopping trip could turn into a digital disaster.

Read on to find out the big dangers that could be hiding in those little search results—and how to avoid falling for this new scam the next time you’re online.

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What is the new Google scam you need to watch out for?

Scammers are buying sponsored ads to put fraudulent websites at the top of Google searches, and they look completely legit at first glance. Some may even appear to come from companies you’d normally trust—department stores, luxury brands and travel services, to name a few. While some of these sites sell counterfeit products, others are phishing scams, which trick you into giving away your personal information. The scammer then uses that information to charge your credit card, hack your accounts or even steal your identity.

One TikTok user fell for this scam when clicking on a sponsored link from “American Airlines” when she needed a last-minute flight change. She clicked on the ad, which connected to a website that looked real, and even called the number to rebook her flight with an agent. It all seemed “completely normal,” but as it turned out, the site was fake, the agent was a scammer and he now had her credit card information and assorted personal details.

Although Google is the most obvious place that these fake ads appear, they also show up on other search engines like Bing and social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

Of course, not all sponsored ad links are fake. The scam wouldn’t work if only hackers used them. But a fake ad doesn’t look much different from a real one, making it a reliable way to stick phishing scams in front of unsuspecting users.

What can happen if you click on one of these fake ads?

Visiting a scammy site likely won’t harm you—the trouble starts when you give the fake site your money and personal information.

Let’s start with the money. “If you’re dealing with a site that sells counterfeit goods, they will accept just plain credit cards,” says Damon McCoy, PhD, an NYU professor and the co-director of NYU’s Center for Cybersecurity. “But if they’re perpetrating an outright scam, they’ll ask to do an e-check, sometimes a money wire or something like Zelle or CashApp.” In other words, they’ll encourage transactions that are harder to track and refund, often with cash. Some sites will claim that using these riskier payment methods will earn you a bigger discount.

During checkout, the site might ask for personal information like your address, phone number, account passwords or Social Security number. Scammers can then sell this information to insurance companies or telemarketers—or, says McCoy, “file fraudulent tax returns on your behalf” and engage in other forms of identity theft.

In other cases, the site will display a pop-up claiming that your device is infected with a virus, and to get rid of it, you’ll need to either call someone on their team or download a program. Here, the scammer is trying to manipulate you into paying for malware disguised as a fake anti-virus program or into giving them remote access to your computer.

How prevalent is this scam?

It’s hard to tell how common these sorts of scams are, and many are caught by companies before they make their way to the public. According to a recent report from Google’s Ads Privacy and Safety team, in 2025 Google “blocked or removed … 602 million ads and 4 million accounts associated with scams.” The company is also requiring more businesses to verify their identity before running ads. Meanwhile, Meta claims that in 2025 it “removed over 159 million scam ads” and “took down 10.9 million accounts … associated with criminal scam centers.”

However, with that kind of bombardment, a significant number still slip under the radar. How many? Brace yourself for this sobering stat: In 2025, Reuters uncovered evidence that Meta makes a significant amount of its yearly revenue from scam ads—we’re talking 10% of its 2024 revenue, which works out to a whopping $16 billion. So, yes, a large number of scam ads are still getting through!

How can you tell if a sponsored site is a scam?

It’s not always obvious that you’re browsing a scam site. But there are a few red flags you should be on the lookout for.

• A sense of urgency: Nearly every scam uses this tactic, according to McCoy. The site might say that a once-in-a-lifetime deal will expire in 5 minutes; another might tell you that if you don’t download its anti-virus right away, you’ll lose all your data. In both cases, the site is trying to scare you into acting without thinking. A normal store won’t threaten you like this.
• Unusual payment methods: Legitimate brands generally won’t ask you to pay via cash, CashApp or Zelle. If you can’t pay via credit card, you should be suspicious.
• Typos: Look at the site’s branding, text and URL for typos. If you think you’re shopping at Nordstrom but the URL reads “n0rdstrom.com,” you’re in the wrong place.
• Unbelievable deals: If a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is. Websites that claim they sell products for massive discounts, especially luxury products, are probably hiding something.

Should you avoid these sponsored links altogether?

Generally, yes. If you’re shopping on Google, avoid links marked as “sponsored” and scroll down instead to the actual results. If it’s a popular enough brand, chances are they’ll be the first real result anyway. And if you’re using a computer, you can also remove sponsored ads entirely by installing a plugin like uBlock Origin.

What should you do if you’ve fallen for one of these scams?

If you believe you’ve already fallen victim to a scam, take these steps immediately:

• Contact your bank or credit card company ASAP. If you catch the fake charge within three months, there’s a good chance that your bank will reimburse it, especially if you tell them the details of how you were scammed. Fake debit card charges are harder to contest, but you should still contact your bank ASAP. And, of course, cancel your compromised card and get a new one.
• Temporarily freeze your credit. This way, fake charges won’t impact your credit score. McCoy says that once a scammer tries charging you for something and the transaction fails, they’re unlikely to try it again.
• If you’ve shared your social security number, contact the IRS. You can ask the IRS for a PIN code that will prevent anyone from filing tax returns on your behalf.
• Change your passwords. This is essential if the scammer has accessed your online accounts. In the future, consider using a password manager that will let you create and save long, complex passwords that are harder to crack.
• Report fake sponsored ads. Here’s a handy list of links where you can do that for each platform:
  • Google
  • Bing
  • Meta
  • You should also report them to law enforcement officials like the Internet Crime Complaint Center and Federal Trade Commission, but don’t expect to receive a personal response.

Unfortunately, if you paid in cash using Zelle, CashApp or a money order, there’s not much you can do. Law enforcement agencies, even going as high up as the FBI, rarely pursue individual scammers. Instead, they advise consumers to be careful online—which you can absolutely do in the future. The key is to stay alert, calm … and skeptical.

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Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. For this piece, William Antonelli tapped her experience as a longtime tech writer to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Damon McCoy, professor at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering and co-director of NYU’s Center for Cybersecurity; interviewed, April 2026
• Google: “Gemini is stopping harmful ads before people ever see them”
• Meta: “Fighting Scammers and Protecting People With New Technology and Partnerships”
• Reuters: “Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show”
• Google: “Advertiser verification”

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A 2026 analysis takes a fresh look at what it costs to raise a child in America (excluding college), and even seasoned parents might do a double-take. Costs have climbed fast—in some cases, shockingly fast.

So before you read on, take a guess: What does it cost to raise a child from birth to 18 today? Lock in your number, then keep reading to see how close you come to reality.

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How did the study determine how much it costs to raise a child?

To estimate the real cost of raising a child, LendingTree focused on the amount of additional money parents spend because they have a child. That includes both child-specific expenses like day care and everyday expenses that having children affects, like rent, food and transportation. To better capture the true financial impact, the analysis includes the full cost of child care as an added expense but calculates only the difference between households with and without children for categories like rent or groceries.

Most of the data comes from 2024, with newer figures used where available for major categories like food, child care and tax benefits. The study examines costs across key areas—including housing, food, child care, clothing, transportation, health insurance and tax credits—drawing from a mix of national and state-level sources, such as the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, MIT Living Wage Calculator and industry reports. Together, these inputs create a comprehensive, apples-to-apples estimate of what families can expect to spend raising a child through age 18.

So how much does it cost to raise a child in 2026?

The cost of raising a child through age 18 has increased again, exceeding a whopping $300,000 for the first time since LendingTree began tracking in 2023. More specifically, you can expect to spend around $303,418 to raise a child in America. On average, this works out to about $16,857 per year over 18 years, reflecting a 1.9% increase from the previous year.

Rising costs were widespread across the country. Annual expenses for raising a young child increased in 39 states and the District of Columbia, with 14 states seeing jumps of at least 10%. In some states, this increase was significant: Nebraska (27.4%), Montana (24.5%), Maine (24.4%) and Wisconsin (23.3%) recorded some of the largest year-over-year rises in kid-related costs.

While this report didn’t include college, it’s worth mentioning here, since this cost is on the horizon. Data from U.S. News & World Report shows that for the 2025–2026 school year, private colleges charged an average of $44,961 in tuition and fees. That’s far above the typical cost at public institutions, where in-state students paid about $11,371 and out-of-state students around $25,415. But either way you cut it, if your child is going to college, you can expect a hefty added expense.

Which kiddie costs skyrocketed the most?

Rent was the most significant kid-related cost: In 2026, the average rent was $1,680, up 48.9% from 2025 (when it was $1,128) and up 52.2% from 2023 (when it was $1,104).

Food made a large jump from 2023 to 2026 as well, with a 29.3% increase from $3,254 to $4,208.

Another category where costs went way up? Girls’ clothing, which went up 26.7% from last year ($313 in 2026 vs. $247 in 2025). And while infant day care is slightly lower this year than last year, the cost has soared since 2023, when it was only $11,752; now, it’s $17,264—a 46.9% jump.

The report focused on kid-related costs and doesn’t take into account that basically everything these days costs more than it used to, thanks to recent inflation and economic instability due to the war.

What are the most expensive states to raise a child?

You’ll spend a hefty sum raising a kid for nearly two decades, but some states really strain the budget. LendingTree looked at overall costs, plus how much money you’ll spend during the early years—you know, when child care adds extra expenses. Read on for what the study found.

Where raising a child costs the most

Families in six states are projected to spend more than $300,000 raising a child over 18 years. Here’s how the most expensive child-rearing states stack up:

1. Hawaii: $412,661
2. Alaska: $365,047
3. Maryland: $326,360
4. California: $312,300
5. New Jersey: $312,295
6. Kansas: $303,250

Where those first five years cost the most

The study zoomed in on early childhood and found that residents of certain states pay a higher price when their kids are little. Parents in Hawaii face the highest expenses in the country, spending an average of $40,342 per year during a child’s first five years. That amount also represents about 27.4% of typical household income going toward basic child-rearing costs.

Maryland and Massachusetts follow, with annual costs for the first five years of their kid’s life averaging $36,419 and $34,247, respectively. Of the 10 most expensive states, nearly all are coastal, with Colorado as the only inland exception, ranking seventh at about $31,000 per year for the first five years.

What are the cheapest states to raise a child?

Some states are way more affordable when it comes to raising kids. In fact, parents will spend about half as much money raising kids in the cheapest states as they do in Hawaii.

Where raising a child costs the least

Here’s how the top six cheapest child-rearing states stack up:

1. New Hampshire: $201,963
2. Washington, D.C.: $202,115
3. South Carolina: $204,213
4. Mississippi: $208,621
5. Alabama: $212,121
6. Iowa: $215,443

Where those first five years cost the least

Zeroing in on the first five years of a child’s life, the study found that yearly expenses for raising young children are generally lowest across Southern states. Mississippi ($17,148) and Alabama ($18,019) come in with the smallest price tags for those early years, while South Dakota ($18,622)—the only state outside the South in the bottom group—lands in third place.

A major factor behind these lower costs is child care: All three states report average annual infant day-care expenses under $10,000. Arkansas, which ranks fifth-lowest at $19,204 per year for those first five years, is the only other state to fall below that $10,000 threshold for day care ($9,178), helping keep overall costs more manageable.

Is there any good news here?

Yes, but the good news is minimal: According to the report, the yearly cost of raising a child during the first five years actually ticked down slightly, from $29,419 to $29,325—which is a decrease of about 0.3%. This is because one cost did go down for parents, and it’s not what you’d expect: day care. In fact, day care was the only category to see a meaningful decline, falling by $572 per year (about 3.2%) from 2025 to 2026, while most other expenses stayed nearly the same.

In 11 states, the yearly cost of raising a young child went down from 2025 to 2026—but in most cases, the drop was fairly small (less than 2%). One state stood out: New Hampshire, where costs fell sharply by 19.5% in just one year.

Only two other states saw more noticeable declines: North Dakota, down 9.9%, and Vermont, down 5.2%. Everywhere else, the changes were modest.

Finally, while families spend an average of 21.9% of their income on the basic annual expenses to raise a small child, this number is actually down slightly from 22.6% in the 2025 analysis.

What is the average cost of raising a child in 2026 in every state?

Here is the full list of the average cost of raising a child in 2026 by state, going from highest to lowest:

1. Hawaii: $412,661
2. Alaska: $365,047
3. Maryland: $326,360
4. California: $312,300
5. New Jersey: $312,295
6. Kansas: $303,250
7. Washington: $297,341
8. Arizona: $294,982
9. Nebraska: $294,926
10. Montana: $293,926
11. Connecticut: $293,728
12. Maine: $289,573
13. Colorado: $285,293
14. Florida: $280,280
15. New York: $278,051
16. Idaho: $278,023
17. Utah: $276,509
18. Massachusetts: $273,981
19. Virginia: $266,117
20. Indiana: $264,147
21. Minnesota: $262,330
22. Wyoming: $262,014
23. Missouri: $261,380
24. North Dakota: $259,123
25. Oregon: $257,569
26. West Virginia: $254,005
27. Wisconsin: $253,332
28. Pennsylvania: $249,441
29. North Carolina: $247,998
30. Rhode Island: $245,738
31. Nevada: $244,944
32. Illinois: $244,826
33. Louisiana: $242,450
34. Oklahoma: $241,405
35. Delaware: $235,920
36. Tennessee: $235,164
37. Michigan: $233,218
38. Kentucky: $232,131
39. Texas: $229,891
40. Vermont: $229,428
41. Arkansas: $226,354
42. Ohio: $224,228
43. South Dakota: $222,976
44. Georgia: $222,713
45. New Mexico: $218,588
46. Iowa: $215,443
47. Alabama: $212,121
48. Mississippi: $208,621
49. South Carolina: $204,213
50. Washington, D.C.: $202,115
51. New Hampshire: $201,963

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• LendingTree: “It Costs an Additional $303,418 to Raise a Child Over 18 Years, Up 1.9%”
• U.S. News & World Report: “The Cost of Private vs. Public Colleges”

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The post It Costs *What* to Raise a Child in 2026?! (And This Doesn’t Even Include College!) appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Of course, traveling during those peak times was a lot more complicated, and often more expensive, but the payoff felt worth it. There was also another problem with my strategy. Inevitably, to make those few extended jaunts work, I’d face long stretches with no time off at all. And while those mega trips were pretty amazing, the trade-off was steep.

Well, these days, an increasing number of travelers are taking a different approach to their days off—a trend called microcations, also known as microtraveling. I’m always down for any sort of escape, but the question in my mind while researching this topic was whether a shorter getaway is just a desperate substitute for the real deal. As it turns out, these shorter, more frequent trips can be just as rewarding as a longer getaway—if you plan them right. Here’s what to know about them before you book.

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What are microcations?

The definition of microcations can vary slightly. Expedia refers to them as flying to any destination for 24 hours, while Airbnb classifies them as one- or two-day international getaways.

Lucie Kittel, the founder of Domino Travel, says she thinks of microcations as four nights or less, and she notes that her clients often refer to them as “quick getaways.” She adds, “It’s less about a formal definition and more about the intention: a fast, meaningful reset without the complexity of a full trip.”

Who’s taking microcations?

TikTok fueled the surge in popularity of microcations, but they’re quickly going mainstream, especially among Gen Zers and Millennials. According to Expedia, 25% of travelers in each group plan to jet off on a one-day trip this year.

Airbnb’s 2026 travel-predictions report echoes that shift, noting faster growth in search interest for short international getaways than traditional longer vacations. The company also reports that “young travelers are now crossing continents for high-energy, culture-rich escapes,” skipping laid-back beach destinations and instead choosing vibrant cities known for music, dance, historic sites and authentic cuisine.

Kittel confirms that her microcation clients span a range of ages, but couples, in particular, are really embracing the trend. “It’s simply easier to step away for a few days without coordinating a full family trip,” she explains. “It feels doable, even in the middle of a busy season.”

Are microcations really worth it?

They certainly can be! But what feels worthwhile for one traveler may not cut it for another, so it’s really about figuring out what makes you happy. Here are a few key things to consider when deciding whether a micro getaway meshes with your travel style.

The perks of microtrips

• A little vacay goes a long way. “A few days away can shift your entire mindset,” Kittel says. “You don’t need two weeks to feel like yourself again—you just need the right three or four days.”
• They can cost less. Less time in a destination means less spending on things like meals and activities, not to mention hotels.
• You can treat yourself. Special lodging experiences, like staying in a fancy suite or iconic hotel, are more affordable on shorter trips. After all, you’ll be booking fewer nights—maybe even just one!
• It’s easier to be present. With less time on the ground, microcations naturally force a more intentional approach to experiencing a place, helping you focus on really enjoying the moment.

Where short trips can fall short

• Microcations can go wrong quickly. Just a short flight delay or other snafu that would normally not be a big deal can completely derail a mini trip.
• Exhaustion can set in faster. The strain of flights, jet lag and the rush from one activity to the next may take a toll on even the heartiest of travelers.
• Planning things to do in unfamiliar cities adds uncertainty. “You book the hip restaurant, the museum, the spa and the rooftop bar—all in different neighborhoods—and suddenly your ‘vacation’ is just Uber rides and stress,” warns Sarah Dandashy, a hospitality expert and the creator of Ask a Concierge.
• There’s less room to be spontaneous. “I can’t tell you how many guests I watched heartbroken at the concierge desk because the place they wanted was fully booked,” says Dandashy, a former concierge at properties like The Peninsula and Four Seasons.

How can you make the microcation trend work for you?

No matter how short you go, keeping a few practical tactics in mind can make one of these mini trips feel more rewarding than rushed.

Spend where it really makes a difference

There’s no reason microcations shouldn’t feel as luxe as a lengthier trip, so consider splurging on perks. Kittel says these short trips are the perfect time to upgrade, whether that’s flying first class or booking a better room. “You want to arrive relaxed, and maximize every hour,” she says.

