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Oversalted, Charred, Too Sweet: This is How You Save Your Food

Something went wrong in the kitchen? Most of the time you can still save your food. We give you tips on typical problems.

You weren’t paying attention for a moment, the salt slipped or the recipe didn’t work. This can happen, but don’t worry: you can usually save your food. Before throwing it away, avoid wasting food and try one of our tips.

Save oversalted food

Almost everyone has probably oversalted a meal at some point. This can often be prevented by adding small amounts of salt step by step and tasting in between. However, this is not easy with some dishes such as casseroles and it can also happen that you add too much salt all at once.

How to save oversalted food:

If you’ve just slipped the salt, you may still be able to skim it off the surface of the food.
Cut a raw potato into large pieces and cook them for a few minutes. It absorbs some of the salt. Then remove them from the pot. The same works with carrots, bread or prunes. Cook the latter for about 15 minutes.
Sweeten your dish slightly, for example with honey or maple syrup. If it tastes too sweet afterwards, you can counteract it with a little acid (e.g. lemon).
Serve unsalted side dishes with the dish, such as lettuce leaves or yogurt.
The following tips also work for foods that are too sweet, spicy or sour:

Mix soup, sauce or your stew with water, wine, milk, cream or a vegan cream or plant-based milk. You can then thicken the liquid – there are tips for this below.
Prepare the dish again unsalted (or without spiciness, sugar or acid, as required) and mix both variants together.

Too spicy food? you can do that

Sharpness is not always easy to dose. Some chili peppers are very hot, others hardly at all. In addition, everyone perceives sharpness differently.

How to save overly spicy food:

Capsaicin, which makes the chili hot, is fat-soluble. You can often save overly spicy food by skimming off the fat on the surface.
Again, add a tablespoon or two of honey or maple syrup to the food. You can then compensate for too much sweetness with acid.
Serve the dish with bread and/or yoghurt or quark or provide milk. These foods help mitigate spiciness.
You can also save food that is too spicy by cooking raw potato pieces in it for a few minutes.

Save too sweet food

Sweetness is also a matter of taste – in both savory and sweet dishes. For both variants, you have different options for saving food that is too sweet:

A pinch of salt can help tone down the sweetness of savory foods.
You can season both savory and sweet foods with acid to balance out the sweetness. Lemon juice or vinegar, for example, help with savory dishes (note: some vinegars contain sugar). You can also round off some sweet dishes with lemon juice. For others, it is a good idea to add sour fruit to compensate – for example a berry sauce or rhubarb compote.
As with other taste flaws, you can sometimes salvage food that’s too sweet by stretching it. This works especially well with rather liquid foods. Stretch them with water or a dry wine, for example, and taste them again.

What to do when your food burns

Charred or burnt food is annoying for two reasons: The black spots don’t taste good and contain harmful substances like acrylamide. So you better always keep an eye on your food. Still, you can salvage burnt or charred food.

If something burns in the pot, you may still be able to salvage your food. Be sure not to stir so the burnt doesn’t mix with the rest. Instead, carefully skim off the unharmed portion of the food and place it in a new pot. You can continue cooking the food in it. It may still taste slightly roasted – either that goes well or you can try to cover the roasted flavor with spices.
A few spots have become too dark when roasting or baking? It is best to cut them off generously. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look so nice, especially with a cake. However, you can cover up the broken spots by covering the cake with icing, vegan frosting or whipped cream, for example.

Save food that is too liquid

Soups and sauces don’t always have the desired consistency – they often just don’t want to be creamy. However, food that is too liquid can be saved easily:

If you still have time, you can let the soup or sauce simmer uncovered. This is useful if you are not that far from the desired result. If so, this method is very time-consuming and energy-consuming.
Mix about a tablespoon of flour or starch with a little water, wine, or milk. Stir the mixture into the food and cook again until thick.
(Vegan) cream or crème fraîche (substitute) can also make dishes that are too liquid creamier.
Grate a raw potato and stir it into the food. Cook them until the shavings dissolve and combine with the rest of the sauce.
Stir cold (vegan) butter into the food in chunks.

