They Constantly Try to Outdo You

A competitive colleague can consider your accomplishments a personal obstacle. For instance, if you achieve a sales goal or get a project completed early, they’ll go to great lengths to exceed that goal & share their success with everyone.

This endless comparison can add a lot of tension & you might feel like you’re competing in a race you don’t have to be in.

They Withhold Important Information

If someone is secretive with a key piece of information, such as the status of a project or news that could impact your work, it might not be accidental.

It may even happen that they will forget to forward important emails or invite you to critical meetings. This puts you at disadvantage while they stay in charge & ahead.

They Take Credit for Your Work

You might get angry when your co-worker quotes your idea in meetings but not credit you or highlight their part in a team effort while ignoring your contributions.

And this isn’t only competitive: It’s bad for your reputation over time.

They Undermine You in Meetings

Constructive criticism is all good; however, constant public criticism can have a competitive edge.

They may simply want to discredit your abilities & enhance their own position in the group.

They Overemphasize Their Own Achievements

A colleague who talks over & over about his/her achievements (even if it has nothing to do with the topic at hand) may be trying to make themselves seem more competent.

For instance, they could talk about the fact that they completed a project by themselves, even if that wasn’t necessarily the case. This need for constant confirmation is an indication of shadow competition.

They Avoid Teamwork with You

When people always refuse to work with you, it could mean that they are in competition. They might be concerned that working together will make you look good or bring you to the limelight.

They Give You Misleading Advice

A competitive  colleague might mask their real motive by “being helpful.”

If you’ve ever gotten advice that backfired or if someone is pushing you to make decisions that are obviously incorrect, then be on guard.

They Monitor Your Actions Closely

When a colleague keeps track of what you’re working on, your deadlines, or your performance, it’s rarely curiosity.

Maybe they’re collecting information to see how well they can stack up against you or to edge you out of the competition.

They Celebrate Your Failures

Whether it’s an overdue deadline or a project that’s not quite coming together, your rival co-worker will discreetly boast or highlight your blunder.

Their attention to your flaws signals that they’re interested in getting ahead by making you look bad.

They Sabotage Your Efforts

A colleague actively trying to ruin your work is a clear sign of hidden competition.

For example, they could “accidentally” forget important details or postpone their contribution to a team project, which will make you seem untrustworthy.

These are often done in order to slow you down & boost their own credibility.

Peeling Garlic by Shaking It in a Jar

Shaking garlic cloves in a jar to peel them sounds like it’ll get the job done quickly, but it often ends up taking longer than just smashing them with a knife.

You may spend extra time picking off bits of skin that didn’t come off while you were shaking them. In the end, sticking to the classic method with a knife will save you a lot of time & frustration.

Using a Straw to Hull Strawberries

You might’ve seen people talking about using a straw through strawberries to take out the stem, yet lining up the straw just right is rather tricky & time-consuming.

You might spend more time fiddling with each berry than if you’d simply sliced off the tops with a knife. Instead, the simplest way is often the fastest way to get the job done so you should probably rely on doing that.

Freezing Herbs in Ice Cube Trays

Freezing herbs in olive oil in ice cube trays is supposed to keep them fresh but the prep work takes time.

You have to chop the herbs finely, fill each tray compartment and then later thaw the cubes when you need them;  so you can’t just use them immediately.

All of this might be more effort than just using fresh herbs or reaching for dried ones from the pantry.

Separating Egg Yolks with a Plastic Bottle

Despite what you might’ve seen on social media, sucking up egg yolks with a plastic bottle requires some skill; if you’re not precise, you might break the yolk or spend too much time trying to get the bottle to work properly.

Often, separating the yolk using the eggshell halves or even your hands is quicker. It’s also a lot less fiddly so you might want to do that instead.

Peeling Ginger with a Spoon

Lots of people talk about using a spoon to peel ginger but such a “hack” is rather tedious.

Any knobs of ginger with lots of bumps & knobs will be harder to peel because the spoon might not reach into all the nooks.

You’ll have to spend extra time trying to get all the skin off so carefully using a vegetable peeler or a small knife is much more efficient.

Spraying Measuring Cups for Sticky Ingredients

Spraying measuring cups with cooking oil before measuring sticky stuff like honey seems like it’ll make pouring a lot easier, but it adds an extra step & makes cleaning up messier.

You might have to scrub off the oily residue later so you’re better off just measuring and then using a spatula to scrape out the ingredient. It’s a lot faster and saves you from having to do any extra cleanup.

Rolling Citrus Fruits to Get More Juice

Many people swear by rolling lemons or limes on the counter to get more juice but doing so doesn’t usually get you much more juice and also takes extra time.

