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Education

9 super simple things people can do to save money that are often overlooked

Doing all of these things really adds up.

man driving, woman flossing
Photo credit: Canva

People might not consider driving the speed limit to taking care of your teeth as money-savers, but they are.

No matter how the economy is doing at any given time, people are always looking for ways to save money. Rents go up. Job losses happen. Kids need braces. Retirement looms.

Financial advice often focuses on where to put your money for the best returns, but that advice is only helpful if you have extra money to save or invest. Money-saving tips can help free up some cash to save or invest, and they can also help you avoid having to put borrow money or use credit for things you can't immediately afford.

While some people understandably scoff at frugal tips like "eat less avocado toast"—as if saving a few bucks here and there will solve the housing crisis or make college affordable—there is something to be said for small amounts adding up. For instance, not buying a soda when you're eating out to save $4 may not seem like much, but if you did that once a week, you'd save over $200 in a year. Not a fortune, but nothing to sneeze at either.

And if you start combining lots of small money-saving habits like that, you may be surprised at what a difference it makes. Here are nine super simple ways people can save money—but often don't—from users on Reddit:

Take good care of your teeth

"An ounce of prevention's worth a pound of cure," as the saying goes. Toothbrushes and dental floss are cheap. Cavities, root canals and gum disease are wicked expensive. Good oral hygiene may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to saving money, but ask anyone who has neglected their teeth how much it has cost them in the long run.

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"Take care of your teeth: brush and floss everyday - preventative care now will save you THOUSANDS later if you need major dental work!

"Yup. This is often overlooked advice. My mom had lost most of her teeth by the time she was my age (40). She always said that this was her biggest regret in life. Because of this, my siblings and I have always been pretty good about taking care of our teeth. Right now my mom has dentures that don't fit well because she lost another of her remaining teeth but can't afford new dentures."

"As someone who has paid a thousand and will pay many thousands more in the near future…yes. Take care of your teeth."

"Can confirm! Just spent 20,000 on my teeth. Talk about eye opening!!!"

Only drink water

Drinks are expensive, and not just fancy ones. A basic soda will set you back $3 or $4 minimum at most restaurants, and everything else goes up from there. Water is free. Even at home, you can save a lot by simply drinking water. It's a simple rule that helps improve the health of your body as well as your bank account.

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"Drink water at restaurants and not soda."

"Only drink water. Not only will you save money, but your body will love you for this as well. Win\win."

"Water is my biggy. Don't drink soda period. Filtered at home. Doing this for 5 years and seriously tastes so good."

"Yep. Just take a look at what restaurants charge for a soda. It's usually around $3 now. Then, look at how many empty calories are in a 20 oz soda. It's basically 10% of your daily value on just one drink. Not worth it."

"If I learned anything in the military... drinking more water solves 99% of all problems."

Use the library (not just for books)

Free reading material? No brainer. But libraries have so many more free services that people often don't know about. From movies to language learning apps to artwork and tools you can check out, the range of things you can get from the library is wild. Definitely worth checking out your local public library's offerings if you haven't lately.

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"Make use of free services. Mostly, the local library. Sometimes there's a feeling that just because it's free it's trashy or peasant-like. I don't need to pay to see something in order to feel good about it. And libraries are amazing! Free books! Audio books! So many things."

"My library has tools and equipment available to borrow. Before going to big orange to rent a pressure washer, floor sander, paint sprayer, or post auger, I always check the library first lol"

"Public libraries are a gold mine for (almost) free. Ask them about their other options (than books, movies, music, etc.). Many libraries offer museum passes. I’ve heard of fishing poles. My library has a seed library."

"Ours you can check out a sewing machine. Plus attend a free workshop to learn how to sew!"

Ditch DoorDash

I know. All of those food delivery services are so convenient. But they're also soooo expensive. If you're in money-saving mode, definitely avoid these services like the plague. Just pretend they don't exist (because they literally didn't until very recently).

