Many have argued for years that the current American educational system needs to focus more on investing and money management skills. As a prerequisite, many young students would learn the ins-and-outs of money before they even started making any themselves. This article identifies some quality places to put your hard earned savings, and emphasizes each bucket’s possible risk. This should be looked at as a primer for young professionals to start diversifying their investments.

1. Online Savings Account - Many world banks offer risk free FDIC insured accounts with around eight times the national interest rate average for savings accounts.
2. Stocks, Bonds, and Options - The stock market can be very tricky to learn, but with the right investment a student of the market can become an expert overnight. The risk remains very high depending on what stocks you purchase. The wrong buy can lose you your entire bankroll.
3. Real Estate - A home investment has always been a strong security investment. It’s a good way to keep your money safe for the long haul.
4. In a short or long term CD - This option benefits you from fluctuations in interest rates. You can lock in a set rate and make more money over time.
5. 401K - Keep your money flowing into a 401K account and you’ll be saving money each time you receive a paycheck. Not bad at all. It takes away the stress of deciding to save or not. A 401K will fluctuate with the market, but for long term investing it has relative low risk.
6. IRA - An IRA can save you money at the end of the year too, as it lowers your taxable income. For most, that simple fact encourages putting the maximum into an account at the end of the year. IRA’s grow at a terrific pace and for this come at us with very low risk.

So there you have it. A person can invest money in a number of ways - some ways even prove to save you money over a period of time. When you think of saving money, you should consider one of the options above, instead of the old fashioned piggy bank resting on your dresser. These ideas will likely turn your savings into profit.

The grocery store can entrance a hungry shopper. The aisles filled with colorful boxes of sugary bliss seem all too enticing. However, the wallet may seem to be getting lighter and lighter as we traipse through the store. The economic situation withstanding, most prices have increased due to dollar’s performance on the global market. It’s not that milk, cheese and bread have become more costly to produce, but the cost of gas, oil and transportation have increased to get those products to the store.

In the US, rising prices have compounded problems created by the collapse of the housing market, rising energy costs and stagnating wages for the majority of the population. Retail prices on staple American foods rose by double-digit percentages in the last year, according to new data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The cost of milk rose 26 percent, and egg prices grew by 40 percent. [Source: wsws.org]

So what can we do to combat rising costs for these common grocery store purchases? We can’t stop eating afterall. The answer lies in all the other items we buy. We can combat costly grocery items by purchasing less of the luxury items. We can also save by using coupons. There are many sites online that offer free coupon printing services.

At Save Money.com, we have articles written explaining how coupons can help put money back in your pocket. There seems to be a stigmatism attached to using a coupon. While a coupon helps you save money, some see it as a hassle. The Sunday paper often times has coupons we can use on our next visit to the store. I encourage you to try using coupons for one visit. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll save.

Using coupons can cut your expenses and it also has the side effect of encouraging you to plan your visit. A grocery list and coupon book can keep you from impulsively buying something you don’t need. What ideas do you have to save money at the grocery store?

Gas prices seem to climb higher and higher with each passing month. The dollar has lost a lot of synergy in the global market, and the results mean higher prices for gas and everyday products for the home. How can we save money when economic downturns threaten to alter our lifestyle?

Conserving gas can be nearly impossible for some people. When living in a rural area or commuting to work, a vehicle means freedom and a way of life. But there are times when riding a bike, taking public transportation, or walking can best a vehicle. The choice means stepping outside of our comfort zone though. A walk to the store on a Sunday morning can be the first start. We may want to ride our bike to meet friends. However small a step may be; it will still make a difference.

Even if we conserve gas, we’ll still need to fill up a few times in a month. There are sites that cater to our gas guzzling society. Gasbuddy.com provides users with cheap gas prices in each area. The service relies on other websites to provide most of the information. It’s a network or directory of sites that list gas prices in a community. It’s a valuable tool for commuters, travelers, and the everyday gas saver.

Regardless of the savings Gas Buddy.com gives, we still can use our legs to motor us. When we conserve gas, we’ll find ourselves planning ahead for a trip, stepping outside for a brisk walk, or purchasing an alternate mode of transportation. What can you do to conserve gas?

• Go for a bike ride instead of taking the car
• Carpool to work
• Take a walk to the store when you need something
• Plan ahead what mode of transporation you’ll use
• Buy a fuel efficient car

Add to the conversation in the comment section.

The Internet has opened up many different avenues for you to find cheap tickets to sporting events. The original auction site, Ebay , has a ticket category where you can find tickets to baseball, football, basketball, and concert events on a daily basis. There are also sites like Stubhub.com that offer fans a way to resell their tickets. Online sites give you the ability to purchase cheap sporting event tickets.

