If your grocery bill feels unpredictable lately, it may not be just inflation at work. A new investigation suggests that some shoppers are paying more than others for the exact same groceries — even when buying from the same store at the same time.

If timing matters for your budget, there are certain gift categories that show more reliable chances for last-minute price drops, according to ChatGPT. Retailers use dynamic pricing during the holidays, meaning prices can move up or down based on demand and inventory levels. It’s a pricing strategy that can make waiting until the final week before Christmas worthwhile for some purchases. Here are a few ways to take advantage if you still have some last-minute shopping to do.

The holiday season is upon us, and shoppers are in the homestretch of their search for gifts. But what role will the economy, dynamic pricing, and shrinkflation play in consumers’ ability — or even interest — to cross items off their wish lists?

As the holiday season unfolds, consumers are navigating the complexities of dynamic pricing, a strategy where prices fluctuate based on demand and other factors. Economist Mark Tremblay from UNLV explains that dynamic pricing, while not new, has become more prevalent with the rise of online shopping, where prices can change by the second. This approach is now extending to brick-and-mortar stores through digital price tags, allowing for frequent price updates without the need for physical changes.

Short-term rentals booked through platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo can be an attractive option for large families or groups visiting Las Vegas and looking to save a buck and avoid paying for several hotel rooms. However, permits for short term rentals in Southern Nevada are hard to come by.

Mark Tremblay, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, saw a connection between casinos using dynamic pricing for room rates and rolling them out elsewhere in the business. “It is clear that this is a trend we will see moving forward as physical stores begin to use digital price tags more frequently,” Tremblay told the Review-Journal.

It can be difficult for hotels and casinos off the Las Vegas Strip to survive with all the upscale competition that's just a few miles down the road. Some off-Strip resorts have managed to survive for decades, but even legacy properties are vulnerable to economic uncertainty.

On the first day of her first-ever trip to Las Vegas, Julie Brenner said the cost of a bottle of water caught her attention. The 29-year-old from Miami said she remembered the price because even in her hometown, paying more than $5 for water would seem high. That is why it stood out to her when the very next day, the same bottle from the same store was a different price.