Travel.  One way to save money on travel is to plan your vacation during non-peak months. What this means is, if certain locations see their highest tourist traffic in the summer, plan to go there during winter, spring or fall.

Also, book your travel expenses and lodging accomodations together. In some cases you can save up to $300 by booking them together, as opposed to separately.

Look for deals on independant travel sites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia and Priceline.

Unless there's somewhere you really want to go outside of where you live, take a look at an area nearby. You would be amazed at how much there is to do that isn't too far from home. You can greatly save on travel expenses and if it's a non-peak time of year, you can save on lodging, also.

Or, if an extended stay may be too expensive, go for a daytrip. Sightseeing and lunch in a nearby large city can more cost-effective, or mostly free.

If you do book a hotel room, ask if you can get an extra night for free or at a reduced price. Smaller hotels don't have the marketing money to compete with larger chains and may be willing to accomodate in exchange for a small amount of money or free advertising.

In the larger chain hotels, sign up for their rewards programs. They're free to sign up and you can earn points toward future stays. The only thing you may have to put up with is the occasional flyer in the mail. The same applies for airlines.

Be one with nature and go camping. Many campgrounds only charge $20-$30 per night and only ask that you clean up after yourself. You can make reservations through ReserveUSA for the National Park Service and many others.

Investing.  None of us wants to work forever. Planning now for the future and our possible needs is something that many people don't know how to do.

If your employer offers it, enroll in their 401k, or similar, plan. By contributing each paycheck, that money is deferred, held for you, tax-free.

Also, ask about a Pay-Flex plan, also known as a Health Savings Account. Think of it as a bank account solely for health product needs. You can use it for a large number of OTC medicines.

You determine how much money per year you may need and it's automatically deducted from each paycheck, tax-free. The catch is, you have to spend it all. It's a use it, or lose it account. So, plan ahead! 

Here is a list of items that can be purchased using Pay-Flex.

You can also look at this program as free brokerage assistance. Don't hire a full-service firm that can charge you anywhere from $50-$150 per trade. They may also offer "free trades", but will get a percentage as commission.

If you're feeling confident and have the money to invest in stocks, you have to know when to drop them. Hold on to a stock too long and it may become a loss.

If the market starts to rally, but your stock isn't, that may be the time to dump it.

Another thing to look for is if a company's earnings stop growing, they stop creating new products, or there are problems with the top management.

Keep track of a company's performance to keep yourself ahead of the game.

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