15 Things You Should Never Buy at Gas Stations

Many of us spend thousands of dollars every year at gas stations… and not just on gas! Get better value for your money the next time you stop to refuel by avoiding buying these items.

Magazines

While you're lining up to pay, a magazine's headlines and cover page grab your attention… Don't give in to buying this copy of the latest gossip magazine. Gas stations and grocery stores place these kinds of items (magazines, treats and gadgets) in strategic places near the cash register, to grab your attention. And when it does, they cash in on your impulse buys.

Sandwiches and wraps

A 2016 survey by HuffPost reveals these findings from a food safety inspector: Many gas stations were not storing food properly. Normally, perishable products like sandwiches and wraps should be kept at a temperature of 4 ° C or less. Beyond this temperature, they become places conducive to the proliferation of bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. So, before you indulge in this turkey wrap, make sure the refrigerator thermometer isn't reading over 4 ° C. HuffPost also recommends choosing products near the cooling element and avoiding foods at the top of the stack.

Soft drinks

Each year, the 7-Eleven convenience store in the United States sells 45 million gallons of fountain soft drinks. According to this chain, that's enough liquid to fill 68 Olympic swimming pools. However, it's best to think twice before filling your glass: Due to the moisture that builds up inside the machine, soft drink dispensers are an ideal environment for mold growth. Ban Coke and 7-up , and opt for water in your bottle instead. When you think about the costs of these drinks and their negative health effects, your wallet and waistline will thank you!

Hot dogs

If the sodium and fat content of hot dogs doesn't stop you, think about how they were stored. Hot foods should be stored at 135-140 ° F to prevent bacteria growth. The storage of hot food at gas stations is rarely within standards - always according to HuffPost. We suggest that you avoid hot dogs at the bottom of the heating rack, especially if they have a "glassy" appearance. There is a good chance that these sausages have been stagnant on their shelf, at low temperature, for too long.

Bag of chips

A small (28g) packet of Lay's Potato Chips contains 146 calories, which at first seems harmless… until you find out that more than half of those calories are from fat. And that's without counting its sodium content. Additionally, you should always check the product's expiration date before purchasing it - especially at a gas station. The HuffPost investigation found that expired food was one of the most common food safety violations at gas stations.

Memories

From key chains to decorative napkins: anything with the name of a city or province is not worth the money you spend to buy it. Not only will you pay a premium price for a cheap item, but souvenirs bought at gas stations are designed to entice you to spend more while you stop. Take photos of your trip, they will be much better memories (and much more economical!).

Coffee drink

Stay away from mokas and slats as well. Between the milk, syrup, and all the other added ingredients, the calories in this drink can add up quickly. An average mocha with 2% fat milk and chocolate sauce, for example, could have up to 660 calories and 8g of fat. Worse, swallowing a Starbucks Vanilla Bottled Frappuccino is like eating 32 Nilla Cookies.

Energy drinks

Sometimes when you need a little “boost” on the road, a large energy drink might seem like a good choice. The contents of this kind of drink can give you a boost, but research shows that it can also lead to heart problems, anxiety and insomnia. With about 62 grams of added sugar per 16-ounce packet (that's the equivalent of six Krispy Kreme donuts!), You'll be consuming far more than your recommended daily intake of sugar.

Cupcakes

Beware: Cream-filled cupcakes can contain around 35g of sugar and 16g of fat - and almost 50% of the recommended daily intake of saturated fat. On the other hand, chocolate chip cream pies can contain 33 g of sugar.

If you're in the mood for something sweet, opt for trail mix or dried fruit instead.

Beer and wine

Unless your favorite beer is on special at the gas station, you'll find the same brands in the grocery store, for much less. For wine, avoid these kinds of places at all costs: it's not a question of price, but a question of taste!

Nachos

It's no secret that nachos are NOT a healthy option. But it turns out that they can also be fatal. In 2017, one person died and several others were hospitalized after eating contaminated nacho sauce at a gas station in California.While these kinds of cases are rare, gas stations try to do multiple things at once, which can cause them to slow down food security, HuffPost says. The safest choice is to snack on a granola bar or some nuts until you can stop by a restaurant for a balanced meal.

Slush

The Slushs and "Slurpees" may have been the highlight of your childhood road trips, but know they can have a huge impact on your waistline. A 44-ounce Dr. Pepper Slurpee contains approximately 825 calories, most of which come from sugar. And as with soft drink dispensers, Slurpee machines harbor mold and pathogenic bacteria. Forget the nostalgia and go for healthier alternatives.