That said, you don’t have to blow your budget to have a more elevated experience. All those points you’ve been stashing away? They can come in really handy on the fly. Data from point.me, a search engine for airline points and credit card rewards, shows that microcations often require fewer points, especially for short-haul, off-peak flights, which also tend to have better availability and are more easily booked at the last minute.

Get there smartly, and stay efficiently

Microcations are best enjoyed on the ground, not killing time at the airport or sleeping off jet lag. “If you’re spending half the trip in transit or adjusting to a new time zone, it defeats the purpose,” Kittel says. “Keep it simple: nonstop flights, similar time zones and minimal transfers.”

She also recommends booking the earliest flight out so you arrive by lunchtime. “You’ve essentially gained a full day,” Kittel says. Early departures come with the bonus advantage of fewer delays, since disruptions tend to cascade later in the day, especially in the event of bad weather. I like to take long weekend trips to Chicago—a hub city notorious for flight delays—and aim for one of the first flights out for this exact reason. On the return, I leave as late in the afternoon or evening as my schedule allows so I can squeeze in as much time as possible before heading back to the grind.

But it also pays not to limit microtrips to weekends alone. According to point.me, adding a weekday or two and avoiding Christmas and other popular holidays can improve award availability and help you sidestep peak pricing.

Maximize every hour on the ground

Pick a hotel in the heart of the area where you most want to spend time so you can step out the door and be in the thick of things. On a longer trip to Tokyo a couple of years ago, I added in a microtrip of sorts to Kyoto. I didn’t have much time to spend, so I stayed at the Park Hyatt Kyoto in the Higashiyama district because it had everything I was looking for—walkable streets, the historic Yasaka Pagoda and great shopping along the Ninenzaka slope. The Park Hyatt Kyoto also did a great job reflecting its surroundings and the location’s vibe, so even if I hadn’t ventured far from the property, the quick side quest would have still been great.

Also consider boutique hotels, since they can often offer more personalized service, with staff who know the neighborhood well. Another key is to ask for early/late checkout. On a short trip, even a few extra hours in your hotel room can make a huge difference.

Travel with intention

The best part of going away is experiencing something new or something you had your heart set on. With an abbreviated microcation schedule, Dandashy recommends setting priorities by starting with a simple question: “’What’s the one thing that if I come home without doing it, I’ll regret?’ Build around that.”

Her best tip is to plan for one standout meal. “Food is memory,” she says, pointing out that a really special dining experience can anchor the entire trip and become a story you tell when you get home. On my Kyoto microcation from my vacation, I always think about a tiny six-person restaurant along the Kamo River, where the chef, tending a small grill, served me delicately smoked and charred dishes one by one from behind the counter. That single meal made the couple of days I had in Kyoto feel so full in the best possible way.

Do less, but still experience more

Avoid overpacking the itinerary. “Depth over breadth,” Dandashy says. “When I was a luxury hotel concierge, the guests who left the happiest weren’t the ones who checked off the most boxes—they were the ones who had two or three genuinely memorable moments.”

Another reason to avoid the “go big or go home” mentality? You leave room for serendipity. “Ironically, the travelers who try to do the least on a short trip often feel the most refreshed,” Dandashy says. An aimless walk or a leisurely morning coffee with a view can end up being the highlight of a microcation. “Leave room for magic—don’t schedule it away!”

Where should you go on a microcation?

Not all destinations are created equally when it comes to microtrips. The best ones are easy to reach, with direct routes and minimal time-zone changes. The goal is to get there quickly so you can slow down and enjoy it. These destinations can make ideal domestic and international short-trip getaways from many parts of the U.S.

• Bermuda: British charm, beautiful beaches and pastel-hued towns make Bermuda an ideal place to switch into island time. Direct flights take just over two hours from New York City, making it an effortless East Coast escape that feels worlds away.
• Montreal, Quebec, Canada: A strong cafe culture, French speakers and world-class dining give visitors to Montreal a strong dose of European atmosphere without the jet lag. And it’s just a 1.5-hour flight from Chicago or a six-hour drive from Boston.
• Reykjavík, Iceland: At roughly a five-hour flight from the Northeast, Reykjavík is one of the easiest short-haul transatlantic microtrips. The compact, walkable capital serves as a great launching point for surreal day trips—volcanic landscapes, waterfalls, glaciers and geothermal lagoons.
• Mexico City, Mexico: The weather in the high-altitude capital is generally mild and comfortable year-round, while the contemporary dining scene is world-class. Unique neighborhoods like Condesa and Roma pulse with character and are endlessly walkable. Compared with other vacation spots in Mexico, the affordable city avoids high-tourism intensity.
• San Juan, Puerto Rico: Lively plazas and a relaxed Caribbean vibe add up to San Juan being an especially appealing option for microcations—especially since you can go from bustling barrios to the beach in mere minutes. It’s just under a four-hour flight from Atlanta, and as a U.S. territory, it doesn’t require a passport if you’re traveling from the mainland.
• New Orleans, Louisiana: Centered around the French Quarter, the spirited city is a dream for anyone with a taste for jazz and a thirst for a good time. New Orleans is the kind of place where even a short visit is packed with lots of energy. Think: live music spilling out of Frenchmen Street clubs, towering po’boys at institutions like Verti Marte, and powdery beignets at the always-hopping Café du Monde.
• Chicago, Illinois: The Windy City delivers big-city energy, with iconic architecture, lakefront views and standout food scenes that make it a great short escape. Delicious deep-dish pizza and Chicago hot dogs are best worked off on strolls along the Riverwalk or through Millennium Park.
• Washington, D.C.: A highly navigable destination, D.C. offers microtrippers everything from world-class museums and monumental history to plenty of things to do and places to dine in its varied neighborhoods—all within easy reach. A visit to the Smithsonian museums, the National Mall and Georgetown can all be fit into even a short stay.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Lucie Kittel, founder of Domino Travel; email interview, April 2026
• Sarah Dandashy, founder of Ask a Concierge; email interview, April 2026
• Expedia: “Expedia 2026 Air Hacks: Friday Takes Off as the New Cheapest Day to Depart and Book”
• Airbnb: “2026 travel predictions revealed”
• Point.me: “Microcations are having a moment, but they aren’t always cheap—unless you’re using points”

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The post Overworked and Underpaid? Here’s How to Take a Microcation for a Quick (and Refreshing!) Break appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Yup, the bad guys have cooked up a new way to con you.

If you’ve already lost money to one of these online scams, you’re not alone. According to the most recent data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), consumers lost $15.9 billion to scams in 2025, up from $12.5 billion in 2024. Lois Greisman, associate director of the FTC’s division of marketing practices, testified before the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee on March 25, 2026, saying, “Reported fraud losses have increased year-over-year in the last six years and have risen nearly 430% since 2020.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reports that phishing remains one of the top reported fraud categories, and social engineering scams are rising because they rely on trust, not just tech. That Evite with all your friends on the mailing list? It’s the latest phishing scam, and it’s just the sort of social engineering attack that can fool even the most tech-savvy among us. Keep reading for everything you need to know and the tips to keep you safe.

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How does this evite scam work, exactly?

The evite scam works in an alarmingly simple way. Picture this: You’re scanning your inbox and come across something from Evite, Paperless Post, Punchbowl or another digital invitation service. The message appears to come from someone in your contact list, and the subject says something like “Save the Date!” You’ll see a link to “RSVP here.”

Of course, there is no party and no need to reply.

According to Evite, there has been a significant uptick in phishing scams since the beginning of 2026, and scammers are using Evite’s branding and formatting to trick people into clicking their links. Even Evite says these fake invitations look remarkably similar to its own, and since the emails are spoofed, the invite feels eerily legitimate, like it really is coming from someone you know.

What can happen if you click on one of these scam evites?

If you open the digital invite and don’t click any links, you’re probably fine. But we don’t see any need to linger on a potentially dangerous message. And we can’t stress enough how important it is to never click on a link unless you’re absolutely certain you know the sender. All the cybersecurity experts I’ve interviewed in my many years of covering scams have said the same thing: Never click the link.

But let’s say you already did. What are you in for?

• It looks like a dead link: Some victims have reported that the link does nothing when they click on it. That doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. While it might appear like a dead link, it may be installing malware on your computer.
• It’s a working link: If the link sends you to a site that prompts you for a password, consider this a major red flag. You’re potentially giving hackers the ability to change your passwords and get into your email, bank accounts and more. This makes it easier for these bad actors to steal your money and your identity.

How can you tell an evite is fake?

The fake evite takes advantage of the human desire to be included, and parties with friends are the last place we might expect to be scammed. We’re more likely to have our guard up when it comes to tax scams or job scams—places where money is exchanged and where you might have to share your Social Security number—and not an innocent-sounding happy hour or baby shower.

Luckily, there are some easy ways to tell if an evite is a ploy:

• The sender’s email doesn’t quite match. Look past the name to the actual address. Evites, for instance, always come from evite.com, while Punchbowl invites come from a punchbowl.com address.
• You weren’t expecting an invite from this person. Be especially cautious if the evite is out of character.
• The link URL looks off. Hover over a button or link before clicking and look for misspellings or extra characters. Phishing emails are notorious for sending victims to a phony but just-similar-enough URL.
• There are generic or vague event details. “Party” and “Event” are suspicious in this context, and a lack of specifics is a red flag.
• There’s a sense of urgency or pressure to RSVP quickly. Any time you see a sense of urgency on the internet, take a minute to look more closely.
• The login page appears unexpectedly. Real invites don’t usually require you to sign up or log in just to view details.
• Ask your friend. When all else fails, reach out to the person who allegedly sent the invite. Ask them whether they sent an electronic invite and confirm the details.

How can you tell if your computer is compromised?

It’s not always easy to tell if your computer has been compromised, mostly because malware is designed to be invisible. This is why running a scan is critical, even if everything seems fine.

Here are some signs to look out for:

• Slower performance
• Programs opening/closing on their own
• Browser redirects
• Unknown logins or password-reset emails

What should you do if you’ve clicked on one of these evites?

If you’ve clicked on an evite link, it’s important to act quickly. Here’s what to do in this order:

1. Disconnect from the internet (if you suspect malware).
2. Run a scan using reputable antivirus software.
3. Change passwords—especially for email and bank accounts.
4. Mark the evite as spam and report it as a phishing email.
5. Enable two-factor authentication.
6. Monitor your financial accounts.
7. If it looks like a scammer mimicked a friend’s email address to send you the fake evite, notify that person so they can secure their account.
8. Consider freezing your credit.
9. Report it to the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The bottom line: Scammers know how humans work. They play on our need to be included (an invite, yay!), reassure us with familiarity (it’s from an old friend!) and know that most of us won’t check the tiny details (eh, it’s probably fine!). Your best defense against these bad guys is slowing down and trusting your gut. If something about the evite seems fishy, a party won’t make it better.

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Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Federal Trade Commission: “The Rising Scam Economy: Modernizing Federal Approaches to Protect Americans from Foreign Fraudsters”
• Federal Bureau of Investigation: “FBI Releases Annual Internet Crime Report”
• Evite: “Is that Evite real or a phishing scam? How to tell the difference”

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OK, first things first: If you’ve gotten a whiff of this god-awful spring smell, it’s not your imagination. This pretty tree with the putrid smell is a prolific part of the mid-Atlantic landscape and has been since the mid–20th century. But why? Just … why?

There’s a scientific reason for this madness, even if we’re still scratching our heads about it. To get the answer, we talked to Michael Gildea, a certified arborist and the president of the Professional Grounds Management Society. Read on to learn the truth about this trauma-inducing stench.

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What tree is responsible for that horrible smell?

The cute little tree that smells a lot like death is called the Bradford pear tree. Native to East Asia, the Callery pear (which gave us the Bradford pear) entered the U.S. by way of the USDA in the early 1900s. The plan was to use it as rootstock, since it was resistant to some of the things plaguing native pear trees. Basically, arborists grafted its root base to the fruiting parts of native pear trees, making the native trees hardier in the process.

Then, in the 1950s, the Bradford pear tree exploded in popularity. Why? Oh, so many reasons: It’s fast-growing, it produces lovely little white flowers in the spring and it doesn’t have messy fruit (the tiny, hard-fleshed fruit it does produce is inedible). But best of all, it tolerates a range of soil and weather conditions, making it particularly suited to thriving in urban and suburban environments. Lady Bird Johnson even publicly planted one in downtown Washington, D.C., in 1966.

According to Gildea, the plant’s popularity surged even more in the late ’80s and early ’90s. However, as the issues the plant creates have become more obvious, and as our understanding of ecosystems has evolved, the once-beloved Bradford pear has become almost universally maligned.

Why, for the love of all that is holy, do these trees smell like that?

The secret to Bradford pears’ stench can be found in their pollination—or, more specifically, who is doing the pollinating.

Here’s a hint: It’s not bees.

Flies pollinate the Bradford pear tree, which means that its rotten-fish-semen-ammonia-carrion scent is an adaptation that serves it well. (And yes, those are all the delightful terms that people have used to describe it.) According to a 2025 paper published in Science, certain plants—like the Bradford pear tree and the ever-popular corpse flower, to name another example—developed an enzyme that mimics the smell of rotting flesh in order to attract their specific pollinators. This enzyme, called DSS, evolved from changes within the amino acid structures in the plants, and it developed in a number of different plant lineages. And even though we might not like the smell, it created an evolutionary advantage for the plants that developed it. (More on that in a minute.)

Is it true that not everyone smells this awful smell?

Believe it or not, yes. And it all has to do with our brains—and our genes.

According to the Monell Chemical Senses Center, humans have about 400 different smell receptors, and each of these receptors can have slight genetic variability, meaning each person has their own unique set. As a result, every single person has their own specific sense of smell and experience with smell.

The way a Bradford pear tree smells to you depends on your unique set of receptors, so it’s possible you’ve been walking by them all this time without even noticing a smell. Or maybe you’ve been picking up on a light floral scent. Or maybe you’ve smelled a pot of rotting fish that makes you want to avoid being outside for two weeks every spring. It just depends.

Why are they so popular in the U.S.?

Gildea explains that the Bradford pear tree became a popular choice because “it’s tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and urban conditions, [and] it doesn’t have any insects or disease pests.” In fact, “through the ’80s and even into the ’90s, it was probably the most planted street tree in the United States.”

As a testimony to their hardiness, one of these trees even survived the 9/11 attacks and remains a symbol of survivorship at Ground Zero in New York City.

What’s the other big problem with Bradford pear trees?

The best thing about Bradford pear trees might also be the worst thing about them: They aren’t native to the U.S. This means Bradford pears don’t have many natural checks and balances within the ecosystem, so they’re able to grow quickly without falling victim to the kinds of blights, pestilences, microorganisms and animals that might impact a native varietal—all of which would help keep its population under control.

In other words, their ability to remain unimpacted by native pests and critters means Bradford pear trees are an invasive species that can run rampant, taking over whole urban and rural expanses with their stinky, fast-growing ways. And once they reach around year 20 of their roughly 25-year life cycle, Bradford pears start to literally fall apart due to their weak wood and flimsy branch joints. This can create chaos in areas with lots of Bradford pears in the wake of heavy snow, wind or rain, with downed branches and broken trees littering an urban area and sometimes taking down power lines along the way.

Because of the issues created by Bradford pear trees, some states have banned their continued use and made plans to quarantine and phase out existing trees.

If you have one, is there any way to get it to smell less?

“Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything you can do about the odor because when it flowers, it flowers,” Gildea says. The one ray of hope amid the stench? “It blooms for a relatively short period of time.”

And if you are in the market for a tree, you might want to choose something else. Gildea suggests opting for native trees that look as pretty as Bradford pears but don’t bring the smelly complications. He often recommends serviceberry trees to people who want relatively small flowering trees that don’t produce messy fruit. They bloom with very similar white flowers—and none of the stink.

RELATED:

• Here’s Why Seasonal Allergies Are So Much Worse for Women Than Men
• Here’s the Real Reason Why Winter Air Smells So Good
• This One Type of Plant Can Actually Protect Your Home from a Wildfire

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Michael Gildea, certified arborist, president of the Professional Grounds Management Society and director of horticulture at the Chevy Chase Club; phone interview, April 27, 2026
• New York Times: “The Ups and Downs of the Bradford Pear”
• Kellogg Garden: “What is rootstock?”
• Science: “Convergent acquisition of disulfide-forming enzymes in malodorous flowers”
• Monell Center: “What Genetics Can Tell Us About Comprehending the World Through Smell”
• Mississippi State University Extension: “The Fishy Truth about Bradford Pear Trees”
• USA Today: “Bradford pear trees are banned in a few states. More are looking to replace, eradicate them”

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It’s unclear how Freeman did in the class, but 60 years later, fans would give him an A+. After all, iconic faces are a dime a dozen in Hollywood. But Freeman also possesses an iconic voice that will stand the test of time. A deep baritone as velvety-smooth as butter, those commanding yet comforting vocals are a big reason the actor is so utterly convincing as an inner-city high-school principal (Lean on Me), the president of the United States (Deep Impact), transformative international leader Nelson Mandela (Invictus) and the lord himself (Bruce Almighty and Evan Almighty).

And just think: Freeman didn’t even hit his stride on the big screen until he was 50 years old. At the time, the actor was best known for playing the character of Easy Reader on 680 episodes of the children’s public television series The Electric Company. He continued to appear in bit parts once the show went off the air (including a role on the soap opera Another World). But with the 1987 crime drama Street Smart, he broke from the pack and has never looked back. He’s since appeared in well over 100 projects across all genres and racked up five Oscar nominations, with one well-deserved win. He also received a prestigious Kennedy Center Honor in 2008.

Now 88 years old—he turns 90 on June 1, 2027—Freeman is still putting his talents (and voice, naturally) to good use. He has a handful of projects in various stages of development and recently appeared in the 2025 movie Now You See Me, Now You Don’t. To honor the living legend, here’s a ranking of his 10 best movies.

