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Why we love this deal

If you’ve been wanting to upgrade your bedroom this fall, there are more than enough ways to make that happen on a budget. While you don’t necessarily have to go as far as switching out your furniture, swapping out your bedding can make a big difference. Bedding sets can be quite expensive, but luckily, there are so many options that are easy on the wallet. Walmart has plenty of these affordable bedding finds, and our latest discovery comes with more than twice the amount you’d get in a standard set.

The Fundaze 7-Piece Comforter Set is on sale for only $32 at Walmart. Typically, you can get the set for $70; however, a limited-time Flash deal marks down the price by 54%. With seven pieces, it’s like buying a comforter set and a sheet set in one, but for a fraction of the price you’d pay buying them separately.

Fundaze 7-Piece Comforter Set, $32 (was $70) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

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Why do shoppers love it?

This comforter set is a major bargain with all of the pieces it comes with. You get a comforter, a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, two pillow shams, and two pillowcases, which is everything you need to give your bed an entirely new look. The comforter looks high-end, despite the set’s overall affordable price. It has a pintuck design that adds texture and a level of sophistication to any bedroom. With down-alternative filling and a polyester shell, it’s as soft and comforting as it is stylish.

The matching sheets it comes with are also made of polyester, making them just as soft as the comforter, and the fitted sheet can fit mattresses up to 14 inches thick. The pillow shams boast the same pintuck design as the comforter, adding another eye-catching detail to the set.

Available in three colors — gray, light gray, and navy — this set sticks to the basics that you can’t go wrong with. It’s currently available in twin, full, and queen sizes, all of which are on sale. The king-size set has already sold out, so it’s only a matter of time before the others do as well.

Related: Walmart has a 7-tier bookshelf that can hold over 300 pounds for $110

Details to know

Sizes: Twin, full, and queen.

Colors: Gray, light gray, and navy.

Material: Polyester.

Includes: A comforter, a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, two pillow shams, and two pillowcases.

Walmart shoppers say the comforter set is “great quality,” as it’s both “soft and comfortable.” Reviewers say it’s especially great for overnight guests, whether it’s used on a spare bed or a sofa bed, with one customer saying it’s an “affordable way to make any guest or yourself feel right at home without any extra hassle.”

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The Fundaze 7-Piece Comforter Set is on sale for only $32, but as a Flash deal, it won’t be for much longer.

The best returns in modern investing tend to happen behind a velvet rope.

By the time a hot company rings the opening bell, the people who funded it early have usually banked the biggest gains. You get to buy in after the easy money is gone.

SpaceX is the freshest example. The rocket maker priced its initial public offering (IPO) at $135 a share on June 11, raising $75 billion at a $1.8 trillion valuation, according to IPOScoop.

That was the largest IPO in history. For most people with a 401(k) and a brokerage app, it was also the first time they could own the stock at all.

Venture funds, pensions and wealthy accredited investors had years of access before that. Everyone else watched the valuation climb from the sidewalk.

Cathie Wood has spent 2026 trying to pry that rope open, and her newest move puts one of the fastest-growing private companies in America inside funds you can buy for the price of a single share.

Her firm, ARK Invest, has added Kalshi, the federally regulated prediction market, to three of its exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The hype is loud. The dollars involved are smaller than you might expect.

Cathie Wood bought first and announced two weeks later

ARK bought 90,024 Kalshi shares for the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), 25,318 for the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) and 11,252 for the ARK Blockchain & Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF), all on Sept. 18, according to Benzinga, which cited ARK’s daily trade notification.

More Cathie Wood:

Cathie Wood buys $81.5 million of surging semiconductor stock

Cathie Wood buys $3.5 million of surging tech stock

Cathie Wood buys $53 million of popular semiconductor stock

That’s 126,594 shares across the three funds. The trade drew little attention at the time.

