Percentage of people who say they're more inclined to spend money on quality items than on something that's cheaper both in price and quality, according to research by Slickdeals: 60� Percentage who have been burned by buying the cheap version of a product: 63� Number of times more than the sticker price that the average American is willing to pay for products that last at least 20 years: 2

Source: Slickdeals.

Rank of Spider-Man (2.2 million), princess (1.9 million), witch (1.6 million) and ghost (1.3 million) as the most popular costumes for children, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation: 1, 2, 3, 4

Rank of witch, vampire, ghost and pirate as the most popular costumes for adults: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: National Retail Federation.

Percentage of U.S. adults who have eaten expired food, according to a survey sponsored by Farm Rich: 27� Percentage of parents who admitted to chowing down on their kids' snacks to help ease their hunger pangs: 39� Percentage of parents who are willing to let their kids eat whatever they want if it will stop them from having a hangry tantrum: 68� Source: Farm Rich.

Percentage of employers that have added new perks in response to the challenging hiring market, according to a survey from Robert Half: 83� Percentage that have added remote work opportunities: 40� Percentage that have offered mental health resources: 36� Percentage that have offered wellness programs: 33

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of Americans who say the way the president is elected should be changed so that the winner of the popular vote nationwide wins the presidency, according to a survey by Pew Research: 63� Percentage who said so in 2021: 55� Source: Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends.

Average number of connected devices there are in U.S. internet-connected households, according to Parks Associates research: 16� Percentage of these households that experienced at least one technical problem last year: 52� Percentage of consumers who prefer to handle technical support issues over the phone: 63� Source: Parks Associates.

Percentage of Americans who say they would not install an app that collects driving behavior or location data for any insurance discount amount, according to a survey from Policygenius: 68� Percentage who believe no discount is worth installing a smart home device, like a doorbell camera, water sensor or smart thermostat, if these devices shared data with their insurance companies: 65� Source: Policygenius.

Percentage of adults who say they frequently use earbuds for more than one hour per day, the recommended time limit by The World Health Organization, according to a survey commissioned by Lipo-Flavonoid: 31� Percentage of adults who are aware that using earbuds at unsafe levels is damaging: 22� Percentage who enjoy their music most when it's played at a higher volume (that percentage increases to 30% among adults ages 18-34): 21� Percentage of Americans who don't care if their earbud volume is higher than what's considered healthy (that percentage jumps to 49% among those ages 18-34): 32

Source: The Harris Poll.

Percentage of decision-making moms who consider Halloween a season, and nearly half agree it begins October 1, according to a survey by Party City: 80� Number of times people say their child will wear their Halloween costume: 2 to 5� Source: Party City.

Percentage of Americans who plan to travel this holiday season, according to findings in "OOH Consumer Insights & Opportunities Q4 2022: Holiday Travel & Shopping": 59� Percentage who will be taking a personal vehicle: 64� Source: The Harris Poll.

Idle Thought

"Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art." -- Frederic Chopin, pianist and composer (1810-1849)

Percentage of right-wing populist supporters in Italy who had a positive view of Russia in 2020, according to research by Pew Trusts: 64

Percentage who have a positive view today: 15

Percentage of right-wing populist supporters in France who had a positive view of Russia in 2020: 55

Percentage who have a positive view today: 21

Source: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Among U.S. adults who carry debt, average amount held (excluding mortgages), according to research by Northwest Mutual: $22,354

Percentage decrease this amount represents over the last three years: 25

Source: Northwestern Mutual.

Percentage of U.S. adults who admit that hunger gets the best of them five times per week, culminating in more than 21,000 "hangry" outbursts over the course of their lives -- necessitating nearly a lifetime of "hanger" management, according to a survey sponsored by Farm Rich: 75

Ranks of mealtime delays, busy work schedule, not knowing what to cook and not having time to grocery shop on the list of the most common reasons for people's hunger-related irritability: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Farm Rich.

Chance that a commercial airline flight was delayed in the first five months of 2022, according to a study by ValuePenguin: 1 in 5

Percentage of flights that were canceled, the highest percentage since 2014, excluding the early COVID-19 pandemic time period: 3.2

Percentage more likely passengers were to have their bag mishandled in May 2022 than in May 2021: 50

Source: ValuePenguin.com.

Percentage of Americans with past-due medical expenses, according to research by the Employee Benefit Research Institute: 22

Total value of American medical debt on credit reports: $88 billion

Number of Americans holding such debt: 43 million

Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute.

