Welcome to MoneyNerd! We’ve got tips on weathering the “Toy Story 5” merchandising storm, as well as how to avoid “inflation fatigue,” Prime Day tips and more, but first a quick look at the news stories this week.
✅ Will Middle East oil flow again? Over the weekend, a “memorandum of understanding” was reached with Iran to begin unwinding the war that began in February, and it was signed Wednesday. While it’s not a final deal (details over Iran’s stockpile of nuclear material have yet to be worked out), the agreement promises to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, including oil tankers. Over time, that should stabilize energy markets, and oil prices are already dropping.
Takeaway: The national average price for a gallon of regular gas fell below $4 this week for the first time since March. But it was below $3 when the war began on Feb. 28, and full recovery could take a year or more.
✅ New Fed chief, same outcome. President Donald Trump has been lobbying for cuts to the federal funds rate (a major factor in bank lending rates) since he started his second term last year, and finally installed a new Fed chief, Kevin Warsh, last month. Warsh led his first meeting of the Federal Open Markets Committee this week, and the committee voted unanimously to hold the Fed rate steady.
Takeaway: A strong jobs market and persistent high inflation means the Fed rate (and thus, interest rates overall) are more likely to go up before they come down.
✅ Happy Juneteenth! Our newest federal holiday celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, its status varies across the country, but it is a permanent holiday in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Check out its status in your state.
Takeaway: Stock markets will be closed today (Friday), as will many major banks.
And now, over to Woody and Buzz.
From Buzz to bust — how to outsmart the ‘Toy Story’ mania
© 2026 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
- Courtney Neidel, personal finance editor
“Toy Story 5” is now in theaters, and as a mom of a 3-year-old (and a ‘90s kid myself), I’m probably a little too excited to see Buzz Lightyear and Woody back on the big screen.
Combine the nostalgia of the famous movie franchise featuring the voices of Tim Allen and Tom Hanks with a new original song by Taylor Swift, and movie fans are prepared to shell out millions.
All signs point to a record opening for the animated franchise. Predictions put this weekend’s expected sales at $150 million, according to Deadline. And that’s just the tickets.
I was scrolling Instagram the other day — and the algorithm knew what to serve me. A reel came up featuring a carousel of new movie-inspired product releases. (I have my eyes on the Pizza Planet oven toy that I know my daughter would love.) The caption? “Anybody else broke with all of this new Toy Story stuff coming out because same.”
But what if you don’t want your “Toy Story” spending to stretch to infinity and beyond? Here are a few ways to enjoy the film while reining in spending.
Skip the merchandise trap. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of apparel, toys and accessories. Hey, I get it. This is coming from someone who ordered a mini “Toy Story” backpack with the new Lilypad character on it for my daughter. Learn from me: Try to set a spending limit — or restrict yourself to just one or two keepsakes that’ll last.
Map out your ticket strategy. You may already know that going to a movie theater in the morning or on a Tuesday can score you cheaper tickets at certain chains. But did you know you can buy movie theater gift cards for less than face value from warehouse stores like Costco?
Wait for streaming. If you can hold out a few months, wait to watch the film until it comes to streaming — especially if you already have a Disney+ subscription. You won’t have the movie-theater experience, but you’ll save on the price of tickets and snacks for the whole family.
Are you over inflation? Me too
- Lauren Schwahn, personal finance writer
Stop ordering takeout. Make your lattes at home. Buy only essentials. Pick up a side hustle to boost your income.
We’ve all heard the same advice for dealing with rising costs countless times. Heck, I’ve even written some of it myself.
If you’re feeling burnout from constantly scrimping and saving, making tradeoffs and generally getting less for your money, you’re probably experiencing “inflation fatigue.” It might make you want to stop trying.
Adjusting our habits can only go so far, especially when there’s no clear end in sight.
“Higher and higher gas and food prices impact households in a dramatic way — these are things we can’t easily cut out of our budgets, or even reduce,” says Elizabeth Renter, NerdWallet senior economist.
“This is especially true in households already operating on slim margins. When you follow a strict budget, there isn’t much room for adjustments.”
And the weariness you’re feeling could stick around. The annual inflation rate hit 4.2% in May, a three-year high.
So how do you keep inflation fatigue from wearing you — and your finances — down?
Give yourself grace. You’re human. It’s OK to feel exhausted. As the expression goes, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. If trying to optimize every dollar is too much of a burden, prioritize just one or two spending categories to focus on instead.