Donuts

Like many things at a gas station, donuts are far from low in calories. In fact, you would need to ride a bike for over 30 minutes to burn a pack of four mini donuts. Say no to glazed donuts too. Even if they are delivered fresh to the gas station every morning, they will likely be stale after just a few hours. Instead, opt for a banana or an apple to satisfy your sugar craving.

Breakfast sandwich

Although breakfast is an important meal - one that should never be skipped - it should not be swallowed up. An English muffin with sausage at your local gas station is about 500 calories and 1030 mg of sodium.

Beef sticks

Make a “protein” stop on the road? Avoid prepackaged beef sticks. A single stick can contain over 550 mg of sodium - almost a quarter of what you should eat in a single day. In addition, this type of product contains a lot of preservatives.

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8 Tips to Save Energy in the Summer

When we think of saving energy, we mainly think of winter. But you can also save energy in the summer. These summer tips will help you with that.

Keep the house cool

It is best to keep the sun out of your home as much as possible. It may seem uninviting, but by leaving the sun protection (shades or curtains) down during the day, your house will heat up much less. Close your windows and doors during the day and only open them when it is cooler outside than inside.

Use nature or a fan, but no air conditioning

It is often cooler in the evening, at night and early in the morning, so feel free to open a number of windows or doors against each other.

Do you still need extra cooling at home? Then opt for a fan instead of air conditioning. The use of an air conditioner is considerably more expensive than a fan and that easily saves a few tens per year.

Dry your laundry outside

You may use a clothes dryer in the winter. But in the summer you can also use the natural drying sources: the wind and the sun. A rotary dryer in the garden or a clothes rack on the balcony is a free clothes dryer.

Spray the garden with rainwater

Every year we water our garden with hundreds of liters of drinking water. Of course, your garden needs water in the summer. How do you prevent a dried out garden, but do you water as budget-friendly as possible? Use a rain barrel to collect rainwater!

A rain barrel can save hundreds of liters of water every year. In the Netherlands, 1 out of 6 garden owners already collects garden water from the rain barrel (source: Milieu Centraal ). Is there a swimming pool in the garden for your (grand)children? Then you can also reuse that water to water the lawn.

Get rid of the (possible) extra fridge

Some families have an old refrigerator in the shed for ice cream, beer or frozen products. However, that second refrigerator is often an old creature and consumes a lot of energy unnecessarily. On average, a second refrigerator consumes tens of euros of electricity per year, but if the refrigerator is older and less efficient, that amount quickly increases.

Use solar garden lighting

Cozy in the garden in the evening, but not sitting in the dark? Use solar powered garden lighting. The lamps can soak up the sun all day, so you can sit in a lit garden in the evening. This also saves you having to extend power cables to the garden.

Turn your heating off or on summer mode

With the thermostat set to summer mode, you prevent the heating from starting at times when it is slightly cooler in the house, for example if you open the windows and doors in the morning or in the evening. A shame if the thermostat sees that as a signal to start heating – especially in the summer!

Turn off devices

Devices that are continuously on give off heat in the house. For example, think of laptops, lamps and (game) computers. Cooking also makes the house warmer, so opt for a fresh salad instead of a hot meal in hot weather.

8 Easy Ways to Save Money

Sometimes the hardest thing about saving money is getting started. This guide to saving money can help you step-by-step to develop a simple and realistic strategy so that you can save for all of your short-term and long-term savings goals.

Record your expenses

The first step in starting to save money is determining how much you spend. Keep track of all your expenses; That means every cup of coffee, household item, and cash tip. nce you have the information, organize the numbers by categories, such as gasoline, grocery shopping, and mortgage, and get the total for each. Use your bank and credit card statements to make sure everything is correct and that you didn't forget anything.

Tip: Get a free spending monitor to help you get started. Choosing a digital program or app can help automate part of this task. Bank of America customers can use the Spending and Budgeting tool, which automatically categorizes their transactions to make budgeting easier, on the mobile app or online.

Budget for savings

Once you have an idea of how much you spend in a month, you can start to organize the expenses you recorded and establish a budget that you can live with . Your budget should give you an idea of how your expenses compare to your income so that you can plan for your expenses and limit overspending. Be sure to take into account expenses that occur regularly, but not every month, such as car maintenance.

Tip: Include a savings category, and try to save 10 to 15 percent of your income.

Find ways to cut your expenses

If your expenses are so high that you can't save as you'd like, it may be time to cut back. Identify nonessential categories that you can spend less on, like entertainment and eating out. Find ways to save on your monthly fixed expenses like television and cell phone expenses, too.