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"This. Your meal is easily 50% more expensive when you factor in delivery fees and a tip. and some restaurants charge more on door dash than they do in-person."

"Delivery fee? That's just the tip of it! Ever notice how there still is a bunch of extra fees on top even when they offer you the delivery fee for free?"

"And to make it worse, I tell myself that I have to order more food to justify the delivery fee! So now just paying more and overeating."

"It really is an addictive habit. We started using it during the pandemic and it really just was a bit of convenience that we found hard to give up because it was so easy... Pick up your phone, order, get delivery, eat, done... Every time we saw the card, we knew that the delivery fees were what was pushing our eating out budget way over but after a hard day of work and school, it was easy to convince ourselves that delivery is a worthwhile indulgence and the expenses add up real quick. It took us a lot of introspection and telling ourselves that we were 'sacrificing' for the future, and all that to stop ordering via delivery apps and within a couple of months, we saw us being closer to managing our budget."

Drop addictive substances

Addiction is a huge and tricky challenge, for sure, and I don't want to minimize how difficult this tip might be for some. But drinking, drugs, smoking, vaping, gambling—they all cost a lot of money. And the addictive nature of them means that you'll just keep spending more and more.

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"Quit addictive habits: Smoking, drinking, coffee, weed, etc. They're all expensive and you'd save a bundle quitting. But people don't because they think those things make life better. Some do and some don't, but the monetary savings can't be discounted. If you're broke, don't smoke or drink. Some people truly need weed for health problems. But nobody needs the others."

"Stop drinking and smoking, the government punishes you with a sin tax and makes big time bank of your vices."

"Seems obvious but quitting smoking. I see so many people complain about being broke but spend hundreds a month on ciggs."

"Stop drinking, smoking and going out so often. You'd be surprised how good sobriety feels! Even if you continue, just slow down!"

Say no to storage

Most of us have too much stuff. There is an entire industry around trying to help people pare down and "declutter," and there's an entire industry dedicated to renting people space to store their excess stuff. Making a rule to only hold onto the belongings that actually fit in your home will save you a lot of money in storage.

"More prevalent in the US, but get rid of your storage unit and most of the stuff in it. More often than not, you're paying more to store things that it would cost to buy it all again. If you can't fit it in your home, re-evaluate if you really need it."

"There are so many huge storage unit buildings in my area and it makes no sense to me. How important can this stuff be if you can't fit it in your home? I understand there are certain situations that require for a short term solution."

"That was my goal for 2022, Took me a few Saturdays to go through everything but it was worth it. I'm having over $200 a month now."

Cook at home a lot more

Even when inflation makes grocery prices uncomfortably high, it's still almost always cheaper—often significantly so—to cook food at home compared to eating out. Yes, that even goes for fast food. There are a million videos and social media channels dedicated to cooking and recipes can be found for free all over the internet.

via GIPHY

"Cook at home 98% of the month."

"Cooking/meal prepping VS Eating out every night."

"Batch cooking saves both time and money. Like you can spend 2 hours making meals for the rest of the week. Paying 8-15 dollars to eat out adds up very, very fast, if you do it regularly, to keep up with work or personal schedules."

"Learn to cook what you like to eat."

Drive the speed limit

This isn't one people usually think about, but driving the speed limit saves you money in several ways. For one, it's gas-efficient, and with the cost of gas in some places, it's worth easing up on the gas pedal. Second, speeding tickets are expensive, plus they lead to higher insurance premiums.

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"For those that don't get this: driving the speed limit avoids citations but also saves you gas, extends oil life and tires some, extends brakes quite a bit, and just generally lowers the wear and tear on your vehicle."

"This is so underrated, I don’t think enough people realize the extra cost of driving fast."

"It also only gets you there maybe 1-2 min faster, at best. Hitting Traffic lights at the wrong time will ruin any gains made by speeding. And only if you don’t get caught. Get caught and get points on your license, a fee, and it delays you 20-30 minutes."

