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There are legitimate reasons for using a credit card, such as building credit or earning rewards and travel miles. However, credit card spending can easily get out of control. Collectively, Americans owe $1.166 trillion in credit card debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which is up from $1.142 trillion in the second quarter of 2024.

RELATED: How to Spot a Credit Card Skimmer.

​Paid With Cash Often

These days, it’s impractical to pay for everything in cash. Things like streaming services, apps, and other subscriptions automatically charge your cards, but Delisle paid cash whenever he could. “In this day of technology, some things are impossible to pay for with cash. In those instances, I would still use a credit card, but whenever it was possible to pay with cash, I did,” he says.

Cash is a Hassle​

People rely on their plastic so much that having cash is a headache. “By far the biggest challenge was convenience,” Delisle shares. “Cash is bulky and time-consuming to use. Using a credit card is so much easier, and I often feel like I’m getting the item for free because the transaction is so smooth and seamless. But that’s the point. Cash makes those purchases just a little bit harder and gives you a little more time to reflect on your decision.”

Thought Twice Before Making a Purchase​

Paying with cash was such an inconvenience for Delisle it forced him to pause before making a purchase. “I hated counting out the bills and receiving a handful of change,” he explains. “I could also see my wallet getting thinner and that money disappearing. It caused just a little more pain for each transaction, and that pain really forced me to ask myself, ‘Is this my Awesome Stuff?’ And often it wasn’t.”

RELATED: 5 Ways Your Credit Card Is Ruining Your Finances.

​He Spent Much Less

Quitting credit cards for a month made Delisle spend less and reexamine his budget. “It shocked me how many things I was aimlessly spending money on and didn’t realize,” he says. “That short pause to consider if it was worth the time to count out my bills and then watch them disappear was all it took to change my mind about most of my unplanned purchases.”

He adds, “I spent less on coffee, fast food, and clothes. Almost all of my discretionary spending stopped. It was shocking how many things I was simply buying out of habit. And the best thing was that I didn’t miss those things I didn’t buy or feel like it was a sacrifice. I just didn’t want them enough to buy them anymore.”

​How to Survive 30 Days Without Credit Cards

Thinking about giving up credit cards for 30 days? It’s not easy, but Delisle says, “Just like any habit, you just need to start. That’s the most difficult part. But once you commit to the challenge and just do it, you’ll slowly get used to the new habit and it becomes easier and easier.” He adds, “Hopefully, those 30 days will change the way you think about money just enough to start seeing a noticeable change in your spending habits. I know it did for me.”

Cognitive function is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of mental processes, including problem-solving, memory, decision-making, reasoning, and even intuition. As the brain ages, the ability to perform cognitive tasks can begin to deteriorate. This is why many people choose to pick up a new skill or language or play games like Sudoku or logic puzzles. However, researchers now say that adopting a certain diet can also lead to better brain health.

RELATED: These 6 Foods Can Lead to Better Brain Health—But You're Probably Not Eating Them.

Diets high in fat can lead to cognitive decline.

A healthy microbiome indicates that your body is adequately absorbing nutrients and vitamins and discarding harmful pathogens. It also supports the immune system, your body’s first line of defense against viruses and germs. Regular exercise and stress management can help keep your gut biome well-balanced, but it mostly comes down to diet.

A new study published in the journal Gut Microbes Reports found that diet impacts the gut microbiota by 57 percent. Furthermore, a typical Western diet (think: processed foods, red meat, refined grains, and dairy products high in saturated fat) can cause a build-up of inflammation in the gut and brain, resulting in "poor cognitive function."

"We've known that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how that could be happening," said lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, PhD, neurology research instructor at Tulane’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Center, in a press release. “Our findings suggest that dietary choices can influence cognitive performance by reshaping the gut microbiome."

Following a Mediterranean diet is linked to "better cognitive flexibility" and "improved working memory."

Conversely, the Mediterranean diet, a nutrient-dense meal plan that focuses on plant-based foods, can improve your gut biome, leading to better brain health.

