Work + Money

By Coupons.com's Jeanette Pavini for GalTime.com

Don't be 'scared' of Halloween costs!

Is the rising cost of Halloween starting to SCARE you? Candy, costumes and decorations-- they all add up. But Halloween doesn't have to be an expensive holiday. Coupons.com Household Savings Expert Jeanette Pavini has some tips on how to keep the costs low... and the spirits high this Halloween.

1. Smashing Pumpkins: Buy your pumpkins the day before Halloween. You won't get as your pick of the patch, but they'll be 50% off. Carve the pumpkin too early and it will DOA before Halloween. Don't want to mess with carving? Get some mileage out of it; if you have young ones use stickers, colored markers or paint to decorate a pumpkin that will last through Thanksgiving. Now that's something to scream about.

2. Save on Costumes: Buying brand new costumes yearly can get expensive, many are overpriced and there's a good chance they will only be worn once. Try children's resale shops and get a costume that looks like n

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By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

A bookcase, a rocking chair, a Dell computer monitor, infant formula, kids clothes, gift bags, a bathroom sink -- these are just a few of the things people were giving away for free recently on our local branch of the Freecycle Network. See something you could use? The Freecycle Network is a potential gold mine for frugal consumers seeking free stuff online.

Related: Inexpensive laptop reviews

What The Freecycle Network Is. The Freecycle Network connects people who want to give away and acquire free stuff online with the stated goal of keeping it out of landfills. This all happens locally. What started as one small email group in Arizona in 2003 has grown into 5,061 groups and more than 9 million total members throughout the country and the world. The nonprofit organization is run by volunteers.

How The Freecycle Network Works. Start by visiting Freecycle.org to search for your location and request to join the group that covers your a

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The checkout is arguably the most important part of any retail experience, online or offline. All the effort you may put in to get customers is wasted if your checkout doesnt let them pay for their goods or services in a simple manner.

Some common problems with checkouts are the process itself, operational and easy-of-use issues.

• According to a Forrester Research study, 23% of users are found to exit when they have to register. Problems with payment methods, issues with localization and complex registration processes can lead to a shopper switching off instantly.
• Some issues that may not directly be caused by checkout functionality still cause people to abandon their purchases, the major culprit being shipping costs. It needs to be clearly stated what it will cost to get the product to them when a buyer chooses it.
• Site speed is also responsible for a buyer abandoning their shopping cart at the checkout stage. Proper website maintenance is crucial to ensure that th

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Last July, I was involuntarily bumped from a United flight, kicking off a 16-hour travel odyssey from New York to Seattle to Portland. While there are some people who try to get bumped from flights to collect vouchers and upgrades, this was the furthest thing from my mind as I tried to make my way to the northwest to attend a close friend's wedding.

The only redeeming outcome of missing my flight: "If people are involuntarily bumped, they should realize they have the right to insist on cash," Bill Mosley, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, tells Yahoo! Shine.

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How much depends on how inconvenienced you are. If you get to your final destination within an hour, don't expect anything. If you arrive between one and two hours late, the airline owes you 200% of your one-way fare, a $650 maximum. If you arrive more than two hours later, or if the airline doesn't help you get to your final destination, they owe you 40

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Dragging at work? Scientists say you should take a time out to eyeball YouTube vids of puppies playing or otters holding hands. Seriously.

By Korin Miller

A series of studies from Japan's Hiroshima University found that people are more focused and careful after they look at adorable images.

Related: How to Work With Someone You Can't Stand

In one of the studies, researchers had participants play the game Operation. They were asked to work at their own pace and try to get the highest score before they were divided into two groups.

One group was then shown seven photos of puppies and kittens, and asked to rate how cute and exciting (um...very!) each pic was. Another group was shown pics of adult cats and dogs and ask to rate them, too. Afterward, they all played another round of Operation.

Related: 15 Ways to Save Money (And Still Have a Life)

Get this: People who saw the puppy and kitten pics did 44 percent better in the second round than they did the first time. And the c

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