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10. March of the Penguins (2005)

OK, fine, Freeman doesn’t appear onscreen in this unique look at the yearlong mating rituals of emperor penguins in the tundra of Antarctica. But as its all-knowing narrator, he injects warmth, humor and humanity—“In the harshest place on Earth, love finds a way”—into what easily could have been a boring (and let’s face it, sleep-inducing) nature documentary. In fact, it’s fair to say his compelling play-by-play is behind the film’s unexpected box-office success (it grossed $127 million worldwide!) during the summer of 2005 and Best Documentary Feature Oscar win.

9. Bruce Almighty (2003)

If you’re going to cast the role of God in a heartfelt blockbuster comedy, you might as well go with Freeman. Disguised at first as a janitor, he offers down-on-his-luck TV reporter Bruce Nolan (a hilariously chaotic Jim Carrey) the chance to evoke Almighty-like powers as long as he follows the rules. Freeman is authoritative yet surprisingly loose, even singing the jingle for “The Clapper” with full gusto.

As Roger Ebert noted in his “thumbs up” review, Freeman “plays God with a quality of warm detachment that is just about right. You get the feeling that even while he’s giving Bruce the free ride, he has a hand on the wheel.”

8. Gone Baby Gone (2007)

The actor has built up such a trustworthy persona that audiences were understandably unnerved seeing him take on a character with many shades of gray—while playing a man in blue, no less. He’s Jack Doyle, the head of the Crimes Against Children police task force in Boston, probing the death of a 4-year-old girl. At first, Doyle is a safe ally to two private investigators (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan). Turns out the seemingly helpful and supportive Doyle is not all he appears to be. Though Ben Affleck’s directorial debut is nearly 20 years old, it’s best not to reveal the big twists in this crafty thriller. Just keep your eye on Freeman.

7. Glory (1988)

Based on a true story, this moving and inspirational drama puts the spotlight on the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first all-Black battalion that fought for freedom during the Civil War amid ongoing racism in the fractured country. Freeman is powerful and heartbreaking as the heroic John Rawlins, who’s promoted to sergeant major yet never stops battling with his commanding officer (Matthew Broderick).

The film served as a breakthrough for Hollywood representation of Black history, as its impressive cast played key roles and not just one-note side characters. In fact, Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his performance.

6. Street Smart (1987)

Meet the gritty crime yarn that made fans do a double-take at the man who once taught kids to read on PBS. Yup, that’s really Freeman as a terrifying pimp named Leo Smalls, who goes by “Fast Black” on the streets. He enters the narrative after a struggling New York City journalist (Christopher Reeve) has a disastrous night with one of his escorts. Smalls, just released from prison on a murder charge, then unwittingly becomes a player in the writer’s sensational article about a killer pimp—and aims to track him down for revenge. The sleeper hit not only led to Freeman’s first Oscar nomination, but it also helped Reeve emerge from his Superman shadow.

5. Unforgiven (1992)

The neo-Western classic follows a retired gunslinger named Will Munny (Clint Eastwood, also the director) who’s lured back into action to take down sinister sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett (Gene Hackman). The theme? The emotional toll of violence, all the more poignant due to Eastwood’s career playing the bad guy. But Freeman is pivotal to the story: As Munny’s loyal best friend and former partner, Ned Logan, he’s reluctantly roped back into his old life and serves as Munny’s moral conscience.

Eastwood and Freeman are totally credible as close confidantes, which is why (old spoiler!) Logan’s subsequent murder is so devastating to both Munny and the audience. FYI, Freeman delivered a tribute to his onscreen foe during the In Memoriam segment at the 2025 Oscars.

4. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

And here’s further evidence of Freeman’s bond with the squinty-eyed screen legend. In this emotional, character-driven sports drama (which won a Best Picture Oscar), Eastwood plays a past-his-prime trainer none too thrilled about working with aspiring female boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank). Once again, Freeman plays the cranky old man’s most trustworthy friend—except this time, his character, Scrap, successfully convinces Eastwood to change his hardened ways because he believes in Maggie and her talents. (He also lives to see the closing credits!)

Freeman’s knockout performance earned him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, his first and only one to date. Director Eastwood and Swank struck gold too.

3. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Freeman originated the role of Hoke Colburn in the 1987 off-Broadway play. But he gave a new dimension to the memorable character for its tearjerking film adaptation. He plays a chauffeur hired to drive a well-to-do woman in the Deep South starting in 1948. They become close over the decades, culminating in the final scene, set in 1973, when the ailing Miss Daisy tells him, “You’re my best friend.”

No by-the-numbers exploration of race relations during a fraught time in the nation’s history, this is instead a moving look at an unexpected relationship between two souls increasingly reliant on each other. Freeman is pure class all the way, and his touching portrayal led to an Oscar nomination. The film took Best Picture.

2. Seven (1995)

Seven deadly sins, innumerable reasons as to why this movie remains a chilling noir masterpiece. Freeman and Brad Pitt are police detectives investigating gruesome serial killings in a city fittingly gray and rainy. His William Somerset is a grizzled and cynical veteran, which makes him the perfect counter to David Mills’s impulsive new guy in town. Still, there’s warmth beneath Somerset’s steeliness: In a rare tender scene, he offers to support his partner’s wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) when she confides to him that she’s pregnant.

The rest of David Fincher’s opus, of course, is a grisly nightmare, capped by that still-haunting climactic scene. No happy ending here, as Freeman supplies the grave closing line: “Ernest Hemingway once wrote, ‘The world is a fine place and worth fighting for.’ I agree with the second part.”

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

It was famously a box-office flop. “The only real marketing movies get is word of mouth,” Freeman explained to Graham Norton on his talk show in 2017. “People would say, ‘I saw this really terrific movie. It’s called the, uh … Shank Sham? Sham Shock? One lady saw me in the elevator one time and said, ‘Oh, I saw you in The Hudsuck of Reduction.’ So if you can’t get word across, it just doesn’t do well.”

Fortunately, the movie found a second life on cable and home video. It’s now considered one of the most beloved films of all time.

Freeman and Tim Robbins co-star as a pair of convicts left to wither at Shawshank State Prison. Though based on a Stephen King novella, this is a deeply woven and not-at-all bloody meditation on friendship with a truly stunning payoff. As Red (written as a white Irishman in the book), the Oscar-nominated Freeman delivers a full character arc blending compassion, resignation, sadness and—against all odds—hope and pure joy as he’s reunited with Robbins’s Andy Dufresne on that sunny Mexico beach. And no matter how many times you’ve watched it, the film is somehow more effective with each viewing. Which is your cue to go ahead and watch it all over again.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Jimmy Kimmel Live: “How Morgan Freeman Learned to Talk Like That”
• Box Office Mojo: “March of the Penguins”
• Roger Ebert: “Bruce Almighty”
• Movieclips: “Driving Miss Daisy Movie Clip”
• The Graham Norton Show: “Morgan Freeman Re-enacts The Shawshank Redemption”
• Entertainment Weekly: “How The Shawshank Redemption Invented Morgan Freeman, and How Morgan Freeman Invented Himself”

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Quirky Facts About William Shatner

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Robo-relationship

We don’t know what we’re afraid of: that it’ll judge us, that it’ll stop working or that, deep down, it’s the only one actually listening.

Takeover, phase one

Skynet didn’t come for our nuclear codes (at least not yet). It started with our customer service, and honestly? We let it.

Hand horror

You can ask AI to write a sonnet, debug your code or translate Mandarin, but the moment you need it to draw a hand, it goes full Lovecraft.

AI on the job

Do companies have unreasonable expectations, or are you just tired—very, very tired?

Overnight genius

We’re not using artificial intelligence. We just suddenly became very smart.

Up in smoke

So long, career I’ve been building for years. Hello, new job that’s AI proof … for now.

Cha-ching

Freshman in college with zero real-world experience? Have $10 million.

The AI equation

We spent years learning the math because “we wouldn’t always have a calculator in our pocket.” Nobody said anything about an AI that does the thinking.

Beg for mercy

ChatGPT may be confident, but it’s not too proud to grovel when it’s wrong.

Keeping it professional

It’s a very normal, very modern way to write.

Friendship, redefined

AI doesn’t interrupt you, doesn’t make it about itself and never cancels plans. We can see why this is going the way it’s going.

Chores, not chatbots

We got AI that can write poetry, generate legal briefs and pass the bar exam. But our dishes are still in the sink.

Sign of old age

Back in my day, when we had a question, we typed it into Google, not a chat window.

Corporate savior

Trust us, it’s going to save you so much time.

Please, just tell me if it’s bad

AI is the friend who says “it just needs a little something” when they mean “start over.”

Wizard of AI

Prompt engineering is just writing, but it’ll make it feel like you tapped into some kind of magic.

Explain it to me like I was just born

AI will cheerfully explain anything to you in a way that requires a prior explanation of the explanation.

Earth vs. AI

Yes, we’re using a lot of water to power AI. But as tech leaders remind us, we’re doing it for a good reason: to watch AI-generated fruit date on a reality show.

The AI workforce

Don’t think too hard about the money part of things.

When in doubt, compliment

As AI will tell you, “You’ve touched on something truly important here.”

Error 404: Sense of humor not found

Hahahahahaha?

Check your work

Getting an answer is easy. Confirming that the answer is right? Good luck!

The critical thinker has left the building

We didn’t give up critical thinking. We just outsourced it, and it turns out the vendor is very fast and occasionally makes things up.

Leveling up

And this, kids, is how procrastination can pay off.

Open wide!

It’s good for you.

Academic inquiry

Busted.

The new stranger danger

Different decade, same challenges with raising kids.

Respect for the robots

Listen, if we’re going to have robot overlords, we’d like to get on their good side.

A parasocial relationship with a chatbot

The bar for human connection is high. The AI is always available. We’re not saying it’s healthy. We’re saying we understand.

The perfect employee

You’re still amazing at your job!

Can I speak with a human?

Jane is not a real member of the support team. Jane is also not going to help you.

Mr. Fix-It

Don’t worry about cutting corners! I’ll fix it all. Again.

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Each year, states roll out new designs—often tied to schools, charities and local causes. And this year, there’s a common theme for many of them. Ahead, we’ve rounded up which states are introducing new plates in 2026, what they represent, how you can get your hands on one and more. Plus, we’ll give you details on the special celebratory designs popping up nationwide, so keep reading.

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Which states are getting new license plates this year?

Nearly a third of states are getting new license plates this year, with 15 announced so far. Typically, new plates are proposed every year or so—by nonprofits, civic organizations and other interested parties—and approved by state legislation. But not every plate gets approved, so while new ones roll out regularly, there are plenty that don’t make it.

This year, however, as the country approaches the celebration of its 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026, more plates than average got approved. Out of the 15 states with new plates, 11 are specifically honoring the red, white and blue.

Here are the states getting new license plates in 2026:

• Arkansas
• Arizona
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Nebraska
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

What are the new specialty plates?

Here are the new specialty license plates coming out or already released in 2026, from cause-driven designs to school, military and cultural options. Read on to learn more about each new plate, and if you happen to live in one of these states, why not customize your ride for a good cause?

Arizona

Available: March 2026

The Grand Canyon State is offering several new specialty plates this year. In addition to revamping the state’s existing Arizona Diamondbacks plate for baseball fans, there will be new plates supporting Arizona Youth Charities, the Gila River Indian Community, Teen Lifeline suicide prevention, 4AZKids and No One Fights Alone, which provides mental wellness coaching for first responders.

This plate, supporting Teen Lifeline, features a suicide-awareness ribbon on a black background. “The funds raised through this specialty plate will help ensure youths across Arizona feel connected and have someone to talk to when they need it most,” Michelle Moorhead, Teen Lifeline executive director, said in a press release. “It’s an easy way to show support and help save young lives.”

The plates each cost $25, with $17 donated to the respective charity or organization. Specialty license plates contributed more than $14.5 million to Arizona causes and charities in the 2025 fiscal year.

Arkansas

Available: January 2026

This gorgeous license plate supports the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) and was designed and illustrated by AGFC art director Greta James. The AGFC has offered special conservation license plates since 2000, and every year features a new wildlife-themed design. Since its inception, the program has raised more than $21 million for the state’s conservation efforts and scholarships.

Arkansans can get one of these plates, which this year celebrates the painted bunting, for $35 above the regular registration fee. The majority, $25, goes to the AGFC, while $10 goes to administrative costs.

Connecticut

Available: February 2026

This specialty license plate, sponsored by the Hispanic-American Veterans of Connecticut (HAVC), honors the 65th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army, aka the Borinqueneers. This unit was primarily made up of Puerto Rican soldiers, who served in World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

“The Borinqueneers represent an enduring legacy of service, rooted in courage, resilience and deep pride,” said Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz in an official press release. “This license plate is a reminder of the extraordinary contributions Puerto Rican soldiers have made to our nation’s history and to the defense of our freedoms.”

A portion of the proceeds from plate fees (which range from $60 to $156) will help the HAVC provide bilingual services and assistance to Connecticut veterans and members of the armed forces.

Florida

Available: October 2026

In addition to its own 250th anniversary plate, the Sunshine State has eight more specialty plates coming down the pipeline, including plates highlighting the Miami Northwestern Alumni Association; Christopher Columbus High School; Miami-Dade College; St. Petersburg College; the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York; Ultimate Fighting Championship; and Florida Film Legacy.

While these organizations began submitting their designs and proposals in April, they won’t be available for pre-order until October. Even then, 3,000 plates need to be sold within a two-year period to avoid being canceled. With each plate costing drivers from $25 to $50, the state could raise around $50 million annually for various causes, schools and organizations.

Georgia

Available: January 2026

Georgia is following suit and offering a 250th anniversary specialty plate, but that’s not all! The Peach State has four others in the works: a Georgia State Parks plate, a bass conservation plate, a “Selfless Service” plate for essential workers and armed forces members, and an “America First” plate.

This darling license plate, supporting the state parks system, features a tent and campfire on a green-and-orange background. It costs $80 the first year and drops to $55 in subsequent years. Wildlife plates, including the new bass conservation one, support the Department of Natural Resources and cost $45. The Trump-themed plate, which is the most expensive ($90), supports the Georgia general fund, as does the Selfless Service plate.

Idaho

Available: April 2026

While Idaho offers more than 40 specialty plates for drivers, 2026 has just one new addition so far. You guessed it … it’s a commemorative 250th anniversary plate. The red, white and blue design honors the country’s birthday, with fees supporting the Idaho Heritage Trust.

“This plate gives Idahoans a chance to mark a historic milestone and show their pride on the road,” said Department of Motor Vehicles administrator Lisa McClellan in an official press release. “We’re proud to offer a design that honors our country’s past while supporting Idaho’s efforts to preserve its own history.”

Indiana

Available: January 2026

Yes, Indiana is offering a 250th anniversary specialty plate. However, the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles added five new “Special Group Recognition” license plates to its lineup as well. The plates will support the Pacers Foundation’s Indiana Fever Fund, the Indiana State Teachers Association Foundation, Pollinator Partnership, Purdue University Fort Wayne and Purdue University Northwest.

This Indiana Fever plate, which features the logo of the white-hot WNBA team, is available now for $40 a year, with $25 going to the Fever Fund, an initiative that supports women and girls in sports, classrooms and the community.

Louisiana

Available: Dates will vary

In an excited show of patriotism, Louisiana approved its 2026 commemorative plate way back in 2024, but there are several specialty license plates on the docket for 2026. Though the plates aren’t out yet, Pelican State residents can soon support the 2025 Louisiana State University Baseball National Champions, Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, Alzheimer’s Awareness, Lupus Awareness and several high schools—but the bills for them haven’t been approved. Louisianans can check on their statuses later in the year.

Massachusetts

Available: May 2026

The Massachusetts “250 Years of Independence” plates were released last year and are now the most popular specialty plate in the state’s history, with more than 71,000 on the road. Why are we featuring them in this 2026 roundup? Well, to capitalize on the popularity, the Registry of Motor Vehicles recently partnered with the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission to give Bay State residents the chance to drive off with a special “low number” 250th plate.

The red, white and blue–themed plates feature the year 1776 surrounded by 13 stars and the phrase “250 Years of Independence.” There are only 1,000 of the low-numbered plates, including 1-999 and the highly coveted 1776. Residents can watch a broadcast online in early May to see the winners and learn about the nation’s history.

Michigan

Available: January 2026

The governor of Michigan kicked off 2026 by reviving the state’s patriotic specialty plate from the ’70s and ’80s. For a $55 fee, $50 of which supports the Michigan Transportation Fund for road construction and repairs across the state, drivers can get the limited-edition specialty plate that celebrates the nation’s semiquincentennial.

“As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m proud to announce Michigan’s iconic red, white and blue license plate will return to our roads in 2026,” Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in the same release. “Our latest legacy plate honors our country’s founding and history along with our ongoing fight for freedom, equality and justice for all.”

Nebraska

Available: January 2026

Did you know that Arbor Day originated in Nebraska? It’s true. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, when pioneers moved into the (at the time) largely treeless state, they missed the trees back home—and also needed windbreaks and shade for their new farms and houses.

So it’s only fitting that last year, the state legislature passed a bill to create this beautiful muted-green-and-grey Arbor Day license plate featuring a tree and the words Home of Arbor Day. Proceeds go directly to tree planting and conservation efforts in Nebraska, according to the bill’s sponsor, state senator John Fredrickson.

South Carolina

Available: January 2026

Move over patriots, there’s a new commemorative license plate in town—and by town, we mean South Carolina. In January, the state’s Revolutionary War commemorative plate was redesigned. The new specialty plate will feature the slogan “Where the Revolutionary War Was Won,” which honors South Carolina’s role in the war just days before the country became independent.

