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5 mistakes you're probably making with your slow cooker

5 mistakes you're probably making with your slow cooker

Using a slow cooker is an almost foolproof way to cook. Almost. There are probably a few things that you can do to make your slow-cooked meals even better. Here are five things you may be doing wrong, and how to fix them.

1. You use way too much liquid

OK, I'll admit I used to fill up my slow cooker with liquid every time I cooked something. That's wrong. 

Generally, when cooking meat or poultry, make sure the liquid covers the ingredients. There's no need to add more liquid than that unless the owner's manual specifies that the appliance needs to be filled to a certain level to function properly. Also, if you're using a slow-cooker recipe, follow it and only use the amount of liquid specified. 

2. You add dairy products whenever

Dairy products can curdle if you put them in your slow cooker too soon. Always wait until the last few minutes of the cooking process to add cheese, milk or sour cream. 

3. You peek

Just like when you open your oven door, lifting the lid on your slow cooker can dramatically lower the temperature inside the appliance. The more you peek, the longer it will take your food to cook.

4. You fill it to the brim

No, you can't fill a slow cooker all the way to the top. You need space between the food and the rim to prevent it from boiling over. Plus, the heat inside of the slow cooker needs room to circulate to cook your food properly. A good rule of thumb is to never fill the pot over three-quarters full.

5. You don't wait to add herbs

Wait to add herbs until the end of the cooking time. If you add them at the beginning they'll lose their potency throughout the cooking process and you'll just have to add more to kick up the flavor.

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DOJ Will Sue Google Over Ad Tech Business in September, Report Says

DOJ Will Sue Google Over Ad Tech Business in September, Report Says

The US Department of Justice is preparing to sue Google over its dominance in the online advertising market, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. A lawsuit could be filed as soon as next month.

The Justice Department is engaged in a round of interviews with publishers to gather more information for its complaint, according to Bloomberg, which cited three unidentified sources. 

In 2020, the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for its dominance in the search market and its alleged efforts to suppress competition in search. The lawsuit is still working its way through the legal system. 

"Our advertising technologies help websites and apps fund their content and enable small businesses to reach customers around the world," Google representative Peter Schottenfels said in a statement. "The enormous competition in online advertising has made online ads more relevant, reduced ad tech fees, and expanded options for publishers and advertisers."

The expected lawsuit comes as Congress, the Justice Department, the EU and the UK move to rein in Big Tech. The US Senate introduced a bill called the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, which would curb the influence of Amazon, Apple and Google in e-commerce marketplaces. The UK is planning to launch a new unit tasked with rooting out "predatory practices" of Big Tech. Last month, the EU approved the Digital Markets Act to regulate Apple, Google and Meta with the goal of allowing greater competition in e-commerce sales and apps. 

The Department of Justice declined to comment.  

Google has apparently tried to address the department's concerns to prevent the new lawsuit. The company reportedly told the DOJ last month that it was willing to split off its ad business. 

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Labor Day Weekend Travel: What to Do if Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled

Labor Day Weekend Travel: What to Do if Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled

What's happening

An estimated 12.8 million Americans will fly over Labor Day weekend.

Why it matters

While air travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels, many airlines are still plagued by significant delays and cancellations.

Labor Day is here and, despite ongoing flight disruptions and high ticket prices, an estimated 12.6 million Americans will be flying over the three-day holiday weekend, according to data from travel site Hopper.

American Airlines alone estimates 2.5 million customers will board 26,400 scheduled flights through Monday. 

Many of those fliers will face delays and cancellations. On average, 23% of flights in August were delayed from departing US airports, an increase of nearly 30% compared to 2019. And cancellation rates last month were more than double their 2019 rates, as airlines mobilize to address staff shortages, pickets, weather disruptions and other issues.

By 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, American Airlines had already reported 100 delayed flights, according to the website FlightAware, and 23 cancellations. Industrywide, more than 800 flights within, into, or out of the United States have been delayed Thursday morning and 102 canceled.

Analysts don't expect schedules will get back to normal until at least the fall, when demand settles down and new hires have had time to be trained up. 

If you're flying over Labor Day, here's what you need to know about avoiding a travel nightmare, what the airlines owe you if there's a cancellation or delay, and more. 

For more travel tips, here are some great travel gadgets, guidance on renewing your passport online and 19 things to add to your travel checklist. before leaving home.

Why have there been so many delays and cancellations?

Layoffs and contract buyouts during the pandemic have left many airlines short-staffed, fueling ongoing delays and cancellations.

