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- [00:00]
A
Today is Saturday, November 1st. Now, with Halloween behind us, the holiday shopping season is underway. And this year there are some new things to watch for. From higher prices and tariff uncertainty to rumors of inventory shortages and smaller discounts, shoppers may need to plan ahead more than usual. So what should you buy now? What can wait? And how do you avoid falling for fake deals or too good to be true discounts? Our guest today, Trey Bodge, is one of America's top smart shopping experts. She's a lifestyle journalist and broadcast commentator who specialized in smart shopping and money saving for over a decade now. She's shared advice on Good Morning America, the Today show and more. And now she's here to tell us what to expect this holiday season. From AI powered shopping tools to the biggest savings and scams to watch for. Plus, her top tips for staying on budget and still spreading holiday cheer.
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B
Welcome.
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A
Welcome to the NEWSWORTHY Special edition Saturday when we sit down with a different expert or celebrity every Saturday to talk.
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B
About something in the news.
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A
Don't forget to tune in every Monday through Friday for our regular episodes where we provide all the days news in 10 minutes. I'm Erica Mandy. It's now time for today's special edition Saturday. Sribaj, thank you so much for joining us again on THE newsworthy.
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C
I'm so glad to be back. Thank you.
- [01:17]
B
So when it comes to holiday shopping, what, if anything, is really standing out to you as unique or surprising this year, specifically in 2025?
- [01:25]
C
A couple things are interesting to me. You know, we've been on this roller coaster with the tariffs throughout the year. And so I think consumers feel very uncertain. We are paying the price a bit for some of these tariffs. Retailers will try to bear some of that burden, but some of that increase gets shared to the consumer. And so what I see right now are slightly higher prices on a lot of things. I am hearing whispers of some inventory issues possibly coming up later in November, December because retailers pulled back on their holiday orders in the midst of the tariff drama. And then I'm also also hearing that discounts are not going to be as deep this year. So we have Black Friday Cyber Monday in a few weeks. We'll see how that all plays out. Yeah.
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B
So how does that translate for the consumer? Does that mean if you have specific products on your list, get them asap?
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C
Yeah. So yes and no. You know, here we are at the beginning of November and we're not in a big sale period right now. So you may not do so well on prices at the moment. Black Friday Cyber Monday is really that juggernaut that's coming. We're going to see a lot of sales happening. And so what I would do right now is to get organized. I would start working on your list, if you haven't already, listing your recipients and gift ideas for each, a budget for each. And maybe if you think that you're not going to make your budget, if it's going to be too tight and you're going to be maybe carrying debt into the new year, perhaps you make some changes. So can you pull back on how much you spend per person or maybe suggest a white elephant? If you're buying for a lot of people, the office, you know, make some tweaks. If your situation has changed, of course, too, if you're a government employee and you still don't have your paychecks, you know, it's. Your spending is going to be a lot different this year.
- [03:13]
B
And when you mention potential issues with inventory, though, does that mean then just have backups if your first choice is not available?
- [03:22]
C
Yeah, so that's a great question. I mean, normally, just from a shopping and price perspective, I'd say don't buy right now. But yeah, if there's a toy for a child and they're dying to have that toy and it's on all the hot toy lists from Walmart, Amazon, Target, best by, yeah, you might want to get that toy right now. That's a great point.
- [03:39]
B
And what product categories typically do you expect this year to have the best discounts? You know, Black Friday or any particular time that you're watching for specific categories.
- [03:50]
C
So typically it's tech, but if the items are imported and they're being impacted by tariffs, it's anybody's guess really. So I don't know. This is one of those funny years that, I mean, last year I feel like it was fairly calm. This year it's just not. And it's all a big question mark. So the only thing I can really say is make your list, get organized and then use all the savings tactics out there to try to save as much as possible and prevent bringing debt into the next year.
- [04:22]
B
We've seen AI chatbots start to incorporate shopping and product links. I know ChatGPT has worked with Etsy and Walmart, for example. So what do you make of this? Have you tried it? Do you recommend it?