Wood made it official nearly two weeks later. “We are very happy to have introduced another private company, Kalshi, to our ETF strategies,” Wood wrote on X on Oct. 1. (ARK’s Venture Fund had previously taken a stake in Kalshi’s Series E round and then joined its Series F, according to Casino.org.)

She added that Kalshi’s management team is “skating to where the prediction markets’ puck will be,” borrowing hockey legend Wayne Gretzky’s famous line.

The word “another” matters. ARK put OpenAI into ARKK, ARKW and ARKF on April 1 at an $852 billion valuation, according to Sherwood News.

Related: Prediction markets like Kalshi are booming. 79% of users say they’ve lost money

The relationship goes deeper than ownership. “Bringing prediction markets into institutional workflows is a natural next step for innovation in financial research,” Wood said in March, when ARK announced it would use Kalshi data in its research and to hedge some portfolio risks, according to Business Wire.

How Kalshi’s valuation exploded in under a year

Kalshi lets users trade contracts on real-world outcomes, from Federal Reserve decisions to football scores, and it’s regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Its price tag has moved faster than almost anything in private markets.

Here’s how fast that number has climbed:

October 2025: valuation of roughly $5 billion, according to The Block.

May 2026: $22 billion after a $1 billion Series F led by Coatue, according to The Block.

June 2026: talks to raise money at a $40 billion valuation, the Financial Times reported.

August 2026: advanced talks with Sequoia Capital and Wellington Management on a $750 million round at that $40 billion figure, The Information reported.

The trading activity backs up the hype. Kalshi handled $40 billion in volume in July, compared with $12.9 billion for Polymarket and Polymarket US combined, according to The Block.

That’s why ARK thinks the whole category could become enormous. The firm projects prediction markets could reach $5 trillion in annual volume within three to five years, according to Casino.org.

“Kalshi has grown from almost no market share two years ago to ~68% of weekly notional volume today,” ARK analyst Nicholas Grous wrote in that research.

Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest added Kalshi to three ETFs, including flagship ARKK, she announced October 1.James Leynse / Getty Images

What $10,000 in ARKK actually buys you of the new holding

Here’s the part the announcement doesn’t spell out. When I worked through the trade figures ARK disclosed, Kalshi’s first purchase equaled just 0.0126% of ARKK, 0.0144% of ARKW and 0.0152% of ARKF.

In plain dollars, if you own $10,000 of ARKK, about $1.26 of it went into Kalshi on that trade. The same $10,000 in ARKF carries roughly $1.52.

That’s a rounding error, not a bet-the-fund move. ARK can add more over time, so check the fund’s daily holdings file for the current weight before you buy on the Kalshi story.

Size isn’t the only wrinkle. Private shares don’t trade on an exchange, so the fund has to estimate their value instead of reading a live price, and that estimate can lag reality in either direction.

My read is that ARK is building its private sleeve slowly on purpose. A small position lets Wood tell a big story without putting much of your money at risk if Kalshi’s valuation gets marked down.

Prediction market risks the sales pitch skips past

Wood’s record cuts both ways. Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas noted on X that ARKK is up 322% since launch, but said Wood “had right picks but didn’t let winners run,” according to Benzinga.

Kalshi carries its own baggage. Most of its activity still comes from sports, which made up 89% of prediction market volume as of June, according to Casino.org’s summary of ARK’s research.

That means the most exciting part of ARK’s thesis, economic and political contracts that rival traditional derivatives, is still mostly a forecast.

Regulators are another wild card. Kalshi has fought state-level challenges, and in June it sued Illinois in federal court over a new $15 million licensing fee and a tax on prediction market wagers, according to Capitol News Illinois.

One bad court ruling or a hostile state law could dent the volume that justifies a $40 billion price tag. You’d feel that through ARKK’s net asset value, even if only slightly at today’s weight.

Why the private-market door matters for your portfolio next

Kalshi Chief Executive Tarek Mansour has said an IPO is under consideration but would not happen this year, according to The Block.