The researchers used rats equivalent to 18-year-old humans. The rodents followed a Mediterranean-style diet, with an emphasis on olive oil, fish, and fiber, for 14 weeks. From weeks 14 to 17, researchers collected waste samples and conducted behavioral assessments (maze challenges that tested the rats’ short- and long-term memory and learning capabilities).

Although limited to animals, researchers saw a noticeable difference in memory performance among Mediterranean dieters compared with rats following a Western diet. “Specifically, higher levels of bacteria such as Candidatus Saccharimonas were associated with better cognitive performance, while increased levels of other bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium, correlated with poorer memory function,” the press release explains.

Additionally, the Mediterranean diet group averaged healthier cholesterol levels.

RELATED: This Little-Known Supplement Can Improve Your Memory, New Research Shows.

5 tips for following a Mediterranean diet.

Consuming plant-based foods and healthy fats, including vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and whole grains, can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, says Cleveland Clinic. The Mediterranean diet challenges folks to limit red meat and sweets to one serving per week, with only a single daily serving of poultry and low-fat dairy products. According to the study’s authors, there are five key components to mastering the Mediterranean diet:

• Olive oil is the primary source of fat
• Lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains
• Swap red meat for fish and other lean proteins
• Ditch foods high in saturated fats
• Up your fiber intake via different plant-based foods

The takeaway.

Daydreaming of a winter escape? A cruise to the Bahamas or Caribbean might sound perfect right now, but snowbirds should proceed with caution. Carnival Cruise Line, one of the most popular big-ship lines for international travel, is making major financial changes this year—one of which will negatively impact AARP members. Plus, Carnival guests should plan to tip more and bigger in 2025.

RELATED: 5 Things You Should Never Bring on a Cruise, Experts Warn.

Carnival Cruise Line discontinued its gift card program with AARP.

Until recently, AARP members could snag Carnival Cruise Line gift cards at a reduced price. The program offered gift certificates at a 10 percent discount to folks over the age of 50, but that ended after a sequence of price adjustments during the latter half of 2024.

In November, Carnival Cruise Line reduced its discount from 10 percent to eight percent, as reported by Cruise Hive. That means a $100 gift card went from costing $90 to $92 for AARP patrons. A month later, Carnival Cruise Line implemented another price adjustment, reducing the discount to just five percent. Now, in 2025, Carnival Cruise Line has discontinued its gift card program with AARP altogether.

An AARP Consumer Care representative confirmed the news while answering member questions via the AARP Online Community forum.

“Carnival Cruise Lines decided to discontinue offering their gift cards through the AARP Rewards Program. We understand that this may be disappointing news, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We remain committed to providing you with valuable rewards and appreciate your understanding,” they wrote.

RELATED: The Best Time to Book a Cruise, According to Travel Experts.

Carnival Cruise Line implemented a new tipping policy.

Effective immediately, an onboard gratuity fee will be automatically charged to all Carnival Cruise Line bookings. Tips will be split among “stateroom attendants, dining and culinary services staff, as well as other members of the onboard team who work behind the scenes,” per the new policy.

“It is customary for our guests to extend gratuities to the shipboard staff in appreciation for their hard work and exceptional service,” says Carnival Cruise Line. “Applying this charge automatically streamlines the recognition process and ensures our crew will share in your generosity.”

The fee will apply to all guests, but the amount will vary by room package and additional services. The new gratuity rates are as follows:

• Standard Staterooms will have a daily $16 tipping fee per person (over the age of 2)
• Suite Staterooms will have a daily $18 tipping fee per person (also 2 years or older)
• An 18 percent charge will be added to beverage purchases
• Restaurant reservation fees will have an 18 percent service charge on top of additional bill gratuity

Stateroom tipping fees can be prepaid at the time of booking or at the end of your stay, per the updated guidelines. However, if guests are unsatisfied with their experience and wish to adjust the gratuity fee, they may do so while speaking with Guest Services onboard the ship. Changes will not be allowed once a guest disembarks the vessel.