Overcooked food? You can save even that

Some people don’t mind if the vegetables are soft and the noodles have a wobbly texture. For others, overcooked food is inedible. Unfortunately, the cooking process cannot be reversed – you can still save the food:

Prevent worse by immediately removing the food from the stove. You can also rinse noodles or vegetables under cold water to interrupt the cooking process.
Garnish the food with a crunchy topping. You have many options for this – for example (roasted) nuts or seeds, homemade croutons or crispy fried tofu.
You can prepare a delicious mash, puree or vegetable soup from overcooked vegetables and potatoes.
Sear overcooked foods or gratinate them in the oven until they get a crispy surface. This works particularly well with starchy foods such as pasta or potatoes.

Cake base is broken

Cakes are often served on festive occasions, which makes it all the more important that they turn out well. A broken cake base is therefore very annoying. It can break for a variety of reasons:

You took the dough out of the mold too soon. It should always cool down first.
The pan wasn’t greased well and the dough stuck in one spot. You can prevent this by very carefully removing the dough from the mold and, if necessary, using a knife or something similar.
You tried to cut through the cake base.
Even if it is broken, you can of course still eat the cake base. How to save him:

The easiest thing to save is a cake with multiple bases, only one of which is broken. Simply use this as a middle or top pie crust by piecing it back together. In the latter case, you can cover the mishap with a layer of whipped cream or fruit, for example.
If you only have the one cake base, you can also puzzle it back together. When cutting, some pieces may be a bit crumbly later. However, a creamy filling or a layer of fruit with icing will hold the cake together.
For example, if the cake base is very crumbled, you can layer the crumbs in muffin cups, alternating with the filling. With some fruit, for example, they become delicious apple muffins. Or you turn the broken cake base into a mole cake.

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How to Save Money, Time and Nerves When Shopping for the Week

You leave work tired and hungry and head to the nearest supermarket with a growling stomach. When you see the full shelves, you feel a bit overwhelmed and you start to think: What am I going to cook tonight? Sometimes ingredients that are actually still in stock at home end up in the shopping basket, or you reach for a quick frozen pizza again. It quickly becomes clear: something has to change in shopping behavior! We will help you here and explain how you can save money, time and nerves when shopping for the week.

The advantages of a planned weekly shop are obvious: you save time and money, eat more balanced and less food falls victim to the rubbish bin. With a menu plan for the week and a well-thought-out shopping list (or a corresponding app on your smartphone), you can do your weekly shopping without impulse purchases and endless bills.

5 tips for successful weekly shopping

With our 5 helpful tips and a practical example for a successful weekly shop, nothing can go wrong!

But before you can go shopping for the week, you first have to clarify what should/must be in the shopping cart:

Tip 1: The stocks of staple foods should be checked regularly before you go shopping. Because standing in the supermarket and not knowing whether you still have enough pasta at home for the planned spaghetti Bolognese not only costs nerves and time but also money.

Tip 2: Setting a menu plan for the whole week in advance before going shopping prevents deliberations and discussions in the hectic everyday life and every family member knows exactly what to eat on which day.

It is also a good idea to make a list of dishes that all family members enjoy eating again and again. These favorite foods can then be regularly incorporated into the menu plan. Of course, it is also great fun to browse cookbooks or food blogs together and try out new recipes.

Once it is clear what needs to be bought, it is time to write the shopping list, which ideally should not be written when you are hungry:

Tip 3: A shopping list that is clearly visible on the fridge, or an app on your smartphone that you always have at hand, is particularly useful for everyday NORMAL writing down the groceries that have run out. These foods from the list can then easily be supplemented with the ingredients required for the weekly menu plan.

It is particularly practical to build up the finished shopping list in the order in which they can be found in the supermarket (e.g. first the fruit and vegetables, then the dairy products, last the bread and pastries).