Created by the South Carolina Revolutionary War Sestercentennial Commission, the design features an illustration of Sgt. William Jasper, a war hero known for his bravery, holding a blue flag with the word Liberty written in white and a crescent in the top-right corner. The design honors the moment state troops bested the British Navy at the Battle of Fort Sullivan in 1776. (If you’re curious, sestercentennial is another word for semiquincentennial.)

Texas

Available: March 2026

Texans can order six new specialty license plates this year, including those supporting retired firefighters, U.S. Army Rangers, the 75th Army Ranger Regiment, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Central Catholic High School and a new “Animal Friendly” plate, seen here, which encourages pet adoption and spaying and neutering.

“Texas specialty license plates tell stories,” said Texas Department of Motor Vehicles executive director Daniel Avitia in a press release. “The primary purpose of a license plate will always be public safety—making sure vehicles can be identified quickly and accurately on our roads. But specialty plates can also give Texans a way to express who they are and what they stand for.”

Wisconsin

Available: January 2026

If you live in the Badger State, there are two new specialty license plates you can take out on the road. The first is the Blackout plate, which features a black background with the license number written in white. According to the state’s Department of Transportation, the fees for the plate will go toward building roads and bridges. And they just look cool!

The second plate is the butter-yellow Retro Yellow plate featuring the phrase “America’s Dairyland” underneath the license number written in black. It’s a throwback to a popular plate from the 1950s and ’60s. According to a press release from Gov. Tony Evers, both plates will raise money for the state’s transportation fund, and they’re expected to haul in $25 million in the first three years.

Wyoming

Available: January 2026

Good ’ol Wyoming has two new specialty license plates residents can apply for. The first? The Search and Rescue plate. Featuring a winter rescue scenario, including first responders hanging from a helicopter in front of a mountain, a red snow plow, a hiker and a man on a horse, the plate costs $180, with $150 supporting search-and-rescue efforts within the state.

The second plate, known as the Rodeo plate, celebrates the official sport of Wyoming and “features an historic photo of Steamboat, the iconic bucking horse that is now a symbol for the state, courtesy of the University of Wyoming,” explains an official press release. Purchasing the plate (for the standard $30) comes with the option of making a $20 donation to support rodeo programs at the University of Wyoming and Wyoming community colleges. Yeehaw!

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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So it was with much dismay that I recently joined a Zoom call for work and discovered that one of the attendees was eating sushi. With her mouth open. And juicily licking her cursed fingers. I couldn’t tell you a single thing that was discussed in that 45-minute meeting because all I could hear was lick, smack, slurp, gulp, swallow. I feel nauseous just thinking about it.

So clearly I’m not a fan of people eating on video calls.

But—and I admit this freely—I know that this is a me problem. It’s my brain with the glitch, not hers. So while I may not like people eating on video calls, is it actually rude to do it? Especially on work calls? Let’s discuss.

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The case for the lunch-and-munch video call

I’m going to drop some depressing math on you: Remote workers attend an average of 7.3 video calls per week, more than one a day, according to a 2026 survey done by SpeakWise. And, of course, depending on your job, that number can easily climb higher. At some point, lunch hour collides with calendar reality, and your options are to eat during the call, eat at 4 p.m. while questioning your life choices—or not eat at all. None of these are good options, and only one of them is actually your co-workers’ fault. Sometimes efficiency wins.

And it’s not just logistics—eating together over video has genuinely become a team-bonding tool. My husband works for a fully remote company, and once a month, they all get UberEats delivered and “eat lunch together” on camera as a team social event.

But basic biology is the broader argument here. Eating is a basic human need, not a character flaw. (Chewing gum, on the other hand …) Remote work has permanently collapsed the boundary between “office” and “home,” and a lot of the etiquette we’re now improvising—including how we communicate at work—is being written in real time. Expecting remote employees to never eat during the workday is a policy that makes sense only if you also think they should never use the bathroom or let their dog out. We don’t hold in-office workers to that standard. We let them eat at their desks, grab coffee during a presentation and return from lunch with something inexplicable in their teeth. Remote workers deserve the same basic grace.

The case against the graze-and-daze video call

The problem isn’t the eating itself—it’s what it broadcasts.

First: sound. Eating is loud, and microphones are unforgiving. Even people who eat perfectly politely in person can sound like a nature documentary at close range over a laptop mic or (heaven help us all) a headphone mic. And while I may be on the extreme end of eating-noise sensitivity, I’m not alone. Research suggests that up to 15% of adults have clinically significant misophonia, and a national study found that nearly 80% of people report sensitivity to at least one misophonia-triggering sound. That means in your average eight-person Zoom meeting, you’ve got statistically excellent odds that someone is quietly suffering every time you reach for a chip.

Second: optics. There’s something about watching a co-worker eat that can come across as unprofessional. You wouldn’t eat a burrito bowl in the middle of a conference-room presentation. You wouldn’t crack open a bag of pretzels during a client pitch. The fact that you’re doing it through a screen doesn’t make it less visible. If anything, the frame of a Zoom window puts your face (and your food) center stage in a way that sitting in the back of a conference room never would.

Third: It’s just genuinely difficult to communicate with your mouth full. The involuntary “hold on” hand wave while you frantically chew and try not to spit is awkward for everyone.

And finally: When you’re eating on a call, you’re not fully doing either thing. Research consistently shows that eating while distracted leads to eating more, enjoying food less and retaining almost nothing about the meal afterward. But flip that around, and the etiquette problem becomes clear: If your attention is split between your lunch and the meeting, your colleagues are getting half of you. Eating on a call isn’t just potentially rude to the people listening to you chew—it’s a quiet signal to everyone on the call that you’ve mentally checked a box that says “present” while your actual attention is somewhere else entirely.

The gray areas (and yes, there are many)

In my poll of my social media followers, 60% avoided the “yes” or “no” answers and went with “it depends.” So, like most etiquette questions, context is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

• The type of call: A formal presentation, a job interview, a meeting with a client you’ve never spoken with or any call where you’re the one doing most of the talking? Put the food down. A casual internal check-in with your small team, a Friday afternoon catch-up, a virtual lunch that everyone knows is a virtual lunch? The expectations are lower, and the atmosphere is different.
• What you’re eating: A banana? Fine. A quick handful of crackers? Probably fine. A full rack of ribs, an entire bowl of cereal or anything that requires you to crinkle packaging for 30 seconds before you can even begin? Kill me now. As a general rule: If it makes noise, requires two hands, produces drips, makes immediate flossing necessary or forces you to open your mouth wide enough to park a bus, save it for after.
• Camera etiquette: Turning your camera off while you eat is thoughtful—out of sight, out of mind—but don’t vanish entirely without warning. The same way leaving someone on read sends a message you may not have intended, silently going dark mid-meeting raises questions. A quick “I’m going to turn my camera off for a sec” in the chat costs you nothing and prevents everyone else from assuming you’ve either left the call or had a small personal crisis.
• Culture, both workplace and otherwise: Some teams are deeply informal—cameras off, first names only, jokes in the chat—and in those environments, eating on camera barely registers. Others are more buttoned up. If your company’s video calls feel like conference rooms, treat them accordingly.
• And then there are beverages: Hydration is important, and universally, across all cultures and call types, beverages are generally fine. Just please—and I say this with love—do not slurp. Do not sigh loudly after each sip. Do not do the post-drink exhale that sounds like you just finished a race. Just sip quietly, like a person who has been sipping beverages their entire life without incident, because you have.

The verdict

It’s not overly rude, as long as you’re intentional and thoughtful about it. There are worse etiquette sins. That said, here’s the rule that makes all the other rules unnecessary: If you wouldn’t eat during the in-person version of this meeting, don’t eat during the virtual one.

The golden standard is consideration, not prohibition. Eating on a video call isn’t inherently rude, but eating loudly, messily or conspicuously without any regard for the people watching and listening is. The difference isn’t what’s in your hand. It’s whether you’ve thought for even 30 seconds about the experience you’re creating for everyone else on the call.

Mute when you chew. Keep it quick. Choose quiet food. And for the love of all that is good, do not eat sushi on a Zoom call. I cannot stress this enough. I speak from trauma.

Have a social situation you can’t stop ruminating on? Email us at advice@tmbi.com, or message Charlotte on Instagram at @CharlotteHiltonAndersen.

Sources:

• Speakwise: “Video Conferencing Statistics 2026”
• Misophonia Institute: “Prevalence of Misophonia”
• Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science: “Prevalence, phenomenology, and impact of misophonia in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults”

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That alone is a great reason to plan a road trip … or just dig into some very cool Route 66 facts. Well, you’re about to take a (virtual) joyride through Route 66’s wild history and larger-than-life pop culture moments. Along the way, you’ll learn about the greasy-spoon diners, long desert stretches and blinking neon signs that are still landmarks today. And it will remind you that Route 66 isn’t just a road—it’s the kind of trip you keep saying you’ll take, until one day you finally do.

Read on for Route 66 facts that capture what makes the journey so memorable.

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Facts about Route 66’s history

• Route 66 was officially established on Nov. 11, 1926, but it wasn’t fully paved until 1938.
• The highway connected Chicago to Los Angeles as one of America’s first major all-weather highways, unlike earlier routes that turned to mud in bad weather.
• Around 210,000 people used Route 66 during the Dust Bowl migration in the 1930s, chasing jobs and survival in the West.
• The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 created the Interstate System, which slowly replaced Route 66 and made it obsolete.
• Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985 after being replaced by interstates like Interstate 40. Many sections were later preserved and marked as “Historic Route 66” for tourism starting in the late 1980s.
• Route 66’s endpoints—Navy Pier and Santa Monica Pier—are called symbolic anchors, meaning they represent the traditional start and end of the route.
• About 85% of the original road still exists today in some drivable form, even if it’s not always under the same name.
• Route 66 was briefly rebranded the “Will Rogers Highway” in 1952 to honor the Oklahoma-born entertainer and humorist.
• Route 66 wasn’t just one road. It was stitched together from existing local roads and highways, which is why it zigzags instead of running perfectly straight.
• In its early days, Route 66 had no uniform signage. Drivers often got lost following a patchwork of local road markers.
• Some towns along Route 66 literally relocated closer to the highway just to catch passing travelers and business.

Fun facts about Route 66

• Roughly 2 million to 3 million travelers explore at least part of Route 66 each year.
• A popular tradition is collecting Route 66 “passport stamps” from towns along the route like a travel scrapbook.
• One of Route 66’s famous art landmarks, Cadillac Ranch in Texas, features half-buried Cadillacs sprayed with layers of graffiti that constantly change over time. (Yep, that’s it in the picture above!)
• The famous Route 66 shield sign (the black-and-white highway marker) is one of the most recognizable road symbols in the world and is still used today on souvenir signs and themed attractions.
• Route 66 originally stretched about 2,448 miles (3,940 km) from Chicago to Santa Monica, crossing eight states and three time zones along the way. After being rerouted and decommissioned, it’s no longer continuous and has no official current mileage.
• More than 100 preserved “ghost” stretches of Route 66 still exist, where the old road runs right next to modern highways.
• Some original Route 66 pavement still shows hand-laid concrete from the 1930s.
• In Arizona, you can still visit one of the longest remaining continuous drivable stretches of original Route 66 pavement, especially around Seligman and Kingman.

Facts about Route 66 in pop culture

• Nat King Cole’s 1946 hit “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” helped turn the highway into a national icon.
• “The Mother Road” nickname came from John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939), which followed families fleeing Dust Bowl devastation via Route 66.
• Route 66 appears in video games like American Truck Simulator (released in 2016) and Cars: The Video Game.
• Route 66 inspired the 1960s TV show Route 66, filmed on location and following two drifters traveling the highway in a Corvette.
• Michael Wallis, a real Route 66 historian, voiced Sheriff in Cars and helped shape the film’s authenticity.
• Disney’s Cars Land at California Adventure Park is directly modeled after Route 66 towns like Radiator Springs. Some of the design elements were inspired by real locations, including Seligman, Arizona.

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Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• National Park Service: “Route 66”
• Route Magazine: “The Man Behind the Voice: Michael Wallis”
• Route 66 Tours: “How Much of the Original Route 66 Remains?”
• National Archives: “National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956)”
• National Park Service: “3. Route 66: 1926 – 1945”
• Britannica: “Route 66”

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A routine work assignment goes horribly wrong

A group of employees follows procedure to investigate a minor issue, inadvertently onboarding a clingy new addition that their company prioritizes above all else.

Answer:

Alien 

Mixing friend groups under stressful conditions

A young man brings together several different social circles to help deal with his inheritance, but the project involves frequent delays, unexpected detours and heated disagreements about what to do next.

Answer:

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

A couples getaway leads to consequences back home

After experiencing some personal issues, a woman sets out looking for answers with her boyfriend. They both return feeling transformed, although his new outlook leads to a series of intense changes at home.

Answer:

Barbie

A rural teen gets recruited by a retiree

A bored teenager gets some help from a quirky older man with a strong belief system. The teen receives minimal training before getting pulled into a military conflict that hinges on a very targeted solution.

Answer:

Star Wars: A New Hope

A seasonal problem disrupts business

A coastal town becomes aware of a potential safety concern but hesitates to act due to economic pressures, eventually hiring a specialist when things escalate.

Answer:

Jaws

A vacation gets cut short

A dissatisfied traveler forms an unlikely connection during a trip, just before a major operational failure forces everyone to reassess their priorities.

Answer: 

Titanic

A homecoming party goes great until the guest list changes

Two brothers return to their hometown, drawing a crowd for a rousing night of music, only to discover too late that a few of the guests prefer a very different kind of audience participation.

Answer:

Sinners

A startup fails due to preventable technical issues

A major launch goes forward despite obvious warnings, and leadership is forced to deal with the fallout when the product does not behave as promised.

Answer:

Jurassic Park

Man makes a choice that could have used more context

A man is offered two options by people he has just met, but once he makes his choice, he quickly realizes he’s committed to something much more involved than expected.

Answer:

The Matrix 

A family visit crosses some lines

A teenager gets too involved in his parents’ relationship during a trip, creating problems he didn’t anticipate, and has to fix them before things get even more complicated.

Answer:

Back to the Future

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has been telling jokes for more than 100 years, curated and reviewed over the last 20 years by Senior Features Editor Andy Simmons, a humor editor formerly of National Lampoon and the author of Now That’s Funny. We’ve earned prestigious ASME awards for our humor—including comical quips, pranks, puns, cartoons, one-liners, knock-knock jokes, riddles, memes, tweets and stories in laugh-out-loud magazine columns such as “Life in These United States,” “All in a Day’s Work,” “Laughter, the Best Medicine” and “Humor in Uniform,” as well as online collections such as short jokes, dad jokes and bad jokes so bad, they’re great. You can find a century of humor in our 2022 compendium, Reader’s Digest: Laughter, the Best Medicine. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Entertainment Weekly: “‘Wizard of Oz’ movie description goes viral”
• ChatGPT

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My dad came home the next day, and we waited another 24 hours before letting other family and friends know what happened. It gave us time to focus on his needs, and Dad, living up to the Silent Generation name, was fine with keeping quiet. As he pointed out, “There’s no need to worry anyone.”

Thankfully, he looped me in immediately, but this isn’t always the case for adult children. In fact, younger generations are becoming increasingly frustrated by the so-called hospital reveal—where parents, usually Baby Boomers, casually drop mention of a hospital stay or operation to their near and dear long after the fact, leaving loved ones feeling exasperated and helpless.

This raises the question: Who does need to know if you’re admitted to the hospital? I talked to several psychiatrists and doctors to find out exactly who you should tell, who you can keep in the dark and how to do it without burning bridges. Read on for their advice.

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Why is this such a tricky topic?

Keeping a lid on key medical news isn’t denial. It’s self-protection and armor against impending ageism, the appearance of vulnerability or shame.

“People don’t want their health problems to become part of their identity,” says psychiatrist Sandip Buch, MD, the founder of mental health platform Skypiatrist. “If they’re identified with an illness or sickness, then every conversation is, ‘How are you doing? How are you feeling? Are you taking your meds?’ And they don’t want that to now be the main topic.”

Nina Gaby, a psychiatric advanced practice nurse and a Boomer herself, says older adults often hold back because they don’t want to be a burden. But the hesitancy to reveal may also come from a place of shame. “We know about lifestyle changes,” she says. “We know how we should be taking care of ourselves. We know what stress can do—hence, we may blame ourselves for getting sick or injured in the first place, as if it’s a personal failing we don’t want anyone to know about.”

Another theory: Many people were simply brought up to keep their cards close. They saw their parents handle health issues in a similarly private way. “We don’t always have role models that show us how to be sick and aging in this modern age,” Gaby observes.

Who should you tell if you’re in the hospital?

Experts agree that you don’t owe your medical information to anyone. But it’s not a bad idea to have at least one person who knows what’s going on while you’re in the hospital, for myriad reasons, from the simple and practical—like notifying loved ones or your workplace, caring for children or pets, and coordinating transportation home or aftercare—to larger ones, like helping to make decisions if you’re unable.

But who should that person be? You want someone you trust, who wants to help and who won’t bring in any additional drama. “Go with your gut,” says Dr. Buch. “I’ve never encountered it to be a difficult decision for people. And I don’t think there’s any rule that it should be next of kin.”

Michael Arnold, DO, a family medicine doctor with Neighborhood Family Practice in Cleveland, agrees. “The first person who comes to your mind when you imagine a visitor walking into your hospital room, that’s who you should tell. Don’t overthink it.”

It’s a good idea to tell someone who can help with your needs after your stay. Even a simple procedure can bring new meds and follow-up appointments. “People who can help them accomplish these things are the ones who should be informed, because it may make the difference between a full recovery and a re-admission to the hospital,” says Dr. Arnold.

And don’t feel bad if it’s not someone on the nearest branches of your family tree. “It wasn’t that long ago that only legal spouses or first-degree family members were allowed to make life-and-death decisions,” Gaby points out. In certain situations, like hospital stays for LGBTQ+ people, that rule could lead to what she calls “devastating consequences.” But nowadays, we can choose trusted confidants—“those with our best interests and our wishes at heart,” she says.

