If you travel by airplane at all for a trip that lasts more than a carry-on's worth of clothes, you know the worry. Will my suitcase weigh more than 50 pounds and I'll have to pay extra? Airline luggage allowances are a pittance these days. The airlines giveth -- blankets, pillows, peanuts, room for luggage -- and the airlines taketh away. Unless you pay, of course.

First, let me say that I realize that, to the inexperienced, 50 pounds may sound like a ridiculous weight for a suitcase. How could anyone pack that much stuff for a trip? Let me tell you, it adds up quick. And now that more of us have to add those heavy toiletry bags to the check-in mix to avoid the potential of having our shampoo tossed out at the security checkpoint, it's worse. And, if you've got a kid to pack stuff for in your luggage, well, it's a challenge to keep that weight under control.

There's really no way to take all the stress out of air travel, but we've found an easier way to determine if we've put on too many travel pounds without struggling to see the scale over the suitcase we're holding.We've been using this handy suitcase scale for our past several trips to via Southwest Airlines to California to see our families. So worth the $10 I spent. There's also a digital version of the same thing. Or, if you're in the market for a new suitcase, some have built-in scales. Pretty cool.

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File this one under the "When I was your age" category. Kids in Canada are getting some cold, hard incentive to stay smoke-free through high school. A new program is launching alongside their National Non-Smoking Week which is aptly named R.E.W.A.R.D.S. -- Rewarding Everyone Who Acts Responsibly and Doesn't Smoke.

They literally want to pay children to not light up. The payoff? Five thousand dollars at the end of 12th Grade! To keep them honest, a contract must be signed and four sponsors found to help pony up the cash. The students being offered this deal are currently in grades 5-8.

This is quite a movement to encourage healthy lifestyles. The group is reaching for the stars, hoping to sign up 100,000 youngsters. It will be interesting to see how many kids take the bait, but hopefully it becomes an effective program. I know I would jump at the chance to stay smoke-free if I were that age! Do you think something like this would work in the US?

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Do you find yourself paying more for regular doctor visits and other medical services if you pay for them yourself? For those that are self-paying customers or prefer to not have insurance, do you think you pay unreasonable prices for medical services?

In many cases, this is the case. I am sure there is a economic and volume reason why doctors who are members of several insurance networks charge more to patients who prefer to pay themselves, but is this fair? Much of life is full of unfairness these days, but why charge patients different amounts based on who is paying the tab?

I'm interested in hearing form the self-employed and others who may have experienced paying higher prices for medical services based on how you actually pay for those services. Have you experienced this, and how do you know you are paying higher prices?

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If you won a huge payout in the lottery (enough to never work again) would you go back to your job or would you never return? For many, there is no question that they would walk right off the job and never return again, but there are also plenty of people who really enjoy their work and find it satisfying. These people might stick around either way. Just who are these lucky workers who are so happy with their careers?

A study done in the UK found that corporate managers and senior officials are the most satisfied with their jobs, as they combine an important combination of good pay, prestige and working with others. While a hefty paycheck and status help, they're not the be-all and end-all when it comes to contentment at work. Creativity and freedom is big as well -- hairdressers and artists are both in the top 10 despite receiving lower wages, and high-paying careers like architecture and law, came in relatively low (28th and 44th respectively).

What about you? What do you like or dislike about your job? And just out of curiosity, if you won the lotto, would you keep working or quit on the spot?

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