5 Little Habits That Could Cost You Big Money

The easiest recipe for delicious homemade bread, surprisingly practical uses for zip ties, and more. September 11, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! Being good with money is like any other skill—if you want to get better at it, you have to practice. And that means not only practicing good spending habits, but also owning up to the bad habits that may be wasting your money, like the 5 you'll read about in Today’s Good Thing. Also in today’s newsletter, I’m sharing my recipe for the easiest homemade bread you could ever hope to throw together. Even baking novices can pull this one off, and as an added bonus, it’s guaranteed to make your kitchen smell amazing too. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 5 Bad Habits That Are Costing You Money [Photos of a gym pass, tire pressure gauge, rolled coins, and fruit.]( These 5 habits can cost you money, drain your budget, and undermine your efforts to save. 1. Your Spending Isn’t Necessary. A lot of expenses are necessary, like paying your mortgage or buying groceries, but others aren’t. Unnecessary expenses like buying bottled water, paying for a gym membership you never use, and getting parking tickets can cost you a lot of money over time. 2. Your Tires Aren’t Properly Inflated. Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by over 3%, so you can keep more money in your pocket. Use a tire pressure gauge to check that the amount of air in your tires matches the amount recommended in your car’s manual. 3. You Don’t Keep Track Of Change. Getting change after paying with cash can be cumbersome, but if you make an effort to hang onto it, that change can add up over time. Pick a cup or container to use as a coin bank and make sure that all of your loose change ends up there. 4. You Throw Out Food. Food waste is not only an expensive habit, but it’s bad for the environment too. Cut back on food waste in your home by only buying as much fresh produce as you can realistically consume, and make sure to keep track of expiration dates so you can make a plan to eat your produce before it expires. 5. You Don’t Bother With Rebates. Many companies include mail-in rebate offers with new products because they know most people won’t mail them in. If you have a mail-in rebate offer, it’s definitely worth your time to send it in. There are plenty of money-saving opportunities for online shoppers too, like [cash back shopping programs](. [2 More Bad Habits That Cost You Money]( [2 More Bad Habits That Cost You Money]( Related • [13 Creative New Ways To Save More Money Every Day]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • When a headache has you feeling awful all over, take a headache-banishing shower to feel like yourself again. [Read more ➜]( • Tired of ragged cuticles and painful hangnails? Use this DIY cuticle oil nightly for softer, healthier cuticles in no time. [Read more ➜]( • Before you hang up your gardening gloves, planting these 5 things now can give you a head start in the spring. [Read more ➜]( COOKING Anyone Can Make This No-Knead Overnight Bread [Photos of a loaf of overnight bread.]( Yeast makes this no-knead bread recipe great for beginners, or anyone who prefers low-stress baking. To me, there are few things more delicious than a warm piece of freshly baked bread slathered in butter. And when a buttered bread craving strikes and nothing else will do, I often turn to my recipe for easy overnight bread. It calls for yeast, which makes it pretty foolproof. If I can successfully make bread this way, anyone can! Here’s how to make it: Start by whisking together 3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of active dry yeast in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of warm water and stir, mixing the dough gently and forming it into a ball. Transfer the dough to a large ungreased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for 12-18 hours, or until the surface is covered in bubbles and the dough has doubled in size. When the dough is ready, preheat a cast iron pot with a lid in your oven at 450°F for about 30 minutes or so. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and fold the corners under to form a smooth, rounded ball, then place it on a piece of parchment paper and dust the surface with flour. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then use a sharp knife to score an X into the top of the dough. Spray the dough lightly with water, then use the parchment paper to lower the dough into the pre-heated cast iron pot. Put the lid on, return the pot to your oven, and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking for 8-15 more minutes to get a deeper color on the crust. Remove the finished bread from the oven and cool on a rack for 30 minutes before slicing. [See The Full Recipe]( [See The Full Recipe]( UNUSUAL USES 3 Surprising Ways To Use Zip Ties [Photos of uses for zip ties.]( Duct tape may get all the shine, but zip ties are every bit as versatile. 1. Make A Book. To “bind” papers and documents together, punch a couple of holes along the edge, slip small zip ties through the holes, then cinch them closed. It’s a quick and easy way to create a book of your child’s writing or artwork that they’ll love flipping through. 2. Seal Bags Closed. You can use a zip tie to re-seal bagged foods so that they won’t get stale. It works great for preventing marshmallows, brown sugar, and other foods from drying out. 3. Support A Plant. Some plants need a little extra encouragement to stand up straight. Place a stake next to your plant and use a loosely looped zip tie to secure the plant stem to the stake. The zip tie should be quite loose to allow room for the plant to grow—you don’t want to accidentally strangle it! JILLEE'S PICK Storytelling At Its Finest In This American Life [An image of a laptop screen displaying the ]( [This American Life]( is a popular podcast from NPR that shares vignettes of everyday life in America. No two episodes are ever the same, and while some are heartbreakingly sad, others are funny, uplifting, or incredibly moving. It's honestly hard to describe, and the best way to get a feel for it is to listen for yourself. If you want to try out an episode of This American Life, [Episode 581: “Anatomy of Doubt”]( is an excellent place to start. This episode tells the story of how doubt germinated, spread, and eventually gripped an entire community, and recounts the consequences that followed. The episode [won a Peabody Award in 2016]( for “its public service and strength of reporting,” which is a testament to the quality of work that goes into this podcast. For more beginner-friendly episodes of This American Life, [check out this list](. REMEMBER WHEN Hair In The Era Of Farrah [A photo of Jillee in junior high sporting feathered hair.]( Every decade has its hair icons, like Jennifer Aniston was during the '90s with her "Rachel" haircut. During the days of my youth in the '70s, our hair icon was none other than [Farrah Fawcett]( known to us at the time as Jill Munroe from Charlie's Angels. Her famously feathered hair was all the rage in the '70s, and since so many styles from the '70s are now popular again today, I was not at all surprised to learn that “Farrah Fawcett hair” is making a resurgence as well. (Look up the hashtag #FarrahFawcettHair on social media to see for yourself.) I couldn’t resist looking around for a photo of myself sporting the feathered look back in the day, and I ended up finding this school picture from junior high. While I don't remember who did my hair for that photo, I do know it took considerable effort, because my straight hair has never been easy to curl. But you know what they say—if looking like Farrah were easy, everyone would do it! Did you sport feathered hair back in the day, or did you draw your hair inspiration from a difference source? Let me know by replying to this email! A FEW MORE THINGS... Patriot Day: Today marks the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 men, women, and children. Today we remember those who lost their lives, honor those who lost loved ones, and commemorate the courage of the first responders and everyday citizens who put themselves in harm’s way to save the lives of others. Words Of Wisdom: “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” - Sandy Dahl, wife of [Flight 93]( pilot Jason Dahl, in 2002 LOVE OGT? SHARE IT! If you’re enjoying the OGT newsletter, it would mean so much to me if you'd share it with your friends and family! 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