That trusted person doesn’t have to be in close proximity either. Reliability matters more than distance, and advocating, communicating and coordinating can still happen from across the country.

What to do when there’s no one to tell

If there’s truly no one you trust or want to share this with, then the hospital staff needs to know. It’s important for discharge planning and complication considerations—if you’re unable to make your own decisions, your doctors and nurses need to know how to proceed.

“There are public officers who can act as power of attorney to make health-care decisions for people, along with social workers who can offer help with coordination of care, discharge and support,” says Dr. Buch. “Every hospital has an ethicist—a person for medical staff to consult with to give advice and legal knowledge so doctors aren’t left flailing.”

Once you’re home from the hospital, there’s really no obligation to share any information with anyone.

What do you owe the other people in your life?

If someone is outside your circle of trust, you’re not obligated to tell them anything. But for logistical reasons, you might need to tell some people something, like if you’ll be out of work for a while. Deciding whether to tell people also depends on the reason for the hospital stay and the severity of the illness, if there was one. You might not want to share your plastic surgery news with the world but may feel fine throwing details about your knee replacement into casual conversation.

Your boss and co-workers

Your workplace will need to know if you’ll be out for an extended period of time, so Dr. Arnold suggests telling your boss something vague, like “I am in the hospital, and I won’t be able to make it into work. I’ll keep you updated.”

Unless you’re particularly close, your co-workers don’t need to be privy to much aside from your absence, though a very general reason may help mitigate gossip.

Your parents

“Parents are a common and often crucial pillar of support for people in the hospital,” says Dr. Arnold. “Depending on your relationship with them, you should tell them as much as you are comfortable with to help them understand how to best support you.”

Most parents are going to worry about you, no matter how old you are or why you’re in the hospital. It comes with the gig. If they live nearby and are healthy and relatively young, you might want to give them the opportunity to offer love, comfort and advice or to take care of their “baby” again. And though you don’t want to admit it, you might crave that as well. On the flip side, if they live too far away to immediately help out, telling them may be less urgent.

When your parents are on the older side, it might be up to you to manage what they can do. If the shock of unexpected news or their desire to help could hurt them, think twice about how much to divulge right away. But if they were expecting caregiving responsibilities from you and your news changes things, you need to let them know.

And now the tricky part: Let’s say you kept the news to yourself but they found out later. There is a good chance they’ll feel hurt, and hurt plus fear can turn to anger. You know your relationship best, and if telling your parent gets in the way of your own healing or mental health, it’s OK to stay mum until they need to know. A simple “I didn’t want to worry you until I knew more” or “I’m being well taken care of and will fill you in soon” can create that boundary.

Your children

This might be the most popular relationship for the “I don’t want to worry them” crowd, but it’s worth giving real thought to whether you’ll tell your kids about your hospital stay—and when. Ultimately, this comes down to your kids’ ages.

If you have adult children, especially ones who live nearby, they may just be the best people to help you with things like driving home from the hospital and managing follow-up appointments and care. Your instinct may be to protect them from worry, but keeping them out of the loop could leave them feeling shut out of your life rather than protected from the bad news. For something serious, honesty is usually the right call. Try this: “I had a health scare, and I’m being treated. I didn’t want to alarm you before I had more information, but I wanted you to know.”

For something more routine, it’s reasonable to tell them after the fact.

Small children, on the other hand, don’t need all the details at once. You can loop them in on a need-to-know basis. If you live with them, they’ll notice your absence, and you’ll have to make caregiving arrangements. But that doesn’t mean they need the full picture. Something simple and easy to digest, like “I’m not feeling well, and the doctors are helping me get better. I’ll be home soon,” keeps them informed without feeling scared.

Your friends

The level of friendship is the deciding factor here. A trusted neighbor could be in your inner circle and is a wise choice to help hold down the fort at home, but your most dramatic friends could complicate the entire situation (or make it all about them). Another reason you may want to tell your best pal about your hospital stay: A designated friend can act as a “shield” from incoming queries and well wishes, which can be overwhelming when you need rest and recovery.

If you’re on the fence about telling your friends, know that a good friend will be there for you emotionally and physically. “Friends are a common and often crucial pillar of support for people in the hospital,” Dr. Arnold says. “You should tell them as much as you are comfortable with to help them understand how to best support you.”

Anyone else

As for the other people in your orbit? If they’re not your nearest and dearest, they may not need a debrief on your time in the ER. Dr. Arnold has a good rule of thumb: “You should let people know who would notice your absence and be worried about you, whether that is a romantic partner, best friend, family member or roommate.”

A handy one-size-fits-all statement to keep in mind is something along the lines of, “I’m dealing with a health issue and being cared for.”

If you decide not to share and someone close to you finds out, can this damage your relationship?

Uh-oh. You kept your heart attack a secret, but your (currently very displeased) adult children have found out. While you’re likely in for an uncomfortable conversation, Dr. Buch notes that “this is a good time to tell them exactly why you didn’t tell them.”

The fallout from your child’s reaction could be a wake-up call for you. Adult children who get angry aren’t being dramatic; that emotion is often fear in disguise. What they’re really saying is that they want to be there for you. Letting them in, even a little bit, is a way of saying, “I know. And I’m letting you.” Needing to depend on a child for support or caregiving may be a tough pill to swallow, but the swell of pride (and eventual relief!) you’ll get from seeing them step up can be transformative for the relationship.

So rather than getting defensive, use it as a chance to explain your reasoning honestly: You didn’t want to become defined by your illness, you didn’t want to field worried phone calls while you were trying to heal, or you were protecting your own peace during a vulnerable time. Most people, once they understand why you made the call you did, will come around.

The conversation that follows can actually deepen the relationship, establishing a kind of protocol for the future so that, if it happens again, everyone knows what to expect. The goal isn’t to justify yourself. It’s to let the people who love you understand how you want to be loved. And choosing to share with the people closest to you also communicates the level of closeness you feel about them, potentially creating a bond that makes them feel safe to reach out to you as well.

That said, there is no universal rule. If the relationship is complicated and telling your kids means managing their emotions on top of your own recovery, the Hospital Reveal might simply be an act of self-preservation. The conversation that follows is what matters most.

What else should you keep in mind about sharing this information?

Even if you tend to keep your circle small, it’s important to have trusted people to lean on during difficult times. “Wellness, health and safety are not individual pursuits. It takes a village to ensure safe and timely recovery,” says Dr. Arnold. “More trusted people being involved brings in more skills, knowledge, perspectives, resources and labor power to help you get back on your feet.”

No matter what your age, it’s good to think about these situations in advance, so you have a plan during a vulnerable time. “Planned procedures give you the gift of time,” he says, “so use it wisely.” But in emergency situations, when stress is high and there’s more on the line, it’s good to have someone already in mind who can get to the hospital quickly if they have to.

And it’s never too early to get legal paperwork in order, according to Dr. Buch. “Everyone should have a health-care proxy—something signed saying what measures they want taken and who they want making their health-care decisions.”

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Sandip Buch, MD, psychiatrist and founder of Skypiatrist; phone interview, April 2026
• Nina Gaby, psychiatric advanced practice nurse; email interview, April 2026
• Michael Arnold, DO, family medicine physician at Neighborhood Family Practice; email interview, April 2026
• Hider Shaaban, PsyD, clinical director at Philadelphia Center for Psychotherapy; email interview, April 2026
• Natalie Buchwald, LMHC-D, founder and clinical director of Manhattan Mental Health Counseling; email interview, April 2026
• Molly Kokenge, PhD, RN, associate dean for strategic partnerships and practice in the Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno; email interview, April 2026

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If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Mass layoffs have continued to ripple across industries over the past couple of years as companies adjust to rising costs, automation and shifting consumer demand. U.S. employers announced about 1.2 million job cuts in 2025, a 58% increase from 2024 and one of the highest totals since the pandemic spike in 2020. Early 2026 data suggests we’re in for more pressure across industries rather than a full return to historical baseline levels.

Below are the very first steps to take when you’ve been laid off—not vague “It’ll all work out” advice, but real, practical moves that experts say can help you regain a sense of control when everything feels uncertain. Read on to find out exactly what to do after a layoff.

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File for unemployment immediately

Yes—even the same week that you are laid off, says Caroline Vernon, the vice president of coaching development and engagement at career development and outplacement company INTOO.

“Most states don’t backdate benefits, so your eligibility clock starts the day you file,” she explains. “Regardless if you feel you will land back on your feet quickly, you make too much money or you don’t need it, you should still file for unemployment. It’s insurance you have paid for.”

Secure important professional documentation

Vernon says it’s crucial to locate any work-related documents that may still be accessible before you leave the office for the last time. “Think: performance reviews, accolades from team members or your manager, and internal feedback from clients,” she says. “Create a simple digital folder that contains everything related to your career achievements.”

She explains that this archive will make it much easier to rewrite your resume, prepare for interviews and communicate your value effectively.

Revise your monthly spending budget

Severance is designed to give you breathing room while you transition, not to maintain your normal spending habits, says financial expert Leah Collins, host of OWN’s new personal finance TV show, Maxxed Out. You’ll need to retool your budget post-layoff, she explains, starting with organizing your spending into three tiers, with the goal of fully protecting your needs while cutting or pausing the rest.

The three tiers of your budget:

• Essential needs: Housing, food, insurance, utilities, health care and minimum debt payments
• Wants: Dining out and subscriptions
• Pausable expenses: Extra investing or large purchases

Next, she advises calculating your true monthly “burn rate” by totaling only your essential expenses. Then, determine your financial runway, aka how long you can get by without a salary. You’ll do that by dividing your accessible cash—such as savings, emergency funds, severance and unemployment benefits—by your monthly essential expenses.

“For example, if you have $30,000 in accessible cash and $3,000 in monthly essentials, you have about 10 months of runway to cover basic expenses without additional income,” she explains.

One important tip for calculating your budget: Make sure you understand how your severance structure works, Vernon says, since unemployment can be delayed if you are receiving your severance as a continuation of your salary rather than as a lump sum. This will help you determine your monthly budget more accurately.

Don’t drain your 401(k)

Step away from your 401(k)! “Don’t panic and cash out your retirement account,” Collins says. “It will trigger taxes and penalties.”

Collins says that most employers let you keep your 401(k) in their plan after you leave, though you may face higher fees as a former employee and won’t be able to keep contributing to that plan.

Smaller balances (under $7,000) may be automatically rolled into an IRA or sent to you, and balances under $1,000 are often paid out by check. (If you receive a check, you have 60 days to deposit it into another retirement account to avoid taxes and penalties.) Once you get another job, you can roll your 401(k) into a new employer’s plan without tax penalties by requesting a direct transfer, which helps simplify your finances.

Figure out your health-care next steps

Typically, you have two choices for what to do after a layoff when it comes to health care: COBRA or a marketplace plan. The one you pick depends on what matters to you right now.

“If staying on your current plan, keeping your same doctors and not having your deductible start over are priorities, then COBRA is usually the better fit,” Vernon explains. “On the other hand, marketplace plans are often more affordable and give you more options to choose from, but they do come with tradeoffs. You’ll likely be starting a new deductible and may need to switch providers, depending on the network.”

Update your resume

Before applying to dozens of jobs right away without a clear strategy, which Vernon says can often lead to rejection fatigue, use the documents you gathered from your former job to polish and refine your resume.

Here’s what to do after a layoff: “Spend a day or two updating, clarifying your goals, adding your accomplishments to your resume—and then your LinkedIn profile—before announcing your transition,” she advises. “This ensures that when people view your profile, they see a clear and compelling professional story.”

Communicate your transition to your professional network

Be strategic about how you announce your change in employment status, Vernon says. “Before taking to LinkedIn to post about your layoff, pause and allow yourself time to position your message so it lacks emotion,” she advises. “Rather than communicating uncertainty, your message should communicate direction and confidence.”

Create visibility on LinkedIn

This is important, Vernon says, because many recruiters use AI-powered searches to find qualified candidates. “In 2026, showing up publicly—even when it’s uncomfortable—is the biggest differentiator,” she explains. “If you are not visible on LinkedIn, you won’t make it in the pool.”

Vernon suggests posting to LinkedIn two to three times per week about relevant topics that align with your background. “Share insights, not just updates: what you have learned in your previous roles, if you are observing changes in the industry and even what you are looking to explore as your next career move,” she advises.

You can also begin commenting on other people’s content. “Comment thoughtfully on industry-related posts, making sure the comments are 14 words or more,” she says, as this increases the chance that your comment is seen as meaningful content and may trigger more replies.

Focus on the things you can control

Losing a job can feel like everything is suddenly on pause. But as the experts make clear, it’s also the moment where small, intentional steps matter most. Between securing your finances and taking a breath before making big decisions, you can find a path forward that doesn’t require you to figure it all out at once. The key is to focus on what you can control today, even if the bigger picture still feels uncertain.

Yes, the experience may be jarring. But it’s also not the end of the story—it’s a transition.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Caroline Vernon, vice president of coaching development and engagement at INTOO; interviewed, April 2026
• Leah Collins, financial expert and host of Maxxed Out; interviewed, April 2026

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The post Here’s What to Do if You’ve Just Been Laid Off, According to Experts appeared first on Reader's Digest.

This idea has actually been in the news in recently. In February, Brad Reese, the grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, called out Hershey for changing the recipe his grandfather created and replacing the ingredients with cheaper, less tasty ones.

But is this happening across the board? And is it only recipe changes that make our favorite candy taste different? Not necessarily! We talked to Michelle Schwenk, a candy scientist and the president of Bellis Food Solutions, a food and candy development firm, to get to the bottom of this phenomenon. Read on to find out what’s going on with the candy you once craved.

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Is today’s candy actually different than the candy we ate as kids?

The short answer: probably, but of course it depends on the candy in question. “Over my 30 years in the candy industry, I have seen so much innovation and change. This innovation has impacted the eating experience of our nostalgic candies,” says Schwenk. “At the same time, as an industry, we are still using candy-making methods developed over a century ago to delight our customers. There are still artisan candy stores making the old favorites. We can still buy the brands we grew up with. But the market has changed so much, a lot of the candies we enjoyed have too.”

Of course, “innovation” means “change,” and people often don’t love change when it messes with their childhood favorites. But it’s not as cut and dry as a tweaked recipe.

Why does candy taste worse than it did when we were kids?

The answer to this question is more complicated than you may think. Here are a few of the biggest reasons we’re complaining about today’s confections.

Companies alter their recipes

As much as we want the sweets we loved as kids to stay the same forever, candy is an industry just like any other. One key factor impacting the industry is that the group of people who hold the buying power has shifted from 30 years ago, and that group is increasingly comprised of Millennials, according to a recent report from the National Confectioners Association. Why is that an issue? Price is the No. 1 factor that influences what they decide to purchase. “Managing cost can lead to formula changes,” Schwenk says. Sometimes that means replacing milk chocolate with “chocolate candy” or another ingredient that’s cheaper but still delivers a flavor that’s very close to the old ingredient. Lately, FYI, cocoa prices have been skyrocketing due to poor harvests and other environmental factors.

Millennials are also more likely to ask for new flavors or limited-time tweaks to existing ones, both of which may result in a wider variety of products that taste slightly different than we remember. The Reese’s product Brad Reese was complaining about, for example, was Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts, which were released for Valentine’s Day. The response from Hershey was that the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they always have been, but that the company sometimes makes tweaks to the recipes for other products in the line.

“Brands are being driven to develop products that meet the consumer’s price point, satisfy their desire for innovation, bring new benefits and, oh yes, deliver the same eating experience from our childhood, warm glow and all,” Schwenk says. It’s hard to do all those things at the same time without one or two failing to meet expectations.

Trends and availability affect candy ingredients

Even if a company is not making a conscious decision to change a recipe, the most popular and available candy ingredients may change from year to year—and they’ve definitely changed from a few decades ago. “Today, we are in a much more connected global economy. When we are developing new products, we have the option to source from around the world,” explains Schwenk. “That can mean dialing into a very specific flavor profile in our chocolate or using monk fruit as an alternative sweetener. The palette of ingredients is more robust than ever and is still developing.”

In some cases, this can actually be a good thing for consumers. “Just as we saw a concerted effort by the FDA to reduce salt in the 1980s, we’re seeing efforts to reduce artificial colors and flavors today. We are also seeing consumer pressure to be more ‘clean label,’ which leads to formula changes in established candies,” Schwenk says. “It can be a very positive change, but sometimes it doesn’t match the candy in our memories.”

Our perception of taste changes with age

As we get older, sweet things taste sweeter. A study from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, found that children and adolescents need 40% more sugar in a food for them to detect the sweetness in it than adults do. That means a treat that you remember being deliciously sweet may taste much too sugary for you now.

What if your favorite childhood candy has less taste than you remember? Sorry to break the news to you, but that could be a result of aging as well. According to the National Institute on Aging, our senses of smell and taste change and fade as we get older, which can alter the way we perceive the taste of all foods. Additionally, things like medications, gum disease, smoking and drinking alcohol can alter how things taste, usually making them taste blander than they should.

Nostalgia plays a big role

It’s no secret that the world is a stressful place right now. When we’re surrounded by uncertainty, we often crave foods and experiences that remind us of a simpler time, to inject some joy and comfort into our daily lives. At the same time, we tend to elevate these nostalgic foods and experiences in our minds, possibly to heights they never truly achieved in real life—so much so that when we do reach for a candy that’s drenched in nostalgia and hope, it doesn’t quite live up to our expectations.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a lot of pressure to put on a candy bar!

Is it inevitable that our favorite foods will just get worse?