Amid all the bird flu news, you may not have noticed similar stories in recent weeks about tularemia cases—otherwise known as "rabbit fever"—spiking across the country. The disease is caused by Francisella tularensis bacteria and typically makes its way to humans via tick or deer fly bites, as well as contact with infected animals such as rodents, prairie dogs, rabbits, and hares, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And with data now showing a 56 percent rise in cases in the U.S. over the past decade, it’s becoming more important to know the symptoms it can cause in humans.

RELATED: COVID Levels are "Very High" and "High" in These 28 States After Holiday Surge.

Reported tularemia infections are widespread, but most are concentrated.

The latest information comes from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Report released on Jan. 2, which stated 2,462 reported "rabbit fever" infections from 2011-2022. Most cases were "among children aged 5–9 years, older men, and American Indian or Alaska Native persons."

Cases have also been widely dispersed geographically, with at least one reported in 47 states. However, half of all infections were seen in just four heartland states: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The agency notes that the recent uptick could be partly due to increased laboratory tests in recent years.

Scientists found a new mode of transmission.

While insect bites and direct animal exposure can sometimes lead the disease to jump over into human hosts, it’s not the only way. In 2000, a vineyard in Massachusetts reported a six-month-long outbreak that started when a lawnmower hit a nest of infected animals and aerosolized the bacteria, leading to 15 illnesses and one death, per Science Alert. More recent cases in Colorado were also traced back to a lawnmower incident.

The CDC designated the bacteria a "tier-1 select agent." The top risk level refers to organisms that "pose a severe threat to public health and safety" because they "present the greatest risk of deliberate misuse with significant potential for mass casualties or devastating effect to the economy, critical infrastructure, or public confidence," per the CDC’s biosafety plan.

RELATED: RSV Levels Are "Very High" and "High" in These 21 States.

There is a wide range of "rabbit fever" symptoms you should look out for.

Tularemia infection can present itself differently in humans depending on its transmission. According to the CDC, the most common is an ulcer that develops on the site where it enters the body via tick or fly bite, as well as swelling of lymph nodes in the region. Sometimes, it may only be shown by glandular swelling—typically in the groin or armpits.

Swelling, redness, and irritation in the eyes can signal oculoglandular infection when someone has touched their eyes after butchering an infected animal. Those who ingest the bacteria via contaminated water or food can similarly develop sore throat, mouth ulcers, tonsillitis, and swelling of lymph glands in the neck.

The agency warns that most serious cases develop during pneumonic transmission, which occurs when someone breathes in the bacteria. Typically, this causes cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing, but it can also occur if an infection spreads to the lungs from elsewhere in the body via the bloodstream.

Overall, the CDC notes that all forms are typically accompanied by a high fever that can reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It can also potentially be life-threatening.

"The case fatality rate of tularemia is typically less than two percent but can be higher depending on clinical manifestation and infecting strain," the CDC’s latest report notes, adding that the infection is treatable with antibiotics.

There are basic precautions you can take to protect yourself.

Fortunately, some simple steps can help reduce your risk of tularemia infection. The CDC suggests wearing pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks whenever hiking or camping to prevent fly and tick bites. Any attached ticks should be removed promptly with tweezers. The agency also warns against drinking any untreated surface water.

Those operating lawnmowers should try to avoid hitting any deceased animals or potential nests, checking for potential carcasses before beginning yard work. The CDC also says wearing a mask might help prevent inhaling aerosolized bacteria.

RELATED: Flu Levels Are "Very High" and "High" in These 14 States.

The takeaway.

There has been an increase in tularemia infections over the past decade. Also known as “rabbit fever,” the disease is caused by a bacteria that can spread through contact with animals such as rabbits, hares, rodents, and prairie dogs; drinking water or food contaminated with the microorganisms; or breathing in aerosols that might be kicked up during landscaping or yard work.