Tip 4: The most efficient way is to do your weekly shopping in a supermarket that you already know well because here you will find what you need unerringly and without hesitation. The basic purchase in the supermarket can then be supplemented, for example, with individual products from the market. Most discounters already have a large range of organic products and a great selection of top-quality fresh fruit and vegetables.

Tip 5: Even small animals make a mess: When shopping for the week, it is definitely worth paying attention to discounts and promotions and planning them for the purchase. For example, if the butter is on sale right now, more of it is bought and frozen in stock for the coming weeks.

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Food

Study: This is How Much Greenhouse Gas Vegans Save

Anyone who eats vegan does something for the climate – and not a little: An ecologist from Oxford University has calculated how much greenhouse gas a single vegan person saves each year. The amount corresponds to several flights.

The meat industry is one of the most polluting sectors of all – this has been known for a long time. Livestock breeding and animal husbandry cause high greenhouse gas emissions, and an extremely large amount of agricultural land is lost for animal feed and animal farms. No wonder, then, that a diet without meat, milk, eggs and other animal products is more sustainable.

How much the vegan lifestyle actually brings, however, may surprise many. In 2019, the ecologist Joseph Poore from the British Oxford University calculated for the Spiegel magazine how many greenhouse gases a vegan in Germany is responsible for per year.

Vegans save eight flights

According to Poore, every person in Europe produces an average of eleven tons of greenhouse gases every year. Anyone who lives vegan saves two tons every year, including 670 kilograms of CO2. According to Der Spiegel, two tons of greenhouse gases correspond to about eight economy class flights between London and Berlin.

In his calculation, Poore assumed, among other things, that the production of vegan food requires significantly less agricultural land. Plants and trees that bind carbon dioxide can grow on the area, which is free thanks to Veganer:innen.

It is worth giving up animal products

The British ecologist and his colleagues published a comprehensive study on the subject last year. For the analysis, the research team evaluated data from 40,000 farms in 119 countries. According to the study, giving up meat and dairy has the biggest impact on our carbon footprint.

Even the animal products that have the least impact on the environment still cause more environmental degradation than the most unsustainable vegetables and grains. (More details from the study here).

The current calculation of the greenhouse gas savings of vegans shows once again why it is worth eating fewer or no animal products. However, for those who are used to eating a lot of meat or dairy products, the transition can be difficult.

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Food

Meal Prep: Save Time and Money with Pre-cooking

Meal Prep is the solution for everyone who, despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life, values healthy food and wants to save money. We’ll tell you what’s behind this trend.

Meal Prep is made up of the English words “meal” (meal) and “preparation” (preparation). It’s all about pre-cooking food to save time and money. In Japan, food has been prepared in boxes, in so-called “bentos”, for on the go since the 5th century. And our grandparents were also excellent “meal preppers” by preserving fruit, beans and even roulades. Meal prep has been a trend in the US for years.

How does meal prep work?

Meal prep is about organization. Before you go shopping, think carefully about what you want to eat in the next few days. Instead of storing food until you need it, Meal Prep processes it right away.

It’s best to do this on a day when you have plenty of time. Because you may have to stand in the kitchen for a few hours to pre-cook. This saves you time for the rest of the week and you can eat the dishes right away or just heat them up when you get home from work.

You should note that dishes with uncooked food only keep for about two days. Cooked and fried food, on the other hand, is still fresh after three to four days in the refrigerator. Soups are easy to freeze and thaw as needed.

Since meal prep involves cooking for several days, you need space to store your supplies. It is best to store the components of your food separately in screw-top jars or cans. Don’t put them together until you’re finally preparing the food. That way everything keeps its consistency and doesn’t get mushy.

If you’re cooking for an entire week, you’re going to need a lot of containers. Start collecting large screw-top jars in good time.

Those are the benefits of meal prep

With meal prep, you do everything yourself. By pre-cooking, you know what is in your dishes. In this way you avoid processed foods and preservatives and can value healthy, regional and seasonal ingredients.