With "spooky season" approaching, percentage of pet parents who are excited for Halloween this year and plan to involve their furry friend in all of the excitement, according to a survey by Wag!: 95

Percentage who plan to take their pet trick-or-treating: 59

Percentage who would prefer a dog or cat as their trick-or-treating companion to a child or even their spouse: 31

Source: Wag!

Percentage of employees who say they have better job opportunities inside their current organizations than outside, according to a survey by Eagle Hill Consulting: 54

Ranks of flexibility, pay increases, new skill building and a better work environment on the list of advantages perceived over the short term by staying with their present job: 1, 2, 3, 4

Source: Eagle Hill Consulting.

To recruit skilled professionals, percentage of employers that are offering higher starting salaries, according to a survey from Robert Half: 46

Percentage of managers who increased base compensation for new hires in the past year who have also made pay adjustments for current staff: 83

Source: Robert Half.

Percentage of consumers planning to celebrate Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation: 69

Expected total Halloween spending this year, a new record: $10.6 billion

Source: National Retail Federation.

Among employed Americans, percentage who received raises in the past 12 months (including 8% that got both a pay raise and a better-paying job), according to a survey by Bankrate.com: 48

Percentage of working Americans who say their income has not kept up with the increase in household expenses: 55

Percentage of Americans who say they are not worried about job security: 61

Source: Bankrate.com.

Idle Thought

"It seems that for success, in science or art, a dash of autism is essential. For success, the necessary ingredients may be an ability to turn away from the everyday world, from the simple practical, an ability to rethink a subject with originality so as to create in new untrodden ways." -- Hans Asperger, physician (1906-1980)

Most recent year in which mortgage rates reached more than 6%, according to Realtor.com: 2008

When combined with high home prices, percentage surge in the typical mortgage payment for today's buyers compared to one year ago: 66

Source: Realtor.com.

Percentage more people who plan on getting the new iPhone this year compared to those who said the same last year, according to a survey by WalletHub: 24

Percentage of people who think that not having the newest iPhone is a sign someone is struggling financially: 20

Percentage of Americans who say that their mobile phone is their most important possession: 33

Source: WalletHub.

Amount expected to be spent on adult and kids costumes this Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation: $2.9 billion

Percentage who say the leading source for costume inspiration comes from online searches: 36

Percentage who say they will look within retail stores for inspiration: 25

Source: NRF.

Percentage of small- and mid-sized-business owners who are highly optimistic about the near-term prospects for their own businesses, according to a survey by PNC Bank: 49

Percentage who are expecting to raise prices in the next six months: 63

Percentage who envision a recession in the next 12 months: 69

Percentage of those who rely on a supply chain who say it remains a problem: 49

Source: PNC Bank.

Percentage of Americans who say they listen to music while cleaning, according to a survey commissioned by Jelmar: 80

Percentage who say music even makes their cleaning tasks more enjoyable: 66

Source: Jelmar.

Percentage of workers who say they have considered a major career move this year, according to an ADP Research Institute survey of more than 32,000 workers, including those in the gig economy, from 17 countries: 71

Percentage of working parents who would like to arrange working hours to be more flexible: 74

Percentage of non-parents who say the same: 68

Source: ADP.

Percentage of current U.S. college students who do not think colleges should require students attending in-person classes to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a survey by Intelligent.com: 15

Percentage of students opposed who say they will transfer to a different institution with no vaccine requirements if their current school mandates them: 20

Of those opposed to mandated vaccines, percentage who say such requirements violate an individual's freedom: 25

Source: Intelligent.com.

Percentage of mothers who say they get joy out of buying toys for their kids and that they would miss out on the excitement if they were to change the number of gifts they bought, according to a survey by Zulily: 43

Percentage of moms who are looking for gifts that promote creativity and togetherness: 27

Percentage of moms who say a toy's ability to promote their children's imagination without bounds is a characteristic of an iconic toy brand: 25

Source: Zulily.

Each year, estimated cost in property damage caused by termites, according to the National Pest Management Association: $6.8 billion

Percentage of American homeowners who follow prevention techniques when entering tick-infested areas (e.g., the woods or areas with tall grass): 47

Percentage who would switch to a different hotel or motel if they found bed bugs at the hotel or motel where they were staying: 59

Percentage of Americans who have seen or removed a tick from themselves, someone else or a pet: 63

Source: Vault Communications.

Idle Thought

Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. -- Douglas Hofstadter, professor of cognitive science (1945- )