If Kalshi lists in 2027, ARKK holders will already own a sliver bought at private-market prices. That’s the real pitch here: a side entrance into the velvet-rope phase, for the cost of one ETF share.

I’d keep one number in view, though. At current weights, you’re buying Wood’s judgment far more than you’re buying Kalshi.

If you want prediction market upside, size it the way ARK did. Keep it small enough that a markdown never touches your retirement plans.

The rope is loosening. Know exactly how wide before you step through.

Related: ARKK bleeds $313 million as investors pull out

One in three of today’s babies will live to see their 100th birthday, according to British government statistics.

Businesses face much longer odds, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

79.6% survived one year.

68.9% survived two years.

50.6% survived five years.

42.8% survived seven years.

34.7% survived 10 years.

Making it to 100, however, is extraordinarily rare.

Researcher Vicki TenHaken, who has studied U.S. companies that have been in business for a century or more, identified at least 1,200 businesses in continuous, independent operation for 100 years or more in 2020. She estimated that those businesses represented just 0.02% of U.S. companies.

Hitting your hundredth birthday as a retailer, restaurant, or single location of a larger chain rarely happens.

Hurwitz Mintz, a 102-year-old furniture chain, will be closing its doors, joining a larger group of 100-year-old or older businesses that have closed over the past 12 months. Much like when my great-grandmother died at age 99, it’s a loss that will hurt, but one that should also be celebrated because of the achievement of surviving that long.

Hurwitz Mintz closing after 102 years

Hurwitz Mintz shared on its website that it is closing and is offering 60% to 70% off storewide as it winds down operations. The sale has already begun, and all sales are final, according to the company.

“All sales are FINAL SALE and sold AS IS — no holds, returns, exchanges, refunds, credits, or cancellations. No special orders. Promotion valid while supplies last. See store for details,” the company posted.

No reason was provided for the closure.

More Retail:

Home Depot is making a big bet on cautious consumers

Another state just banned a controversial retail pricing practice

JPMorgan just flagged a slow-build food crisis

The closing date is open-ended, depending on the liquidation of their current inventory, a Hurwitz Mintz manager told local news station WWL.

“Hurwitz Mintz has been proud to be a part of the greater New Orleans community, serving generations of families and becoming part of the homes of so many,” Hurwitz Mintz said in a statement to the news station. “We are grateful for the time we shared with the community, our employees, and for everyone who made it all possible.”

The company has been owned and operated by the Mintz family for three generations.

Hurwitz Mintz has not said why it is closing.Shutterstock

More business giants closing or closed after 100 years

Hurwitz Mintz joins a number of other distinguished companies or retail locations to call it quits at, or even well after, 100 years in the past several months.

The reasons these businesses are disappearing vary widely, from retirement and succession issues to bankruptcy and corporate restructuring. But their closures illustrate how difficult it is to preserve a business across multiple generations of owners, consumers, and economic conditions.

Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas, operating for 112 years at its Main Street location: The iconic downtown flagship closed Sept. 30, 2026, ending more than a century at the location. Saks Global, which owns Neiman Marcus, confirmed the closure as part of its restructuring after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Neiman Marcus is not leaving Dallas. It is concentrating its operations at its NorthPark Center location, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Baker’s Main Street Furniture in Garland, Texas: The family-owned furniture retailer is closing after 103 years in business. Owner David Baker is retiring, bringing the three-generation family business to an end, reported Furniture Today.

Laurel Grocery Company in London, Kentucky: The grocery wholesaler closed in 2025 after more than 100 years in business. The company had operated since 1922, according to WKYT.

Pelot’s Rexall Pharmacy in Bradenton, Florida: The family pharmacy closed March 4, 2026, after more than 130 years in business. The Miami Herald reported that owner Robert Pelot cited his age as one factor in the decision.

Minerva Bakery in McKeesport, Pennsylvania (2026): The bakery closed in September 2026 after 103 years in business. The family-owned shop had been operating since 1923, according to CBS Pittsburgh.