Here are some ideas to cut down on everyday expenses:

Use resources such as community event listings to find free or low-cost events to reduce entertainment expenses.
Cancel unused subscriptions and memberships, especially ones that renew automatically.
Aim to eat out only once a month and go to places that are in the category of "cheap meals".
Give yourself some "time to reflect" - When you're tempted to make a nonessential purchase, wait a few days. Will you be glad you didn't, or be ready to save up to do it.

Set savings goals

One of the best ways to save money is to set a goal. Start by thinking about what you might want to save for, maybe you're getting married, planning a vacation, or saving for retirement. Then decide how much money you will need and how long it can take to save it.

Here are some examples of short-term and long-term goals:
Short term (1 to 3 years)
- Emergency fund (3-9 months to pay for daily living expenses, just in case)
- Holidays
- Down payment for a car

Long term (4+ years)
- Down payment to buy a home or remodeling project
- Your children's education
- Retirement

If you are saving for retirement or your children's education, consider putting that money in an investment account, such as an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or a 529 plan. Although investments come with risks and can lose money, too They present the opportunity to grow when the market grows, and could be convenient if you plan for an event well in advance. See step no. 6 for details.

Tip: Set a small, achievable, short-term goal for something fun, and big enough that you won't have the cash to pay for, like a new smartphone or holiday gifts. Reaching smaller goals, and enjoying the nice reward you've saved for, can give you a psychological boost that makes the rewarding feeling of saving more immediate and strengthens the habit.

Decide what your priorities are

After your expenses and income, your goals are likely to have the biggest impact on how you distribute your savings. Make sure you have long-term goals in mind; It is important that planning for retirement does not take a back seat after short-term needs.

Tip: Learn how to prioritize your savings goals so you have a clear idea of where to start saving. For example, if you know that you will need to replace your car in the near future, this would be a goal that you can start saving for now.

Choose the right tools
If you're saving for short-term goals, consider using these FDIC-insured deposit accounts:

- Savings account
- Certificate of Deposit (CD) , which freezes your money for a fixed period of time at a rate that is generally higher than savings accounts.

For long-term goals consider:

FDIC-insured Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), which are tax-efficient savings accounts
Securities, such as stocks or mutual funds. These investment products are available through investment accounts with a broker dealer. Remember that securities are not FDIC insured, are not deposits or other obligations of a bank, and are not guaranteed by a bank. They are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of your capital.
Tip: You don't have to choose just one account. Take a careful look at all of your options and consider things like minimum balances, fees, and interest rates, so you can choose the products that will best help you save for your goals.

Make automatic savings

Almost all banks offer automated transfers between your checking and savings accounts. You can choose when, how much and where to transfer money, and even split your direct deposit so that a portion of each paycheck goes directly to your savings account.

Tip: Splitting your direct deposit and setting up automated transfers are easy ways to save money, since you don't have to think about it and generally reduce the temptation to spend the money instead of saving it. With Mobile Banking and Online Banking, Bank of America customers can easily establish automatic transfers between accounts.

Watch your savings grow

Review your budget and see your progress each month. Not only will this help you stick to your personal savings plan, it will also help you quickly identify and correct any problems. Knowing how to save money can even motivate you to find more ways to save and reach your goals faster.

How to Save on Shopping: Tips to Avoid Unnecessary Expenses

How can a fixed shopping budget save you money every year?

Knowing how to save on your groceries can earn you hundreds of dollars each year, which can help you reach your savings goals. Want to learn how to do your grocery shopping on a budget? Here are our 12 simple tips to save on your groceries.

Do your shopping according to your budget
Shopping on a budget is a good place to start saving money. According to the UK's National Statistics Office, an average person spends € 123 per month on groceries, or around € 31 per week, not including dining out. For each additional member of your household, these numbers double.

This means that a couple spends around € 247 (almost € 123 multiplied by two) per month on groceries, a three-person household spends almost € 370, and a four-person household spends around € 494 per month, just for the races!

How to shop on a budget
Based on the figures above, if you spent around € 20 instead of € 30 per week on your groceries, you would save € 40 per month. These figures could reach more than 450 € per year! This is an important part of your annual budget goals which could include paying off a loan, saving for a project, or going towards an emergency fund.

However, before establishing your monthly budget for groceries, it would be a good idea to budget for all of your finances in order to better control your financial health. To do this, here are our tips:

Track your monthly spending so you know where your money is going each month.

Separate your variable costs from your fixed costs (that is, non-adjustable expenses, like rent, are fixed while adjustable expenses, like groceries, are variable).

Calculate how much you want to save on your variable costs each month.

Set your budget in place and measure your progress to see how well you are sticking to it, then make adjustments as needed.

Make a shopping list according to your budget
Here are our tips to help you make your shopping list within the budget you have set to save on these costs each month.