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C
I love AI for a number of reasons. I'm also afraid of AI, obviously. But we're seeing this kind of filter into shopping and it's very helpful. I think Amazon has Rufus, you know, wayfair has their own AI and like you said, ChatGPT, getting into the sandbox with different brands, I think it's a great tool. You can ask AI a lot of questions. You could say, what are your top five recommendations for a child who's 8 years old, who likes science? You could get that granular and get some great gift ideas. Of course, I hope that people continue to follow lifestyle experts like me who talk about products and test and try and taste them all to make recommendations. But I think AI is a great supplement. It's very quick as well. And then you could also ask certain questions like what's going to be on sale for Black Friday? Do you have an idea of what the discounts are going to be? You know, AI is obviously flawed. It can only pull from the information that's out there in the world. So it's, it can't do everything, but it can give you some context and maybe some, some inspiration as well.
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B
I love those ideas of how to use it. I will say, and I'm sure it's improving all the time. When I've tried asking for specific products, it sometimes gives me links that don't work anymore or recommendations from 2024. As you said, it is still flawed.
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C
Yeah, and that's something that's really important to consider is that AI, it can only pull from information that's available. You know, I had an interview with a reporter recently who was complaining that he was looking for the Nintendo Switch. And he, he was given some recommendations for where to find it. And then he went to these places and it wasn't there, but then he found it at a grocery store. And I said to him, well, the grocery store, they're probably not posting that on social media or online. It's just in stock on their shelves. And so I can't find that information.
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B
With it so prevalent now, especially with the way that I can make videos. What's your advice for looking out for fake deals and scams this holiday season?
- [06:29]
C
That's a great question. You know, I think this is an ever changing landscape and so it is something to be very, very careful with. If you're seeing a deal, a coupon code, something like that, you know, make sure that you can see the URL. Is it secure? Does it start with HTTPs? You know, that's a good way to start. Also look for things like misspellings in the URL or in the retailer name. That's good. Tell that something's a little bit funky there. Along those lines, I would avoid buying directly from Just because scammers seem to be able to kind of like crawl into Instagram or TikTok and put up fake sites and posts and things like that. So what I would do, if you see a deal that looks amazing, I would pull away from the AI chatbot or social media and then go directly to the retailer or to the site that's claiming to have that deal and kind of vet it that way. If it's a new site that you're not familiar with, you can use a service like trustpilot, something like that, to kind of vet it. Yes, it takes a couple extra steps, but if you're going after a deal that's like 75% off, you definitely want to make sure that A, the deal is legit and B, you're not being scammed in the process.
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B
When it comes to online shopping versus in store, what do you recommend? Are there benefits to one or over the other this year?
- [07:48]
C
So I think this year is probably similar to other years where you can go in store, especially if you need to try something on or if you're buying a gift and maybe that's something you need to touch and feel and make sure that it's quality that you're looking for for your recipient. You should always have your phone with you. You can do a lot of research with your phone in your hand and compare prices. The one thing that's kind of changing is some retailers who used to offer price matching of competitors are not doing that anymore. Target is one of them. So they're just price matching themselves.
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A
How prevalent are false markdowns, like where the product says it's 40% off, but.
- [08:22]
B
Actually it's pretty similar to what it always costs.
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C
Yeah, so that's. This is really tricky, and it's very tricky for the average consumer to see if this is happening because of dynamic pricing, especially online. You know, prices can be changed in an instant. And so what might look like the most amazing deal, you've got this price and then you've got 40% off. Maybe that 40% off is on an elevated price. And that does happen. So what I would recommend doing is using a tool like Yahoo Shopping, for example. You enter the name of the item and then you'll kind of get a sense of the landscape of where that product is available and for how much. And then you can get a sense of, oh, that 40% off is legit and I should go for it, or I can actually find this product cheaper elsewhere. Make sure you're doing your research and then make your decision of where you're going to shop.
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B
Any specific top recommendations when it comes.
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A
To browser extensions or other tools or credit cards?