These stories show that reaching 100 requires more than surviving economic downturns. A business also must navigate multiple generations of owners, employees, and customers while adapting to a changing market.

What it takes for a business to reach 100 years

Former IBM CEO Lou Gerstner doesn’t think that reaching 100 can be a company goal.

“I don’t see how it can help the management team if one of the primary objectives is getting to 100. It’s not something they can execute on. I’m not sure what you can do to guarantee success in that time frame, or even on a 20- to 30-year view,” he told McKinsey.

He made it clear what it takes to reach that milestone.

“Remember that the enduring companies we see are not really companies that have lasted for 100 years. They’ve changed 25 times or 5 times or 4 times over that 100 years, and they aren’t the same companies as they were. If they hadn’t changed, they wouldn’t have survived,” he added.

Quest Global Chief Strategy Officer Yumi Clevenger-Lee wrote about company longevity for Fast Company.

“Building a company that has what it takes to celebrate 100 years is made up of slow and steady progress — the kind that is achieved day by day. Using your North Star as guidance, take care of the present by focusing on these five daily priorities to build a company for the future,” she wrote.

Related: Costco adds important new perks for members

Apple’s products carry a price premium that most of its competitors have never been able to justify at the same scale. Customers pay it anyway, in large part because the company has spent decades making the case that its devices are worth the price.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max, which went on sale two weeks ago, is the clearest expression of that promise in Apple’s current lineup. At $1,299, it is the most expensive phone Apple sells outside of the foldable device it has not yet released. Most buyers are getting exactly what they paid for.

However, a group of customers who bought the phone through one major carrier are not satisfied. Bloomberg reported this week that Apple has confirmed the problem and is already directing affected customers toward a resolution.

Also read: Apple’s new CEO plans to send shocking memo to Apple employees

What AT&T customers are experiencing

Apple confirmed that some AT&T customers who recently upgraded to the iPhone 18 Pro Max have lost cellular service entirely. The affected phones cannot place calls, send standard text messages or access mobile data when away from Wi-Fi. Owners are left with a $1,299 device that functions, in practice, as a Wi-Fi-only tablet.

Apple described the affected group as small and has not released a specific count. Apple typically sells millions of iPhones in the weeks following a major launch, which means even a small fraction of that volume can represent a significant number of people. The scope of the issue remains difficult to determine from outside the company, but a complete loss of cellular service is not a minor inconvenience regardless of how many units are involved.

Verizon and T-Mobile customers who bought the iPhone 18 Pro Max have not reported the same problem. The issue appears tied to how affected units work on AT&T’s network specifically, not a flaw running across the entire iPhone 18 Pro Max line.

Why Apple chose replacement over a software fix

Apple is not pushing an update to resolve this. Customers with affected devices are being directed to replace them entirely.

Software problems can usually be patched. An iOS update or a carrier settings change can be delivered over the air in minutes. When a company opts to swap out the physical device instead, it generally means those options are not on the table. The problem may be at the hardware level, in a component or assembly issue that cannot be corrected remotely.

Apple has not publicly explained what is causing the failure. The company’s guidance to customers is to get a replacement, not to wait for a patch. For buyers who just spent $1,299 on a new phone, the process of returning it and waiting for a replacement unit adds friction that most did not expect two weeks into ownership.

Apple’s choice to replace devices rather than ask customers to wait on a patch is the right call, even if it costs more to executeBloomberg / Getty Images

How affected customers can get a new device

Affected customers have a few paths to a replacement. Apple Stores and authorized service providers are handling exchanges. For those who bought through AT&T directly, working with the carrier may be faster since the activation is already tied to AT&T’s systems. Either way, reaching out sooner is the practical move, as replacement stock at individual locations can vary.