Automate what you can. Putting recurring tasks on autopilot can help you spend less, save more and pay down debt (without doing the hard work yourself). Set up automatic bill payments or contributions to a high-yield savings account. Use apps and browser extensions to track down and apply coupons to your purchases.
Make room for joy. A budget that cuts out every want is gonna be tough to stick with. A spending plan that includes the things that make you happy can help your mental health and keep you motivated. Set aside a small amount for treats, hobbies or experiences you enjoy. (I’m keeping my occasional coffee shop chai latte, thank you very much.) We could all use something to look forward to.
Buy this, not that, during Amazon Prime Day next week
- Tommy Tindall, personal finance writer
It’s almost Prime Day (June 23-26), and I really hope the brand of arch support insoles I love goes on sale. Does that statement speak more to me being of the age of foot pain or to the sentiment that this summer sale is losing its luster? I mean, who’s got hundreds to spend when peak summer expenses hit?
That said, there’s no shortage of Prime Day hype, and we do anticipate another round of great deals. If you need something, buy this, not that, on Prime Day:
Buy this: Low-cost essentials - Need shampoo, lotion, makeup, hair gel, pet food, paper towels, coffee, bandages or batteries? Use this sale to get a break on the stuff you’d buy anyway.
Not that: Back-to-school supplies - It’s not a bad time to buy back-to-school stuff, but if you wait, July and August will bring more dedicated sales and a tax-free shopping weekend in many states.
Buy this: TVs, headphones and small kitchen gadgets - Tech is still Prime Day’s bread and butter, and it’s one of the best times of the year to save on a TV or fun gadget, like a pair of high-end headphones or an air fryer.
Not that: Major appliances - Look to July Fourth and Labor Day sales for more deals on expensive appliances, furniture and mattresses for the home.
Table stakes tips to prepare for Prime Day: Make a list of the things you hope will go on sale, check the price history of each item beforehand, add to cart and wait for June 23. Read the full buy this, not that story or check out Tommy’s podcast appearance below.
Smart Money: Prime Day and the American consumer
Is Prime Day actually a good deal this summer, and how financially resilient are American consumers right now? Smart Money host Elizabeth Ayoola is joined by news colleague Rick VanderKnyff, NerdWallet personal finance writer Tommy Tindall, and NerdWallet Senior Economist Elizabeth Renter to dig into Prime Day deals and the latest on American consumers’ financial resilience.
Watch or listen on Spotify.
Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Check out more NerdWallet podcasts.
- Courtney Neidel, personal finance editor
Launch your best budget summer. Maximizing fun while keeping costs low is all about creating inexpensive core memories. Start by cutting back on routine costs and exploring local activities.
Find answers to your money questions. Should you pay for an annual or monthly subscription? Will bricking your phone actually save you money? Each week, we answer money questions from around the web on the NerdWallet app. We broke down three of the trending questions from June.
Mark your calendar. If you're anything like us, you love getting free stuff. And there are tons of days throughout the year when retailers and restaurants give things away. Consult our deal calendar to plan the days when you can score a discount or freebie.
How to beat summer travel chaos
Travel on the margins of peak season. Shift your trip by even one week and there's a good chance you'll get fewer crowds and lower prices.
Here’s what else you may have missed this week from NerdWallet:
NerdWallet’s Financial Resilience Index for June shows that 76% of Americans feel in control of their day-to-day finances, while 78% feel confident in their ability to pay all their bills on time this month.
At the same time, according to this month’s index, nearly half of parents of children under 18 (45%) say they’ll likely have to rely on credit to manage some of their expenses this month.
Also:
One writer scored a French Open ticket and a hotel using points.
We now have a trillionaire in the world, thanks to the SpaceX IPO. Find out when you could be the next Elon Musk with our new trillionaire status calculator.
We covered seven common misunderstandings that customers have about their home warranties that could be costing them big time.
Elsewhere in money news:
See if you’re eligible for a payout in the $117.5 million Comcast settlement. (USA Today)
Meet some of the people who made money off of the SpaceX IPO last week. (NBC News)
Can you guess the biggest silent expense in retirement? (MarketWatch)
Advertisement
7 Stocks to Buy Before the Robots Take Over
The next AI trade may not be another chatbot. It may be surgical robots, automated warehouses, smart factories, and machine vision systems.
MarketBeat’s new report reveals 7 companies positioned across the automation boom before robotics becomes one of Wall Street’s next crowded trades in 2026.
Your MoneyNerd team: Courtney Neidel, Anna Helhoski, Rick VanderKnyff.
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
See all of NerdWallet’s newsletters here.
Until next week,