"Your car insurance rates go up when you get tickets also. Get too many, and they may drop you."

"My step-sister was saying she pays the city about $500 a month in speeding tickets and parking tickets. The real wild thing is she said it like its a normal thing everyone has to deal with, like she was shocked when we didn't say 'Well that's <CITY> for you. What can ya do?'"

Fix things yourself

Many people never consider trying to fix something themselves, assuming that sort of thing is best left to the experts. But there are so many resources now with YouTube videos and such that can help walk you through a lot of fix-it projects that can save you boatloads. Not everything can be a DIY, of course, but probably more than you might think.

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"I've saved thousands of dollars by repairing things myself following YouTube videos. Washer, dryer, automotive stuff, cell phone screen replacements, etc."

"There is a website, repairclinic.com. They not only have tons of videos on how to fix stuff, but they also sell parts. I have a dryer that’s over 40 years old. I can’t get parts for it in regular stores. That website has been a lifesaver! I’ve been able to keep the thing going for the last decade and it works great! I’ve spent maybe $75 over the years to keep it running. Definitely cheaper than a new one."

"If you tackle things within reason it saves a butt load of money. $350 mechanic bill turns into $16 part and 1hr of your time."



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Art

In 125 years, millions of people have looked at this painting. No one really saw it until recently.

Van Gogh saw something it took scientists another 100 years to see.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Van Gogh's Starry Night, 1889.

Vincent van Gogh never got to enjoy his own historic success as an artist (even though we've been able to imagine what that moment might have looked like). Van Gogh died in 1890 at the age of 37 in Auvers-sur-Oise, France after shooting himself in the chest with a revolver. It was a tragic end to a turbulent life marked by mental instability and severe self-doubt.

According to the Van Gogh Museum, in a letter to his brother Theo in 1890, just a couple of weeks before his death, Van Gogh wrote, "...my life, is attacked at the very root, my step also is faltering." The man was struggling and exhausted. The high standards he had set for himself and his art were taking a toll. He was unsure about his future and, up to this point, had not received much recognition for his work and thought himself a failure "as a man and as an artist."

His most well-known work, Starry Night, was famously painted while Van Gogh was staying in an asylum in France 1889 after he mutilated his ear during a psychotic episode. According to the Van Gogh Museum, though, this may not be the full story. While it is widely agreed that Van Gogh did in fact cut off his own ear, the museum notes that it was because of a fight between Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin, the artist he had been working for in Aries, that led to the violent explosion that highlighted his deteriorating mental state.

Vincent Van Gogh, artist, 19th century, famous artist, Starry NightVincent Van Gogh's Self-Portrait, 1889Image via Canva.

As one of the best known and most studied artists of the 19th century, Van Gogh's madness and how it influenced his work is not new information. But it turns out that those of us who have appreciated his work have been missing out on some critical details for more than 100 years—revealed in the 2010s thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope.

A video at the bottom of the page will explain everything, but before we get there, let's do some backstory:

We known Van Gogh was an artist—and a genius artist at that—but, it turns out, he was also scientist. Kind of.

Whether intentionally or not, fresh eyes have found that Van Gogh's art—aside from being breathtaking—also captures one of science and nature's most elusive concepts: Turbulence.

The concept of turbulence is hard to understand with math, but it turns out art makes it fairly easy to comprehend through depiction. So, what is turbulence?

According to Britannica, turbulence, or turbulent flow, is a concept of fluid dynamics in which a type of fluid flow (liquid or gas like air or water or air) undergoes an irregular fluctuation or energy cascade. In other words, the air or water swirls and eddies as it moves: big eddies make smaller eddies, and those make even smaller ones, and so on. Common examples of turbulent flow include blood flow in arteries, lava flow, atmosphere and ocean currents, and the flow in boat wakes or surrounding the tips of aircraft wings.

It looks like this:

figures, flow, turbulence, turbulent flow, science, movementTurbulent flow illustrated and animated.All Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.