Getty Images

Since Memorial Day, US-based airlines canceled more than 50,000 flights and delayed over a half-million, according to NPR. Delta said it canceled 100 scheduled daily flights in the US and Latin America between July 1 and Aug. 7. Southwest Airlines nixed almost 20,000 summer flights.   
The biggest factor has been that airlines are incredibly short-staffed. When the pandemic slowed air travel to a trickle, many carriers bought out employees' contracts and encouraged older pilots to take early retirement.

As a result, from December 2019 to December 2020, the number of airline workers shrank by at least 114,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Now carriers are clamoring to staff back up, but they're finding it hard to fill positions. 

The shortages extend to ground staff, baggage handlers, gate personnel and other workers, FlightAware spokesperson Kathleen Bangs told CNET. "They did a lot of buyouts during the pandemic. It's a remarkable growth period and they're just back-footed." 

It's particularly acute with pilots because it can take up to five years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to train someone to fly a commercial airplane.

"Most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren't enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a quarterly earnings call back in April, NBC News reported.

Extreme weather has also added to the problem: Severe thunderstorms have caused multiple delays and flight cancellations, and that's aside from hurricane and wildfire season. Aircraft can fly at lower altitudes to try to avoid storm systems, but that burns more fuel -- a dicey proposition given the high cost of jet fuel. 

How to avoid having your flight delayed or canceled

There isn't much you can do to prevent a delay or cancellation. But there are some common-sense steps that will give you a better shot at making it to your destination -- or at least relaxing at home or in a hotel room, rather than stewing in the airport.

Download your airline's mobile app to keep on top of changes to your flight schedule.

Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images

Leave extra time for layovers. You might think an hour is plenty of time to get from one gate to another, especially in the same terminal. But if the first leg of your journey is delayed that hour can turn into 30 minutes. And with most airlines closing the plane doors about 15 minutes prior to departure, you could easily miss your connection.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Denver International Airport (DEN) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) top the list of busiest hubs over the Labor Day holiday, according to Hopper.

Don't book a late-night flight. If you miss a connection, most airlines will work diligently to get you on the next available flight. But if you booked the last flight of the day to your destination, that may mean having to wait until morning -- and either pacing through the airport for hours or booking a night in a nearby hotel. 

Download the airline's app on your phone. Opt into flight notifications and start manually checking the status of your flight regularly, at least 24 hours in advance. As soon as you hear your flight has been cut, find out if you've been transferred to another flight.

Monitor the weather at both your departure and arrival airports. Start checking the weather in both places a few days before your flight. Some airlines will actually reschedule your flight in advance of a major weather front at no extra charge. If a storm is on its way, you might consider leaving a few days earlier or later or finding a different route.

Buy travel insurance. Depending on why your flight is canceled or delayed, the airline might not comp any meals, accommodations or transport you're forced to purchase. The payout for travel insurance may not cover all of your expenses, but it will definitely be more than the cost of a policy, typically 5% to 10% of your trip cost.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

Time is of the essence, so be proactive about rescheduling your flight. 

"A lot of the time you can reschedule yourself on the flight of your choice" using the airline's app, said David Slotnick, senior aviation reporter for The Points Guy. "It'll save you a lot of time and aggravation." (Like CNET, The Points Guy is owned by Red Ventures.)

If that's not possible, call the airline. Even if you get sent to an automated system, it may have a call-back function. You can still call if you're already at the airport. Do it while you're in line to talk to an agent and take whichever option is available first.

What does the airline owe you if your flight is canceled?

While some airlines are able to get you booked on a different carrier if your flight is canceled, not all can.

Dmitry Marchenko/Getty Images

In the US, if a flight is canceled because of something that is the airline's fault -- a mechanical issue or a staffing shortage -- the carrier is required to refund your ticket.

"If you get canceled for any reason -- you don't take your flight -- they have to offer you a cash refund," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NPR. "If you'd rather take miles or a different flight, fine. But that's up to you, not them. They've got to give you a refund. That's a basic rule,"  

The Department of Transportation website mandates airlines must also refund the cost of your ticket after a schedule change or significant delay, but the agency hasn't defined what constitutes a "significant delay."

"Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors -- including the length of the delay, the length of the flight and your particular circumstances," according to the DOT website. Whether a refund following a significant delay is warranted is determined "on a case-by-case basis." 

If you don't request a refund, the airline is still responsible for getting you to your destination. But it could be much later than your original flight. Under most circumstances, carriers should provide vouchers for meals and hotels.

Make your plans quickly, though: Airport hotels fill up quickly amid widespread delays and cancellations.

Some airlines will work to get you on another flight with a different airline, Slotnick said, but not every airline has relationships with other carriers. 

What are airlines doing to address delays and cancellations?

Hiring more employees. "All the airlines are doing major hiring initiatives," Slotnick said. "They're rushing to hire pilots and deploy them." They're also trying to improve work conditions for existing workers: In April, Delta announced it would start paying flight attendants during boarding, rather than just once the plane door closes.

