The Daily Money: Dreaming online = dreamscrolling

Good morning and Happy Friday! This is Betty Lin-Fisher with Friday's consumer-focused edition of The Daily Money.

Were you just daydreaming about a dream house or vacation destination on your computer? You're not alone.

A new study by Empower, a financial services company, found that the average American spends 2½ hours a day "dreamscrolling" about purchases they'd like to buy someday. Half of the 2,000 survey respondents admitted to dreamscrolling while at work.

Find out what things people are dreaming about in my story.

Free IRS filing program to expand

The IRS' free electronic tax filing system called Direct File will become permanent and will be available to more taxpayers next year, my colleague Medora Lee reports.

Direct File was offered in a pilot program this tax year in a dozen states. For next year, all 50 states and Washington, D.C. are invited to join the program.

But not everyone is a fan. Find out more in this story.

📰 Consumer stories you shouldn't miss 📰

• How do hotels design guest rooms?
• What to do when you spill liquid on your laptop.
• Can you hear me now? Verizon experiences outages in parts of the Midwest and West.
• Trump Media stock tumbles after guilty verdict.
• Want a reservation at an exclusive New York City restaurant? You might have to pay for it, NBC News reports.

📰 A great read 📰

Finally, here's a popular story from earlier this year that you may have missed. Feel free to share it.

Could surge-pricing be coming to fast-food restaurants? Wendy's CEO said the chain may test "dynamic pricing" as early as next year. The fast-food joint has already been testing "AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling," he said. Read more in this story from my colleague, Jessica Guynn.

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.