The thing is, scientists only started figuring this out pretty recently.

turbulence, turbulent flow, science, nature, researchAnimation of art referencing science.All Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.

And yet, there was Mr. Vincent van Gogh, 100 years earlier in his asylum with a mutilated ear and able to accurately capture this turbulent flow in what would become his most famous work, Starry Night.

Starry Night, Van Gogh, turbulence, art, art captures scienceAnimated Starry NightAll Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.

The folks who noticed Van Gogh's ability to capture turbulence checked to see whether other artists did the same. Most of the Impressionists achieved "luminance" with their art—a striking and lifelike depiction of light's effect on color. While impressive, they did not capture or depict turbulence the way Van Gogh did.

The Scream, Edvard Munch, art, popular art, history, painting An animated depiction of The Scream.All Van Gogh GIFs via TED-Ed.

Not even Edvard Munch's The Scream, with it's swirling color and movement, could recreate what Van Gogh had accomplished.

Even in his darkest time, Van Gogh was able to capture—with eerie accuracy—one of nature's most complex and confusing concepts 100 years before scientists had the technology to do so.

Who would have thought that the beauty Van Gogh captured was foreshadowing what scientists would observe in the real, natural world in a century's time? To learn even more, watch the TED-Ed video below:

- YouTubeyoutu.be

This article originally appeared twelve years ago. It has been updated.

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Wellness

A professor reveals the secret of how to make 'gratitude lists' really work

"Those adults are regularly moved to tears to learn of the positive impact they had."

Photo credit: Canva

A woman crosses her arms in gratitude. A person writes a letter.

It's true that "gratitude" has become a buzzword and the very idea of it seems trite and empty to some. For others, the world might feel too chaotic at the moment to focus on the tiny, good things we're told to hang onto. But a professor of psychology at Gonzaga University gave some insight on how to make the concept of gratitude truly enhance our lives.

It's easy to take things for granted sometimes. Keeping a list of stuff we're grateful for, big and small, can certainly help put life into perspective—and not just items at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (like air and water), but all along the pyramid. It can change daily from "I got good sleep last night" to "I'm glad the TV show I like is back for a new season."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

There's a guy on TikTok called David the Grateful Guy (@today.iam.grateful), and as you might have guessed, he posts clips of different things for which he's grateful. One day, he expressed his appreciation for salt. That’s it. Just salt.

@today.iam.grateful

Today I am grateful for salt! Anyone else add salt to almost everything?! #grateful #gratitude #gratitudejournal #todayiamgrateful #thankfulfor #salt #gratitudepractice

What was extra special is this short video garnered nearly 5,000 comments, binding a community together with jokes and "salt-recognition." It was the sharing of his gratitude that spread joy, more than the salt itself. Kind of like a "Oh yeah, salt IS nice." (Note: a cardiologist might not share this sentiment.)

Professor Monica Y. Bartlett, who in her own words teaches "courses on resilience and human flourishing," shares how important it is to do this. She writes in The Conversation that aside from being aware of your gratitude, "a second method for practicing is expressing that gratitude to others. This can look like writing a letter of gratitude and delivering it to someone who has made a positive impact in your life."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

This can even be a letter in retrospect for someone who has passed on. The act of expressing one's appreciation is just as important as the appreciation itself. Now, this can't always be implemented, but when it can, it might be extremely impactful. Bartlett continues, "When my students do this exercise, it often results in touching interactions. For instance, my college students often write to high school mentors, and those adults are regularly moved to tears to learn of the positive impact they had. Expressing gratitude in work settings can boost employees’ sense of social worth."

A thread, "What's something you're most grateful for?" yielded many comments on Reddit. Lots of people answered food, shelter, air, family. But a few got specific. One person vulnerably shared, "Being gay in a country that doesn't illegalize it. It's still hard, but at least I don’t have to fear for my life."

