Stories That Pay Off: Working from home? Experts say you should seriously consider getting a pet

Working from home can be both a major perk and a pain. Sure, you get to do your job in your pajamas, but staying focused when household chores (hey, last night’s dishes) and the temptations of home (your bed just looks so cozy when you have a full inbox) are right in front of your face is a major challenge. That’s why we asked organization, productivity and design experts to share their top tips for efficiently working from home. And it turns out, a pet can be your best personal assistant when it comes to setting up a remote office.

For those who work from home as a freelancer, we also have tips on how to ask for and earn your best freelance rate, whether you’re just starting out or ready to negotiate for more. And however you earn your money, we looked into two great ways to spend it: treating yourself with some of the best headphones that rival AirPods, and investing your cash to turn it into even more.

Why having a pet could make you more productive when working from home

Work from home often? Take some time to set up a workspace that works for you, so you get everything done and instead of spending the day re-organizing your fridge. (That bed and Netflix queue will still be there when you’re done.)

How to figure out your first freelance rate and get paid what you’re worth

Whether you’re just starting out on your own or shifting your career to more freelance work, experts share their best tips for calculating your highest freelance rate and negotiating for what you’re worth.

These under-$100 wireless headphones are almost as good as AirPods

Ready to unplug your headphones but not eager to invest in a pricey pair of AirPods? We have the most highly rated wireless headphones under $100 — nearly half the price of a new set of AirPods — so you can save all that cash for your Spotify Premium subscription.

How to invest your money so it makes you even more money

Investing your money and all of the intimidating terms that go along with it can be overwhelming and confusing, so we broke it down for you.