1. Cook simple dishes

When it comes to shopping on a budget, simplicity is key. Choosing to make a complex recipe can easily eat up an entire week's budget, simply because of the number of ingredients. If you want to save money on groceries, choose simple, tasty recipes you love that only require five ingredients or less.

Better yet, when choosing the meals you want to prepare for the week ahead, go for recipes with the same ingredients. This will save you money in the long run, as buying in bulk is usually cheaper, as long as you use all the food you buy!

2. Plan your weekly meals

If you really want to shop on a budget, planning your meals in advance is essential. Before you go shopping, make sure you know exactly what you are going to eat this week, in order to calculate your estimated costs.

This cuts down on the chances of going over budget and encourages you to get creative with weekly meals!

3. Give up meat one day a week

It's no secret that meat is one of the most expensive food products, especially if it's organic. Limiting your weekly meat consumption is therefore an excellent solution.

Not only will this save you money and cook vegetarian more often, you might even get a taste and start eating less meat.

4. Healthy and affordable groceries for vegetarians or vegans

Keeping the tips above in mind, here is an example of healthy and affordable groceries for a vegetarian or vegan with a maximum spend of € 22 per week:

Rice € 1.50

Fresh fruits and vegetables € 7

2 vegan spreads at € 2.50

Oats € 1

4 boxes of legumes (chickpeas, black beans) € 3.50

Bread € 2

Smoked tofu € 2.50

Oat milk € 2

It might not seem like much, and yet with € 7 you can buy different vegetables which, paired with rice or legumes, can be the centerpiece of your evening meal for six days of the week. For the 7th day, tofu could be the main ingredient.

Oats and almond milk could form the basis of a hearty breakfast, and you could make sandwiches with bread, plant-based spreads, and the leftover vegetables for lunch.

Here are our tips for saving money while shopping.

Our advice to save on your shopping
Once you know how much you want to save on your groceries each month, there are a few tips and tricks you should put into practice while you shop.

5. Calculate your races

To have a clear overview of your expenses while shopping, calculate the amount of everything in your basket. You can do this using your phone's calculator or rounding off all prices to whole numbers, which will make mental math easier. This prevents you from accidentally overspending.

6. Pay for your groceries in cash

A good tip for saving on races is to use Dave Ramsey's envelope system . This budget method requires you to take cash out of your monthly income and divide it into separate envelopes based on your budget goals.

For this, you need to have envelopes for your fixed costs and for your variable costs such as recreation, shopping for clothes, dining out and shopping. By paying for your groceries in cash, it is virtually impossible to overspend!

7. Look at the bottom shelves

Supermarkets put their most expensive products at eye level to push you to exceed your shopping budget. However, if you look at the same types of food that are sold a shelf or two lower, you will notice that the prices tend to go down, with the cheaper products being closer to the ground.

8. Take a small basket

Another method that supermarkets use to keep you from saving on your groceries is to provide you with oversized shopping carts and baskets. This makes you feel like you have few products in your shopping cart, just because they don't fill the tote.

The best way to get around this problem is to choose the smallest shopping bag for your groceries, which is often a basket. Otherwise, if you only buy a few small items, forget the basket and carry them in your hand.

9. Compare prices per kilo

Another great tip for shopping on a budget is to compare product prices per kilogram, not the listed retail prices. In general, in addition to the retail price, you can find the price of the product per 100 g. You should take this figure into account when comparing other similar products.

For example, if you want to buy Parmesan but there are two different types of cheese at € 4 and € 6, you might think that the most economical choice would be to go for the € 4 pack. However, if you look at the price per kilo, you realize that the € 6 Parmesan costs € 1 for 100g, and the € 4 pack costs € 2 for 100g.

In other words, although it costs € 2 more, the € 6 parmesan packet is 50% cheaper than the € 4 pack and gives you 200g more for just € 2 more. This is a smarter decision from an economic standpoint because it will allow you to eat longer for less money.

10. Compare prices

It's no secret that supermarkets and independent grocery stores price their products differently. Often the price of the same product varies greatly from store to store. To achieve your monthly shopping budget goals, you should therefore do a little field survey.

For this you should go from store to store and notice the difference in price of the food items you buy most often. You will soon get into the habit of going to different stores depending on the type of food you need to buy. However, these prices may vary depending on the season and promotions in each store.

11. Don't shop when you're hungry

We've all been there: we walk the aisles of the supermarket with growling stomachs, and driven by hunger, we fill our baskets with unnecessary items. Shopping on an empty stomach leads to spending more, thus exceeding the shopping budget.