The move, a first for a major US airline, is seen as a countermeasure to a unionization push among workers.

Scheduling more flights. Someairlines are boosting service in popular corridors when they can. "They're trying to strike the right balance between adding flights and creating some slack in the system," Slotnick said.

For example, United Airlines recently launched or resumed 30 flights between the US and Europe, its largest expansion ever. Regular flights from Denver to Munich, Chicago to Zurich and New York to Bergen, Norway, are underway, as well as daily service between Boston and London.

When fully operational, United's transatlantic route network will be more than 25% larger than it was in 2019, before COVID-19 cratered air travel.

Some airlines have ramped up their roster of scheduled flights, while others have pared down to avoid having to cancel them later.

James Martin/CNET

Scheduling fewer flights. Otherairlines are going in the opposite direction, reducing their capacity rather than risk being forced to cancel a scheduled flight. JetBlue has already reduced its May routes by almost 10%, Conde Nast Traveler reported, and will likely make similar cuts throughout the summer.

"By reducing our flight schedule for the summer and continuing to hire new crewmembers, we hope to have more breathing room in the system to help ease some of the recent delays and cancellations that we've seen in the industry," a JetBlue spokesperson told the outlet. 

Southwest Airlines, the world's largest low-cost carrier, cut more than 8,000 domestic flights in June "to adjust to capacity," the company told The Business Journals. 

Delta  "temporarily cut" some Labor Day weekend flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports to deal with a large number of airline crew members and air traffic controllers who have already called in sick, The Washington Times reported.

Giving passengers more notice. All the airlines are making a concerted effort to give passengers as much information as possible, Slotnick said, through text updates and other notifications.

"Even a year before the pandemic, airlines were trying to be proactive about informing passengers, even 24 or 48 hours in advance of a possible cancellation," he said.

Offering waivers
United, Delta and other carriers are offering travel waivers to passengers to encourage them to move their flights out of busy time periods. All waiving the usual flight-change fees and some are even foregoing the usual fare difference.

The Department of Transportation has stepped in to hold airlines accountable

On Sept. 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched a new website that lets fliers know what they're entitled to when their flight is significantly delayed or canceled. The Aviation Consumer Protection site has a dashboard that compares what policies are regarding rebooking, meal and hotel vouchers and complimentary ground transportation for carriers including Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.

The Transportation Department's Air Consumer Dashboard compares offerings from major carriers.

Department of Transportation

"Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions."

Buttigieg said the goal was to get the airlines to "raise the bar."

"Look, Americans have had experiences with cancellations, delays and poor customer service that just aren't at an acceptable level," he told NPR. "A lot of the airlines are not quite transparent about how and when they'll take care of passengers. "So we're going to put that information out ourselves."

Just knowing that information is out there for air travelers to see has spurred carriers to improve their offerings, Buttigieg added. 

The Department is also collecting comments on a proposed rule requiring airlines to proactively inform passengers about their right to a refund. It would also provide a clearer definition of a "significant change" to a scheduled flight and require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers to passengers unable to fly because they contracted COVID-19 or other communicable diseases.

The proposal would also mandate carriers that receive pandemic assistance issue those passengers refunds instead of vouchers.

Are any airlines better or worse in terms of cancellations?

In 2021, Delta had the fewest cancellations of any major US airline.

Boarding1Now

Without naming names, Slotnick says that, broadly speaking, low-cost airlines have tighter margins with less slack, so theoretically you're more likely to face a cancellation.

But booking with a big carrier doesn't mean you're immune.

"The regionals have parked a lot of planes because they don't have enough staff," Bangs said. "And a lot of people who book on a major airline don't realize they're actually flying with a smaller carrier."

SkyWest, a smaller airline out of St. George, Utah, subcontracts for Delta, United, American and Alaska Airlines. So does Indiana-based Republic Airways.

Sometimes, bigger is indeed better: Last year, Delta had the best record in cancellation rates, according to The Wall Street Journal's annual airline rankings. The Atlanta-based airline scrubbed 0.6% of its scheduled departures in 2021, a third of the industry average of 1.8%.

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3 Ways to Keep Your Heart and Brain Healthy

3 Ways to Keep Your Heart and Brain Healthy

As the two most important organs in the body, your heart and brain are in constant communication. It's a dynamic two-way street that's more complex than your heart pumping because your brain says it should. Each determines the function of the other. 

We all know that smoking and high cholesterol can lead to heart problems. But did you know that emotional distress can harm your heart? Don't worry; it's easier than you think to improve heart and brain health. A few lifestyle changes can help you reduce stressors and ultimately help you live a healthier life. 

How does your brain affect your heart? 

