Consumer Corner
Unlocking the Joy of Bargain Hunting: Big Savings and Even Bigger Thrills at Big Lots During National Bargain Hunting Week
Welcome, fellow thrift enthusiasts and savvy savers! As we gear up to celebrate National Bargain Hunting Week from August 12-18, it’s the perfect time to spotlight the sheer joy and undeniable therapeutic benefits of bargain shopping. And who better to lead the celebration than Big Lots, the giant of off-price retail, serving up massive savings and those adrenaline-pumping ‘bargain thrills’ we all crave?
Bargain Hunting: More Than Just Savings
A recent survey commissioned by Big Lots, in partnership with MarketVision Research, has revealed some compelling insights about our shopping behaviors. It turns out that a whopping 85% of us are not just shopping to save; we’re in it for the thrill of the hunt! Additionally, 62% of bargain hunters find the process therapeutic, turning a routine shopping trip into a delightful treasure hunt.
This is not just about pinching pennies; it’s about the excitement of discovering that unbeatable deal, the satisfaction of maximizing value for every dollar, and the joy it brings when we share these finds with others.
Big Lots Steps Up the Game
In true Big Lots fashion, they’re not just celebrating National Bargain Hunting Week in word but also in deed. Bruce Thorn, President and CEO of Big Lots, mentioned, “Just like our bargain-seeking customers, we constantly search for new and exciting bargains, delivering truckloads of new deals to our stores every single week.”
Every day during this special week, Big Lots is introducing a ‘Bargain of the Day’ featuring an array of products from living room and bedroom furniture to pet accessories and top-brand personal care items, all at 20% to 75% less than what you’d pay at other stores.
Intrigued? Join the BIG Rewards program for free at biglots.com/rewards to get the scoop on these daily deals as soon as they drop. You wouldn’t want to miss out on any of these fantastic finds!
Brag About Your Bargains
Big Lots is also introducing a fun new way to share your bargain hunter pride with the world. With their new “Brag on the Tag” social media filter on Instagram and Facebook, shoppers can flaunt their fabulous finds and celebrate alongside a community who shares their passion for thrifty shopping.
What Do Shoppers Hunt For?
The survey also highlighted that while 69% of shoppers bargain-hunt out of habit, their favorite categories to explore are apparel, pantry items, seasonal goods, décor, furniture, and electronics. For those of us who focus on stocking the pantry, Big Lots continues to be a treasure trove of deals. Most of you make 2-3 trips per month, spending around $100 or less during bigger pantry runs—stocking up on essentials like pasta, flour, sugar, cereal, rice, and soup.
Big Lots: A Beacon for Bargain Shoppers
Big Lots remains one of America’s largest off-price retailers, offering an incredible variety of goods for the home from furniture to pantry essentials. By creatively sourcing closeouts, overstocks, and manufacturer liquidations, Big Lots ensures that the joy of bargain hunting is a rewarding experience for every shopper.
So, during this National Bargain Hunting Week and beyond, let’s celebrate our shared love for the thrill of the deal at Big Lots. Whether you’re restocking the pantry or revamping your living space, embrace the savings and enjoy every moment of your bargain-hunting adventure!
Join the fun, find your thrill, and maybe, just maybe, turn your next shopping trip into a brag-worthy journey. Happy hunting!
For more information, to shop online, or to find a Big Lots store near you, visit biglots.com.
Happy National Bargain Hunting Week! Remember, the thrill isn’t just in the savings, but in the hunt itself. Dive into the bargains, and don’t forget to share your best finds with us!
financial wellness
Life insurance is on the to-do list. Right under cleaning out the garage.
No matter how you define “adulting,” getting life insurance tends to be one part of the to-do list that keeps getting set on a procrastination loop. New survey data backs that up: there are plenty of other tasks adults would rather focus on first.
(Sheeka Sanahori) Being an adult comes with a never-ending list of responsibilities: Cook dinner. Scrub the bathroom. File taxes. The tasks grow even longer when sharing a household with a partner, building a family, or taking care of others. No matter how you define “adulting,” getting life insurance tends to be one part of the to-do list that keeps getting set on a procrastination loop.
New survey data backs that up: there are plenty of other tasks adults would rather focus on first.
The Adulting Task Americans Keep Avoiding
According to the 2026 Life Happens Life Insurance Survey, a financial literacy nonprofit organization, 39% of U.S. adults would rather clean out their email inbox than figure out their life insurance needs. Another 31% would rather clean out the garage or basement. One in five U.S. adults would be willing to sit on hold with customer service for three hours before life insurance planning. Even though many adults have it somewhere on their list, nearly half (46%) say they’ll either deal with it later or not at all.
They Know It Matters
Nearly a third of adults have already figured out a life insurance plan, and they feel good about their decision. Others are feeling more conflicted: 14% have a policy, but they’re not sure if they have enough. Another 12% say they either don’t know where to start or they think it’ll be too expensive.
It’s no wonder people are putting it off: Navigating a new-to-them form of financial planning can come with a lot of complicated emotions. Four in 10 feel either overwhelmed, anxious, or some combination of both. Sixteen percent of U.S. adults feel guilty for putting it off, but when the outcome is more procrastination, that feeling lingers.
Why Later Keeps Winning
If you’ve ever faced an important decision without having enough information to make an informed choice, you know how stressful it can be. While the generations have different takes on making major decisions with a gut feeling or “pure vibes,” most of the time, people want to feel like they’re making an informed choice. Forty-five percent of U.S. adults say cost concerns, confusion or procrastination are the main reasons they have delayed or would delay looking into life insurance. For more than one in five, the plan is to seriously look at it when they feel more financially stable. For 12%, they say they’ll do it when they’re older.
