Market Performance: March 12, 2024.

US stocks notched gains across the board on Tuesday after key inflation data came in hotter than expected to help set expectations for the timing of a Federal Reserve interest-rate cut.

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) rose about 1.2% to close at a new record high, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) climbed roughly 1.5% after two days of losses, led by chip giant Nvidia's 7% gain (NVDA). The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) ticked up about 0.6%.

Treasury yields also gained with the 10-year yield (^TNX) rising 5 basis points to trade around 4.15%. Gold prices (GC=F) fell more than 1% to trade near $2,162.

Investors are digesting the Consumer Price Index release, one of the most important data inputs for the Fed in deciding its next policy move. Headline inflation met expectations with a monthly gain of 0.4% in February, following a 0.3% rise the month before. But "core" CPI — which strips out food and energy prices — came in at a 0.4% rise on the month and 3.1% gain on the year, both higher than estimates.

Budgeting expert shares simple tip to keep grocery bills down

A grocery run can easily give you sticker shock these days, but there's a simple way to keep more "bread" in your pocket. Instagrammer Gina Zakaria (@savingwhiz), who shares grocery hacks and budgeting tips, shows viewers how to make their own breadcrumbs in just a few steps.

The scoop

If you have stale bread or kids who don't like bread crust, you don't have to let it go to waste.

Cut the crust off the bread, place it in a food processor, blend it into fine crumbs, and then pour it onto a baking sheet.

"In my PB&J video, I had a lot of comments saying I was wasting bread. Here's what I do with those bread ends: I make breadcrumbs. I pop them in a 200-degree oven, let them dry out, and then I let them sit out overnight to get really dry," Gina says in the video. After letting the breadcrumbs dry, she transfers them to a sheet of parchment paper and pours them into a mason jar for easy storage. "Food waste is money waste, and the goal is to save money on groceries," she wrote in the caption.

Reusing stale bread or bread crusts also reduces food waste, which is a global issue. In America alone, 80 million tons of food — equal to 149 billion meals — ends up in landfills each year, according to Feeding America.

When food decomposes in landfills, it releases a potent gas called methane, which has 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere. Not to mention, producing and transporting food that can end up as trash consumes precious resources and accounts for 11% of the world's pollution from heat-producing gases.

I'm saving almost $8K this year by cutting out 4 things — it's easy and life-changing

Save these tips.

A British woman says she’s saving more than $600 a month by cutting out four simple things she was mindlessly spending her money on. Chrissie Milan, 25, who lives in London, admitted to being a frivolous spender before a trip to Thailand late last year made her realize just how much cash she was burning through.

“A smoothie cost me $1.30 in Thailand compared to $7.60 in the UK and it was much nicer,” the newly-thrifty Brit told South West News Service. “It made me think about what I actually need to spend money on at home and also what I am getting in return.”

First, she realized she was splashing out almost $200 per month on clothes, totaling a considerable $2,400 per year. With a wardrobe full of wearable items, the Londoner says she won’t be buying another item for the entirety of 2024.

Secondly, Milan was buying a daily coffee on her way to work.

Thirdly, she was also purchasing lunch each day she was in the office. Combined, those two categories came to $300 per month. Finally, the spendthrift cut out fancy dinners with friends, opting to make meals at home, saving more than $100 each month.

The Brit says she doesn’t miss going out for dinners with friends, and prefers to undertake cheaper activities with her pals instead. However, the hardest thing to cut has been buying lunches at the office. “Things like meal prep and planning ahead gets harder,” she admitted.

“I had a few weeks in the middle where I regressed slightly.”

However, Milan looks set to save more than $6,000 in total this year, meaning the minor inconveniences are well worth it.

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