You might as well cut & squeeze the fruit right away because it works just as well. Better yet, you won’t lose that much juice which is exactly what you want from these fruits.

Using a Potato Peeler on Hard Cheese

Using a potato peeler to slice hard cheese isn’t a great idea because it’s so awkward and the peeler might not handle the hardness of the cheese well.

You could end up with uneven or broken slices so you’re better off grabbing a proper cheese slicer instead. Try using a knife to make the task easier and quicker with more evenly cut pieces.

Softening Butter in the Microwave

Putting butter in the microwave to soften it often causes it to melt by accident, which leaves you waiting for it to solidify again; that eats up more time.

Planning ahead and letting butter soften at room temperature will help you avoid this problem since you’ll get the right consistency when you need it. So check the recipe in advance and get the butter prepared in time.

Making Bacon in a Waffle Iron

Some people think making bacon in a waffle iron is smart because it supposedly cooks both sides at once, although it’s not exactly easy.

Fitting strips into the iron is a tight squeeze and, more often than not, bacon grease spills over and leaves you with a greasy countertop.

Cleaning an appliance full of cooked-on fat also takes time you could’ve spent on something else. Just stick to pan-frying bacon with a splatter guard or baking it on a tray.

Kneading Dough in a Plastic Bag

Kneading dough in a zip-top bag looks neat yet it usually traps pockets of air, you might open the bag only to find lumps of flour that didn’t mix well, which means you’ll have to dump it out.

Then, you have to work the dough by hand and that puts you right back at square one! You also risk splitting the bag if the dough is too stiff so you’ll have a sticky mess and you might as well work the dough directly on a floured surface.

Using Dental Floss to Slice Cake

Using unflavored dental floss to slice cakes is more hassle than it’s worth because lining it up evenly gets quite tricky, especially with frosted layers.

If the floss isn’t taut, you might crush the edges or get crooked slices and you also have to clean or replace the floss for each pass. That adds extra steps that you could avoid by using a long, thin knife.

Blowing Hard-Boiled Eggs Out of Their Shells

There’ve been many viral videos involving cracking both ends of a hard-boiled egg, then blowing into one side so the egg pops out the other.

While it looks impressive in a video, it’s not guaranteed to work in real life and you might have to crack the shells perfectly, which takes a few tries.

And when the membrane doesn’t separate cleanly, you’ll be stuck peeling by hand.

Hard-Boiling Eggs in the Oven

Some people place raw eggs in a muffin tin & bake them because they think it’ll help them skip the regular boiling method, but the trouble is that you’re more likely to overcook or undercook the eggs.

It’s hard to guess exactly how hot your oven runs and you might pull them out, only to find that half have grayish yolks because they stayed in too long.

Cleaning up baked-on egg drips in the muffin tin is also annoying so just use a regular pot of boiling water.

Removing shoes

No matter where you live in Canada, it is likely that there is mud, snow, or slush on the ground most of the year. Removing your shoes at the door is a sign of respect.

Even if someone insists you keep your shoes on when you arrive at their house, the polite thing to do in Canada is to insist on removing them anyway. Your hosts will appreciate that you care about their hard work, keeping their home clean and cozy during our brutal winters.

Apologizing

It’s no secret that Canadians say sorry way too much. In Canada, sorry doesn’t always mean that you are wrong or apologize for a mistake. Canadians say sorry to show empathy or acknowledge that everyone is  involved in an awkward situation.

If someone bumps into you at the grocery store, you both may say sorry even if it was clearly their fault. Basically, Canadians say sorry to keep things running smoothly and ensure our communal spaces stay neighbourly.

Queue

A queue means something in Canada. Your nana probably taught you that skipping ahead in line is about the rudest thing you can do in Canada.

Whether you’re waiting for the bus after school in below-zero temperatures or waiting for your morning coffee, you wait your turn.

Trying to cut in line is basically telling everyone around you that your time is more important than theirs. Being willing to wait patiently and hold your spot shows that you respect Canadian ideals of fairness and order.

Double-Doubles

“If anyone wants something, let me know,” were Nana’s words every time she left to grab coffee. Canadians go by the rule that if you’re going to the local coffee shop, you should always ask if anyone else wants anything.

Canadians just have a group-first mentality when it comes to buying treats. Buying for others is a way of looking out for your group and making sure no one is left out.

Doors

Door holding is practically Canada’s national sport, and your Nana probably made sure you looked behind you for at least ten feet.

In many places, people only hold the door if someone is right there, but Canadians wait an extra second or two to catch the person coming up behind them.

