They say idle hands are the devil’s playground. Or is it an idle mind? When our twitching fingers tap from “add to bag” to “checkout” before we know what happened, it certainly feels like our good intentions of not spending money uselessly have been thwarted by a devilish boredom that whispers, pitchfork held aside, to go on ahead and just check to see if there are any good sales.

Budgeting is too often misunderstood. The problem: Many people look over their expenses after the money is gone. Then they get startled or—even less productively—embarrassed at how much money was spent on things like eating out or buying new clothing, and vow to cut back next month. It’s an endless cycle that does little to change your spending habits.

Having plenty of Halloween candy to pass out—and then some—is not optional. Which sparkly princess or toddling robot with an upturned, hopeful face and proffered bucket could you tell “Sorry, we ran out of treats”? Not happening. And then there’s the kids coming home with their hauls from which they’ll pick a designated ration of their favorites (plus your tithe) and all that leftover candy. Sometimes there’s way too much of a good thing.

A morning gone wrong can make us feel like the rest of the day is doomed, a thought which might all too easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course, there are things like the proverbial (and actual!) spilled milk that we can’t control, but there are plenty of things we can. Setting ourselves up for success in the morning is one of them. And it starts with the last ten minutes of the night before.

Little money-saving habits don’t ever feel like they’re doing much in the moment, but in the long run they can add up to significant savings. And, no, we’re not talking about the same well-worn advice to brew your own coffee or bring your lunch to work. These are at-home habits, most of which involve a minor change in your routine and might only take a few seconds each.

Springtime relief from winter weather is often, sadly, overshadowed by the suffering that comes from seasonal allergies. But you may not be as helpless against them as you think. Here are some sneaky little mistakes you might be making that, once remedied, could help give you some much-needed relief so you can actually enjoy the flowers and warm air and bird songs. Typically, air filters should be changed every three months. However, if you have pets, you’ll need to change them more often.

Crunching numbers quickly can give you answers to pressing real-life questions such as, "Is this shirt a good deal?" or "How much should I tip my Uber driver?"