No matter the subject, there are always myths that people believe. It can be something your mother always told you, something your best friend swears by, or something that is actually believed by a majority of society. Regardless of the source, it’s important to get down to the facts when making life decisions based on a claim — you may be falling for a myth and actually be making the wrong call!

At Infocarnivore, we’re all about highlighting helpful and/or visually appealing infographics. With that in mind, we decided to pull together four infographics that highlight myths that many people believe but shouldn’t. These aren’t specific to one subject either — read on to get the facts.

1. Myth: You need to put down 20% of the price up front in order to buy a home.

Thanks to the National Association of Realtors, an incredibly reputable source on the topic, we now know this isn’t the case. According to their data, around 2 out of 3 homeowners used 6% or less for their down payment. With the cost of homes on the rise, and at sky-high prices in some cities, this is understandable. A 20% down payment on a $500,000 home would be a whopping $100,000 — the price of an entire house in some other areas.

With this in mind, don’t avoid home buying because you think it’s just not possible because of the down payment. Meet with a realtor and get the information you need that is specific to your area, then make your decision based on this knowledge, not myths.

 

2. Myth: You can get the flu from the flu vaccine.

This is an especially hot topic when flu season hits, and people start to get sick. Perhaps when you were in high school, you wished for a cold so you could stay home from school. But as an adult, especially if you have children, something like the flu or even a cold can make it difficult to meet all of your responsibilities at home and at work. Luckily, you can put your mind at ease when considering a flu shot. Although over 86% of people in the United States believe it will, it actually doesn’t have the potential to give you the flu.

 

3. Myth: You have to wash all bagged lettuce before using it.

Food safety is a very important topic to understand — there’s no question. It can be difficult if you’re a meal-planner and you like to buy a lot of food in advance. But it’s important to know when it’s still safe to eat something, or if it’s time to throw it away. Furthermore, it’s also necessary to know when you’re going too far when trying to be safe with food. One common misconception is on the subject of bagged lettuce. Because there are many fresh foods that must be washed before eating, many believe that you need to wash all bagged greens before using them. The truth is that you don’t. Many are pre-washed, so you can save yourself the water and time used to wash them, and instead just get started on eating or cooking!

 

4. Myth: It’s easy and a “deal” to get a free flight from airline credit cards.

There’s no question that it does make sense to have a rewards credit card to earn points on money you’re going to spend anyway (assuming, of course, that you’re paying your bill off on time and not accruing interest). The credit card companies try to make it seem as easy as possible understandably, but it’s important to understand how much you’ll actually have to spend to earn that free flight. A new credit card study shows that it’s not as easy and cheap as you might think — you’ll have to spend $17,000 – $37,500 depending on which card you have.