On top of that, you have control over the portion sizes. Since many dishes are suitable for the lunch break and there is no need to go to the snack bar, you also save money. If you buy groceries seasonally and regionally and do this in a planned manner, you can also save money. Spontaneous purchases during the evening supermarket quick shop are no longer necessary. You also have more time for you and your family if you don’t have to shop and cook freshly every day.

These foods are suitable for “Meal Prep”

When it comes to meal prep, vegetables should dominate. For a balanced diet, however, proteins should not be neglected. You can spice up your dishes with sauces and vegan dips. The following foods are particularly suitable for meal prep:

  • carrots
  • zucchini
  • broccoli
  • potatoes
  • rice
  • millet
  • tofu
  • Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans)
  • Pesto
  • hummus
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Food

Save Water While Shopping

Did you know that it takes almost two bathtubs full of water to produce one kilo of tomatoes? Read what the frontrunners are when it comes to water consumption and how you as a consumer can help save water.

In the supermarket or restaurant, do you wonder how much water was used to produce the food in your shopping basket or on your plate?

Very few of us give the “water footprint” of our consumption a thought-fatal, say nature conservation organizations such as the WWF, which proclaimed World Water Day on Tuesday, March 22nd. Because according to the WWF, our daily water consumption is falling (currently it is an average of 120 liters), but the water footprint of an average person is 5,288 liters per day according to WWF calculations. For comparison: a bathtub holds about 140 liters.

The graphic from ZEIT illustrates what can come together for a balance when a product is ordered thoughtlessly: Almost 2,500 liters of water are therefore required to produce a single cheeseburger, which we usually devour in just a few bites. A list that makes you think.

Our groceries are so thirsty

Did you know that it takes an incredible 15,400 liters of water to produce one kilo of beef? And for a kilo of apples more than 800 liters? This small compilation lets us see daily consumption with completely different eyes. Here are some popular products and their track record:

  • Beef: 15,400 liters/kg
  • Pork: 5,988 liters/kg
  • Rice: 2,497 liters/kg
  • Pizza Margherita: 1,259 litres/kg
  • Apple: 822 liters/kg
  • Banana: 790 liters/kg
  • Milk: 255 liters/glass
  • Lettuce: 237 litres/kg
  • Coffee: 132 liters/cup

You can find more examples on the “Water footprint” homepage.

Water consumption: The WWF gives these tips

If you want to improve your water footprint, you can do the following:

  • prefer regional and seasonal products.
  • eat less meat. Beef and pork are considered to be particularly “thirsty” goods.
  • Pay attention to your own consumption during your vacation in “water risk regions”.
  • prefer to travel to their home country for a golf holiday. In Spain, for example, 700,000 cubic meters of water are used every year to irrigate an 18-hole golf course.
  • Prefer tap water to bottled water. Tap water quality is very good across the board in Germany. Drinking water uses 1000 times less energy and raw materials to produce per liter than bottled water. If you don’t want that, you should choose water from regional production and in reusable bottles.
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Lifestyle

Plan The Move Correctly, Avoid Mistakes, Save Time: That’s How it Works

If you plan your move properly, you can avoid mistakes and save a lot of time at the same time!

Good planning: Here’s how!

Remember the address changes. These affect banks, insurance companies, but also friends and family. The residents’ registration office and the kindergartens and schools must also be informed and all people who move must be re-registered. In addition, you should plan many things several weeks before the move so that there is no stress later.

If you organize the following things some time before you move, you are guaranteed to be on the safe side and you can move into your new apartment completely relaxed:
Do you need a moving truck? Rent it in good time and find out about the prices.
Get enough moving boxes and packing materials. You can gradually collect newspaper or organize it with friends and family.
Pack a bag with a toothbrush, a change of clothes and deodorant so that you can get to the most important things immediately after the move without having to search.
Organize enough helpers for the moving day early on! It is often difficult to carry the heavy furniture alone or in pairs.
Compare and find out more about moving companies. These can sometimes be very expensive.
Plan enough time for the renovation of your old apartment. Painting, cleaning and handing over the apartment often take a lot of time.