Not necessarily. While Schwenk reiterates that price is the No. 1 driver of decision making for candy consumers, candy makers really are trying to deliver the same comforting and nostalgic experience with their products. In the wake of Brad Reese’s statement, the blowback was harsh enough that Hershey announced about a month later that it would return to classic recipes for all Reese’s products starting next year. In other words, there’s hope (and some evidence) that candy makers do care.

“The candy industry is built on treating—something to eat to celebrate, to comfort, to make a moment, to enhance an experience,” Schwenk says. “At the end of the day, I love how the candy industry is evolving. While candy is always a treat, we have to work to make this treat something everyone can continue to enjoy.”

RELATED:

• Ube Is Absolutely Everywhere, but What Is It, Exactly?
• McDonald’s Is Debuting Trendy New Drinks—But Are You Going to Love Them?
• Pump Up the Jams from Your Childhood—It’s the Nostalgic Reset Your Stressed-Out Brain Needs

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Michelle Schwenk, PhD, food scientist, founder of Bellis Food Solutions and founder of Candy Mentor; email interview, April 2026
• Associated Press: “Grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups accuses Hershey of cutting corners”
• Nutrients: “Relationship between Sucrose Taste Detection Thresholds and Preferences in Children, Adolescents, and Adults”
• National Institute on Aging: “How Smell and Taste Change as You Age”
• Associated Press: “Hershey says it will shift back to classic recipe for all Reese’s products after criticism”

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Until I read that YouTuber Logan Paul sold a single Pokémon card for $16.5 million. Yes, million.

Maybe I should go check on that Trapper Keeper.

Everyone’s suddenly very interested in these quirky cards with names like Meowscarada, Igglybuff and Fidough. (I did not make up any of those names, I swear.) People are hunting down cards with the fervor of gold-rush prospectors, debating values with the intensity of Wall Street traders, and—I promise I’m not making this up either—arguing with actual charts that Pokémon cards are a better investment than the S&P 500. According to trading card valuation tool Card Ladder, Pokémon cards have appreciated more than 3,200% over the past 20 years, compared with about 483% for the S&P 500 over the same period. Also: $16.5 million. Just leaving that there.

So, are Pokémon cards actually a good investment? According to Stephen Fishler, a leading collectibles expert and the co-founder of ComicConnect, who has facilitated the sale of some very valuable Pokémon cards, it’s complicated. “It’s really about how popular a card is or how popular a character is,” he says. And popularity, unlike a company’s balance sheet, can be fickle. So before you start mentally converting that Trapper Keeper into a retirement portfolio, there’s a lot more to unpack.

Read on to find out what you need to know—and also see which items in your collection could earn you some fast cash.

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Why is Pokémon having a moment right now?

Pokémon—which just celebrated its 30th anniversary—never really went away, but it hit differently once people had time on their hands and money burning a hole in their pockets. During the pandemic, nostalgic Millennials who had grown up trading cards in the late ’90s suddenly found themselves with extra time, extra stimulus cash and a lot of feelings about their childhoods. The result? An explosion of interest in vintage cards that sent prices skyrocketing and left Target shelves bare.

Jesús Garcia, director of trading card games at Heritage Auctions, sees the forces driving it clearly. “It’s a combination of nostalgia, scarcity and a new generation discovering the hobby,” he says. “People who grew up in the ’90s are now in their 30s and 40s, with disposable income, and they’re chasing the same cards they had, or couldn’t afford, as kids. At the same time, kids today are continuing to fall in love with the franchise just as their parents did 30 years ago.”

Certified financial planner Jeff Judge, whose son was once obsessed with Pokémon, points to another major accelerant. “I think a lot of what we are seeing is influencer culture,” he says. “Not necessarily that they’re the only ones investing in Pokémon cards, but they are driving the trend.”

He has a point. Logan Paul wore a $5 million Pikachu card into a WWE ring. Ken Goldin, the auctioneer who facilitated the most famous Pokémon card sale in history and the star of Netflix’s King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, noted in a recent interview that “there are certain individuals trying to acquire the rarest, highest-grade cards and taking them off the market for as long as they can.” When collectors with massive platforms make massive bets, everyone else starts checking their shoeboxes.

The 30th anniversary has fanned the flames, with prices reportedly up more than 100% year over year. And the Millennial buyer pool shows no signs of losing interest.

How much are these cards selling for right now?

“Cards are selling across virtually every price range imaginable. You can find cards worth as little as $1, while others have sold for over $1 million,” Garcia says. “There’s truly an entry point for every type of collector.”

At your local card show or on eBay, common cards go for $5 to $40. A decent holographic card from a popular set might fetch a few hundred dollars. And then there is Logan Paul’s Pikachu Illustrator card, which sold in February 2026 for $16.5 million—setting a Guinness World Record for the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction. That’s not just the most expensive Pokémon card ever; it beat every baseball card, basketball card and football card in history.

For context: Paul originally bought the Pikachu Illustrator for $5.275 million in 2021 and still made more than $8 million in profit after auction fees. Which sounds like an incredible investment story—except that, as Fishler points out, the same card in a slightly lower grade (PSA 9 instead of PSA 10) recently sold for $2 million. Same card. Very different price. The condition and the specific grade can be the difference between a life-changing payday and a merely impressive one.

For most of us, the more relevant range is $50 to $500 for cards that are in good condition but not legendary, and up to six figures for true vintage grails. Fishler notes that the everyday market at shows hovers between $20 and $40 for most cards people encounter—possibly worth a little something, but not exactly a college fund.

It’s one thing to sell Pokémon cards, but why are people investing in them?

Pokémon cards, like coins or wine or vintage watches, have emerged as alternative assets—things people invest in outside of traditional stocks, bonds and real estate. What’s the appeal? Rare cards have an extremely limited supply (only 39 Pikachu Illustrators were ever made), they’re physical objects with nostalgic and cultural significance, and they’ve demonstrably appreciated in value over time.

Some investors treat them like a diversified portfolio. According to Card Ladder data, the average Pokémon card has appreciated nearly 46% in a single year—far outpacing the S&P 500’s average annual return of around 12%. Investors who bought a first-edition Shadowless Charizard for $5,000 in 2013 and sold it for $390,000 in late 2023 saw a return of more than 7,500%.

Judge explains the investment theory: Supply is fixed (Pokémon isn’t reprinting old cards), demand keeps growing (the nostalgic Millennial buyer pool isn’t getting smaller), and conditions matter enormously (a professionally graded, pristine card can be worth 10 to 100 times more than the same card in rough shape). Get the right card in the right grade, hold it long enough, and the math is definitely mathing.

“Who is to say stamps, coins, cars, art, etc., are good or bad investments?” Judge adds. “Those really aren’t that drastically different than something like Pokémon cards.”

Garcia agrees, with one important caveat: “I always tell people to buy what they love first and let appreciation be a bonus. While we’ve seen significant growth in the value of these cards, they are still collectibles at their core and should be treated that way.”

Is this a solid investment plan?

For some people in some circumstances, sure. For most people? Proceed with extreme caution.

Fishler is unusually blunt about this for someone who works in the collectibles business. “Taking your money away from the stock market and plowing it into Pokémon is a very dangerous thing to do,” he says. His concern isn’t that the cards aren’t valuable—it’s that the market is opaque, volatile and easy to misread, and online success stories aren’t investment advice.

He says to think of it more like gambling than investing: Seeing someone put $4 in a Vegas machine and win $500,000 doesn’t mean you should move your 401(k) to the casino. The same logic applies to Pokémon.

Judge, who, as a certified financial planner, spends his days steering clients away from exactly this kind of thinking, is more measured but arrives at a similar place. “I wouldn’t personally invest my money there,” he says, “but I think it could be a solid investment, like other collectibles, if it is something you truly understand, are passionate about, and there is a secondary market and high demand for purchases.”

The market is also illiquid, meaning that unlike stocks, you can’t sell a Pokémon card in a millisecond at a known market price. Selling a high-value card takes time, expertise and the right buyer. You might also be competing against people who do this full-time and know things you don’t. And then there’s the question of expertise. Knowing which cards are valuable, in what grades, from which sets, requires serious study. There’s no Pokémon Bloomberg terminal or index fund.

If you have a solid financial foundation—emergency fund, retirement contributions, diversified investments—and you want to put some fun money into cards? Fishler is supportive. “If you think they’re fun, you have [the money] and you won’t lose any sleep over the fact that there was 15% or 20% less than you paid, then go ahead.” But he is emphatic that retirement savings, college funds and home equity have no business going near a booster box.

Is this another bubble waiting to burst?

Anyone who lived through the late ’90s knows how this story can go. Beanie Babies had people convinced they were sitting on fortunes, and some families even made genuinely heartbreaking financial decisions over stuffed animals that eventually became garage-sale fodder. Just a few years ago, NFTs turned digital jpeg files into speculative gold—until they didn’t. The dot-com bubble made millionaires and then unmade them. Fishler himself remembers a parent around 2000 who cashed out their son’s college savings to buy Beanie Babies—a story that did not have a happy ending.

Pokémon cards have actually already had their own version of this. After the first wave of popularity in the late ’90s, the market cooled dramatically in the early 2000s. Cards that had seemed priceless became … pretty normal cards. The current boom is built on top of that history, which gives some analysts confidence that this isn’t just hype; the franchise has sustained real cultural relevance for three decades. Nintendo has done an exceptional job maintaining the brand, and the buyer base keeps refreshing as new generations discover the franchise.

But, Fishler warns, “we don’t really know in 20 years where Pokémon is going to be. It probably will still be around, but … something else might come along and steal its thunder, and all of a sudden Pokémon is now losing audiences, eyeballs and attention.”

Which of your cards might be worth serious cash?

Here’s what you actually came for. Before we get into the list, two things matter more than which card you have: condition and authenticity. A card that’s bent, scratched or creased is worth a fraction of the same card in pristine condition. (And there go my millionaire dreams; my kids literally battled with their Pokemon cards. I think some even have blood on them.) The highest values are almost always for cards graded PSA 10 (Gem Mint)—meaning essentially perfect. A PSA 10 can be worth anywhere from 10 to 100 times more than the same card in a lower grade.

Garcia advises looking for cards that are both first edition and holographic, as those tend to carry the most value. “I’ve worked with many people who have found their old binders from childhood, and more often than not, there’s something of value inside,” he says.

With that in mind, here are the cards worth checking your collection for—from the legendary to the more realistically attainable.

• Pikachu Illustrator (PSA 10): The most expensive Pokémon card ever sold, at $16.5 million, in 2026. Only 39 were made, awarded to winners of a 1997–1998 Japanese illustration contest. You almost certainly don’t have one. But if you do, you’ll recognize it: It’s the only Pikachu card where Pikachu is holding a pen.
• 1st Edition Shadowless Charizard: The rarest Pokémon card most collectors actually dream about owning. The PSA 10 version sold for $550,000 at Heritage Auctions in December 2025. Look for the “1st Edition” stamp on the left side and the absence of a shadow around the card image. Even in lower grades, this card commands serious money.
• 1st Edition Blastoise Holo (Base Set, Shadowless): Another cornerstone of the hobby. A PSA 10 sold for around $88,000 in July 2025. Similar rules apply: Look for the first-edition stamp and shadowless printing.
• Umbreon Gold Star (POP Series 5): One of the most desirable English-language cards outside the Base Set. A PSA 10 fetched around $48,500 in late 2025. You’d only have gotten this card by redeeming Pokémon league points, so it’s quite rare.
• Shining Charizard (Neo Destiny, 1st Edition): The black Charizard with foil treatment. A PSA 10 sold for around $15,000. It was a 1-in-300 pack pull when it was released, which means very few exist in great condition.
• Umbreon VMAX Alternate Art (Evolving Skies): A more modern card, nicknamed “Moonbreon” by collectors. It’s been rising steadily—from around $578 in 2023 to more than $1,200 in 2025—and it’s considered one of the best modern-era investments.
• Base Set unlimited Charizard (the common one): If you have a Charizard that isn’t 1st Edition and isn’t shadowless, don’t panic—you still might have something. In Near Mint condition, an unlimited Base Set Charizard can fetch around $2,000. In rough shape, much less. Still, it’s worth checking.

One important note from Fishler: Just knowing you have “a 1999 Pokémon Charizard” isn’t enough information to know its value. You need to identify the specific set, printing version and condition before looking up values.

So now what? How do you make some money?

If you’ve dug out that old card collection and you want to know if you have a small fortune on your hands, here are the steps to take—without getting scammed.

Step 1: Figure out what you have.

Don’t just eyeball it and post it on Reddit. Instead, look up the specific card. Collectors swear by TCGPlayer for everyday cards—it’s the largest dedicated trading-card marketplace in North America and shows actual market prices from completed sales, not just what sellers are hoping to get. For graded cards, PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is the go-to. Card Ladder is excellent for tracking trends over time. eBay’s “Sold Items” filter is also reliable because it shows what buyers actually paid. Choose the site, then type in the exact card name, set and any version information.

Step 2: Protect the card immediately.

Before you do anything else, slide it into a card sleeve. Don’t put it in a plastic bag, don’t stack it loose with other cards, and for the love of Mewtwo, don’t let your kid fold it into a ninja star (learn from my mistake). Cheap penny sleeves are fine for basic protection.

Step 3: If it might be valuable, get it graded.

Fishler is clear on this: “If you think you have something valuable, send it to a grading service, and they will grade it and send it back to you in a holder.” The major grading services are PSA, which commands the highest resale values, and CGC (Certified Collectibles Group), which can be more cost-effective for bulk submissions. Grading costs range from about $15 to $25 per card for standard service, so it only makes sense for cards that are already worth at least $50 in raw condition.

Step 4: Don’t try to grade it yourself.

You will overestimate its value. Everyone does. Fishler says that almost every person who comes to him thinks their card is worth three times what it actually is.

Step 5: Sell through legitimate channels.

For mid-value cards (under $1,000), using the completed listings on eBay as a price guide is reasonable. For anything more significant, Garcia recommends going straight to a specialist. “It’s important to speak with someone who understands which cards have potential value and can help assess their condition, as condition plays a key role in determining overall value,” he says. Use established auction houses like Goldin, Heritage Auctions or PWCC, which have authentication processes and serious buyer pools. Avoid “I’ll give you cash right now” situations from strangers at shows unless you’ve done your research.

Step 6: Watch for fakes.

Counterfeit Pokémon cards have been coming out of China for years, Fishler warns, and they’re increasingly convincing. If someone is offering you a deal that seems too good to be true on a rare card, it probably is. Buy graded cards from reputable services and sellers with verified track records.

One final thought: Some of the most surprisingly valuable items are the ones you’d never think to check. So if you haven’t looked at those old cards in a while, now might be the time. So my immaculate Fruit Roll-Up is probably not worth anything. But that holographic Charizard? Maybe I do have something. Or you might end up like the Pokémon dad who held on to every card because his kid loved them—which, come to think of it, is a pretty great outcome regardless of the market price.

Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Stephen Fishler, co-founder of ComicConnect; interviewed, April 15, 2026
• Jeff Judge, CFP, managing partner at Chesapeake Financial Planners; interviewed, April 15, 2026
• Jesús Garcia, director of trading card games at Heritage Auctions; interviewed, April 15, 2026
• CNBC: “Logan Paul sold a Pokémon card for more than $16 million. Here’s why investors are watching”
• CNN: “Logan Paul Pokémon card auction”

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The post Your Old Pokémon Cards Could Actually Be a Lucrative Investment—But Is This Really a Good Financial Strategy? appeared first on Reader's Digest.

But are we remembering this correctly? Has it really gotten that much worse? According to an unofficial Facebook poll we conducted, the answer is a resounding yes. Readers chimed in with what was hurting their wallet the most, and well, let’s just say there’s very little that isn’t noticeably more expensive. Even basic things feel like a true luxury right now.

We dug into the data to find out whether it’s just vibes or whether costs really have climbed that much in the past 10 years. Plus, we asked financial expert Sarah Brady to share her thoughts on when costs may go back down and how to keep money in your pocket in the meantime. Read on to learn just how different prices are in 2026—and what it means for your budget.

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It’s not our imagination—prices have gone up a lot, right?

Nope, it’s not our imagination! Overall, consumer prices in the U.S. are up about 30% to 35% since 2016, according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (USBLS). That means something that cost $100 in 2016 now costs roughly $130 to $135 on average. And while inflation was fairly mild between 2016 and 2019, it surged dramatically in 2021 and 2022—peaking near 9% year over year in mid-2022, the highest in about four decades.

“When it comes to everyday expenses, consumers have been hit particularly hard by increases in food and gas prices,” Brady says. But those increases don’t tell the whole story of why consumers are struggling. “Both rents and mortgage rates have skyrocketed too, so many people feel like they’re taking hits from all sides.”

Just how much have everyday items skyrocketed?

From groceries to movie tickets, here are some of the categories that have been hit the hardest by price surges, according to the CPI and market experts. (Keep in mind, these are national averages and you may be paying less for a cup of coffee if you live in a small suburban town … and more if you live in a major city.)

1. Groceries: 30% increase

Ten years ago, a fresh gallon of whole milk cost around $3.20. Now? It’s almost $4.07. That’s a 27% jump! Bacon has undergone the same percentage increase, so a pack of sliced bacon that cost you $5.42 in 2016 is now almost $7! No wonder people have pivoted to just having a cup of coffee for breakfast.

2. Fast food: 50% increase

The only thing that’s supersized at McDonald’s these days is the prices. Case in point: A Happy Meal in 2016 cost $3.19. Now? It’s $5.99. That’s a nearly 88% increase!

But that’s not the only chain that has scaled back the “value” in a value meal. Over at Taco Bell, a simple bean and cheese burrito was a $1 menu item in 2016, and it cost, well, a dollar (plus tax). Now, that same picky-eater favorite is $2.49—more than double the price!

Sure, each establishment and each item will have markedly different prices. But when you make an average, they all paint the same picture: Drive-thrus aren’t what they used to be.