Your brain has a direct pathway to your heart through the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system has two parts -- the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which work in balance. Both sides play a key role in blood pressure and heart rate regulation. 

The sympathetic nervous system is our fight-or-flight response to danger or stress. When we're in stressful situations, the sympathetic system releases adrenaline, which will increase your heart rate and blood pressure accordingly. Conversely, the parasympathetic brings us back to a balanced, calm state that returns our heart rate and blood pressure to normal levels. 

It wasn't until the 2004 InterHeart study that emotional stress was considered a significant risk factor for cardiac events. Your heart functioning can be altered by stress, and prolonged stressors can strain your heart. 

An example of this would be Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, aka broken heart syndrome or stress-induced cardiomyopathy. This occurs when the left ventricle weakens and compromises proper function. It mimics the symptoms of a heart attack and generally happens after significant emotional or physical distress, like losing a loved one or a car accident.

Now, the sympathetic nervous system's natural and involuntary fight-or-flight response doesn't normally have lasting effects on a healthy person; it's chronically stressed hearts that are of concern, like people with coronary heart disease or existing heart problems. 

Tetiana Lazunova/iStock/Getty Images

How does your heart affect your brain?

Your heart is in charge of pumping oxygenated blood through the body, meaning your brain is completely reliant on your heart for the blood it needs. "The brain, even though by size is relatively small compared to the rest of the body, takes up about 20% of the overall blood oxygen levels and blood flow of the body," says Dr. Hardik P Amin, a Yale Medicine neurologist and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine.

The cool thing about the heart and brain relationship is that your heart sends more information than it receives from the brain. The heart has the intrinsic cardiac nervous system, also known as the "heart-brain." It allows the heart to act independently from the brain, remember and make decisions. That means that under normal conditions, in which the heart is functioning correctly, your heart doesn't need your brain to tell it to do its job. It just does it.

If your heart is functioning properly, your risk of stroke and vascular dementia reduces. The problem arises when blood flow to the brain is compromised. One of the main ways this happens is through blood clots. 

"Irregular heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter can lead to blood clots developing in the chambers of the heart. Those blood clots can then travel up the arteries and can block a blood vessel downstream, blocking the blood flow to that part of the brain and can lead to a stroke. If the brain loses blood flow for a short period of time -- seconds or minutes -- that can lead to permanent damage," Amin says. 

What you can do to reduce stressors on your heart and brain

1. Make lifestyle changes

TravelCouples/Moment/Getty Images

If you want a healthy heart, you need a healthy brain and vice versa. Making lifestyle changes that improve cardiovascular health may contribute to your cognitive function and prevent future decline. 

The key is to keep your blood pressure under control. High blood pressure puts pressure on blood vessels and can cause stroke or heart disease. Studies have shown that coronary heart disease is associated with long-term cognitive deterioration. 

Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking or exercising will ensure that your blood flows like it should, keeping your heart and brain happy. It's also a good idea to limit your alcohol consumption as it's associated with heart failure and arrhythmias. 

Read more: Get a Stronger Heart With These 5 Heart-Friendly Workouts

2. Practice mindfulness

If stress is your issue, eliminating those feelings can potentially improve biomarkers for cardiovascular health -- including inflammation, arterial stiffness and overall function. 

Yoga and meditation are excellent options for reducing stress. People who practice meditation have less of the proinflammatory proteins, called cytokines. That means that it helps your heart manage stressors and helps your blood pressure and heart rate come back to normal.

Meditation might not be your answer. Maybe it's reading or just taking time to yourself and reflecting on your day. Whatever it is, the point is to avoid the fight-or-flight reaction and work through stress.

Keep in mind this is outside of diagnosed heart conditions. Meditation and breathing exercises can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate, but they will not remedy existing heart conditions. 

Read more: 9 Things You Can Do Now to Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

3. Know your body

Tom Werner/DigitalVision/Getty Images

You know your body better than anyone. You know when things change or you feel off. It's crucial that you're mindful of heart symptoms you should watch for and when to bring them to the attention of your care team.

"If someone is developing a lot of shortness of breath with very minimal exertion, especially if they are just climbing up a couple of stairs or it becomes hard to breathe when they are lying down. That might be a sign of a heart problem," says Amin. "If they are starting to develop palpitations or they feel like their heart is racing with minimal activity or at rest, those are also signs of heart problems."

If you're diagnosed with heart troubles, you must keep up with your medically approved routine, including any prescription medication -- especially if you're on blood thinners, as even a brief interruption could increase the chances of having a stroke. 

Too long, didn't read?

