"Gas costs too much at gas stations, what can I do to get the best deal on gas prices?"

Instead of constantly going to gas stations, riding bikes everywhere seems like a great idea, however there are those of us that HAVE to commute to get to work, school, and other places.

Unfortunately we are forever at the mercy of gas prices, and they don't seem like they're getting any lower.

However, there are ways to get better deals on a gallon of gas and here are a few fuel saving tips to consider the next time you need to fill up at gas stations.

Here's what you need:

• How the days of the week work
• Knowledge of when holidays happen (might need a calendar for this, unless you know everything)
• Your way around town

Here's what you need to do:

The way weeks work in a work week is that throughout the week there are work days (I didn't need to tell you that, but yeah.)

• When the work week is over, people sometimes like to leave town, therefore gas stations tend to raise the gas prices up for the weekend to capitalize on this fact. 
• (Sometimes Thursday)...Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are usually days that gas prices are at their highest.
• Tuesday and especially Wednesday are great days to fill up on gas. Wednesday is the middle of the week, and gas prices are almost always cheaper versus buying gas on the weekend.

When holidays happen, especially 3 and 4 day weekends, gas prices rise up.

• Keep an eye on your gas gauge, and your calendar. If you notice Labor day is coming up, you might want to gas up the Wednesday before it. Holidays like Labor day and Thanksgiving are the busiest road travel dates of the year so everyone is going to be gassing up.

Take note of the locations of gas stations, they really do affect the price of gas. Location, location, location!

• Gas stations located next to the freeway/highway have gas prices that are significantly higher than gas stations anywhere else in town. 
• But by all means, if the gas station that is the best deal is about 4 miles on the other side of town, just fill up at a gas station close by. Saving 3 cents just to drive 4 miles across town defeats the purpose of saving those 3 cents per gallon. It doesn't make cents/sense. 

Unleaded regular, unleaded plus, and Premium

• Many people think they're treating their car by using a "plus" or "premium" grade of gasoline
• They're wasting their money. Just stick with using unleaded regular, virtually all vehicles these day run perfectly fine on regular.
• Despite what the car, car manual, and/or car dealer says about using a higher octane rating grade of gasoline, unleaded is just fine.
• Using Plus and Premium is recommended for engines of new cars, but seriously unleaded regular won't blow your engine up. Your wallet will thank you if you keep these fuel saving tips in mind.

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"I love bananas but they don't last very long!"

"I bought bananas the other day, but when I wanted to eat one I saw that they were all over-ripened  and black. I'm sad."

Does this sound like you? Is this the face you that make when you realize that your fruit investment has been ruined by Father Time?


Well here are a few ways to make these curvy, yellow boomerang fruits last longer!



Here's what you need:

• Refrigerator and freezer
• The practiced ability to distinguish between colors

Here's what to do:

Where ever you buy bananas, you'll notice that many of their colors will range from yellow to green. 

• If you're planning on having an intense banana binge right then and there or within the next hour, then go with the tasty ripe green ones.
• However if you like to enjoy bananas every now and then, go with the really green bananas.

Once you get home, your bananas are usually in a happy bunch.

A happy bunch of bananas.

If you want them to last as long as they can, separate them.

They grew up together, but at least they won't suffer the inevitable together. Unless you're making a smoothie or something.

Once separated, put each banana in a different spot in your kitchen. In a bunch together, they will all ripen too fast but alone and on their own they happen to last a great deal longer. 

If you want your bananas to last even longer, you can put them in the fridge with the peel on.

• Sure they will turn black and ugly on the outside but on the inside, they are still the same banana. 

If you want to your bananas to last for a few more days, you can peel them and put 1-2 cut in half bananas in plastic Ziploc baggies and freeze them.

• They'll still taste the same, and you can even dip the frozen bananas in chocolate and roll them in nuts so your blood sugar levels will rise. 

Why does separating bananas work? It sounds so sad...

Random chemistry-ish lesson: All fruits and vegetables give off an odorless, tasteless gas called ethylene after they're picked. This gas speeds ripening up, especially if a bunch of ethylene gas producing bananas are all together. Separating bunches of fruits and vegetables and forcing them to live the rest of their lives solo will make them last longer. However if you want something to ripen faster such as an apple, you can surround the apple with a bunch of bananas to speed up the process.

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