If you could choose to pay nothing for a funfair ride, photograph or meal, would you? The Economist details three experiments that tested what happens when people can pick their own price for a product. Perhaps most surprisingly, diners who pick a price and paid anonymously for a meal on average chose to pay more than those who paid in public.

Happiness comes from having about £20,000 (EUR25,000) in cash, according to research cited in the Financial Times (behind a paywall). It is apparently the amount the majority need to feel happy about their situation. The writer notes, however, that the figure had “inflated” hugely in only two years – with worries about the United Kingdom property market among the factors that might have contributed to the increased uncertainty.

Paying on credit card can mean the hurt of paying is delayed until the credit card bill arrives, writes Canada’s Financial Post. One way to minimise the pain could be to “practice anticipation”, the article says, by working the costs into a budget in advance.