The heart-brain connection is a complicated and complex relationship that goes both ways: The proper function of either organ depends on the other. Thankfully, there are things that you can do to improve and maintain peak performance, as well as combat future issues. Lifestyle changes that help one will ultimately help the other -- like quitting smoking or regularly exercising. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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The Worst Credit Card Mistakes You Should Stop Making

The Worst Credit Card Mistakes You Should Stop Making

There are several important benefits of using a credit card to shop. You can earn rewards, build your credit and take advantage of travel points and perks. But while shopping with a credit card can be convenient, there are also certain risks you need to be aware of.

If you pay a card late or don't pay your balance in full, you can incur fees and extra interest charges that make your purchases more expensive in the long run, especially considering today's rising interest rates, fueled by skyrocketing inflation. You could also wind up jeopardizing your credit score, which could make it harder to buy a house or get a loan.

So what are the biggest mistakes well-meaning people commonly make with their credit cards -- and what can you do to avoid financial pitfalls? I spoke with experts for their suggestions, and identified some of the most dangerous credit card behaviors. For more, learn how to get out of credit card debt and why now is the right time to pay off your credit cards.

Paying your credit card bill late

Missing a payment or making a late payment on a credit card is a major no-no. Colleen McCreary, a consumer financial advocate at Credit Karma, says this is the most common mistake people make with credit cards. Your payment history is a major factor of your credit rating and accounts for more than 30% of your overall score, McCreary said in an email.

A late payment is a one-way ticket to ruining your credit, and the ding on your report won't go away for seven years. Even worse, if your credit card bill remains unpaid, your creditor could sell your debt to a collection agency, which could tank your credit rating.

The best way to avoid late fees is to set a monthly reminder to pay your bill, and at least make the minimum payment. Most credit card companies will also let you set up monthly auto-payments, so you won't skip a beat. If you're worried you may not have enough each month to cover an autopayment, remember you can always set it to pay out the minimum, the full balance or a specified amount.

The credit bureau Experian notes that some credit card issuers may provide a short grace period for late payments, while others will mark your payment late as soon as you miss your due date.

If you do pay your credit card bill on time regularly and accidentally miss one payment, call your bank as soon as possible to see if it will offer one-time forgiveness, provided you pay in full at the time of your call. Your bank might refund your late fee and interest, but it isn't required to do anything.

While some credit card companies may mark your payment late after one day, those late payments are not reported to credit bureaus for 30 days, according to credit reporting company Equifax, If you act quickly to change your issuer's decision to mark your payment late, you could avoid damaging your credit score. If you're unable to pay your bill, you can also ask your issuer if it can create a payment plan for you.

Stop paying your credit card bill late

Sarah Tew/CNET

Maxing out your credit cards

After payment history, the second biggest factor in determining your credit score is the percentage of available credit that you are currently using. Called the "credit utilization ratio," this factor is calculated by dividing the amount you currently owe by your total credit limit, or your maximum borrowing potential.

Maintaining a high balance on your credit card compared to your total credit limit will increase your total percentage of credit used and hurt your credit score.

You usually want to keep your credit utilization ratio under 30% for a good credit score, though less is better. A good rule of thumb is to use 10% of your total credit limit and pay it off each month so you're not carrying a balance. For example, if your credit limit is $5,000, you wouldn't want to borrow more than $1,500 and ideally $500 or less.

If you find your credit card limit is too low -- for example, the amount you want to charge to your card exceeds the total you can charge on a given card -- you can always ask your credit card issuer for an increase.

Maxing out credit cards could also cost you big money if you can't pay off the total by the payment deadline. "The higher your outstanding balance (the amount of money you owe), the more interest you'll pay, which can make it even more difficult to climb out of debt," McCreary said.

Making only the minimum payment on your credit card

Your minimum payment is the lowest amount that your credit card issuer will allow you to pay toward your credit card bill for any given month -- for example, $50. The minimum monthly payment is determined by the balance on your credit card (what you owe at the end of the pay period) and your interest rate. It's generally calculated as either 2 to 4% of your balance, a flat fee or the higher amount between the two. 

Making only minimum payments is one of the most common credit card mistakes, according to Katie Bossler, a quality assurance specialist at GreenPath financial wellness. 

Although making minimum payments on time is still far better than paying late or ignoring your bill, paying only the minimum can cause interest to build, making it much more difficult to pay off your balance completely.

For example, if you have a $2,000 balance with a minimum payment of $50 on a credit card with an APR (annual percentage rate) of 14.55%, it will take 56 months (or almost five years) to pay off your debt, and you'll end up paying a total of $753 in interest. However, if you make a plan to pay the balance off in a year, your payments would be $180, and you'd only pay $161 in interest.