Symptoms can vary depending on how the bacteria is contracted but typically involve a high fever along with ulcers on the skin, in the mouth, or in the eyes, and regional swelling of thyroid glands. Pneumatic infection can cause cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. The CDC recommends that anyone who notices these symptoms after potentially coming into contact with an infected animal to seek out medical attention immediately.

The allure of taking a month-long break from work is obvious. It’s a chance to unwind, recharge creative energy, travel to places you can’t jetset off to in a week, and spend more time with family and friends. For many it’s an elusive dream due to draconian time off policies. But for people with flexible work schedules, longtime employees who have saved their time off, or those who call their own shots, taking a month off can be a reality, which was the case for Nikki Innocent, a holistic coach for career, life, and interpersonal change. Best Life spoke with Innocent to find out how not working for a month was affordable, how it recharged her life and what noticeable changes took place as a result.

RELATED: Top CEOs Reveal the Secret to Work-Life Balance.

​Made Smart Financial Decisions

Before taking a month-long break from work, Innocent made sure she was financially stable and took steps to ensure she’d be covered during that time.

“I run my own business,” she says. “I had saved money to start the business, and a couple of years into it, I took a sabbatical after selling my condo in the city for a profit to be more liquid to invest in the business.”

In addition, Innocent closed out client projects at the same time she sold her property which “allowed for more logistical freedom and flexibility.”

Toxic Work Environment ​

During her time off, Innocent addressed unhealthy issues she endured as a result of working in a toxic environment and reset her surroundings and got serious about overcoming them.

“I left corporate years before due to burnout and a misaligned environment but somehow found myself repeating similar behaviors as though the toxic work environment was still surrounding me after I left it,” she explains.

“My body broke down with a bizarre anaphylactic reaction and other physical signs of burnout and it wasn’t something I could ignore or work hard through,” Innocent shares. “I had added new areas of expertise, credentials and experience to my toolkit and I knew it was time to pivot my business. All of these elements aligned for a very clear invitation to reset and create space for reassessment.”

​Focused on Rest

Innocent made the most of her time off and focused on rest and transforming her surroundings.

“I gave myself 6 weeks off, and I centered on rest and resetting my mindset,” she says. “I sold my condo and moved to a new city. I set up my new home with the intention so I felt settled and secure in whatever was coming next.”

​Meditated

To reset her mind, Innocent began a mindfulness practice through Deepak Chopra's 30-day meditation experience, read often and worked with people that helped her reach her goals.

“I began working with a new therapist and a positive psychology coach,” she explains. “I read a lot of books like Taming the Gremlin, Big Magic, I’m Judging You, and many memoirs to help add to my toolkit and widen my perspective to continue working through the belief and mindset blocks that had come up.”

In addition, Innocent utilized her free time to brainstorm her next moves.

“I wanted to use the skills and strengths that I had to build a resonant, sustainable business,” she says. “I met with people in my life who knew me to ground in who I am and how I’ve shown up most authentically.”

RELATED: 12 Signs Your Job Could Be Hurting Your Health.

​Broke Unhealthy Habits

Another area Innocent focused on was letting go of unhealthy habits like pleasing people.

“I started embodiment work to tap into the wisdom of my physical and spiritual body rather than blindly following what my mind was telling me,” she says. “I realized there was so much untapped power and potential stuck in my body because so much of life has been in survival mode or people-pleasing mode, this break allowed me to get grounded and center myself rather than everyone else around me.”

​Many Notable Changes

Taking a few weeks off of work to concentrate on herself resulted in several notable changes.

Innocent adds, “It also gave me the permission to truly feel the difference from my working self when I was a corporate employee (that had become my autopilot) and the version of myself who is able to do what was best for me instead of what I thought others would approve of or expect of me.”

​Positive Mindset Shift

While there were many positive changes from taking time off, Innocent experienced a major revelation that was life-changing. She says, “One of the biggest shifts was witnessing that when you took extended time, the world didn’t end or fall apart, taking time for yourself is actually a vital practice to refuel and to be open to the right types of opportunities that came my way.”

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