Remember those scenes from 21, Ocean’s Eleven, and any film about cheating at or stealing from a casino? The ones in which a security team is trying to track the crooks’ activities across the floor using camera feeds?

You arrive at your destination, ready to finally unwind on your long-awaited vacation, only to find that your suitcase hasn’t made the trip with you.

To soften the exile of the single-use plastic bag for customers, Coles and Woolworths are offering shoppers bonus points — be they flybuys or Rewards — for the next few days, as long as you don't buy either's reusable bags.

Every parent has offered incentives: "If you're patient while I get the tyres rotated, we'll get ice cream afterwards." Or, "if you play nicely with your cousin, you can use the iPad before dinner." Teachers certainly have used behaviour rewards for time out of mind - but offering incentives for behaviour isn't necessarily the best way to build character and increase motivation.

You might think it's too late to save a buck or two for those last minute gifts, or maybe that it's too late to find cash to treat yourself while you're buying for everyone else. Well, here are some ways to find some extra scratch to make the yuletide that much brighter.

It's hard to think about the holidays when you're blasting the heater and shivering like crazy, but now is the time to start budgeting. If you're hoping to save money on travel at the end of the year with a little rewards hacking, you'll want to get started soon.

Whether it's jogging or studying for an exam, it's common to motivate yourself with a reward for completing tasks you dread doing. The old carrot-and-stick method can work, but researcher Katy Milkman suggests a better version: Temptation bundling.

You've got your list of goals and you've been sticking to your new habits for a whole week. Good for you! You deserve a reward. But maybe don't give yourself a reward that ruins your habits.