There are a few things to remember. While sites like StubHub and Ebay have enforced rules, you can still get cheated. You should never agree to send money orders unless the purchase occurs through the site. As soon as the seller wants to take the sale away from the site, sending requests through email and the like, then you should walk away. You can save yourself a lot of money and trouble by reviewing the seller’s feedback as well.

Many sporting events become hot ticket items, which bring out scammers in droves. They frequent sports messageboards and other sites where users request tickets, looking for ways to steal your hard earned money. Be wary of unsolicited emails and shady business deals for those hard to find tickets. In these cases, the old saying stands true — if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

If you stick to the following basic tenets of online shopping, then you can save yourself money on sporting event tickets and not lose anything to the charlatans.

1. Always perform transactions through the auction site, not via email.
2. Check seller feedback ratings to ensure you’re buying from an honest party.
3. Never give out personal information through email.

The online sites can net you quick savings on event tickets for your whole family. Whether you’re looking to watch a baseball game or see a Broadway show, StubHub and Ebay should be a viable alternative to the traditional Ticketmaster and organizational sites.

Time is closing in fast on April 15th. This means many of you may be scrambling to finish your 2007 taxes. At Save Money.com we have articles focusing on saving you money on your taxes. Do you want to file your taxes online? The IRS site has a free file service for those who qualify.

If your adjusted gross income was $54,000 or less in 2007, you can use Free File to prepare and e-file your taxes online. If you need more time to file your return, some companies also offer free preparation and e-filing for Extensions (Form 4868). [Source: IRS.gov site]

So if you qualify why not use their service. We have compiled a few other helpful tips to make your date with the tax man less difficult.

1. Before you begin crunching numbers, pull all your 2007 tax forms, including your W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, and receipts. Once you have everything in front of you, the online forms should be easier to fill out.
2. Use the Free File service from the IRS if you can. We also have a list of links available under Taxes on our Resource page.
3. Look over your previous year’s taxes to see acquaint yourself with what you did last year. Examples are our greatest teachers.
4. Consider using the direct deposit method to receive your 2007 tax return. The service grants you quick access to your refund check. The difference could mean a couple weeks to a month’s time.
5. If you earned less than $12,590, then you may be eligible for an earned income credit. This credit means you receive money even if you are not owed any in a refund.

If you’ve waited til the last minute, and realize you cannot file on time, then you can ask for an extension. If you have everything in order, you may save some money and receive a little back this year. Good luck to you all!

Our spending habits can drain our pockets, skim from our savings, and lead to late retirement. At Save Money.com we strive to provide you with the best advice on keeping money in your bank. We have found unique ways to help you save money on taxes, utilities, gas, and groceries. So why not talk a little bit more about our own personal spending habits?

A February article from USA Today focused on people removing small luxury purchases from their spending habits.

The murky financial outlook and recession fears are factors. Another driver: fear of being out of step with a cultural mind-set that increasingly says less is more. If your best friend and next-door neighbors are cutting back on little luxuries, shouldn’t you be, too?

So in the spirit of cutting back and saving money, we list ten luxury items that can be removed from our spending habits to save money.

1. The corner coffee latte or espresso drink. While downing a five dollar latte sounds appealing it can actually cut into your monthly savings. Why not do without the corner coffee and stick to homebrew?
2. Gas. Yes, we know you need to drive your car. Why not drive it less? A bike ride can do wonders for your overall health and cut down on gas costs at the same time.
3. Bottled water. Even if you buy one bottle of water a day, you still spend close to ten dollars a week. This ten dollars quickly turns into five hundred over a year’s time. Why not drink from the tap or find a water fountain?
4. Cigarettes. Are you still smoking? Really? Smokers waste more money and create more future debt for themselves with health costs. With health costs rising, why not quit smoking today?
5. Alcohol. While it’s good to unwind with friends at the local watering hole, a trip there can cost anywhere from a ten spot to over a hundred dollars. Alcohol costs can vary from city to city, but we’re almost certain there’s more you could do with the money.
6. McDonald’s and other fast food joints. A quick lunch hour should not be spend waiting in the drivethru lane at a fast food spot. Why not brown bag it for a while and save yourself some money. You’ll likely save anywhere from twenty to fifty dollars depending on how you eat.
7. Credit Card purchases. When you do have to buy anything, it’s best to use your debit card or some cold hard cash. Otherwise, you run the risk of running up credit debt so high you’ll only be paying interest.
8. Movie tickets. A movie can run close to ten dollars per person, depending on your local. Why not try renting a DVD?
9. Gym membership. Do you need it? You can run in the park, do exercises at home, build a gym in a spare bedroom, and find other means to exercise. Many use the gym for a social platform, which we don’t mind, but at least get the value from the membership. Once a month does not rationalize the cost.
10. Salon visits. A trip to the salon can run close to a hundred dollars. Why not settle for a trim this visit and leave the hair color to the celebrities?