It only gets worse as the APR goes up -- at a relatively high but not unreasonable rate of 25%, a minimum payment of $50 would take 87 months (or a little more than seven years) to pay off a $2,000 debt, with a sizable $2,344 in interest payments. Meanwhile, upping the monthly payments to the same $180 would pay off your debt in 13 months, and cost only $281 in interest.

Here's an example of how making more than minimum payments can save you significant money in interest. 

How minimum payments lead to higher interest

Credit card balance	Annual percentage rate	Monthly payment	Time needed to pay balance	Additional interest paid
$2,000	14.55%	$50	4.7 years	$753
$2,000	14.55%	$180	1 year	$161
$2,000	25%	$50	7.3 years	$2,344
$2,000	25%	$180	1.1 years	$281

The best way to avoid paying any interest at all on your credit cards is to pay off your full balance each month. If you can't do that, Bossler, the quality expert from GreenPath financial advisors, suggests pausing use of the credit card while you're paying it off, and paying more than the minimum to do so.

Taking out a cash advance on your credit card

Withdrawing a cash advance with a credit card is a big mistake. "It's the most expensive way to pay for things," Bossler said. Cash advances are a method of borrowing money from your credit line to put cash in your pocket "now."

Convenient as it may be, a cash advance uses an interest rate that is typically significantly higher than your standard APR. Most cards will also include a transaction fee of 3 to 5%. "This is not the way to go," Bossler said.

If you receive a "convenience check" in the mail from a credit card company, be careful. It could be a cash advance offer that's best tossed in the recycle bin. If you need some extra cash, it might be better to think about starting a side hustle or taking out a personal loan with a lower interest rate. Budgeting apps can also help track your spending, so you can pull back on expenses that can wait.

Chasing credit card rewards with abandon

If you're thinking of opening a new credit card account to get money back on your purchases, you can best manage rewards by considering your lifestyle. Heavy travelers should look for a card with frequent flyer rewards. If you spend a lot of money on groceries or drive your car often, look for cash back rewards for spending at gas stations and grocery stores. 

However, you shouldn't make spending decisions based on receiving rewards. "Credit cards shouldn't be used as a strategy for buying things," Bossler said. Many cards will require a minimum amount of purchases for special rewards, or a welcome bonus to tempt you into spending more than you can afford.

Credit cards with lucrative rewards can also charge higher annual fees, for example, $100 or even $500 a year. If you're not spending enough to earn that annual cost back in rewards, you might consider a card with no annual fee.

Credit card rewards can be a powerful financial tool when used wisely, but you'll need to be careful to avoid running up your balance. Thomas Nitzsche, senior director of Media and Brand at MMI, says he often sees people making the mistake of using credit cards for rewards while ignoring the growing interest on their balance. If you're chasing rewards at the expense of your budget, consider coming up with a plan to pay your balance down instead. 

Your credit score can drop when you cancel your credit cards.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Not paying off big purchases during a 0% APR period

Whether you just opened a 0% APR credit card -- which offers interest-free debt for a specific promotional period -- or a balance transfer card -- a credit card designed to accept debt from other cards -- make sure you read the fine print. Oftentimes, there's a fee to transfer your existing balance, commonly 3% of the balances transferred. Also, the introductory 0% rate only lasts for so long, typically between six and 18 months. That means you've got a limited time to pay off your balance before a higher APR kicks in. (When it does, your monthly interest gets a lot more expensive.)

To create a simple repayment plan, take the amount you owe and divide it by the number of months in your 0% APR promo period. Then pay that amount monthly to completely pay off your balance while you are borrowing without interest. For example, if you buy a $300 TV using a credit card with 0% APR for six months, making $50 monthly payments will eliminate your debt before the no-interest period expires.

Using a 0% intro APR credit card can be a good strategy to pay off your debt or finance a large purchase, but it can be risky, too. While disciplined borrowers can effectively roll balances into new accounts with 0% intro APR, Nitzche says that many people who transfer their credit card balances only make minimum payments, which can result in spiraling debt and damaged credit, leading to a point when they can no longer get approval for new accounts.

Canceling your credit cards

Even if you have paid down your balance on a credit card, there are two big reasons why you shouldn't cancel your account. Closing your account would affect your length of credit history and credit utilization ratio, two important components of your credit score. (Remember, your credit utilization ratio is the percentage of your total available credit lines across all cards you're using.)

If you close an account you're not using, your total available credit line shrinks, making your credit utilization ratio higher.

Canceling older credit cards will also shorten your credit history, leading to a significant drop in your credit score. If you do decide to cancel some of your credit cards, it's best to leave the oldest account open, as well as the one with the highest credit limit to maintain your credit utilization ratio and prevent any damage to your credit score.

It's important to note that with inactivity, credit card issuers may automatically close your account. To avoid this, Nitzche says that it's best to use each of your credit cards once in a while for small purchases.