When you hold a stranger’s door, you’re taking a moment out of your day to recognize they exist. It is a small gesture that will make everyone feel like they live in a friendly and helpful country.

Names

Speaking to someone using their name is one of the tried-and-true methods of making someone feel unique. Whether it’s the cashier at your local store or someone you have just met, using their name instantly lets them know that you see them as a person.

In other words, you have made exchanging goods and services a personal interaction. Remembering that little bit of effort to use someone’s name is old-fashioned Canadian kindness.

Driving

Speaking of driving, zipper merging (where traffic alternates taking turns from each lane) is huge in Canada. Being a zipper on the highway is the only fair way to keep traffic running smoothly.

Blaring your horn is also incredibly rude in Canada unless it’s an emergency. Being a considerate driver means having patience for the person who missed their exit in the snow and always waving thanks to someone if they let you into their lane.

Volume

Your nana probably taught you to keep your voice down in public. Whether you’re in the library or the quiet car on the train, shouting into your phone is rude.

Canadians will do their best to keep their voice down and their personal conversations private when around strangers.

Drawing attention to yourself is considered making a scene. Keep your volume down, and your neighbours will know that you respect their right to quiet peace of mind.

Thanking

A simple thank you will do, but your nana may have taught you the wave of Gratitude. You’ll see this often when someone lets you off at your bus stop or stops at a crosswalk for you.

It’s common courtesy in Canada to wave or shout thank you to your bus driver before you get off at your stop through the back door. Not only does it let that person know they’re helping you, but they are also doing you a favour by doing their job or keeping you safe.

Neighbors

Meeting your neighbors might be the first Canadian rule you learned. When Nana saw someone working on their front lawn or shoveling their driveway, she would say hello. Walking right past your neighbor is considered rude.

Canadians believe that saying hi to your neighbors is how we build good communities. Making the effort to say hi might just make you some new friends (and trustworthy neighbours).

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

Unstable Internet Connections

Working beachside is amazing, until you’re scrambling to find Wi-Fi that doesn’t drop every five minutes. It can seriously mess with your work & stress you out.

This is the reality for many digital nomads who work from cheaper destinations with unstable infrastructure. They could be in the middle of a super important project or call and the internet cuts out. They just have to deal with it.

Loneliness and Isolation

While traveling the world solo is quite fun, it also gets lonely.

You’re hopping from one city to another and meeting lots of people, but it’s hard to make lasting friendships that way.

Real connections are harder to come by and it can feel pretty isolating when you realize you’re having your third dinner alone in a row.

Difficulty in Maintaining Work-Life Balance

When your home is your office & the world is your backyard, the lines between work and play can get blurry.

You might find yourself answering emails at midnight or working through weekends because you can work anytime. Such flexibility can actually make you forget to enjoy the places you’re visiting.

Legal and Tax Complications

Dealing with taxes and legal stuff is difficult for anyone but when you’re traveling around the world, it becomes nearly impossible.

Every country has its own rules about visas, work permits & taxes. Not knowing about these rules is more hassle than it’s worth, even though it’s hardly the most exciting part of being a digital nomad. 

Inconsistent Income

Unless you have a steady remote job, your income will be quite unpredictable. Freelancing or running your own business means some months are feast while others are famine.

This makes budgeting a real challenge. You can forget about saving for retirement or a rainy day since your sense of financial stability is non-existent.

Health Care Concerns

Staying healthy on the road is important yet it’s not always easy.

Finding good health insurance that covers you everywhere is practically unheard of and if you do get sick, good luck trying to understand foreign healthcare systems.

It’s not always as simple as popping into your local doctor’s office.

Increased Costs

You might think living in cheaper countries means you’ll save money but being a digital nomad comes with its own set of costs.

For example, flights, travel insurance & short-term rentals can add up quickly. Moving around all the time also means you’ll pay tourist prices, which can become a big part of your budget.

Environmental Impact

Let’s not forget about the environmental cost of traveling as a digital nomad.

The carbon footprint from all those flights isn’t doing the planet any favors and that’s rather difficult for any eco-conscious nomad to accept. Your lifestyle could be directly contributing to environmental issues.

Constant Planning and Research

Being a digital nomad doesn’t simply involve spontaneous adventures; a lot of your time goes into planning your next move.

Where will you stay? What’s the visa situation? And don’t even get us started on the hours spent researching the best travel deals. Eventually, you’ll feel like you need a vacation from planning your life, but the cycle never ends.

Risk of Over-romanticizing

You see all these amazing photos & stories online of digital nomads and you think it’s going to be one big, exciting adventure. But the reality can be quite different.