Another person answered, "Coca-Cola. I'm a simple gal," and another got more specific, "Great red wine—spend a little more than £15 a bottle—but no more than £80—and pick good company (this bit is more important than the absolute price of the wine) and you have a fantastic evening."

red wine, gratitude, friendship, clinking glasses, relaxingPeople clinking their glasses of red wine for a cheers. Photo by Kelsey Knight on Unsplash

And one commenter simply wrote, "I'm grateful to see another day." Perhaps implementing the idea of writing gratitude letters to all the people who help make them feel that way would even triple the impact of happiness. To end with Bartlett's insightful words, "In a world that may currently feel bleak, a letter of gratitude may not only help the writer recognize the good of others, but also let others know that they are making a beautiful difference in the world."

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Joy

A woman accidentally said, 'Love you!' to an important client. His response was perfect.

He even followed up with a heartwarming e-mail.

Photo credit: Canva

Saying "I love you!" by accident is one of life's most cringe moments.

For many of us, telling our friends and family that we love them is second nature. Every time someone leaves the house, "Love you!" Before bed at night, "Love you!" Getting off a call with them, "Love you!"

That's all well and good until that sweetly ingrained habit spills over into your work life. Especially when you're talking to an important client, where the boundaries of professional conduct are particularly important to uphold. (Do you feel the cringe coming?)

I Love You Elf GIF by MOODMANGiphy

A woman shared an oh-so-human story about absent-mindedly telling a client she loved him, and his thoughtful response has people cheering.

"Accidentally said 'Love you!' at the end of a call with an important client yesterday," wrote a Reddit user. "I heard him giggle as I hung up, and I was mortified. Today, I saw he emailed me this:"

The email began, "Hey—Just wanted to say that I didn't mean to laugh at you when you accidentally signed off on our call with a 'love you.' I just found it funny because I've definitely done that before, and I know it happens."

Okay, phew, he understood that the laughing was mortifying and he wasn't bothered by the "love you." But then he added the absolute best thing he could have said about the situation:

"I'm glad you have enough love in your life that that response comes naturally. If anything, you should be proud of that. :)"

Then he mercifully resumed their professional conversation. "Have a great weekend! We'll follow up about my call with Chris on Wednesday, as discussed."

embarrassing story, saying I love you on accident, workplace stories, professional communication"Love you!" Oops.Photo credit: Canva

He didn't just ignore the elephant in the room and let it hang over her like an awkward cloud. He put her at ease, letting her know he's done it before and it happens and is no big deal. But then he took it a step further, adding a deeper human layer to the moment by acknowledging the fact that the words flowing so automatically and easily for her meant she was surrounded by love.

The client's emotional intelligence and thoughtful response warmed people's hearts.

"What a great and respectful response. He is completely right, it’s such a beautiful thing to have that much love in your life that it comes out naturally."

"You work with good people."

"Honestly, this made my day 😂 It's so wholesome how they responded. Shows that a little kindness (even accidental) always leaves a good impression!"

"Such a classy response. Made you feel at ease while staying professional and moving the conversation forward."

"Green flags from that client."

Green Flag GIF by The Last Talk ShowGiphy

People also shared their own similar experiences with blurting out accidental "love you"s and it was a veritable love-fest:

"I told my supervisor I loved her at the end of our weekly touch point call - she chuckled and said she loved me too. We shared a good laugh. I am happy to see empathy from a random human, it is much needed."

"I said 'love you' to my new boss at labcorp when she called me to tell me I passed my drug test. Same thing, hanging up, not thinking, she gave me my results and my start date to come in for orientation and I ended the call with 'bye love you!'"

"Back in the day I straight up called one of my bosses mom. It was so embarrassing I almost died."

"A surprising number of people have done this at least once. Happens when you’re distracted and tired. My ex husband (a prosecutor) accidentally ended a phone call with 'I love you' when talking to a rural county sheriff in the middle of the night."

Embarrassed Hide GIF by florGiphy

"I had a coworker say 'love you,' just as we were about to hang up. There was an awkward pause, clearly neither of us had hung up, then he added, 'Don’t tell my wife.' We both laughed and finally disconnected."