Men tend to feel more confident about their life insurance decisions to date; 53% of men vs. 41% of women feel confident their family would be financially protected.
The First Step Feels Bigger Than It Is
Learning more about life insurance, how it’s priced and how it works could help get many consumers out of their procrastination loop. A quarter of people say they’d make a decision if they learned it was easier to get than they previously thought. Thirty percent would make the purchase if they learned it was more affordable than they believed it to be. Others need an experienced professional to talk to or an online calculator tool to give them guidance.
Methodology: Life Happens commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 2,000 adults, including 700 Gen Z respondents, 700 millennials, and 600 Gen X respondents throughout the United States. The margin of error for the overall sample is +/- 2 percentage points and +/- 4 percentage points for each generational sample, with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between July 14 and July 20, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (couple using computer)
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fitness
Design Your Home Workout Space Around the Way You Actually Exercise
Use these tips to create a home workout space you’ll keep using after the novelty wears off.
Design Your Home Workout Space Around the Way You Actually Exercise
(Feature Impact) It’s a tale as old as treadmills: You buy a new exercise machine with the best of intentions, only for it to become an expensive laundry rack that makes you feel guilty every time you glance over at it. When it comes to making lifestyle changes, the key is not to overhaul your whole routine at once, but to figure out what habits match your lifestyle, personality and passions.
Use these tips to create a home workout space you’ll keep using after the novelty wears off.
Figure Out What Exercises You Enjoy
Before you commit to a big equipment purchase, think about what kinds of exercise feel natural and enjoyable (and which ones make you groan).
If you love running, a treadmill may be worth the space it takes up. However, a rack of dumbbells might just wind up collecting dust if you hate lifting weights. Yoga or dance enthusiasts may prefer to design a more studio-like home gym, while bodyweight strength trainers could be happy with a pull-up bar in the doorway and a mat to do planks on. Consider joining a workout class or gym for a month or two to try different kinds of exercises and machines so you’ll have a better idea of what’s worth investing in permanently.
Evaluate the Space You Have
A good home workout area needs to work around the physical realities of your house or apartment. If you have a whole room or finished basement to dedicate to the cause, this won’t constrain you too much. If you’re working with a corner of your home office, bedroom or garage, saving space becomes a more critical factor.
In these cases, it all comes down to priorities. If you only have room for one piece of bigger equipment, get the one you know you’ll actually use, whether that’s an elliptical, strength machine, standing bicycle or rowing machine. Then build out your collection with other items that can be easily moved and stored, like resistance bands and small weights or dumbbells.
Start Small and Expand as Needed
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to have everything before you can get started. It’s often better to build out your workout space slowly – get a few things at a time, see what you use regularly and figure out what you might be missing along the way. Maybe you realize you enjoy lifting weights and keep wishing you had heavier ones, signaling a need to upgrade.
Add Some Atmosphere
Dark, dismal home gyms are more likely to make your workout feel like a punishment instead of a part of your day worth looking forward to. Creating a space you enjoy being in is just as important as choosing a workout you enjoy doing.
For you, that might look like choosing an area of the home with plenty of natural lighting to make you feel more awake – or adding string lights and color-changing wall sconces for a relaxing yoga session. Maybe it means adding art on the walls or a floor-to-ceiling mirror so you can check your form. A large rubber floormat with a cheerful design, a sound system to play your favorite hype songs or a daily calendar of motivational quotes could be the magic ingredient to get you into the right mindset so you can crush your workout. As long as it works for you, anything goes.
For more tips on home design that fits your life, visit eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
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Automotive
Finding the Right SUV for Your Lifestyle
Finding the Right SUV: While what’s new, popular or different can certainly play a role in car buying decisions, knowing how you actually live can help you choose the right vehicle for your lifestyle. From length of work commutes to whether you’ll be hauling sports gear, family members or other cargo on a regular basis, figuring out the right fit comes down to identifying your daily habits.
Finding the Right SUV for Your Lifestyle
(Feature Impact) You’ve likely heard the phrase “bigger is better,” but when it comes to vehicle shopping, that may not actually be the case. While what’s new, popular or different can certainly play a role in car buying decisions, knowing how you actually live can help you choose the right vehicle for your lifestyle.
Watch this video to learn more
“SUVs and crossovers dominate the market today, and it’s easy to gravitate toward the newest and biggest models,” said James Bell, head of corporate communications for Kia America, “but the right vehicle isn’t what’s trending; it’s about your daily commute, your weekend road trip and hauling kids and gear. For a lot of drivers, a smaller, more affordable SUV like the KIA Seltos is simply a better fit.”
From length of work commutes to whether you’ll be hauling sports gear, family members or other cargo on a regular basis, figuring out the right fit comes down to identifying your daily habits.
“Start by being honest about how you use your vehicle every day,” Bell said. “A lot of drivers overbuy, paying for space and features that they rarely, if ever, use. The right SUV can save money without sacrificing comfort or functionality.”
For example, the 2027 Kia Seltos is available in five trim levels and offers best-in-class interior room and max cargo room as well as a 10-year, 100,000-mile industry-leading limited powertrain warranty, making it an option for car buyers with both extended commutes and hauling capacity needs. Plus, for weekend warriors, the turbocharged X-Line model comes equipped with multi-terrain all-wheel drive.
To explore your options and find an SUV to fit your needs, visit Kia.com.
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