There are days when it’s just you and your laptop in a not-so-glamorous Airbnb, dealing with the same work stress you had back home. It’s real life; just in different places.

The Floor Is Lava

This was an effective bedtime rule.

After 9 pm, my parents would say the floor became a boiling lava pool, and if I walked on it, I’d burn my feet.

It kept me in bed & out of late-night trouble. I did not realize this was an easy ploy to keep me from sneaking out at night.

If You Lie, Your Tongue Turns Purple

My parents would scream & look at my tongue whenever I lied. I was pretty sure if I’d lie, it would turn purple, and I’d be caught.

This did wonders because I stopped lying to avoid this “purple tongue” issue.

If You Don’t Finish Dinner, Santa Will Know

This was the rule that always made me finish every bite of my meal.

My parents would tell me that if I did not finish dinner, Santa would somehow catch on and I would be the bad kid.

I didn’t want to miss out on gifts, so I finished everything, even the Brussels sprouts.

The TV Will Explode if You Watch Too Long

My parents ruled the screen space easily.

They’d tell me that the TV would blow up if I watched it for too long. Each time the screen would flash or tinkle I’d just turn the TV off thinking I was about to blow it up.

You Can’t Go Swimming Until 30 Minutes After Eating—Or You’ll Sink

My parents said that I would get cramps & sink to the bottom if I swam too soon after a meal.

I’d sit by the edge of the pool, watching the clock, waiting for those 30 minutes to pass before I could jump in.

If You Cross Your Eyes Too Long, They’ll Stay That Way

Whenever I crossed my eyes, my parents warned me that if I did it too much, my eyes would get stuck.

As a kid, I didn’t want to be left with crossed eyes forever, so I’d just pause, even though I didn’t know how likely that was to happen.

The Car Won’t Start Until Everyone Buckles Up

This was one of those rule things that didn’t even make sense back then, but worked every time.

My parents would pretend to turn the car key & if someone wasn’t buckled in, they’d shake their head and say something was wrong. Magically, the car would start as soon as we had all clicked our seatbelts on.

Chewing Gum Will Stay in Your Stomach for Seven Years

My parents used to say that gum would linger in my stomach for seven years.

The thought of having gum stuck in my stomach for that long was enough to make me chew carefully and never swallow it again.

If You Don’t Wear a Coat, You’ll Catch a Cold Instantly

My parents always used to say that if I didn’t put on a coat when it was cold outside, I’d catch a flu quickly.

I didn’t want to get sick, so I wrapped myself up whenever it was raining or cold, no matter how uncomfortable it felt.

Eating Sugar Before Bed Will Give You Nightmares

This was the rule my parents employed to keep me on a low-sugar schedule. The fear of scary dreams also stopped me from eating after-dinner sweets.

Your Toys Get Donated if They’re Left Out Overnight

The best thing my parents ever did to make me put away my toys was to threaten to give them away if they were not cleaned up overnight.

It was just the thought of having to donate my favorite action figures or dolls to charity, that made me run around putting everything back in place before bed.

Traveling More

When you retire, you get to visit new countries and cultures. Many regret not travelling to those dream places earlier, when their bodies could handle the adventures better.

Whether hiking in the mountains, basking in the sunshine on a beach or learning about the history of another country, travel brings a lifetime’s worth of memories.

Building Stronger Relationships

Life gets busy, and you put relationships at the back of the queue. But retired people are often left with regrets about not being able to spend more time with family, friends and other loved ones.

Maintaining those relationships helps to maintain a fulfilling social life well into retirement.

Learning New Skills

Whether it’s learning a new musical instrument, cooking gourmet meals or finding a new hobby (painting or writing), many of us would have liked to have had more time cultivating skills that we really loved.

Retirement provides the ideal opportunity to pursue these interests without limitation; but many regret not having started the process  earlier in life.

Saving More Money

Planning for retirement is the secret to a comfortable retirement. Most regret not saving up more money early on in their career.

If you create a good savings strategy, invest smartly, and learn about retirement accounts such as an IRA or 401(k), then it will spare you a lot of financial hardships later on.

Taking Better Care of Your Health

Health is wealth and most retirees wish they’d paid closer attention to their bodies and minds earlier in life.

Exercise, nutrition and regular doctor’s appointments will save you from problems that can crop up later. Self-care means a happier and healthier retirement.

Spending Time on Passion Projects

Whether it is blogging, a memoir, or a neighborhood garden, many of us regret not doing side hustles or other interests while working.

Retirement is a great time to get out and work on creative and rewarding projects.

Setting Clear Financial Goals

Besides just saving, poor planning and an incomplete financial plan can leave you at risk in retirement.

