They say ‘honesty is the best policy,’ but sometimes, a little bit of dishonesty can come in handy too.

Rather than making enemies out of friends, you can sometimes lie your way out of sticky situations. And you don’t even have to worry too much about it because white lies like these are absolutely harmless! You’re just protecting people you care about—and by extension, yourself too, from uncomfortable situations.

So, if you’re looking for white lies to help you out in tough situations, here are the common lies we can all tell without feeling particularly guilty.

1. I Forgot

Back in school, how many times did you say you “forgot” your homework at home when questioned by the teacher? In reality, you probably didn’t forget it at all and were instead worried about not being able to finish it on time. Telling the truth in this situation could easily land you into hot waters, so the best thing to do in this instance is to blame it on a forgetful brain. Even in your work life, you may have found yourself falling back on this excuse to save yourself from getting an earful from your boss.

Pexels | Desperate times call for desperate measures

2. Traffic Was Bad

It’s pretty common to run late because of factors completely out of your control such as the alarm clock not ringing or your cell phone running out of juice, but your friends surely won’t believe you if you were forthcoming and honest. So, to save yourself the embarrassment, you simply tell them that you were stuck in traffic. Again, the same rule applies in a professional setting too and you can fall back on this excuse if you’re late to work for the third time in a single week.

Pexels | Ah, the traffic excuse - every late-comer’s no.1 savior!

3. Happy To Help

If you’re working in retail or any other form of customer service, you’ll be all too familiar with this one. Being a retail worker requires you to be at every beck and call of your customers, no matter how rude or unreasonable they may be. Even when you’ve gone through hell tending to a customer’s needs, you can not end the conversation without telling them that you’re happy to help them. Now that, my friends, is how you lie.

Pexels | Retail workers don't really care if your son doesn't like cherry soda - they can only serve what they have

These are common lies that are often used in a social or professional setting—which ones do you use the most?