INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Here’s a look at Thursday’s business headlines.

Grocery bill

Meal prep for a family of four can get costly.

Americans spend more than $7,700 on groceries and eating out per year, according to the latest statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Food is the third biggest expense for consumers in rural areas, next to housing and transportation.

College loans

The Student Borrower Protection Center says where you got to college could factor in the cost.

For example, if found that community college students were charged more to borrow than those that attended 4-year universities.

It says the lenders could be engaging in education redlining by raising the price of credit for historically marginalized groups, something that banks name in the report denied.

Streaming videos

Across the globe, time spent streaming video increased by more than half – an increase of 58% – during the last three months of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018, according to streaming tracking firm Conviva.

Streaming grew even more in the U.S. and Europe.

The arrival of Disney’s and Apple’s streaming service contributed to the growth.

Simon merger

Indianapolis-based Simon, the biggest mall owner in the U.S., has been in talks with Taubman Centers about the possibility of a merger.

Bloomberg reports the two mall giants have in on-again, off-again talks in recent days.

Mall owners have struggled in recent years as shopping increasingly moves online and into “lifestyle centers.”

The mall owners also find themselves in positions where they are propping up the retailers they lease to. As is the case with the recent example of Forever21. Simon is among a group of mall owners that bought the fast-fashion retailer after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy organization in December.