Many people (44%) think the memories they make when vacationing are priceless, yet nearly half (47%) point to increased cost of living, the economy (44%), and tariffs (30%) as impacting their travel plans.

Still, Americans expect to spend an average of $10,600 on trips and vacations in 2025, according to Empower research.

💰 Points for that: Popular ways of funding travel include credit card rewards and points (25%)

🗺️ Z-wayfarers: Gen Z will make a splash, and is almost twice as likely to say they’ll travel more this year than other generations

💡 Supercharged planning: More than half (52%) have used or will use AI to enrich their itineraries

— The Editors 

🍌 Bananas rise: Inflation held steady in May, growing 2.4% over the past 12 months, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI). Under the surface, price tags on everyday goods told a more colorful story — from prices dropping lower for eggs to a spike in ice cream, coffee, and bananas – which were up 3.2% year over year.

⏩ Healthcare hiring surge: Six jobs in healthcare rank in America’s 20 fastest-growing occupations. Nurse practitioners are at the top of the healthcare list with a projected 46% growth rate through 2033. Top salaries in the field go to physician assistants, who earned a median wage of $133,260 last year.

☔ Rainy-day protection: A typical family of four spends around $2,026 a month on insurance. Some parts of the safety net are seeing price breaks, with health insurance premiums falling 2.3% from 2019 to 2025, measured by CPI data.

🧵 Creative tide: Arts and crafts chain Michaels acquired sewing and knitting* brands from former fabric seller Joann, including fan-favorite “Big Twist” yarns — which will be available later this year in a wider 600-item push. Sewing machines, fabric, and supplies may come at a bargain, with prices dropping 14.8% over the past year.

Mentoring moves

Two in five employees say they have a workplace mentor. Nearly all Fortune 500 companies offer mentorship programs, and some Gen Zers who had a mentor reported a 15% earnings jump afterward.

Sharing knowledge also taps into people’s desire to pay it forward: Half of Americans have actively helped others get a job (53% overall, 61% Millennials), according to Empower research.

Building wave

A record share of homes sold are new construction — up 10.9% in April from the previous month. The median price gap between new and existing homes has shrunk to $14,600, down from $64,200 in 2022. With price cuts and builder incentives easing affordability pressure, newly built homes are playing a bigger role in reshaping the housing market — and job prospects. Construction services stands among the top college majors for finding a job with a mid-career median salary of $100,000.

Pistachio flood

A Dubai-style* chocolate bar made waves across social media, and now people are going nuts for pistachio — both the color and the flavor. Google searches for pistachios have doubled during the past year, uncovering design and wedding ideas in addition to sweet treats. The United States holds the crown as the world’s top producer* and will see growth — enough to crack 1.6 billion pounds of pistachios, up 40% from 2024.

Trendy foods have found a place in Americans’ wallets: Empower findings show that more than a fifth of people (21%) have spent money on dining out due to financial fear of missing out.

Gamers snapped up the new Nintendo Switch 2 console in early June, which sold over 3.5 million* within four days of launching. It’s now the company’s fastest selling and priciest gaming device to date, retailing for $449 in the U.S.