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C
Browser extensions I use all or most of them. I mean some of my favorites are Coupon Cabin I like as a good general one. Shopback is a new one to the us. It's been in Singapore and other countries for a number of years. They have very strong cash back offers, so that's one that I have been kind of dabbling with. PayPal Honey is another really reliable one. Rakuten. I mean they're all pretty good. You know it's if you don't mind seeing all these pop ups when you're shopping, you could kind of compare and contrast and pick the best offer, which is what I do. Maybe a little overkill, but you know I like these tools in general. Slick Deals is another good one. They're more community run. They've got millions of people voting on and vetting deals all the time. So I would say any of the ones ones I just named, you know, one or two of them. Install it, use it. Take advantage of what these sites are offering because it really does pay off.
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A
Still ahead, how to maximize rewards and minimize debt this holiday season, from which credit cards are worth using to advice for last minute shoppers and why you should add yourself to your gift list this year to actually save money. That and more coming up. But first a quick break to thank our sponsors. Do you ever think about your liver health? We all know our liver is important, but I didn't realize it's responsible for over 500 functions and is the second largest organ in the body. It's like your body's filter, helping process what you eat and drink, storing vitamins and minerals, and even impacting your energy levels and sleep quality. I was thrilled to learn about Dose for your liver, especially because it's a science backed formula that tastes great so it's easy to drink and it's clinically proven to promote liver function. In fact, in a double blind clinical trial, dose lowered liver enzyme levels by 50% in over 86% of participants. Each shot is equivalent to 17 shots of turmeric juice combined with ingredients like milk thistle, ginger and other plant based nutrients that help keep your liver functioning at its best. My husband and I both love the taste. It's a small daily habit that makes a difference for our Overall Wellness. Save 25% on your first month of subscription by going to DueDaily Co Newsworthy or entering Newsworthy at checkout. That's D O S E D A I l y co newsworthy for 25% off your first month subscription. The newsworthy is also brought to you by Oneskin. As the seasons change, a lot of people deal with seasonal shedding. That extra hair you might find in your brush or shower drain when the air gets cooler and drier out. It's a normal cycle, but that doesn't mean you have to accept it. That's where OneSkin's OS1 hair comes in. It's a lightweight scalp serum powered by their patented OS1 peptide, scientifically proven to target AG at the cellular level. In clinical studies, participants saw on average a 43% increase in hair thickness and a 40% increase in hair density after six months. I appreciate that OneSkin's team of PhD scientists built this formula with the same rigor behind their award winning skin and sun care, which I also love. And now it's bringing that same science to our scalps. Born from over 10 years of longevity research, OneSkin's OS1 peptide is proven to target the cells that cause the visible signs of aging. So your scalp and your hair stay healthy now and as you age, go to Oneskin Co Hair and use the code newsworthy for 15% off your first order. That's OneSkin Co Hair and use the code Newsworthy. After your purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. So please support our show and tell them we sent you. Now back to my conversation with Trey.
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C
Bog.
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B
And what are you thinking about in terms of what payment method to use?
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C
So just any credit card that gives you points or miles, I would say, you know what I like to do if you have a lot of credit cards in your wallet. First of all, you don't need a lot of credit cards, so you may want to just like choose one or two cards that have good benefits to them. You know, I have one card that's pretty generous on groceries, food, gas, and so that's my card that I use for those purchases. And then I have another card that gives me a lot of points for cash back. So I use that for the rest of my shopping. Unless of course, you have a store card. And store cards are great because usually there's a bigger payout in the cash back or points. It's more generous. But the APRs are high on those cards. So you should not be using any store card unless you fully intend to pay off in full at the end of each month. Because if you're carrying a balance and you're basically just negating any efforts you've.
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B
Made to save money and probably stick to one or two stores that you really shop at a lot and not every possible one, 100%.
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C
And then also I should say travel card. So if you like to travel, maybe that's your sweet spot. Maybe it's, you know, if you travel on United a lot, you use a United card and then you'll accrue lots of miles and that'll give you maybe a, a chance for a free flight. So that's another option. Just make sure that you, you are getting some bang for your buck out of your credit cards. And I want to add this, a lot of people who are struggling with credit card debt will use debit cards, which I think that's a great tactic if you are carrying credit card. Debit cards are not nearly as secure as credit cards or for the most part, I would say. And so I feel much more comfortable with a credit card. You're much more protected if you get scammed. So maybe it's, if you're struggling with credit card debt, maybe you have one credit card that you're using for shopping and you pay that one off every single month.
