As the value of a dollar weakens, University of Iowa students learn how to balance budgets and stretch paychecks. The dollar has fallen 10 percent against other major currencies since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
The Daily Iowan explores consumerism among UI students in a time when the dollar logged its steepest drop in the U.S. Dollar Index in 50 years.
The DI reports on how students navigate rising costs, balancing budgets, a minimum wage stagnant since 2009, dorm move-out waste, the allure of buying secondhand, how companies target marketing toward Gen Z, and more in the Consumerism Edition.
News
Balancing tight budgets, credit use, and changing spending habits
By Anna Olson
Move-out season reveals mounting dorm waste and sustainability challenges
By Madelyn Johnson
Physical media sales rise nationally, sparking new stores in eastern Iowa
By Lance Peterson
Move-out season reveals mounting dorm waste and sustainability challenges
By Madelyn Johnson
Physical media sales rise nationally, sparking new stores in eastern Iowa
By Lance Peterson
JoCo agriculture specialists speculate if farmers are equipped to meet local food demand
By Jacob Calvin
Tippie program connects business with sustainability and community work
By Ariel Kolder
JoCo agriculture specialists speculate if farmers are equipped to meet local food demand
By Jacob Calvin
Tippie program connects business with sustainability and community work
By Ariel Kolder
Politics
UI student’s experience underscores limits of Iowa’s $7.25 minimum wage
By Genevieve DiChiara
Arts
Marketing toward Gen Z
By Cole Miller and Madisyn Hunt
TikTok Shop acts as a major e-commerce competitor
By Hailey Shaffer
Inside a UI student’s collection
By Madisyn Hunt
Italian charm bracelets are making a trendy statement
By Allyson McGowan
Column | UI students talk thrifting and buying second-hand
By Liliana Hummel