There are retired people who wish they had budgeted everything from their rent and insurance to any unexpected costs. With advance planning, your retirement years will be stress-free.

Maintaining Work-Life Balance

Overworking and postponing your own pleasure is a long-term regret.

It is so important to have work-life harmony, and when people retire, they usually think about how they didn’t have enough leisure when they were working.

If you want a balanced retirement, you need to allow room for hobbies, trips and time to relax.

Giving Back

Many retirees wish they had volunteered more or contributed to their communities.

It could be teaching younger generations, fundraising for local causes, or helping out at schools, giving back is a feeling of purpose that’s truly fulfilling.

Spending Time with Grandchildren

Those who do have grandchildren might wish they had spent more time with them. Whether baking cookies or going to school plays, it is all the little things that end up being the most treasured of them.

Building strong relationships with grandchildren from the start forge lifetime relationships.

Free Snacks

Free snacks are a dream come true when you’re running out of steam at the end of a long workday. But often these are processed snacks that just make you gain weight rather than perform better.

Even when you’re piled up with work, eating an instant sugar fix doesn’t always seem like the best option.

Ping-Pong Tables

Playing ping-pong sounds like the ideal way to de-stress at the office. Actually, it’s a distraction because people are spending long periods of time playing rather than working.

Or worse, it is noisy & can be unpleasant for anyone who wants to focus. I know it’s fun, but it is rarely productive.

On-Site Gym

The gym in your office is also appealing if you’re a morning person who wants to exercise during the day.

But there are plenty of on-site gyms that are either neglected, underutilized or simply just too far from the workplace for the majority of staff to enjoy.

Casual Fridays

Casual Fridays can give the work week a dose of relaxation, but it’s never quite the euphoria you’d expect. Even on Casual Friday, the pressure of deadlines & meetings is real.

Flexible Hours (Without Flexibility)

Flexible working hours are something that all companies talk about but rarely implement. If you don’t have a culture of trust & true flexibility at the workplace, the employees will feel bad about changing hours.

Rather than having control over their time, employees will end up trying to manage their own schedule while dealing with stiff company demands.

Unlimited Vacation Days

The idea of endless vacation days is utopian but in reality, it’s like a trap. Workers may fear that taking a longer break will impact their professional development or seem like slacking.

In some workplaces, the environment isn’t conducive to taking vacation & you feel bad about not making the most of your vacation time.

Free Coffee

Free coffee in the office is a nice touch, but it’s no revolution in employee satisfaction. For many, coffee is a daily necessity, not a benefit & it can even lead to undesirable behaviors such as binge-caffeinated habits.

Plus, if the coffee is poor quality or the coffee machine is always broken it will be more annoying than helpful.

Company Swag

Company t-shirts, mugs and other swag can be a nice touch but they tend to sit there collecting dust or unused in a drawer. They just pile up as junk rather than benefits that add value to the working experience.

Free Lunches

Free lunches can be wonderful, but they can also have drawbacks. Not everyone eats the same things & what they serve could not be suitable for everybody’s taste buds or diet.

What’s more, if it’s unhealthy, it can make you feel lazy instead of energetic.

Team Building Events

Team-building sessions are typically over-scheduled & out of touch with the interests of employees.

If employees are already busy working full-time, an afternoon committing to trust falls or competing in awkward group activities will make them feel worse than better.

Birthday Celebrations

Birthdays at work are a great idea but not everyone is in it for the cake. For anyone who is not a big fan of the spotlight, these celebrations are more unpleasant than pleasant & it is a benefit that doesn’t quite tick the boxes for everyone.

Office Massages

An office massage might sound like a luxury, but it’s never really useful. The experience is rushed & it doesn’t really deal with the issues of work stress.

Moreover, no one really wants a massage in the office, so this bonus works best as an afterthought rather than a remedy to workplace stress.

11 Outdated Office Rules Younger Workers Won’t Follow

Old office rules that just won’t work anymore for the younger generations.

11 Outdated Office Rules Younger Workers Won’t Follow

Ice Issues

Everyone uses the ice machine but cleaning them? That’s another story. These machines are a breeding ground for bacteria & mold because they’re not the easiest to clean.

As such, the next time you hear the clink of ice in your glass, just remember that it might include some unwelcome company. That’s why I stopped ordering iced drinks at restaurants because knowing that I could get sick from eating some ice is rather annoying.

Soda Fountain Fiascos

Similarly, soda fountains are just as difficult to clean (especially around the nozzle), which causes a build-up of mold and bacteria.