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B
I know that you've said for people to make their plans now, but some people are going to wait till the last minute. Probably a lot of people. What's your advice for them who maybe are thinking about it right before Black Friday or even maybe after?
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C
My concern with that is that you tend, we tend to get caught in like a frenzy. If you haven't started your holiday shopping yet and it's Black Friday and you go into the mall and there's crowds and holiday music and it's hectic, maybe you're not going to be as clear headed as you might like to be. Right. So I just think if you're organized and you have your list and you can shop methodically, I don't think it's bad to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. And that means you still have probably three to four weeks until the, the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays. And so that gives you enough time. If you're waiting into the very last minute, you know, you might find some deeper discounts, especially on anything that's specifically holiday themed. So there is an advantage to waiting until the last minute. But then there's that stress, that bottleneck. I don't love that feeling like, oh my gosh, I have to get these gifts. And so I like to give myself a little bit of Runway. And then of course we talked about inventory issues, like we don't know what's going to be available.
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A
And similarly, what are your thoughts on.
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Really sticking to a budget?
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C
What a lot of people end up getting into trouble with is selfish shopping during the holidays because we're shopping much more than usual, so we're seeing more things and we're more intrigued, and then we're buying like crazy for ourselves, and then we go over budget. So add yourself to your gift list is what my recommendation would be. And set a budget for yourself as well. Like my max is this, and I can get myself whatever that falls under that number. And then you've treated yourself, but you've done it within reason for the average American.
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B
Are there set ranges of, like, the expected amount you spend on certain people over the holidays?
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C
Oh, that's really tricky. I think it really varies. So I hesitate to say anything like that. But what I do like to talk about is avoiding keeping up with the Joneses. Sometimes you fall into these traps where you have a very generous relative and they're giving you cashmere sweater and a new whatever, and then you feel like you need to respond in kind, but your budget doesn't agree with that decision. Right. So really, when you're buying for other people, buy what you can afford. Buy what works for your budget, not what they might expect or what their budget might allow for. So just try to stay in your own camp and not worry about what everybody else is doing.
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B
Anything else you want to add for our audience as they're getting out there this holiday season?
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C
Statistics from QuickBooks, they're finding that people want to give generously this year because they want to spread joy. And that makes me so happy. I don't want everyone going over budget. But, you know, if you're inclined to give a gift and you know it's going to bring someone some joy, just do it this year because we need to smile as much as possible right now.
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A
I love that.
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B
And I know outside of your shopping, know how you've recently launched a new foundation to give back what made you want to do that?
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C
Well, thank you. This is something that I'm really excited about. My mom passed away a couple of years ago and she was like the OG entrepreneur. And some family members and I were talking like we should do something to honor her and help other people. And I've been looking for another project. So we just opened applications on threadneedleally.org where entrepreneurs that are 40 years and up, it's like second act of your life. You've got lots of experience and so you can apply for one of our annual $5,000 grants. We give three each year and the three grant winners also will have access to our bench of more than 25 midlife entrepreneurs. So literally any question you could possibly have, one of our mentors can handle it. And so it's very, very exciting. And you know, I will say too, you know, Giving Tuesday is the day after Cyber Monday and threadneedle alley is 501. We do encourage people to donate if they would like to support our efforts with midlife entrepreneurs.
- [18:51]
A
Well, thank you so much to Trey Bodge for sharing all her shopping know how with us. Be sure to check out more@truetray.com and follow her on social media. Rue Trey T R A E and learn more about her new foundation and even apply for one of the grants@threadneedlealley.org thank you so much for listening today. Join us again during the week when we provide all the day's news in our 10 minute roundups every Monday through Friday. We'll be back on Monday with the latest news to know. Until then, have a great rest of your weekend.