Current Events – Scotts 2 Cents

Walmart’s Early Black Friday Started Today. Black Friday Is Still Two Weeks Away.

Inspired by Scott — Thu, 12 Nov 2026 19:12:40 +0000

Walmart’s “early Black Friday” sale started today. Black Friday is November 27. You can do that math without a calculator, and so can Walmart. The retailer is running three events this year, per Retail Dive: early deals November 12 through 15, the main Black Friday sale November 23 through 29, then Cyber Monday from November ...

The post Walmart’s Early Black Friday Started Today. Black Friday Is Still Two Weeks Away. first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.

Dozens of Chains Are Handing Veterans Free Meals Tomorrow. The VA Clearing 3.1 Million Claims Is the Better Thank-You.

Inspired by Scott — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 19:17:16 +0000

Tomorrow is Veterans Day, and anyone with a military ID and a free morning can eat for free from breakfast straight through dinner. Denny’s is giving away an Original Grand Slam until noon. Golden Corral runs a free “Thank You” dinner starting at 4 p.m. Outback is handing out a free Bloomin’ Onion today and ...

The post Dozens of Chains Are Handing Veterans Free Meals Tomorrow. The VA Clearing 3.1 Million Claims Is the Better Thank-You. first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.

Thanksgiving Dinner Is About $2 More This Year. Cranberries Are Up 15%, and Nobody Should Panic.

Inspired by Scott — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 19:12:48 +0000

The Thanksgiving price panic is here, and the number at the center of it is two dollars. PwC says the average American family will spend about $90 on the big dinner this year, up from $88 last year. That’s it. A latte and a half. If a $2 bump on the biggest meal of the ...

The post Thanksgiving Dinner Is About $2 More This Year. Cranberries Are Up 15%, and Nobody Should Panic. first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.

Your 2027 Social Security Raise Is 3.6%. Medicare’s Bite Is Smaller Than the Headlines Say.

Inspired by Scott — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 19:15:08 +0000

Every October, the same headline shows up: your Social Security raise is coming, and Medicare is going to eat it. This year the raise is 3.6%, announced October 14, and the headline is already back. I ran the numbers, because that’s apparently my hobby now. The average retired worker gets about $75 more a month, ...

The post Your 2027 Social Security Raise Is 3.6%. Medicare’s Bite Is Smaller Than the Headlines Say. first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.

A 100-Piece Bag of Halloween Candy Now Costs $16.96. That’s 71% More Than in 2021.

Inspired by Scott — Sat, 31 Oct 2026 19:13:58 +0000

Tonight, millions of Americans will hand a stranger’s kid a piece of chocolate that costs more than it did last year, and then complain about it in the group chat. The National Retail Federation expects Halloween spending to hit $13.5 billion this year, up from $13.1 billion in 2025. That works out to about $115 ...

The post A 100-Piece Bag of Halloween Candy Now Costs $16.96. That’s 71% More Than in 2021. first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.

Utility Profits and CEO Pay Hit Records. Your Power Bill Did Too. Who Exactly Is Watching the Monopoly?

Inspired by Scott — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 19:13:35 +0000

Your electric bill has a lot in common with a bad relationship: it keeps going up, nobody explains why, and the other party seems to be doing great. Here’s the scorecard. Electricity prices rose about 40% between 2021 and 2025, according to the nonprofit PowerLines. Utilities asked regulators for a record $31 billion in rate ...

The post Utility Profits and CEO Pay Hit Records. Your Power Bill Did Too. Who Exactly Is Watching the Monopoly? first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.

AI Is Like Your Dreams. Sometimes It Makes Sense, and Sometimes Your Brain Took All the Drugs.

Scott — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 19:12:57 +0000

Some nights your dreams are lovely. You’re at the beach, everybody you like is there, and the whole thing makes perfect sense until you wake up and wish you could go back. Other nights your brain apparently raided a pharmacy. You’re at work in your underwear while your third-grade teacher, who is now a giraffe, ...

The post AI Is Like Your Dreams. Sometimes It Makes Sense, and Sometimes Your Brain Took All the Drugs. first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.

Hurricane Season Runs Through November. I Built a One-Glance Emoji Map So You Don’t Need a Meteorology Degree

Scott — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:49:03 +0000

Full disclosure up front: I run this one. Two weeks ago Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin as a Category 2 with 105 mph winds, and a lot of people on the Gulf Coast spent that week squinting at cone graphics that looked like a plate of spaghetti someone dropped on a map. That’s the ...

The post Hurricane Season Runs Through November. I Built a One-Glance Emoji Map So You Don’t Need a Meteorology Degree first appeared on Scotts 2 Cents.