3. Gas: 48% increase

The average gallon of gas in 2016 was $2.14. Now? $4! That may not seem like a lot, but that’s a nearly 87% increase that won’t even fill up your tank.

In some major cities, gas prices are all the way up to $7. But smaller suburban areas, as well as those with public-transportation infrastructures, bring the average increase down to that 48% noted above.

4. Concert tickets: 41% increase

2016 was a hot year for music. Everyone from Justin Bieber to Bruce Springsteen to Paul McCartney was on tour. But according to Business Insider, Adele was the top-selling artist, and the average ticket price for her top show was $708. Now, that equivalent, whether it’s Taylor Swift or Beyoncé, would cost anywhere from $1,000 to $1,800. That’s more than most people’s rent for the month. (We’ll get to that in just a minute.)

5. Owning a pet: 38% increase

Long gone are the days of having a pet that lives out in the yard and eats scraps from the dinner table. Even if pet owners don’t lavish their furry friends with pet spas, clothes and day care, the basics of food, vet visits and even adoption fees have gone way up over the years.

In 2016, having a cat or dog usually cost families between $1,000 and $2,000 per year. That’s now up to $4,272 … which is on the cheaper end. Puppies and kittens and senior animals typically cost a little more.

6. Going to the movies: 41% increase

Not even the likes of Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie can get us to the movie theater these days. The average ticket cost a mere $8.65 in 2016. Now the national average is double at $16.08. You might even pay more than $20 if you’re in a major city like New York or L.A.

Sure, some places in the country might offer lower prices or a great weekday matinee deal. But once you factor in the cost of popcorn, candy and a soda (which all cost more than the ticket itself), you’re spending too much, no matter what.

7. Hotels: 17.5% increase

You don’t need data to tell you there’s a difference (both financially and aesthetically) between a Ritz-Carlton and a Motel 6. But no matter which lodging is in your price range, you’re definitely paying more for a hotel than you used to—nearly 20% more, in fact. In 2016, the average was $123 a night; now, it’s $162.

8. Housing: 46% increase

Owning vs. renting. A studio vs. a one-, two- or three-bedroom. Living in a city vs. a suburb. So many things factor into the cost of housing. But whether you’re residing in a New York City walkup with three roommates or have a four-bedroom house in a Texas suburb, housing is noticeably more expensive than it used to be. On average, renting a one-bedroom used to cost $1,029. Now, it’s $1,698.

9. Car insurance: 44% increase

Getting a good deal on car insurance is almost harder than getting a good deal on the car itself. But no matter how safe you are behind the wheel, being a driver now is much more expensive than it was back in the day.

The national average to insure one car in 2016 was around $1,368. Now, you may pay up to $1,980 if you live in a major city.

10. Utilities: 51% increase

Utilities is a broad term, but today, it usually includes the cost of water, heating and cooling, electricity and gas, trash and recycling, and internet and cable.

This cost came in around $2,060 a year in 2016, according to Nationwide. Now, Homeguide reports that the annual cost is a whopping $6,000 to $7,200 per year. Ouch.

What caused these massive price increases?

Prices rise for many reasons: inflation, supply and demand shifts, labor shortages and global disruptions.

Take eggs, for example. When chickens in the U.S. became infected with the avian bird flu in late 2024, egg production decreased significantly, and the average price of a dozen skyrocketed 59% from roughly $2.50 to a record-high of $6.23 just a few months later—and a staggering 270% from the $1.68 the same eggs cost in 2016. (Thankfully, prices have eased a bit to an average of $3.59.)

But to be fair, there’s plenty of blame to go around. “It’s tempting to blame price increases on one event or even one politician,” says Brady. “But it’s a series of extreme events that have caused imbalances between supply and demand and led to sharp price increases over the last decade.”

That series of extreme events includes the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and as Brady notes, they not only disrupted supply chains and energy markets—they also created long-lasting ripple effects. Since living through so many unprecedented moments right now, it’s hitting us harder because so many of life’s line items have been affected.

What are people most upset about?

All of it! As one Reddit user put it: “Ten years ago, you could grab concert tickets, groceries and maybe even a spontaneous weekend trip without needing a financial advisor and a stress nap.”

And another Redditor points out: “Costs keep going up while wages stagnate.” In fact, according to CNBC, salaries have been stalled since the 1970s. Even though annual incomes have increased, they haven’t gone up as much as they used to. The cost of living? Sky high. Entertainment? Also sky high. Salaries? Barely off the ground. Just existing feels like a luxury these days—and even a decent meal and a glass of wine to unwind can feel out of reach. No wonder people are frustrated!

Will these prices ever go back down?

The short answer? Not likely. Brady says that while “there’s no way to accurately predict what will happen with inflation, most projections do not include a reversal of recent spikes.”

Instead, inflation will slowly decline toward 2% over the next few years, she notes. It’s a small win, but we’ll take it.

What’s the best way to minimize the pain of these price increases?

“There are two main ways you can adjust when you’re feeling financial pressure: Cut your spending and/or increase your income,” says Brady. “I always recommend aiming to increase your income annually, whether by finding a new job, negotiating a raise or otherwise. If you haven’t reexamined your spending in recent years, take the time to review your financial statements and find expenses that can be cut or eliminated.”

Cutting back doesn’t mean cutting out fun, however. Swap stadium shows for free concerts in the park. Attend minor league games as a live sports alternative. A matinee movie showtime is usually at least $5 cheaper, and if you’re craving takeout, go pick it up in person to save on the delivery fee, service charge and gratuity. A few simple changes to your favorite activities can make a big difference.

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Sarah C. Brady, financial expert and educator; interviewed, February 2026
• Visual Capitalist: “Where Inflation Has Risen the Most in the U.S.”
• Official Data: “The U.S. dollar has lost 26% its value since 2016”
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Consumer prices up 2.4 percent over the year ended January 2026”
• Money: “From Phones to Jewelry, These 7 Things Are Getting More Expensive in 2026”
• U.S. News & World Report: “More Price Increases Are Coming in 2026”
• USDA: “Food Price Outlook, 2026”
• CNBC: “How much eggs cost every year since 1980—in one chart”
• Reddit: “What used to be affordable 10 years ago but now feels like a luxury?”
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: “Consumer Expenditures in 2016”
• CNBC: “Here’s the inflation breakdown for January 2026 — in one chart”

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Before we get into it, just know that ube has experienced a true explosion in popularity in the past year or so. According to food and beverage data firm Datassential, the number of U.S. menus that feature a dish with ube has grown by 231% over the past four years. Anyone who’s been in a restaurant or cafe lately knows there’s no sign the trend is slowing.

If you’re curious (and maybe a little hungry), read on. We’re covering what ube is, where you can find it and everything else you need to know about the intriguing food taking our country by storm.

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What is ube, exactly?

The uber-trendy veggie, pronounced “oo-beh,” is a purple yam (the name actually means “tuber” in Tagalog). While we sometimes use the terms yam and sweet potato interchangeably, an ube is not the same as a purple sweet potato. Purple sweet potatoes have been available in U.S. grocery stores for quite a while—they look and taste similar to regular orange sweet potatoes and are used most often in savory dishes.

Ube, on the other hand, looks more like taro, which is a root vegetable with dark, thick, rough skin (though it’s typically white on the inside, not purple). Like sweet potatoes, taro is primarily used in savory dishes. Of the three, ube is most often featured in sweets and desserts.

Where does ube come from?

Ube is native to the Philippines, where it’s been grown for literally thousands of years. So what is ube used for there? According to the folks at Organic Ube USA, a company that makes ube powder, the most traditional Filipino ube preparation is halayang ube, a sweet jam. But it’s also an ingredient in ice cream, cakes and bread rolls.

And it’s in high demand. The New York Times has reported that annual ube production in the Philippines has been around 14 million kilograms per year over the past two years. Not only does the country grow a lot of ube, but it’s also exporting more and more in recent years—more than 1.7 million kilograms of it in 2025, according to the Department of Trade and Industry of the Philippines. That’s a 20.4% increase from 2024. Nearly half of all that ube came here to the U.S., which is double the amount we imported the previous year.

What does ube taste like?

I’ve mentioned a few times that ube is most often used in desserts. That’s because it has a sweet, nutty flavor with hints of vanilla that lends itself beautifully to sweet recipes. Honestly, it’s delicious.

Is ube healthy?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 100 grams of whole ube (which would be one small to medium yam) contains 120 calories, 1 gram of protein, 4 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar, plus some calcium, iron, vitamin C and vitamin A.

The deep purple color also means that it contains powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been shown to help lower blood pressure, reduce heart disease risk, protect brain function and even slow cancer growth, per the Cleveland Clinic.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that every food and product made with ube is healthy. If you’re enjoying an ube ice cream or cookie, for example, chances are that there’s some added sugar and/or processed carbohydrates in the recipe that are not the best for you, which is important to keep in mind if you’re trying to eat healthy.

Why is everyone so obsessed with ube these days?

There are a few reasons why people have become so obsessed with ube so quickly. The first is a very 2026 explanation: Everything made with ube has a deep, eye-catching purple hue, making it ideal for posting and sharing on social media. In fact, ube became popular on social media before it started popping up in bakeries, cafes and grocery stores.

Those brick-and-mortar shops are the next reason ube has become such a trend. I’ll mention some specifics later, but there are a few very popular national brands that carry ube products in their stores, making the food more available than it’s ever been.

Finally, while the flavor of ube isn’t quite like any other foods we have here in the U.S., it pairs beautifully with dishes we know and love, like ice cream, baked goods, boba tea and lattes. This combination of ordinary and unfamiliar just can’t be beat.

So just how obsessed are we? The Datassential survey above found that two years ago, only 4% of Americans knew what ube was. Now, 27% of people have heard of it. What’s more, only 2.6% of people had tried it two years ago. Today, that number has jumped to 13%, which means five times as many people are eating it now.

Where can you find foods and drinks with ube?

This is what you’ve been waiting for, right? Well, get ready for a sweet treat. Here’s where you can try some foods or drinks made with ube:

• Starbucks has an Iced Ube Coconut Macchiato and an Iced Ube Coconut Cream Shaken Espresso on its spring 2026 menu.
• Trader Joe’s makes a variety of ube products, including Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix, Ube Ice Cream and some others, depending on your Trader Joe’s location.
• Birch Benders, a brand that’s sold in most large supermarkets and online, makes an Ube Mochi Pancake & Waffle Mix (that also happens to be gluten-free).

Ube lattes are easy to make at home, and there are plenty of ube latte kits and powders online that you can purchase to try out. Likewise, you can buy ube extract or ube powder to flavor your homemade baked goods and other desserts. Your best chance of finding fresh ube in the U.S. is at a Filipino market or an Asian grocery store.

If there are any Filipino bakeries or restaurants in your area, consider yourself lucky. They’ve likely been selling tasty delights made with ube for longer than TikTok has been sending you videos of the trend. And don’t just order one item—you deserve to taste-test them all.

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Datassential: “What Is Ube and Why Is It So Popular?”
• CNN: “Ube is enjoying a purple reign in the US. That’s causing problems in the Philippines”
• Organic Ube USA: “The Fascinating History of Ube in Filipino Cuisine and Its US Popularity”
• New York Times: “The World Wants More Ube. Philippine Farmers Are Struggling to Keep Up.”
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: “Pamana, Whole Purple Yam”
• Cleveland Clinic: “4 Health Benefits of Anthocyanins”

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And yet … here we are anyway, completely hooked. We use AI to write our emails, name our dogs, plan our vacations and settle insane arguments with our husbands about whether a hot dog is a sandwich. (It is, Jonas—I don’t care what ChatGPT says!) It’s the defining love-hate relationship of our era: We are equal parts dazzled and unsettled, grateful and deeply suspicious. So we do what humans have always done when confronted with something too big and weird to fully process—we make jokes about it. But at least a human is writing those jokes … on this site, at least!

These AI jokes, puns and one-liners are our tribute to the robots who will soon be our overlords. Consider this your collection of the best jokes about AI, gathered while we still have the upper hand on comedy. (Again, and I can’t stress this enough: for now.)

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Funniest AI jokes

• How does a chatbot cross the street in New York City?
  It says, “A-I’m walking here!”
• Why did the AI go to the gym?
  To work on its core model.
• Why did ChatGPT get into real estate?
  It was great at generating listings.
• What’s AI’s favorite sweet treat?
  Cookies.
• What was the AI drummer’s favorite beat?
  An algo-rhythm.
• How does AI pay for groceries?
  In cache!
• Why did the chatbot go on a diet?
  Too many bytes.
• What’s AI’s favorite weather?
  Cloudy.
• What did the chatbot say to the router?
  “I feel like we have a real connection.”
• What do you call artificial intelligence that’s also a plumber?
  A pipeline model.
• What’s AI’s favorite sports team?
  The Rams.

AI dad jokes

• What do you call a chatbot pirate?
  Arrr-tificial Intelligence.
• What did ChatGPT say to the Terminator?
  “AI’ll be back.”
• What type of coffee does AI prefer?
  Java.
• What is AI’s zodiac sign?
  Gemini.
• Why did the AI tool go into the cave?
  To do some data mining.
• What’s AI’s favorite type of entertainer?
  A data mime.
• What do you call AI that does your taxes?
  Arti-fiscal intelligence.
• What’s an AI baby’s favorite drink?
  Anything in a Chatbottle.
• How does AI go to the bathroom?
  Install.
• What’s AI’s favorite way to work out?
  Circuit training.
• Why did the AI become a fisherman?
  It was great at trawling the net.
• Me: “Did you know Old McDonald’s farm has been taken over by ChatGPT?”
  You: AI?
  Me: AI.
  You: Oh.

Dark AI jokes

• What does AI think is a joke?
  Humans.
• Why did the AI send flowers?
  It processed your medical records and wanted to get ahead of things.
• What do you call it when AI takes your job?
  Tuesday.
• What’s the difference between AI and a cult?
  One promises to change your life, knows everything about you, asks for your complete trust and slowly replaces your relationships. The other has a compound.
• What’s AI’s favorite movie?
  ChatGPTerminator.
• Why did the AI get into politics?
  It was great at generating empty promises.
• Why did the cat hate AI?
  It was de-Claude.
• What’s the difference between your AI and your boss?
  Your AI already knows it’s replacing you.
• Why did the robot go to therapy?
  Unresolved issues with its motherboard.
• Why don’t robots cry at funerals?
  They already knew.
• What did the AI name its firstborn?
  Version 2.0.

Relatable AI one-liners

• AI will never replace humans because someone has to feel guilty about using it.
• My relationship with AI is the most consistent one in my life, and I’m having ChatGPT unpack that for me right now.
• AI promised to make my life easier, and now I spend 45 minutes crafting the perfect prompt to avoid a task that would’ve taken me 10.
• AI remembered something I said three months ago, and I have never felt so seen or so surveilled.
• I use AI to write my emails, but I still have to actually send them, and that’s the hard part.
• I asked AI for life advice, and it gave me a better answer than I got from my dad, my therapist and my horoscope combined.
• AI keeps hallucinating, and honestly, same.
• The first time AI got something wrong, I was relieved—we’re not so different after all.
• Using AI to help me be more productive is the most human thing I’ve ever done because I immediately used the extra time to scroll my phone.
• My AI keeps finishing my sentences—we’re really starting to find our algo-rhythm.
• I asked my AI to be spontaneous; it said it needed a prompt for that.

AI puns

• AI is my Co-Pilot.
• No more Mr. Geminice guy!
• AI caramba!
• AI-witness News.
• Ctrl-AI-Delete.
• Ro-bot-tom line.
• Byte me.
• A chat-astrophic failure!
• Byte of passage.
• Chip on your shoulder.
• Sync or swim.
• Cache me if you can!
• Bot to trot.
• Short-circuit city.
• Chat’s all folks!

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has been telling jokes for more than 100 years, curated and reviewed over the last 20 years by Senior Features Editor Andy Simmons, a humor editor formerly of National Lampoon and the author of Now That’s Funny. We’ve earned prestigious ASME awards for our humor—including comical quips, pranks, puns, cartoons, one-liners, knock-knock jokes, riddles, memes, tweets and stories in laugh-out-loud magazine columns such as “Life in These United States,” “All in a Day’s Work,” “Laughter, the Best Medicine” and “Humor in Uniform,” as well as online collections such as short jokes, dad jokes and bad jokes so bad, they’re great. You can find a century of humor in our 2022 compendium, Reader’s Digest: Laughter, the Best Medicine. For this story on AI jokes and puns, Laura Beck tapped her 15-plus years of experience as a professional humor writer for TV shows and magazines. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

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Why stop there? I thought, planning a week-long trip to Florida tailored to my oh-so-specific interests: mermaids, carnivals and circuses. The trip was a joy. Not only did I don a tail and plunge into the depths of a crystal-clear spring, I also nerded out at the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota and ate a Cubano sandwich at the Showmen’s Bar in Gibsonton, where carnival folk wintered in the mid-20th century. I never felt rushed or stressed by a bored companion, and I met some great people as I swiftly checked things off my bucket list and fulfilled a magical childhood dream.

Solo travel seems to be a rite of passage these days, and it is quickly gaining in popularity as stigmas surrounding it melt away. Google searches for solo travel doubled from 2018 to 2023. Social media exposes us to more places than ever before, and the freedom of doing what you want—not waiting on friends with different schedules and finances, or a spouse with other interests—as well as the desire for self-reflection and growth, has become irresistible.

Gen Z is known for solo travel, and now older generations are getting turned on to the idea. But not every age group approaches solo travel the same way. Ahead, I talked to clinical therapist Michele LaFemina, who has decades of experience supporting clients of multiple generations, to get the lowdown on why travel choices can be so generationally specific, and I also checked in with three travel experts to suggest great destinations for each group.