The solution ? Eat before you go shopping! It sounds simple, but it can make a huge difference. Even if you eat something as small as a banana or a granola bar before shopping, it could save you from spending an extra $ 15 on food.

12. Track your expenses

Just like with your general budget, it's essential to track your food expenses after you're done shopping. You can do this by entering the numbers in an Excel spreadsheet, a manual budget manager app, or you can use a budget manager app that is fully integrated with your bank account that calculates your food expenses.

Practical Advice on How to Save and Save Money Every Day

Undoubtedly, everyone at least once caught himself thinking about how to save money in everyday life. It is your daily habits that significantly affect spending and savings, so if you reconsider them, you can find a solution that is useful for your wallet. To simplify your first steps a little, Aizdevums.lv would like to share practical tips to help you save money.

How to save money on household expenses

Regular payments and accounting of expenses to save money How to save money on groceries, clothes and everyday goods? Do it yourself - from interior to personal care - and save!

Have you ever thought about what to save money for? For savings to be more successful, you need a goal. Set a goal for yourself to save up for: for example, for old age, tuition fees, unexpected expenses, or large purchases.

How to save money on household expenses

Saving electricity

Everyone knows about the ability to save energy without having to leave lights or electrical appliances on. However, electricity consumption can be affected by many other little things that we may not pay attention to in our daily life. For example, it is recommended to use LED bulbs for lighting, because they consume less electricity compared to other bulbs. It is necessary to see if the required temperature is set in the refrigerator. If it is too low, the refrigerator will use more electricity. In addition, it is recommended to regularly take care of electrical appliances: for example, make sure to regularly clean the container or bag of the vacuum cleaner and change / wash the filter.

Saving water

In everyday life, you can think about water consumption: do you spend too much of it, for example, when washing dishes. If you regularly grow mountains of dishes, we advise you to purchase a dishwasher, but it is not recommended to run it half empty due to unnecessary energy consumption.

Heating savings

The most effective way to save on heating costs is to purchase and install a thermostat in your house or apartment that allows you to regulate the temperature. Each degree can save up to 6%. But it must be borne in mind that you can save with a thermostat only if your apartment has a separate meter or even autonomous heating, or if you live in a house that is heated centrally by a heating boiler.

Regularity of payments and accounting of expenses to save money

Planning payments
Payment scheduling allows you to make your required payments on time, which is important when monthly bills for services and loans come in. By making both payments on time, you will avoid paying interest or liquidated damages. If you do forget to pay your bills on a regular basis, consider turning on automatic bill payment or setting yourself a reminder on your phone or computer.

Accounting for monthly expenses
Accounting and assessment of monthly expenses allows you to understand how much money remains for other spending or savings after making mandatory payments (payment of bills, loan payments). Plus, you'll see where and how much money is wasted and find solutions to save!

How can you save money on groceries, clothing, and everyday items

Food
Most of us devote a significant portion of our monthly budget to grocery shopping, so it's important to consider how to save money when shopping for groceries. Go to the store only full, because a hungry person will definitely buy more than required. It is recommended that you create a shopping list in advance, which will not only help you stay on track, but also save time.

It is becoming more and more popular to buy food on the Internet, for which the above recommendations are also relevant.

Clothes and footwear
The biggest expense is usually when buying seasonal clothing and footwear (such as winter jackets and boots). In this case, we advise you to look at your clothes in the current season and determine what can be worn next season and what needs to be replaced. By the end of the season, a sale of seasonal clothing and footwear begins in stores, during which you can find what you need and save a lot. We also advise you to familiarize yourself with the offer on the Internet and in outlet stores!

Household appliances and electrical appliances

Household appliances and electrical appliances save money in the long run by choosing a more expensive but also better quality product. More expensive equipment lasts longer! In addition, expensive household appliances are often more energy efficient.

Internet, television and other services

Review the range of offers from time to time to see if there are better offers from ISPs and TVs that can help you save money. Consider offers with the opportunity to try the service for free for 30 days.

Do it yourself - from interior to personal care - and save!
It's no secret that sometimes to live beautifully means to live expensive, but not everything should be given up. Find cheaper but equally effective alternatives. If there is not enough money for major repairs, and the current look of the home is tired, it can be quickly refreshed with expressive interior details that are easy to make yourself. For example, repaint wooden photo frames with a bright color. Need advice on organizing storage? It is possible! Many diverse and interesting ideas that are easy to implement yourself can be found on the Internet - just write a query on Google or use special applications (for example, Pinterest). You can also save money on cosmetics by replacing them with alternatives. For example, you can use natural coconut oil instead of a cream or body oil, and apple cider vinegar diluted with water instead of a face toner.