You can avoid these mistakes

In addition to good planning, you can also avoid some mistakes when moving:
Don’t pack too heavy! Many make this mistake. You would like to fill the boxes as full as possible, but then you can hardly lift them or they even break on the ground. Therefore, always pack light and heavy things mixed up in a box and check whether you can still lift it.
Don’t use bags to pack: Bags are often difficult to carry and not really fit much. It is best to pack everything that is possible in boxes.
Do not forget to label: If you do not label the boxes correctly, you will have to spend a lot of time and nerves afterwards to put everything back in the right place. Make it easy for you and your helpers and label everything well, with room information and content. So you always have an overview.
Don’t forget your helpers! A moving day can be long and tiring. Don’t forget to provide your helpers with enough food and drinks. It doesn’t matter whether you order a pizza for everyone or make something yourself.
If you pay attention to these things, you will certainly have a relaxed move without any big surprises! Good planning and organization are the decisive factors.

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Warm Walls Without Heating: You Can Save Energy With These 8 Tips

Heating without heating? That can work. How to make yourself warm and comfortable, how to save money and energy.

1. Leave the oven open: If you’ve had a cake or casserole in the oven, be sure to leave the oven door open after baking. The oven may be off, but the residual heat lingers on for a long time. It spreads pleasantly in the kitchen and warms everything up well. Make sure the oven is actually off, otherwise it’ll be an expensive treat.

2. Tiled stove or fireplace: A natural source of heat that you don’t need a heater for. However, there are a few things to consider here. The Federal Environment Agency advises in particular to buy a stove with a high energy efficiency class and, above all, to only burn dry and untreated wood. Get good advice beforehand, because burned wood can also be harmful to your health. Because wood never burns completely, but releases pollutant emissions during combustion. In addition, dust gets into the air and more than 90 percent of it is fine dust.

3. Candles: Candle temperatures can reach 1400 degrees Celsius on the surface of the yellow flame. This heat warms the surrounding air. The warm air rises and is distributed throughout the room. You can use this method for a short time in small rooms and short corridors. It only increases the temperature by about two degrees. For this reason, this is absolutely not a permanent solution and above all you should always keep an eye on the burning candles.

4. Seal windows and doors: If you have leaky windows and doors, this can lead to a lot of heat loss and the drafts also make the rooms feel colder. To check the seals, pinch a piece of paper between the window frame and the sash. If the paper cannot be pulled out again when the window is closed, the window is tight at this point. So replace your seals, look for door slits on apartment doors and thus ensure more warmth in the rooms.

5. Radiant heater: This solution should only be used for a short time. Although a radiant heater heats up the surrounding air quickly, many models are expensive. Here, too, good advice is necessary due to sustainability.

6. Warm clothes: A classic that brings a lot. Many heat unnecessarily much, although somewhat warmer clothing would be sufficient. If you don’t necessarily have to walk around the apartment in a T-shirt in autumn and spring, you can save on the heating with a cardigan, a scarf or even warm slippers. Do you work in the home office? Then make yourself really warm here. Lay out a blanket and prepare a warm spelled pillow for your legs. Keep your feet warm and drink a stimulating ginger tea from time to time. You will see that you can do without heating for a long time, especially in the transition months.

7. Fan heater: the absolute emergency solution. If there is no other way and the heating has failed, fan heaters warm up incredibly quickly, but not very ecologically. The small models are not expensive, but due to their enormous energy consumption they are anything but sustainable. The power guzzlers should therefore definitely be operated with green electricity.

8. This last point is more of an indirect tip. Heat sustainably and specifically, then you generally save more heating costs! Use adjustable thermostats, ventilate properly and regularly and ensure good thermal insulation. If you use these tips, follow the instructions for heating and get well informed, you will definitely not freeze.

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Save Electricity and Costs: When is The Right Time For a New Refrigerator?

The refrigerator is often responsible for high power consumption. With a high-quality device, you can save a lot of energy in the long term and reduce CO2 emissions. But when is a new device due?