"I did that with my ex husband last Thursday, we both burst out laughing lol. Happily we get along great and he and his fiancée are attending my wedding next week."

"Was on phone with my boss right after he had called his wife. He ended the call with "love you." Had so much fun telling him that while I cared for him, I didn't think it was love."

Embarrassing moments don't have to ruin your day—in fact, when handled like this client, they can turn into beautiful moments of human connection. This kind of relatability, empathy, and emotional intelligence makes us all feel better about our shared humanity, oopsies and all.

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Animals & Wildlife

Robert Irwin weighs in on the '100 men vs. 1 gorilla' debate with the best possible answer

In the most Irwin way, he turned the viral question on its head.

Queensland Police Service/Wikimedia Commons (left), Photo credit: Canva (center and right)

Robert Irwin's answer to who would win in a fight between 100 men and 1 gorilla settles the debate.

In 2020, a viral debate was launched on social media prompted by an intriguing question: Who would win in a fight between 100 men and 1 silverback gorilla? In the years since, the question has been reposed repeatedly, with people expressing diverse but vehement opinions about whether a gorilla is strong enough to take on 100 humans or whether the sheer number of people would be enough to overtake the powerful primate.

Silly question? Perhaps. Something people can't help weighing in on? Most definitely.


@cbsmornings

Could 100 men defeat one gorilla in a fight? #NateBurleson and the internet are on the case. #gorilla


Some might think the most prudent answer would be, "It depends. What size are the people, and what's their strategy for attacking or subduing the gorilla?" But Robert Irwin, the conservationist son of the late (and much beloved) wildlife expert Steve Irwin, actually provided a perfect answer that should end the debate once and for all.

Irwin took to TikTok to share that he's been asked the "Who would win in a fight between 100 humans and 1 gorilla?" question over and over recently, even having people stop him on the street to ask.

"I have a couple thoughts on this," he began. "First of all, I don't know. Gorillas are strong, mate. Like really strong. But it's a hundred people. I'm not sure." But, he said, as an animal conservationist, the entire idea of fighting an endangered species didn't sit right with him. Then he turned the question on its head.

"How many people does it take to save gorillas?" he asked. "That's the question we should be asking because there's not many of them left."

@robertirwin

Everyone here on TikTok keeps asking me about this viral ‘Human V Gorilla’ debate 😂 I'm finally weighing in on the discussion everyone is talking about.


He explained that yes, gorillas are super strong and powerful, but most of the time "they're pretty chill." A gorilla isn't going to just randomly pick a fight with 100 people. Unless they feel threatened and need to defend themselves, they're just going to go about doing their thing, as gorillas do. "I guess what I'm trying to say is we don't need to fight gorillas," concluded Irwin. "Maybe let's just let this one remain a mystery."

People loved Irwin's take and the way he turned the question on its head from fighting gorillas to saving them.

"This is real masculinity. Lover not a fighter."

"Him gentle parenting us like school children is sending me."

gif, gorilla, animals, conservation, naturegorilla hurrying GIFGiphy

"The main man has spoken. The debate is over."

"He really said, 'it’s never HOW is the gorilla.'"

"'How many people does it take to save gorillas' is the most Robert Irwin answer."

"Your dad would be proud ❤️ spoken like a true conservationist ❤️."

Robert Irwin has followed in his father's footsteps and become an environmental icon in his own right, with fans from all over the world following his passionate educational content about our planet's creatures. Many in the comments remarked that they didn't know that gorillas were endangered, but it's true. All species of gorilla are considered Endangered or Critically Endangered, according to Endangered Species International.

There are two main species of gorilla, the eastern and western gorilla, and the World Wildlife Fund reports that both species have been decreasing in number for decades. However, the mountain gorilla subspecies is the sole exception, with numbers on the rise thanks to concerted conservation efforts. Mountain gorillas were officially downgraded from Critically Endangered to Endangered in November 2018, a genuine conservation success story.