More Apple:

Apple rewrites how Americans pay for iPhones

Bank of America doubles down on Apple stock ahead of earnings

Apple’s iPhone 18 AI bet hides a pricing trap

Before returning the phone, backing up personal data is important. An iCloud backup, or a local backup through a Mac or PC, will keep contacts, photos, messages and apps intact. Handing in the device without a backup first risks losing that information permanently, and it is worth completing the backup before walking into a store.

Customers who have not had any connectivity problems on AT&T do not need to take action. Apple’s guidance is specific to users who have lost the ability to make calls and use mobile data on the network. Anyone uncertain whether their device is affected can find out by turning off Wi-Fi and attempting to place a call or load a webpage on mobile data.

What this episode means for the iPhone 18 launch

The iPhone 18 Pro Max sits at the top of Apple’s current lineup, ahead of the iPhone Duo foldable the company has not yet brought to market. A hardware-related defect in a flagship phone is a different kind of problem than a bug in a mid-range model. The customers buying at this price point are among Apple’s most committed, and their early experience shapes how the product is perceived as it moves into wider circulation.

Apple’s choice to replace devices rather than ask customers to wait on a patch is the right call, even if it costs more to execute. The company has run into component-level problems before and generally moved past them without lasting fallout. The holiday quarter begins in a matter of weeks, and a drawn-out device problem at this price point, still unresolved going into that window, would do more damage than the cost of replacing every affected unit.

AT&T has not commented separately on the issue. The carrier will need to be involved in activating replacement units for customers who purchased through its stores or upgrade programs. How quickly and smoothly those exchanges are handled will factor into whether the episode fades quickly or lingers as a customer service story heading into the busiest retail season of the year.

Related: AT&T CEO drops 4-word verdict on new Apple iPhone Duo

Pizza has ranked as the most popular American food in recent years, as 21% of U.S. adults chose a slice of pie ahead of steak and hamburgers, in a Harris Poll survey of over 2,000 respondents in 2023.

In the poll, 16% preferred steak, while 13% like hamburgers best, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

For those pizza lovers looking for a quick meal at home, the most popular frozen pizza brand on the market, according to June 2025 Instacart survey, is Red Baron, followed by DiGiorno, and Totino’s, Food & Wine reported.

A classic frozen pizza brand that was common on supermarket freezer shelves in the 1970s and 80s, Celeste, did not make the Top 10 list of that survey, and, unfortunately, is now being discontinued by its manufacturer.

Conagra has discontinued its iconic Celeste Pizza brand, redirecting resources to brands with stronger growth potential.Shutterstock

Conagra ends Celeste Pizza product

Conagra, which purchased the Celeste brand in 2018 when it acquired Pinnacle Foods, revealed in its fiscal 2027 first quarter earnings call that it will discontinue the iconic product.

CEO John Brase said in the earnings call that Conagra launched a comprehensive review of its stock-keeping unit portfolio that resulted in the end of Celeste Pizza.

“We’re making bold decisions now to focus our resources on our strongest opportunities and reduce complexity across manufacturing and procurement,” Brase said. “One early example is our decision to exit the Celeste frozen pizza business.”

Supports strong growth potential

“It allows us to redirect our resources toward brands and categories where we have greater scale and stronger growth potential. Importantly, we expect the decision to be accretive to margins going forward,” Brase said.

Celeste Pizza has already disappeared from this writer’s local Walmart frozen foods section, and the product was listed as “out of stock” on Walmart’s e-commerce site on Oct. 3.

Plenty of varieties of the Top 3 frozen pizza brands — Red Baron, DiGiorno, and Totino’s — were available online or in the store.

Celeste Pizza was created by “Mama” Celeste Lizzio and her husband Anthony when they opened their first restaurant in Chicago in 1937. They closed the restaurant in 1962 and began selling their pizzas to other restaurants, according to reference.org.

Quaker Oats started retail brand

Quaker Oats Company bought the product in 1969 with “Mama” Celeste becoming the face of the product on its pizza boxes and the spokesperson in television commercials in the 1970s and 80s. “Mama” Celeste, who passed away in 1988 at age 80, was known for using her catchword “abbondanza” as the brand’s slogan in its advertising.