It’s enough to make you think twice about going for that refill. I don’t want to think about germs while I’m sipping a Coca-Cola.

Pass the Germs, Please

Think about the last time you grabbed the salt shaker at a table; now think about how many others did the same and didn’t wash their hands.

Yes, items like salt shakers, menus & ketchup bottles don’t get cleaned as much as they should be. People pass them around all day, and with each hand that holds them, they get more germs.

Yesterday’s Leftovers

The daily special might not be so special after all as it can actually be a way for restaurants to use up ingredients that are about to go bad.

It’s not exactly wrong but it does make you wonder if you’re actually getting the freshest meal. Or are you merely helping the kitchen with its spring cleaning?

I’d rather stick to eating at home; at least it’s fresh.

The Lettuce Lowdown

Even though fast-food salads might seem like the healthier choice, that iceberg lettuce is prone to bacteria. Why? Because it’s mostly water, and not handled as carefully as it should be.

Let’s not forget that the dressing on top often includes more calories & sugar than you probably expect. It’s easier to eat healthy by making my own food instead.

Hidden Calories Everywhere

A lot of the time, restaurant food includes lots of oils & butter that can quickly turn that “healthy” option on the menu into something else.

As such, eating out can make you pile on calories if you’re not careful. You should look at the nutritional info if it’s available, or at least ask how things are prepared.

Watch Out for Cross-Contamination

For anyone with food allergies, eating out is more difficult than it should be. Even if a restaurant tries to be careful, the fast-paced kitchen environment & shared surfaces may cause accidental allergen exposure.

You might think you’re being safe but you can never truly know unless you’re making the food yourself.

The Waste Behind the Meals

Restaurants can be rather wasteful since they’ll throw out unsold food at the end of the day; that’s a major environmental issue.

It’s enough to make the entire dining experience a little worse since for every meal enjoyed, there’s a good chance something else is being wasted. This food for thought made me stop visiting restaurants.

The Hardworking Heroes

Many restaurant workers are working rather hard for not a lot of pay which often causes high staff turnover. Sometimes this causes a drop in the care that goes into the service you receive.

These people are an important part of the whole restaurant experience. I refuse to support such unfair working conditions, so I stopped going.

Menu Magic Tricks

Menus can be difficult since they use fancy descriptions to make dishes sound more appealing than they might actually be.

That “Italian flatbread with mozzarella and olives” they’re talking about? It’s often just frozen pizza and nowhere near the price it should be.

While it’s often a bit of marketing magic, these menu descriptions gave me enough letdowns to stop bothering.

Quality or Cost-Cutting?

Not all ingredients are created equal and sometimes restaurants cut corners to save on costs.

As such, the quality of what you’re eating might not be as high as you’d hope, with frozen ingredients used instead of fresh; or lower-quality options instead. What’s the point in going if you’re going to get something sub-par?

The Real Cost of Convenience

The convenience of eating out comes with a hidden price tag that involves more than the bill at the end of the meal. When I started really tracking my expenses, I noticed a lot of my budget was going towards restaurants & takeout.

The taxes, the tips—it’s way more expensive to eat out than if I had cooked at home.

13 Pet Peeves Of Restaurant Servers

There are also plenty of things diners do without realizing they’re making a server’s shift harder, which interrupt the rhythm of service or slow things down when the restaurant’s already stretched thin.

13 Pet Peeves Of Restaurant Servers

Some people just do not want meat to taste wild

You certainly can’t pretend that Wild game meat is the same as beef because you’ll notice the difference almost immediately. It has a stronger and earthier flavor, for starters. There’s also the fact that some cuts taste slightly metallic, and that taste lingers for much longer, too.

No matter how many times you try to chew, the taste is still there, and it can be quite hard for most Canadians to get used to it. We tend to decide that a single bite is all that we’re ever going to handle of it.

It goes too far

Montreal smoked meat sounds simple enough since it’s just cured and smoked brisket stacked into a sandwich. Unfortunately, brisket is often more than one simple thing. Delis offer the lean or medium kind, as well as fatty cuts, and these can get rather intense, rather quickly. 

There’s a thick layer of rendered fat running through each slice. Soon enough, the sandwich starts tasting rather greasy, and that’s sadly a natural part of how Montreal smoked meat works. It’s where the appeal of it all disappears for some people.

One tiny ingredient starts arguments

Butter tarts should be harmless enough because they’re just pastries filled with sugar, butter, and egg. But then the raisins appear, and everything changes. The real issue is texture because the smooth and sticky filling has chewy bits that break it up.

Not everyone’s into that. Sure, there are some people who love the taste, but you’ll find just as many people who would rather pass as soon as they see raisins in the tart. It really isn’t for everyone.