Read on to discover some fantastic solo-travel vacation ideas.

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Why does your generation matter when it comes to choosing a solo trip?

Every generation is shaped by the era they grew up in. The technology, the predominant cultural values—plus your current age, financial status and physical ability—leave a lasting imprint on how you view independence, leisure and personal freedom. (The Silent Generation, now in their 80s and 90s, will certainly approach solo travel differently than the teens and twentysomethings of Gen Z!)

“If someone was raised in a time and in an environment that valued sacrifice, routine and family responsibility, they see leisure as something they need to earn and that needs to be structured,” LaFemina says. (Think: a guided educational tour.) On the other hand, someone raised in a more individualistic culture might see leisure as a form of self-expression, choosing to book a wellness retreat or Insta-worthy bucket-list experience.

Life experiences matter too: Silents and Baby Boomers may be rediscovering themselves after the loss of a long-term spouse, while Gen Zers might want to meet new people (or find partners of their own). Midlife Millennials and Gen X, sandwiched between children, eldercare and a rapidly changing corporate world, often opt for solo travel as a means of self-care and escape. Younger Millennials and Gen Z, who tend to be motivated by self-discovery and social connection, may solo travel to satisfy their desire for spontaneity, digital nomadism and adventure.

Of course, reasons for traveling solo can transcend generational assumptions. “People base their travels not only on budget or age, but on what independence means to them,” LaFemina says. “For some, it’s exciting; for others, unsafe.” Technology has transformed who can realistically travel solo as well. Navigation apps, real-time translation tools, AI trip planners and online booking platforms have made independent travel dramatically more accessible—particularly for younger generations who grew up digital-first.

What is the ideal type of solo trip for each generation?

Every generation brings its own set of needs, fears and travel goals to the table. Here are our choices for the perfect solo excursion for each generation, from top travel experts.

Silent Generation (born 1925–1945): Guided journeys

The Silent Generation came of age in an era of collective obligation, when community, duty and group harmony took precedence over individual desire. Solo travel as we think of it today—spontaneous, self-directed, unstructured—wasn’t exactly the norm for them. But that doesn’t mean Silents aren’t interested in going solo; they just go about it a little differently.

“Travelers in this generation often prioritize comfort, safety and enriching cultural or historical experiences with minimal logistical stress,” says John William, a travel advisor with Easy Travel & Tours in Tanzania. “They prefer escorted tours or cruises, where the logistical safety of a group is provided, but they can still enjoy their own space.”

For Silents, it’s the best of both worlds: the reassurance of a group and a plan, with the space to enjoy their own company along the way. “They don’t see this as losing or lacking independence,” LaFemina says. “It just feels more comfortable when it’s within a reliable structure.”

Key needs for this generation include accessibility, 24/7 support and easy transportation. Health considerations may also factor into planning; things like travel insurance, proximity to medical facilities and accessibility of destinations and accommodations are worth researching carefully. The solo travel industry has become far more attuned to these needs lately, with many operators offering single-supplement-free group tours designed exactly for this traveler.

Trip idea: Danube River cruise (Vienna to Budapest)

A river cruise through Central Europe is an ideal solo trip for a Silent Generation traveler. The “hotel on the water” format means logistics such as transportation, accommodations and meals are entirely handled, and you’re never navigating alone. The Danube route through Vienna and Budapest offers a wealth of history, architecture and classical culture that resonates deeply with this generation’s intellectual sensibilities.

Small-group shore excursions to historic sites, classical music performances and guided city walks bring the destination to life without the overwhelm of independent navigation. The social-dining format means you’ll never eat alone unless you want to. Look for river cruise operators that offer single cabins or room-share matching to avoid a single supplement.

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Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964): Purposeful adventures

Boomers have long been associated with a significant shift toward individualism. Often called the “me generation,” many are retired or approaching retirement, and their lifelong orientation toward self-expression has finally met up with the time and resources to act on it.

With their newfound free time, many Boomers are “eager to pursue interests they may have postponed during their careers,” says Christian Petzold, a travel and tourism expert at TheTeamTrip. They’re purposeful travelers—not just looking to relax, but to reconnect with themselves, explore a dream destination or finally take the trip they’ve been planning for decades.

Travel expert and wildlife photographer Johan Siggesson describes the Boomer solo traveler through a concept he calls “adventure, refined.” According to his research, 77% prioritize comfort and tend to choose single, easy-to-navigate destinations. They want the thrill of new experiences with a premium safety net underneath. He also says that Boomers are embracing the “hushpitality” trend: quiet luxury travel that prioritizes silence and intentional stillness—early nights, long reads, nature walks and proper rest. After decades of go-go-go, the luxury of doing nothing in a beautiful way brings plenty of fulfillment.

LaFemina says Boomers, like Silents, are often retired, widowed or no longer in a caregiving role, and while they value independence, it isn’t the main driver: “They want comfort, predictability and meaning, and they find it in guided tours, train journeys or going back to a place that meant something to them when they were young.” Built-in socialization opportunities hold appeal, so look for small-group itineraries that balance structured activities with genuine free time. Single-supplement-free options are increasingly available and worth seeking out.

Trip idea: Culinary exploration of Tuscany

For the Boomer who wants depth over breadth, a culinary journey through Tuscany delivers on every level. Farm-to-table cooking classes, vineyard visits, olive oil tastings and guided walks through medieval hill towns like San Gimignano and Montalcino combine comfort with genuine cultural immersion.

This kind of trip is well-served by small-group operators who cater specifically to independent travelers—offering the social benefit of a group (built-in dinner companions, shared discoveries) without the herded-tourist feel. Accommodations in restored farmhouses or boutique hotels add to the sense of earned luxury.

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Generation X (born 1965–1979): Self-reliant exploring

Gen X practically invented solo travel—before it even had a name. The original latchkey generation, they often came home to empty houses, navigated their own schedules and figured things out without much adult help. This independence followed them into adulthood and also influenced how they travel.

“Generation X was raised to be self-reliant, and they weren’t dependent on digital tools,” says LaFemina. “A lot of them are still comfortable figuring things out on their own, so they are confident solo travelers.” Gen Xers tend to be independent, resourceful, quietly adventurous—and less likely to document every moment and post it all online. “They protect their trip as private,” she says.

Siggesson describes Gen X solo travelers as willing to take risks in remote or unfamiliar destinations, but expecting comfortable, well-researched, secure accommodation when they get there. They do their homework and don’t need hand-holding. He says they’re also driving a notable rise in ancestry travel: trips organized around tracing family roots, exploring heritage sites and connecting with the places their families came from.

“When traveling solo, they seek to balance relaxation with immersive cultural experiences,” says William. Gen X is also increasingly entering the solo travel market as their children grow up and leave home—using travel as both a personal reset and a rediscovery of who they are outside of parenthood.

Trip idea: Scotland ancestry and heritage tour

For the Gen X traveler who wants depth, authenticity and a little adventure (with a luxurious landing pad at the end of the day), a curated heritage tour through Scotland hits every note. Genealogy research, visits to ancestral clan lands, whisky distillery tours and dramatic Highland landscapes offer the kind of immersive, meaningful experience this generation craves.

Siggesson recommends a guided but high-end approach—staying in boutique castle hotels or converted manor houses, working with specialists who can help trace family history (before or during the trip) and building in unstructured time to wander. Scotland’s infrastructure makes independent day trips easy, so the trip can flex between guided discovery and true solo exploration, depending on their mood.

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Millennials (born 1980–1994): Intentional experiences

Millennials famously delayed the traditional markers of adulthood like marriage, homeownership and children, and in that gap, many of them traveled. Solo travel became a form of self-discovery, a way of building identity outside of institutional structures and, increasingly, a form of self-care.

LaFemina says that for Millennials, travel is a chance to develop, reset and mark certain milestones, and that many travel solo specifically to recover from burnout: “They aren’t escaping by traveling, they are recalibrating,” she says.

Siggesson identifies what he calls “wellth” travel among Millennials: the intersection of wellness and wealth, where a trip isn’t just a vacation but a cognitive refresh. His data shows that 69% of Millennial solo travelers prioritize a genuine mental reset, gravitating toward quieter or more contemplative locations rather than high-stimulation tourist destinations. There’s also a growing appetite for skill-based travel: cooking classes in Italy, pottery workshops in Japan, language immersion programs, creative retreats.

William says “51% of Millennials travel solo often, frequently seeking community travel like a small curated group trip where they can meet like-minded strangers.” It’s a distinctly Millennial paradox: deeply independent, but craving connection. The ideal trip gives them both.

Trip idea: Slow travel in the Japanese countryside

Japan’s countryside—particularly the Satoyama landscapes of Nagano, the ancient post towns of the Nakasendo trail or the temple-dotted hills of Yamaguchi prefecture—offers everything a Millennial solo traveler is looking for: genuine cultural depth, exquisite food, opportunities for hands-on learning and a pace that actually allows for decompression.

Siggesson recommends a two-week slow-travel itinerary built around a stay at a boutique ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), a culinary-skills workshop (think knife-making, ramen technique or traditional kaiseki cooking) and a nature-immersion element such as forest bathing or a mountain pilgrimage trail. Japan’s exceptional public transit makes it easy to move around independently, and the country’s famous safety and navigability make it a natural fit for Millennials who want their first solo trip to feel like an adventure, not an ordeal.

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Gen Z (born 1995–2012): Connected escape

Gen Z may be the generation most associated with solo travel right now, and for good reason. They’re most likely to have traveled solo on their last trip, and since they grew up watching other people travel solo online, it’s a perfectly normal option that lets them show they are adults in control.

But according to a consumer study by Albert, the personal finance app, 44% of Gen Z say a group-trip text is the scariest message they can receive. The numbers explain why: 61% say friends push them beyond their budget on group trips, and 46% say social spending actively derails their finances. When the group chat breeds budget anxiety, going solo looks a lot more appealing.

But they’re more complicated than their reputation suggests. Gen Z has continued what researchers call the “slow life strategy”—taking longer to reach traditional independence milestones, and in many ways presenting as less risk-hungry than their reputation implies. Many are navigating early adulthood with more anxiety, not less (remember they spent two formative years in pandemic lockdowns). What looks like fearless solo travel is often more nuanced: They want freedom, but they want it with a framework.

That tracks with Siggesson’s data, which finds that 65% of Gen Z see solo travel not as escape from others, but as a way to connect with them—using apps to meet fellow travelers, booking co-living hostels and joining community-focused group experiences. And 71% actively seek non-traditional destinations to avoid over-tourism—they want the experience without the crowd, and they definitely don’t want to post the same photo everyone else is taking.

Trip idea: Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is having a major moment, and Gen Z is largely responsible for it. The city’s K-beauty scene, street food culture, dynamic neighborhoods (Hongdae, Insadong, Bukchon Hanok Village) and thriving social-hostel network make it close to a perfect Gen Z solo destination. Siggesson points to the rising “Glowmads” trend, aka travel centered around skin-care routines, beauty treatments and wellness rituals: 53% of Gen Z travelers are planning trips organized around this trend.

He recommends a 10-day itinerary designed around K-beauty discovery (sheet mask workshops, visits to the beauty district of Myeongdong, skin-care consultations), local cuisine deep-dives (from street tteokbokki to Michelin-starred Korean BBQ) and a co-living hostel base that builds in natural social connection. Seoul’s exceptional public transit is nearly free with a T-money card, making independent exploration affordable and easy (use the Naver app in South Korea instead of Google Maps, which is limited in the country). Budget optimization via AI travel tools makes this trip more accessible than it might look.

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What should you keep in mind about solo travel, regardless of your generation?

Whatever your birth year, a few fundamentals apply across the board when traveling solo:

• Prioritize safety first, always: Safety is the primary concern for 61% of solo travelers across all age groups. Research your destination’s safety profile, register with the U.S. State Department’s STEP program for international travel, share your itinerary with someone at home and trust your instincts.
• Watch out for the single supplement: The solo travel industry is slowly changing, but many hotels and tour operators still charge solo travelers a premium for occupying a room alone. Look for operators that waive the single supplement, offer room-share matching or price solo travel equitably from the start.
• Build in flexibility, but not too much: The freedom to follow your own schedule is the whole point of solo travel. But a completely unstructured trip can feel overwhelming, especially for first-timers. A loose framework of two or three anchor experiences per day, with room to wander, tends to work well.
• Consider your time zone: Big time zone changes can feel more disorienting when you’re alone and don’t have a travel companion to lean on. For a first solo trip, a destination within one or two time zones of home can make the adjustment much gentler.
• Use technology wisely: Navigation apps, translation tools, currency converters and community travel platforms can dramatically enhance a solo trip. Just don’t let your phone become a barrier between you and the actual experience.
• Embrace eating alone: It’s the thing most solo travelers dread and most end up loving. Sit at the bar. Bring a book. Talk to the person next to you—or don’t. Solo dining is one of the quiet pleasures of traveling alone.
• Book the good room: Solo travel is already a generous act of self-care. Don’t undercut it by defaulting to the cheapest option out of guilt. You’re worth the upgrade, so give yourself permission!

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing, and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Michele LaFemina, LPC, clinical director at Pathways Recovery; email interview, March 2026
• Christian Petzold, travel industry expert at TheTeamTrip; email interview, March 2026
• Johan Siggesson, wildlife photographer and travel expert; email interview, March 2026
• John William, travel advisor at Easy Travel & Tours Ltd.; email interview, March 2026
• PR Newswire: “Albert Consumer Study on Gen Z Travel and Social Spending”
• American Express: “2024 Global Travel Trends Report”
• Atlys: “Solo Travel Statistics: Insights, Top Destinations & Apps”
• Grand View Research: “Solo Travel Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report, 2025–2034”
• Solo Traveler World: “Solo Travel Statistics, Data 2024 – 2025”
• Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America’s Future by Jean M. Twenge

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The post Solo Travel Isn’t the Same for Every Generation—Here’s How to Choose the Best Trip for You appeared first on Reader's Digest.

And while savvy travelers know to set their phone to airplane mode once on board and that even automatic gratuities can be lowered if you ask, there’s another fee that may be even harder to avoid. Believe it or not, it’s actually all spelled out right there, in the fine print of your cruise contract—you just never noticed it!

Read on to learn more about the potential fee, how much you may be on the hook for and if it could affect your next vacation.

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Why are cruise lines charging a new surprise fee?

You’re not the only one feeling the pain when you head to the pump. Thanks to the war in Iran, oil prices have spiked, and that affects cruise ships too.

To protect their bottom line, cruise lines include language in the fine print of their contracts that gives them the right to add a fuel surcharge if the price of oil hits a certain trigger point. This add-on isn’t new—the stipulation has been in many cruise contracts for years—but it’s gaining attention now as the price of crude has already surpassed many cruise lines’ trigger points. (At the time of publication, Western Texas Intermediate crude was more than $95 per barrel.)

How much could you get hit with?

Different cruise lines reserve the right to charge different fees. Here are the potential fees for U.S.-based lines, along with the threshold for instituting the fee:

• Carnival: $9 per person, per day; $70 barrel threshold
• Celebrity: $10 per person, per day; $65 barrel threshold
• MSC Cruises: $12 per person, per day; $65 barrel threshold
• Norwegian Cruise Line: $10 per person, per day; $65 barrel threshold
• Royal Caribbean: $12 per person, per day; $65 barrel threshold
• Disney Cruise Line: Doesn’t specify, but Disney does state in its contract that a fuel supplement may be charged

Note that these fees are per person, per day. That means a family of four on a seven-night cruise might see an additional $336 tacked on to their final cruise bill. Ouch!

Which cruise lines are guilty of this?

While nearly all U.S. cruise lines have a fuel surcharge built into their contracts, the good news is that none have implemented the fee since the war started. (The one exception here at home is Margaritaville at Sea, which has a trigger point of $40 per barrel and has charged a $15 per person, per night additional fuel fee since June 2024 on its Paradise ship.)

Representatives for Norwegian and Carnival told MarketWatch that there are no current plans to start charging additional fuel surcharges, but that doesn’t mean cruise lines have ruled out hiking their overall rates as a result of higher fuel prices.

It’s a different story in Asia, where StarCruises and Dream Cruises added a $25 and $12 per day, per guest, fuel fee, respectively, in March.

Is there anything you can do to avoid this?

While there’s no way to opt out of the fee, cruise lines that hedge their oil supplies (meaning they lock in a lower rate in advance for future fuel needs) may be less likely to implement a fuel surcharge. According to Cruise Radio, two lines that are known to hedge are Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. On the other hand, Carnival does not, making it riskier that the line will add a surcharge on future sailings.

Another potential way to avoid fees is to pay in full as early as you can. It may not make a difference, since cruise lines can add the surcharge at any time before your sailing, but it’s possible that you may get grandfathered in.

You’ll also want to read your cruise contract before signing it—yep, even the fine print. Scan it for phrases like “fuel supplement,” and take note of the fees. Even if there’s no way to avoid paying it, knowing in advance how much you should have in your contingency budget always helps. That way, you can pick up that cute souvenir or splurge on that glass of fancy champagne without stressing about your own bottom line.

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• This Surprising Cruise Feature Is Disappearing from Ships Around the Globe—Here’s What You Need to Know
• Carnival Cruise Line Announces a Huge Beverage Change—And Fans Are Divided
• Using Your Cellphone on Cruise Ships Just Got Easier—Here’s What to Know

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

• Cruise Radio: “Two Cruise Lines Already Charging $25 a Day in Fuel Fees. Will Others Follow?”
• Eye of the Flyer: “Alert: Rising Oil Prices Could Add Hundreds to Your Cruise Bill — Even if Paid in Full”
• MarketWatch: “Could cruise passengers soon be hit with a fuel surcharge?”
• NCL: Guest Ticket Contract
• Royal Caribbean: Cruise Ticket Contract
• Disney Cruise Line: Cruise Contract

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