Power Trip
My neighborhood WhatsApp is normally filled with street-closure updates, middle-school gossip, and the occasional sunset pic. (Yes, we’re millennials.) Now, it’s all about our insane electricity bills.
The next time your neighbors ask “wtf is going on???” here’s the short(ish) version that you can copy and paste into the chat:

US electricity prices are rising about twice as fast as the cost of living. It's a perfect storm of factors including an aging power grid, record heat waves, ripple effects from Russia’s war on Ukraine, and a surge in demand from the new AI data centers that are fueling our parasocial relationships with ChatGPT.
Those data centers are a particularly big problem. Just one can use as much energy as a small city. Now, utilities are rushing to upgrade the grid and their energy capacity. And those costs are getting passed on to all of us.
How to Lower Your Energy Bill:
Hire the Ghostbusters. Kidding. But you might be able to blame “phantom energy” for as much as 10% of your electric bill (!). Here’s how to avoid this.
Act fast on federal tax breaks. Some federal energy credits are sunsetting at the end of the year. Take advantage now.
Check your state and local credits. Make sure you’re getting all of the other credits available for things like installing solar panels or heat pumps. (Bonus: These upgrades will also save you money on future bills.) Start by searching your state in this database.
Mind your ballot. Voters are speaking up about having AI data centers as neighbors. This is a helpful breakdown of the pros and cons.
— Anna “Writing This By Candlelight” Davies, writer
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If a Disney trip is on your 2026 mood board, this is how one middle-income family made it happen… but was it worth it?
We’ve seen your to-do list. Time to delegate the groceries and birthday party balloons to an executive assistant. It costs so much less than you think.
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Stop going back and forth about that fall sweater in your cart, and use the viral “.001% rule.”
If your coworkers aren’t talking about “the little bean guy” yet, it’s only a matter of time.
Costco just became the latest company to create a “consumer caste system.” A backlash is brewing.
Always use your birth date as your PIN code? This crazy graphic shows why it’s time to change it up.

If it feels like all of the streaming services are popping into your inbox with a friendly “hello,” and, “BTW, about your subscription cost”... yeah, they are.
Here’s the latest on what it takes to keep up with Team Conrad, The Severed Floor, and all of the housewives:
Amazon Prime: This is why your brother’s fiance missed The Summer I Turned Pretty finale. To soften the blow, Amazon is rolling out a $14.99 first-year promo.
Apple TV+: The company announced its third price hike in three years… just when you were considering giving The Morning Show a chance.
Peacock: If you want to go ad-free now that RHOSLC is back, prepare for sticker shock.
Amex Platinum Card: Not a streamer, but we’re still speechless about the new fee.

Which cult favorite grocery store chain has the highest average receipt per customer?
How Much Did You Pay For Your Home?
Our Skimm+ member databases are like a dinner date with your most trusted friends: All of the details, with none of the judgment.
We asked our members: How much did you pay for your home? What’s your household income? What kind of house is it? What’s the square footage? What was the down payment?
Also, how’d you afford it? Here are some of their answers (lightly edited for grammar):
“Joint LLC with my mom, gift from a family member, savings.”
“We initially bought a piece of land to build, but waited and the value had gone up enough that after two years we sold it and used the profits to buy a house. The land payment had been low enough we were able to pay for it and rent at the same time.”
“Working two jobs, lived with parents as opposed to renting prior, got a small monetary gift from my parents to help with closing costs and saving everything I could.”
“We sold my car which we owned outright.”
“Savings from an annual bonus after working in corporate for 10 years.”
A Skimm+ membership is your indispensable resource for all things career, money, health, family, and relationships.
From budget templates to databases on things like what members charge for freelance work, we’ve got the tools to help you make confident money moves.

Our commerce team tests it all — so you only see the picks that deserve your time and your budget. And because everyone spends differently, we pick three different price points to help you find what works best for you.
This week, we’re talking detergent. Because your clothes deserve a fresh start.
The “Save the Planet, One Sock at a Time” Option: Dirty Labs Bio Enzyme Laundry Detergent ($28)Eco-friendly, recyclable bottle, and actually works on stains. Comes in two light scents (plus fragrance-free) that won’t knock you over.
The “Sweaty But Make It Clean” Option: Persil Laundry Detergent ($16.99)The legend for workout gear. Stains, odors, bright whites — it handles it all. Concentrated, so a little goes a long way.
The “Budget But Not Basic” Option: Tide Free & Gentle ($12.99)No dyes, no fragrance, all power. Gentle on skin, tough on stains, and backed by 28k+ five-star reviews.
Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.
Regular moms help their teens’ budget. Cool moms use this app to help monitor their teens’ transactions and support their financial goals. Cue zero hidden fees, zero minimum balance, and zero stress.*
If your Tupperware drawer is overflowing with mismatched containers, ditch them for this 12-piece set that stacks neatly inside each other.
For more of the best sales to shop this week, click here.
Psst…love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).
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