Quaker Oats sold the Celeste Pizza brand to Aurora Foods in May 1996. Aurora merged with Pinnacle Foods in March 2004 as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring.

Pinnacle Foods sold its assets, including the Celeste Pizza brand, to Conagra in October 2018.

Celeste Pizza history:

Quaker Oats Company buys Celeste Pizza product in 1969.

“Mama” Celeste passes away in 1988.

Aurora Foods buys Celeste Pizza in 1996.

Pinnacle Foods buys Aurora Foods and Celeste Pizza in 2004.

Conagra buys Pinnacle Foods and Celeste Pizza in 2018.

Celeste Pizza discontinued September 2026.

Sources: Reference.org, Earnings call

Related: 60-year-old iconic furniture chain closes all stores, liquidates

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Why we love this deal

Although it might be a bit chillier lately, autumn is a great time to enjoy the outdoors. In fact, for most of us, it’s far preferable compared to the humid heat we battled all summer. But when those temperatures drop a bit and the fall breeze picks up, you have to accommodate your patio setup or outdoor space with the right tools to keep you warm and cozy. Fire pits, overhead heaters and lots of thick blankets always help keep the chill away, and better yet, you don’t have to spend a fortune to secure any of them. In fact, Walmart is selling a Gvdv Tabletop Fire Pit that provides heat — for only $19.

The Gvdv Tabletop Fire Pit, which is a more miniature version of a true fire pit, originally retails for $30 but during a Walmart Flash deal it’s on sale for 37% off. During this limited-time discount, you can get the 7.5-inch high petite fire pit for less than $20 — quite a steal to us. 

Gvdv Tabletop Fire Pit, $19 (was $30) at Walmart

Courtesy of Walmart

Shop at Walmart

Why do shoppers love it?

Unlike a large fire pit, which often sits centrally among your patio furniture, emitting enough heat to warm up a large group of people, this tabletop version is perfect for smaller spaces and good for on-the-go travel. Measuring 6 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 7.5 inches high, the stainless steel pit is the grab-and-go version of the fire pit that sits out for extended periods of time on your porch or patio. 

Weighing only 2.2 pounds, it’s designed for easy transport and to go where you go. Whether that be the beach, the mountains, or the local park, it utilizes both wood and pellets to emit heat and create the ultimate ambiance wherever you are. The dual fuel source is only one of the cool parts of this fire pit. Not only does it utilize an advanced 360 airflow system to produce a clean-burning, smokeless flame, but it has a 2-foot heat area range, ensuring that anyone surrounding it can enjoy the light and the warmth. 

Related: Walmart’s $75 fire pit can be used as a table and a beverage tub

Available in three colors, it has a special built-in wind shield cover to keep your flame from blowing out, along with a pellet adapter, ash grate, and foldable stand to keep it securely upright and in place wherever you set it up. It also comes with a convenient travel-friendly bag for storage.

Details to know

Material: Stainless steel.

Dimensions: The fire pit measures 6 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 7.5 inches high. 

Weight: 2.2 pounds.

Power source: Supports both wood and pellets. 

Colors: Three. 

This “100% smokeless” fire pit emits a powerful flame without the heavy, black smoke that can burn from a lot of similar models. “An amazing and useful product during cold weather,” one shopper said. It’s easy to start and keep the fire going, it’s very sturdy, and the included pouch makes it easy to travel with. “Absolutely love this,” another shopper said. “It’s great for small areas or places where burn rings are discouraged.”

Shop more deals 

Philergo 43-Inch Rectangular Gas Fire Pit Table, $180 (was $350) at Walmart

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Segmart Multifunctional Fire Pit Table, $59 (was $110) at Walmart

Whether it’s a brisk fall, cold winter, or cool summer evening, the Gvdv Tabletop Fire Pit can create a nice source of heat or provide some lovely ambiance in any outdoor setting.