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We live in a society with puritanical roots, and underlying much of our health philosophy is that anything pleasurable is surely bad for our health, our souls, or both. (See also: Reasons to Drink Coffee)

Especially if it's a drug. In the immortal words of South Park's school counselor Mr. Mackey, "Drugs are bad."

So it's no surprise that many of us think of our morning cup of java as a guilty pleasure. It contains a drug: caffeine. The thing is, there's not much to be guilty about, unless you held up a barista to get that latte. Multiple studies have shown that caffeine — in moderation, of course — is good for you in a whole host of ways.

I don't know about you, but I make a myriad of decisions every day. Most of them are small, like whether to hit the snooze button again or get out of bed and, once I'm out of bed, which breakfast option will work best for the day ahead.

It's pretty easy to make these small decisions, because they don't have much riding on them. It doesn't matter much whether I ate toast or eggs this morning. However, when it comes to bigger decisions, it's easy to become paralyzed, especially when there doesn't seem to be a good option or when there is a lot riding on whatever is being decided. (See also: How to Improve Your Decision-Making Skills)

Earning rewards from your credit cards is a lot like earning interest on your investments. Cardholders should look for the highest returns possible considering the amount they spend and the type of merchants they frequent. They then need to balance these rewards against any fees assessed on their cards. The Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express offers as much as 6% cash back rewards for your spending at a time when many reward cards only offer 1%-2% cash back.

Preferred’s Cash Back Percentages   

Like many credit cards, customers earn 1% cash back on purchases from most retailers, but it is the bonus categories that make this card stand out.

3% cash back is earned at gas stations and select department stores.

My family does a pretty decent job of saving money, but we have one big weakness: dining out. We like to visit restaurants and leave the cooking and dishes to someone else. Of course, we know that we could save money by eating at home, so we follow certain rules to make sure we're getting the best value from our restaurant visit. (See also: Best Credit Cards for Dining Out)

The key is to know what's worth ordering and what's worth avoiding due to a high markup. Here are 13 items we try to avoid when we eat out.