The electricity consumption of refrigerators and freezers

There is a perception that a refrigerator needs a new model every 10 to 15 years. But that’s not necessarily true. If the old refrigerator is an energy-saving model, it can still have acceptable consumption values ​​today – especially if you operate it in a cool location.

In any case, it is advisable to get to the bottom of the energy consumption with a power meter. Basically, modern, efficient compressors get by with significantly less energy than the old devices. This is confirmed by a short study on the electricity efficiency of old and new refrigerators and freezers carried out by the Freiburg-based consulting company Ö-quadrat on behalf of the North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice centre. A total of 1069 devices, 884 of which were free-standing and 185 built-in, were tested.

The results of the study are unequivocal: the power consumption of refrigerators has fallen continuously since the early 1990s. Here is the comparison: around 30 years ago, a standard refrigerator with a freezer compartment consumed 410 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year. The average consumption of a new appliance today is only around 40 percent of that and is around 170 kWh per refrigerator. The other types of appliances, such as refrigerators without a freezer compartment and large fridge-freezer combinations, also show significantly lower power consumption in new appliances. Information on how to select the right cooling device and how to use it is provided by the NRW consumer advice center.

Device type, location and temperature setting are crucial to save costs and energy

A model calculation by shows exactly the difference: the price of a kWh is just under 42 cents today, compared to just 30 cents in 1990. In 1990, a refrigerator cost 123 euros in electricity per year. The same device with the same consumption in 2022 is 172.20 euros. What is not taken into account is that the power consumption of cooling devices increases significantly over the years. This is mainly due to the aging of the insulation material. With older devices, defects such as leaking doors or heavily dusty cooling grids can also lead to increased consumption. The age-related additional consumption is estimated at around one percent per year of life. With the recommended measuring device you can check the power consumption and decide whether it is worth buying a new device.

The advice from energy expert Gerhild Loer from the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia is clear: “If you have a refrigerator with a freezer compartment as a free-standing appliance, replacing it after around 15 years is worthwhile. For built-in devices, this only applies from the age of 20, due to the higher acquisition costs”.

She has even more tips up her sleeve to save electricity when operating a refrigerator. The temperature setting is seven degrees Celsius for the refrigerator and minus 18 degrees Celsius for the freezer. “The location of the device must also be taken into account. The less sunlight falls on the refrigerator, the less the cooling unit has to work. This saves electricity in the long term and efficiently extends the performance of cooling devices,” explains Loer.

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Versatile Savings Tips: How You Can Effectively Save Money and Energy

Rising energy and food prices are presenting more and more people with financial challenges. Many households can barely cope with their daily expenses. What to do when running costs eat up all income?

Take a close look at current contracts and insurance policies

The first step is to take a close look at existing contracts, advises the NRW consumer advice center. It is often possible to switch to cheaper tariffs, for example for insurance or mobile phone contracts. Many contracts are even superfluous and can be terminated subject to the contractually agreed deadline. That relieves the expenses.

Another spending trap is insurance. The following applies here: “As much as necessary, as little as possible,” advises the consumer advice center. Policies that only cover minor damage are often superfluous. For a standard vacation, for example, luggage insurance is often not necessary, since the loss of a suitcase is usually easy can be replaced. Mobile phone insurance usually has many gaps and pitfalls. You can usually save yourself this holey protection in the truest sense of the word. Glass and death benefit insurance are often dispensable. Extra equipment insurance for bicycles, laptops or glasses is only worthwhile for very expensive purchases. There are significant price differences for important insurance policies such as private liability or household insurance, so it is worth comparing prices. Modern policies often also offer better protection. Switching to annual payment can also save money.

You should also carefully check your current contracts for telephone, smartphone and internet. These are indispensable, but you can also save money here. You should first determine your actual needs. How many minutes are you on the phone? How much data volume do you use per month? If you know your needs, you can also compare the prices of different providers better. Product information sheets, which dealers must hand out on request, help with this. After the minimum contract period has expired, every telecommunications contract that is not actively extended, for example by a change of tariff or a new smartphone, can be terminated with one month’s notice. The change is therefore possible faster than you think. Porting your phone number is free regardless of the provider.