Some dishes lose people before the first bite

Flipper pie has quite a long history behind it. However, it’s the name alone that stops a lot of people from wanting to try it because, as the name suggests, it’s made from flippers. Namely, it’s made from harp seal flippers that are cooked into a meat pie with vegetables and gravy.

Knowing that the dish contains such an odd ingredient is enough for some people to avoid the dish altogether. They’d rather not get involved with a dish that’s genuinely like the name suggests, certainly not in a good way.

The name is not helping

Another Canadian dish with a strange name is jellied moose nose. Yes, it’s as gross as it sounds. You prepare the dish by boiling a moose’s nose and then letting the broth set into a gelatin, similar to how you make head cheese. That description alone turns off most Canadians.

Jellied moose nose is sliced cold and has a firm texture that’s a lot like jelly, but nowhere near as delicious. The taste itself is bad, sure. Then there’s the look and the texture, all of which hit at the same time to make something truly disgusting. 

The sauce catches people off guard

One of the famous dishes in Nova Scotia is the Halifax donair, although it’s the sauce that tends to trip people up. You don’t get something savory. No, instead, the sauce is made from sweetened milk, sugar, vinegar, and garlic, which is too much for many Canadians to handle.

We expect to bite down into a classic meat wrap, but instead, we get sweetness first, followed by some tanginess. Then comes the garlic. It’s hardly a subtle mix of flavors, and the fact that the dish pulls you in so many different directions at once is uncomfortably weird.

It lands like a brick

For anyone who’s not aware, toutons are essentially fried bread dough served with molasses. Sounds simple enough, right? A few Canadians feel tempted to buy one for breakfast because they sound pretty filling, and sure, they are. But they’re also so much worse.

Toutons are dense and slightly greasy, while the heavy syrup they’re usually paired with doesn’t make things much better. They’re manageable when they’re fresh. They’re awful when they’re not, as the texture becomes thick and oily, making chewing the toutons a lot harder than they should be.

Plain is doing a lot of damage here

The thing with bannock is that when it’s good, it’s really good. Unfortunately, most people don’t get the good version first, as they get the dry, thick one and feel immediately turned off by it. It’s the kind of dish that manages to sound both heavy and crumbly at the same time. Gross.

The bad versions of bannock have no real life or strong flavor. There’s nothing pulling it together, and when you take a bite, you might expect some bread, but you actually get something that simply sits there. It’s hard to enjoy something that plain.

It tastes like more fish than people expected

People hear that Arctic char tastes like something between salmon and trout, so they think they’re playing it safe. They’re not. All it takes is a single bite to realize that the flavor is a lot more intense than they realize, as Arctic char is oily in a way that coats your entire mouth.

The flavor also lasts for a lot longer than it should. Anyone used to mild white fish might want to avoid eating Arctic char because it feels a lot more like you’re jumping straight into the deep end. You’re getting all the flavor, regardless of whether you want it, when it’s grilled or pan-seared.

It feels like old pantry food because it is

Speaking of fish, fish and brewis is one of those Canadian meals that made sense when people had to make food last months. That’s not how things are anymore, though.

Fish and brewis are simply salted cod mixed with hard bread, both of which are foods made for storage rather than comfort.

It’s a plate that’s as soft as it is tough, salty but also flat. Don’t forget about the heaviness.

Unfortunately, there’s nothing about it that really stands out, and it usually ends up blending into something that tastes like survival food. It’s not something anyone would willingly choose to eat now.

Texture does all the damage

Yes, you could try explaining all day long that Cod tongues aren’t really tongues, but that won’t make them taste any better. The texture is simply awful. The outside is crispy when it’s fried, yet the inside tastes more like jelly, with a horrible bounce to match when you bite into it.

Of course, there are some people willing to push through that taste, yet most people don’t. Your brain simply isn’t expecting that kind of texture from something that looks like fried seafood. It’s hard to get over such an awful surprise.

It can look like dinner gave up

‘Pale’ doesn’t even begin to describe a bowl of Hodge Podge, which is a dish made from potatoes, beans, peas, and carrots. They sit together in a light cream base that has barely any colours in it.

Really, it’s no wonder so many Canadians are turned off before they even take a bite, and those brave enough to try soon realize that it’s as dull as it looks.

It’s not much more than soft vegetables with a mild flavor. While there’s nothing explicitly wrong with such a dish, there’s also nothing that really stands out, and it doesn’t feel like the dish is trying at all.

Dessert is not supposed to feel this heavy

Dessert is supposed to feel like a break from the main course, but it seems that Figgy Duff didn’t get that message. The dessert feels more like an entire commitment because every bite is dense instead of being fluffy.

