Welcome to Money As If, the 50% discount you just so happened upon while shopping for mom during a global trade war.

Today's membership rewards:

• Smart spending in the age of tariffs and inflation

• My new favorite loyalty program

• A $6K side of fries

— Jeanine

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IN THESE, OUR (POSSIBLE) END TIMES

50 ways to save on stuff during tariff season

I'm doing something a little bit different this week because last week, I included a link to an article on where to grocery shop to avoid tariffs, and lots of readers clicked on it — suggesting, perhaps unsurprisingly, that the trade war (and how to spend in its wake) is on everyone's minds.

To help with this stressor, I put together a mega-list of tips, soliciting advice from past experience, financial experts, and everyday shoppers on how to spend smartly in these, our tariff times. There's a link to the 50 tips below, but first, some background and high-level findings.

What's up with the tariffs?

Despite some confusing headlines and recent developments — namely, a deal in principle with the U.K. and a 90-day pause on the most extreme tariffs between the U.S. and China — the trade war is still very much on.

Most notably, from a U.S. standpoint, it involves:

• a 30% tariff on most Chinese imports (excludes certain tech)

• a 25% tariff on all Mexican imports

• a 25% tariff on most Canadian imports (excludes energy and potash)

• a 25% tariff on autos and auto parts for all countries, with some exceptions and modifications

• a 10% tariff on the world (yes, the world) through at least July

I don't want to get into the politics of this all (safe space, remember?), but as a quick TL;DR: while tariffs (essentially a tax importer's pay on overseas goods) can raise government revenue and correct trade imbalances, they also almost always get passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices on products and services.

Retailers have been able to limit price increases over the last few months, relying on existing, non-tariffed inventory, and hoping for a quick resolution to the trade disputes. But earnings season is in full swing right now, and a slew of big-name chains have effectively been using their calls to announce that consumer price hikes are coming this summer if things don't change.

So what can you do?

A few things to start:

Track the tariffs

So much of spending smartly during a trade war involves staying on top of what's actually going on — or, in this case, knowing, at least, where to go to find out what's going on when the wind blows a certain way and everything maybe-kind-of-sort-of changes. (So, you know, every other day.) To that end, here are a few tariff trackers and timelines I've found helpful:

• State of U.S. Tariffs from the Budget Lab at Yale University

• Trump Tariffs: Tracking the Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War from the Tax Foundation

• Trump Tariff Timeline from the Associated Press

Know where to go for good spending advice and news coverage

In terms of actionable advice, I've found Lifehacker's personal finance service journalism the most helpful — and the most thorough — currently out there. (Seriously, every day, it's got a new "how-to" tariff story, from the aforementioned grocery article to this one on stocking a tariff pantry.)

And CNET's put together a tariff pricing tracker I'm keen to keep an eye on: It's monitoring the prices of 11 in-demand or everyday products, including the iPhone 16, XBox Series X, Duracell AA batteries, and Starbucks ground coffee, to flag cost creep in real time.

Use these 50 ways to save

The big list, as promised. I give you: 50 ways to save on stuff during a tariff war.

I promise it doesn't involve simply budgeting, skipping breakfast, or cutting out anything remotely resembling a discretionary spend. (Not my style, you may recall). Feel free to email [email protected] if you see something missing or have a tried-and-true tip you'd like to share.

And if you're missing my hot takes, apologies, but also don't despair. They'll be back next week with an examination of whether we should be saving for retirement at all. 😊

RECEIPTS

No. 40 in action

I confess to my money mistakes in these issues all the time, so please indulge me in this quick pat on the back about a recent money score, especially since it so perfectly illustrates one of the 50 ways to save during a trade war. (No. 40: Join loyalty programs.)

I've mentioned previously that I'm pretty strategic when buying clothes and accessories (for myself at least). My big go-to moves:

• Shop clearance and sales URLs.

• Only buy things with a markdown.

• Give away my email — and, yes, sometimes, even my phone number — in exchange for an advertised discount. (I actually have a special email address solely for this purpose)

• Don't overly frequent one brand, so I more easily qualify for those aforementioned discounts.

Money’s been a little tighter than usual over here (something I’ve also mentioned before), so I tapped these tactics to shop for Mother’s Day and stumbled upon a pretty good deal from jeweler Kendra Scott.

I was trying to get an advertised 15% discount on my first purchase, only to learn the brand has a loyalty program (Kendra Scott Insider) that, among other things, entitles you to 50% off one jewelry item during your birthday month.

Mine is in May, so I was able to snag a $70 rose quartz cuff for $37.32 (which includes tax). Shipping was free.

Behold, proof of purchase:

I’d say don’t tell mama, but (hopefully) she’s reading this right now and, so, already knows. 😇 

PRICE TAGS

'Tariffs in the wild' edition

Unless something changes, forecasters expect tariff-related increases to ramp up as soon as next month as retailers run out of inventory. Still, there have been some early sightings of tariffs in the wild.

🌹 $25

the amount by which an Iowa florist raised the price on her most popular Mother's Day bouquet (from $100 to $125) to account for inflated costs on imported flowers.    

📺 $500

the difference between the suggested U.S. retail price and Canadian retail price for some Sony Bravia 5 TVs, though the company has yet to confirm if it's tariff-related.

🎮 $599.99

the new price of the standard Xbox Series X, upped by $100. Microsoft announced increases on most of its video gaming products worldwide earlier this month.

🚘 $2,000

the amount Ford increased prices on some models of its Mexican-made Maverick, Bronco Sport, and Mustang Mach-E. Effective May 2.

🚢 $36,126.46

the import duties (and a 125% markup) that Adafruit Industries, a U.S.-based electronics dealer, incurred on specialty products from an overseas vendor in late April.

💡 $225,000

the tariff bill that Wyze, a U.S.-based smart home technology company, reportedly paid on $167K of floodlights — more than any of its founders got paid last year.

QUESTION … ???

FRESH GREEN

Nowadays, most financial takes are boilerplate. These aren't.

• Yet another reason to hate on credit card commercials (Sorry, not sorry, Jennifer Coolidge) and never carry a balance: All those ads are upping annual percentage rates.

• Oh dear. Visa and MasterCard are teaching the robots how to shop and full-on buy stuff for you.

• I forgot to mention last week that you can buy gold bars at Costco, which I guess is OK, since now, due to popular demand, you can only buy a gold bar at Costco.

THIRST TRAP

And, finally, today, in things I would buy if I could, you know, just buy things …

What’s the opposite of a Value Meal?

OK, so I'm not exactly thirsting over this Judith Lieber jewel-studded French Fry pocketbook (though I have inherited an immediate and possibly inescapable affinity for anything that sparkles from my mother). However, I had to share that this thing'll set you back … $5,995.

Imagine what the hamburger must cost. Oh, wait.

Got questions, comments, receipts, tips, thirst traps, etc. you’d like to share? Send them to [email protected].

_{This article is for educational purposes only. We don’t recommend or advise individuals to buy, not buy, sell, or not sell particular investments or other assets, as everyone’s circumstances are different. Also, it’s your money and ultimately up to you to decide the best use for it.}