Pay attention to the fees for memberships and financial institutions and check the legal situation

If you have subscriptions or memberships, for example for magazines, streaming services or a gym, then you should also put them to the test. These are often particularly cheap or even free in the first few months, but over time high costs can arise. Especially a long minimum contract term of up to two years is often a cost trap in difficult financial times. Some contracts are automatically extended by a further year if you do not cancel in good time. The advice of the consumer advice center: check existing contracts, prioritize them and note the notice periods in order to end unnecessary memberships and subscriptions in good time.

Financial institutions have very different price models and fees for a current account or the use of a credit card. Some banks charge flat rates for account management, others charge a basic price plus costs for individual booking processes. Free account management is also still offered. Some banks also offer special conditions for students, trainees, pensioners or union members. A comparison of different banks can therefore be useful in order to reduce running costs. You can usually terminate current accounts at any time and without notice. There are no fees for closing the account. Particular caution is necessary with loans: the installments and additional costs put a strain on the budget. You should not exhaust the overdraft facility either, because double-digit interest rates are due here. In the case of acute and major financial problems, debt counseling should be sought in good time.

Rising costs for providers mean that prices in current contracts rise. However, this is not easily possible. Because once a contract has been concluded for a specific price to be paid regularly, the contractual partner cannot unilaterally change it. It is different if a price adjustment clause is agreed in the contract, on which the provider bases his price increase. Such clauses are usually found in the fine print, but are subject to strict requirements. In many cases they are ineffective, so that the providers cannot refer to them. So it’s worth taking a close look.

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Washing Clothes: 3 Tips For The Washing Machine That Save Money

Washing machines are among the biggest power guzzlers in the home. But with these 3 tips you can save money when doing laundry.

Save electricity with the washing machine: This is how you save money

Tip 1 – Wash laundry at low temperatures

Most people always wash their clothes with the same program and at the same temperature. But that is often higher than necessary. There are tons of detergents in the drugstore these days. Thanks to advances in the detergent industry, most of them have one thing in common: the washing power of the detergents is so high that they can fully develop their cleaning effect even at low temperatures. Many remove light soiling and the smell of sweat even at 20 degrees. As far as the cleaning effect is concerned, it makes no difference whether you wash laundry at 30 or 40 degrees.

Therefore: If possible, wash at 30 instead of 40 degrees. In this way you can save an average of 17 euros a year and at the same time avoid around 25 kilograms of CO2. The Federal Environment Agency has also calculated that private households can reduce their electricity consumption by around 37 percent if they consistently use lower temperatures. In view of the current price increases in the energy sector, this should definitely be worth considering.

In a few cases, however, you should make an exception to washing at low temperatures. Laundry from sick or immunocompromised people, bed linen and towels should be washed hotter. The Federal Environment Agency also recommends washing at least once a month with a detergent containing bleach at 60 degrees to reduce the formation of germs in the washing machine.

Tip 2 – Load the washing machine fully

Many washing machines are now equipped with a sensor that measures the amount of water and doses the amount of water accordingly. If your machine is not one of these high-tech specimens, you should only switch it on with a full load if you want to save electricity with the washing machine. Compared to a half-full machine, you can save 24 euros a year. You also avoid 35 kilograms of CO2.

Tip 3 – Use the washing machine’s energy-saving program

Bad news for impatient minds: the longer a washing program lasts, the less electricity is used when washing. So-called “eco programs” use only half as much water as the normal standard programs and they heat up the water less. But they run longer. If you use the energy-saving program regularly, you save an average of 33 euros in electricity costs and 5400 liters of water when doing laundry. In addition, you avoid 48 kilograms of CO2 compared to a conventional 60-degree program.

Conclusion: Saving electricity when washing – easier than you think

The washing machine does not have to be a power guzzler. If you do everything right and follow these three tips, you can save a lot of money on the wash cycle. Especially in the current time, it is important for most people to pay attention to their power consumption – and that doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult.

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