That’s mostly because Figgy Duff is made of flour and molasses.

The raisins don’t make it any lighter either because they add more chew to something that’s already quite heavy. With each bite, you might expect it to get easier. It doesn’t.

No, the dessert stays as thick and slightly sticky as it was at the start, which is enough to turn people off it for life.

The name sets a strange mood

A dish with a name like ‘Blueberry grunt’ was always destined to fail. It’s a mix of soft dumplings in hot blueberry sauce that, somehow, always ends up collapsing into itself, and it’s neither pie nor cobbler. It’s also not anything worth eating. 

Each scoop leads to the entire ‘dessert’ falling apart, leaving you with a texture that’s way too soft. Blueberry grunt is the same all the way through, without any kind of structure or contrast. All you’ll get is spoonful after spoonful of the same darn thing.

Sweet and savory stop cooperating

Most people expect beans to be something savory, and that’s part of the reason that Maple baked beans are so hated. All that sweetness makes the entire dish feel off. It’s completely sweet, and you end up with a syrupy flavor that coats practically everything, but not in a good way.

The beans taste more like a dessert than a real side dish. Most Canadians try a few bites and struggle to work out what they’re eating anymore, or what they’re even supposed to do with such sheer sweetness.

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

12 Canadian foods many Americans dislike

The most normal Canadian food causes real issues around the border. Americans react more strongly than you’d expect.

12 Canadian foods many Americans dislike

Experiences

Many people are choosing to travel instead of paying for a big wedding. They save money this way and also spend on what really gets them excited.

This includes once-in-a-life experiences and memories that organizing a party will never give them.

Freedom

Many people these days want the freedom to make a last minute decision to fly to Paris or trek a mountain pass if they want to. It’s an incredibly freeing feeling.

In a marriage, people have to make joint decisions and often cut out risks for the sake of family. Many are choosing freedom over this restriction.

Pressure

It’s quite liberating to escape the cookie-cutter life script that society has laid out. No more hearing, “When

Travel allows many people to escape the cookie-cutter life that society often expects. By making their intentions clear to travel, they escape the pressure to marry that many young people succumb to.

They’re trying to prove there’s more to life than just following the crowd.

Diverse Lifestyles

For those questioning the traditional marriage-home-kids package, meeting people who live with different priorities is rather validating.

Suddenly, you’re not just reading about alternative ways of living in a blog post; you’re living it & breathing it.

Self-Discovery

Being in a new place makes you see yourself differently as it strips away the familiar, challenging you to grow & discover who you really are. It’s a journey of self-discovery that many people think is more fulfilling than the journey to the altar.

With each place you visit, you’ll deal with challenges that turn you into a stronger, more independent version of yourself.

Commitment

The world’s in no rush so why should you be? More people choose to explore & understand the world around them before deciding to settle down; there’s nothing wrong with that.

When you travel, you improve your life with new experiences and perspectives. You might even find a purpose that doesn’t fit the conventional mold.

Career

Work can happen from anywhere these days and that makes staying put less attractive. Traveling helps your career in ways staying in one place might not, including international networking & unique job opportunities abroad.

As such, many career-focused people believe that the globe-trotting lifestyle is much more appealing than domestic bliss.

Authentic Connections

Those friends you make when you travel can become lifelong ones in just a few days. Shared adventures forge deep connections and for many people these authentic relationships are more fulfilling than those that come from a more settled life.

These connections are real and often more impactful than you might expect.

Non-Traditional Relationships

Speaking of relationships, travel gives you new possibilities for connections that don’t fit the traditional marriage mold.

For example, they might find some long-distance love or open relationships. Even though these relationships aren’t always easy, the understanding that love isn’t confined by geography can be a huge benefit.

Uncertainty

There’s such a thrill in not knowing where you’ll be next month, next week or even tomorrow.

Unlike the structure of marriage, travel forces you to accept the unknown and simply see where life takes you. And that’s why, for thrill-seekers & lovers of spontaneity, nothing beats the feeling of traveling.

Unique Story

Finally, choosing travel over marriage allows you to tell a story that’s all your own. That’s quite important these days since everyone seems to be following the same script.

Being the author of your own unique story is darn cool. Beyond the destinations, each chapter is yours to write and the best part? There’s no telling how it’ll end.

Couples who travel together often have these 10 habits

Beyond taking some cool pics for Instagram & ticking off bucket list destinations, traveling with your significant other brings you closer. Here are ten habits that seasoned traveling pairs swear by.

Couples who travel together often have these 10 habits