However, there are still only around 1,000 mountain gorillas in the world today, so that turnaround in numbers is a fragile success. And other species still need our help to save them from further demise.

gorillas, endangered species, gorilla vs 100 humansGorillas are generally pretty chill.Photo credit: Canva

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has been working on saving gorillas for over 55 years, focusing on a holistic approach that includes gorilla protection and ecosystem preservation, scientific research, training the next generation of conservationists, and helping local communities near gorilla populations. You can learn more here.

Thank you, Robert Irwin, for the gentle and timely reminder of what really matters in the gorilla vs. humans debate.

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Joy

Did you know that at least 10 baby names have been banned in the United States?

What happened to freedom of speech?

via Canva/Photos

A crying baby.

The names we give to our children can be very personal. They can reflect religious beliefs, family heritage, or have a special meaning attached to them, as in Grace, which means "divine favor," or Eli, which means "ascended." In the United States, people they are protected by the Constitution's First Amendment, freedom of speech, which allows us to name our babies whatever we like.

However, there have been some cases where the courts decided that a particular name is illegal, and, although it is infrequent, it has happened at least 10 times in the country. The most notable banned names are Misteri N-Word, King, Queen, Jesus Christ, III, Santa Claus, Majesty, Adolf Hitler, @, and 1069.

court, court reporter, legal system, plaintiff, judge, baliffA court reporter taking notes.via Canva/Photos

Why are these 10 names banned in the United States?

III (Roman numerals pronounced “three”)

Thomas Boyd Ritchie III was known by many of his friends simply as III. So, he petitioned the court to have his name changed to Roman numerals. Sadly, a California court rejected the name change because it was a symbol and a number. It’s illegal for people to have numbers in their names because they can’t be entered into state name databases.

Misteri (N-word)

In the California Superior Court case Lee v. Superior Court (1992), Russell Lawrence Lee wanted to change his name to Misteri (N-word). Lee believed that the name could be used to conquer racial hatred. Unfortunately for Lee, the court denied his request, saying the name constituted “fighting words.”

@ (pronounced “at”)

The address symbol, or @, has been banned in multiple jurisdictions because, like a numeral, it cannot be input into state database records.

Jesus Christ

The name of the Christian lord and savior has been banned in several U.S. states based on claims of blasphemy and the possibility of confusion.

jesus christ, heaven, god, divinity, holy trinity, religionDepiction of Jesus Christ in Heaven.via Canva/Photos

1069

In 1976, the North Dakota Supreme Court told high school teacher Michael Herbert Dengler that he could not change his name to “1069.” “The only way [my] identity can be expressed is 1069. The first character, 1, stands for my concept of nature which manifests itself as one individual among the various forms of life,” he noted. “I stand as a single entity amongst millions of other entities, animate and inanimate. But yet even though I am an entity unto myself, I am part of the whole of life which is one. I am one; life is one; and together we are one.”

He later moved to Minnesota and tried to change his name, but he was rejected again. Neither state allowed people to have numbers as their names.

Santa Claus

In December 1999, Robert William Handley of Ohio filed a petition to change his name to Santa Rob Claus, because he had played the Christmas character for the past 40 years, and was known as “Santa Rob” year-round. The court rejected his petition, saying it was “misleading to the children of the community.” Two years later, the Supreme Court of Utah allowed the name change.

santa claus, santa rob, banned names, christmas, saint nickA photo of Santa Claus.via Canva/Photos

Majesty, King, Queen

In several states, naming your child after a royal title is illegal to avoid confusion with actual royalty. Does Queen Latifah know this?

Adolf Hitler

If you want to name your child Adolf Hitler, you can’t do it in Texas. After the atrocities he committed in the 1930s and ‘40s, his name has no place in the Lone Star State. However, you can be named Adolf Hitler in New Jersey. Back in 2009, there was a big hubbub when the father of Adolf Hitler Campbell wanted his child’s name written on a birthday cake, and the proprietor of the business refused.

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