Applying for too many credit cards

You may have heard this advice before: Don't apply for too many credit cards at once. Each time you apply for a new credit card, your credit score can drop slightly due to a "hard" credit check. 

Hard credit checks require your consent and involve a full credit summary from a credit bureau. "Soft" credit checks occur when you view your credit report or a financial company requests a summary without your consent, and they don't affect your credit score. They're used for purposes such as preapproved credit card offers.

When you authorize lenders to pull your credit history, you'll see a "hard" inquiry on your credit report. According to credit score company MyFICO, a hard pull will lower your credit score by about 5 points. While it will stay on your report for two years, the deduction to your score will usually be eliminated within a year.

Too many hard pulls on your credit in a short amount of time -- for example, applying for five store credit cards in one weekend -- could affect your credit rating more, as multiple inquiries indicate higher risks of insolvency or bankruptcy. Experian suggests waiting at least six months between applying for new lines of credit to avoid lowering your credit score.

Applying for too many credit cards at once can drop your credit score.

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Not checking your billing statements regularly

How often do you check your monthly billing statement? It can be an eye opener to see how much money you really charge your credit card, especially if it's routinely more than you bring home each month. 

Spending $20 here and there may not seem like a huge amount, but it can add up quickly. Remember that increasing your credit utilization ratio (your percentage of credit used) will lower your credit score and high balances will cost you more in interest. Plus, how do you know how much you've charged if you aren't tracking your spending?

Tracking your credit card spending isn't the only reason to check your billing statement. You should thoroughly comb through your transactions to make sure there aren't any potentially fraudulent charges you didn't make. The sooner you discover you're a victim of identity fraud, the sooner you can contact your card issuer to dispute the charges and take the necessary steps to secure your credit card account.

For more tips on using credit cards wisely, learn six ways to get the most from your credit card and how to pick the right credit card.

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Why Does Your Stomach Hurt? Common Causes and How to Get Relief

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Why Does Your Stomach Hurt? Common Causes and How to Get Relief

Stomach aches are one of the most frustrating, yet common ailments. They can be caused by so many different things: Were those leftovers expired after all? Or do you perhaps have a food sensitivity or a GI condition? There's never a convenient time to be bowled over with cramps, but some symptoms -- like gas or noisy rumblings -- can get especially embarrassing.

Based on your symptoms and how frequently you experience them, you can nail down the most likely culprit behind your stomach pain -- which means you can treat and manage it more wisely. Below, we go over the most common reasons that your stomach hurts and what to do, including when it's time to call the doctor. 

Read more: Probiotics Explained: What to Know Before You Buy

If your stomach hurts suddenly

Acute stomach pain comes on quickly and lasts for a limited amount of time, typically a few hours to a few days. It's usually caused by external factors, like a particular food or contaminant that didn't agree with your stomach. Even people with completely healthy digestive tracts will experience occasional stomach pain.

Indigestion

Indigestion, or an upset stomach, is abdominal discomfort manifesting in bloating and uncomfortable fullness, sometimes early on into a meal. You may also feel heat or burning in your abdomen. It can be triggered by certain foods, particularly spicy or greasy food, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate or carbonation. It can also happen after eating too quickly, or as a side effect of some medications. Herbal teas such as peppermint, ginger or chamomile help provide relief, as can over-the-counter stomach medicines such as Pepto-Bismol.

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Food poisoning

Food poisoning is the result of consuming a contaminated food or drink. Symptoms can take hours or days to develop, and they include upset stomach, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're experiencing frequent diarrhea, vomiting or both, this can also lead to dehydration. It's important to continue drinking fluids regularly and call a doctor if your symptoms worsen or don't go away within a few days.

Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis, often dubbed the stomach flu, is caused by several different viruses, bacteria and parasites, per the CDC. It's not related to the regular flu, but it does spread in a similar way: by coming into contact with an infected person or ingesting food or drink. Symptoms vary depending on the exact germ, but often include stomach pain along with diarrhea, fever, body aches, headaches and nausea. 

Most people recover from the stomach flu within a few days. The main risk is dehydration, which some are especially vulnerable to, including babies and immunocompromised people. Drink plenty of fluids, and if you see symptoms of dehydration or if your symptoms don't go away within three days, see a doctor.

Constipation

Constipation happens when you're unable to have bowel movements at your usual frequency. It tends to cause a feeling of bloating or fullness, as well as sharp cramps and aches. If you do have a bowel movement, it's likely hard and dry.

Constipation can be caused by a wide range of factors, from not eating enough fiber to certain medications. If your constipation is mild and occasional, try drinking more water, eating extra fiber and exercising. Laxatives or stool softeners can also help allow your stool to pass and provide relief.

If you're experiencing severe, ongoing constipation, the above treatments may not work well. A doctor can help narrow down the cause so you can get the right treatment.

Gas 

Trapped gas can cause similar symptoms to constipation, including bloating and belly pain, but it may also cause belching or flatulence. Some foods are more likely to cause gas, like beans, vegetables, fruits, dairy and carbonated drinks. 

Gas is a perfectly normal part of the digestion process; it's when it builds up in your body that it becomes uncomfortable. To prevent painful gas, you can avoid foods that make you extra gassy (this varies from person to person), eat slowly, and drink peppermint or chamomile tea before meals. Exercise can also help get the gas out of your system.

Mental health

Your mental health and gut health are intimately connected via the gut-brain axis. Stress and anxiety can both lead to an upset stomach, with symptoms ranging from bloating to cramping and loss of appetite. A lack of sleep can also impact your gut health and lead to digestive issues. 

Read more: The Gut-Brain Axis: How Your Gut Affects Your Mental Health

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If you have chronic or frequent stomach pain

Chronic indigestion, constipation or gas, meaning it happens on a regular, ongoing basis, can sometimes be a symptom of an underlying condition. A few of the most common digestive conditions are listed below -- but remember that only a health care professional can diagnose you, so make sure to consult with your provider if you're concerned.

Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is extremely common: 65% to 70% of the global adult population has some level of intolerance to lactose. In the US, people of African, indigenous, Asian or Latin American descent are most likely to have lactose intolerance, per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 

Even if you can eat some amounts or types of dairy and not others, you may still be lactose intolerant -- most people have differing levels of tolerance, and not all milk products have the same amount of lactose. Symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, gas, nausea, stomach rumbling and abdominal pain. In some cases, vomiting can also occur.

If you don't want to avoid dairy altogether, keep track of which foods cause the worst symptoms for you and steer clear. Or you can take a lactase tablet, such as Lactaid.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is one of the most common digestive disorders out there -- but it's actually not a disease. Instead, it's a functional GI disorder, marked by a group of symptoms that occur together in the absence of any "visible signs of damage or disease" in your digestive system, per the NIDDK. These include abdominal pain, diarrhea and constipation.

IBS, like other functional GI disorders, seems to stem from problems with the gut-brain connection that cause your gut to be extra sensitive -- and 50% to 90% of cases occur alongside a psychological condition, such as depression. IBS can also relate to genetic factors, inflammation or altered gut bacteria, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders.

This chronic, long-term condition can be managed with the help of a doctor, who can recommend specific lifestyle changes and other treatment.

Inflammatory bowel disease

IBS is often confused with IBD , but the two disorders are completely different. IBD stands for inflammatory bowel disease, which is an umbrella term for digestive diseases that involve chronic inflammation. The two most common inflammatory bowel diseases are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Crohn's disease causes inflammation in the lining of the digestive tract, most frequently in the small intestine. As the inflammation extends deep into body tissue, it causes severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. Other symptoms of Crohn's include chronic fatigue and unintentional weight loss.

Ulcerative colitis causes ulcers in the lining of the GI tract, specifically the rectum and colon (or large intestine). It causes similar symptoms to Crohn's disease, including stomach pain.

Treatment for IBD depends on the specific disease and symptoms, but may include lifestyle changes, medication or surgery. Patients with IBD will often be managed by a gastroenterology specialist physician.

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Celiac disease

Gluten-free foods may be a health trend these days, but for people with celiac disease, they're a medical necessity. Celiac disease causes even a tiny amount of gluten to trigger the body's immune system to attack its own small intestine. The lining becomes damaged, making it difficult for the body to absorb the nutrients that it needs to function. This can lead to digestive issues, extreme fatigue, weight loss, malnutrition and anemia. And over time, more severe and long-term complications can occur, including osteoporosis, reproductive issues and even neurological changes.

Many people with celiac disease don't know they have it. A doctor can determine a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan.

Gluten can also cause stomach pain in people without celiac disease. This is considered gluten sensitivity, and it doesn't involve an immune response or damaged intestine.

Other conditions

There are many other reasons people suffer from stomach pain, including gastritis (an inflamed stomach lining), food allergies, ulcers, a urinary tract infection, appendicitis, endometriosis and some forms of cancer, among many others. 

Read more: How to (Finally) Fix Your Chronic Stomach Issues

When to call a doctor

Bottom line: If you're experiencing any of the following symptoms, it's time to call a doctor.

• Bloody diarrhea, stools or vomit
• Black stools
• Persistent fever over 100.4 degrees
• Signs of severe dehydration, like feeling dizzy or a lack of tears or urine
• Unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Trouble swallowing
• Diarrhea that lasts for longer than three days

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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