Today at the local 7-11, I overheard a lady complaining about the rising price of cigarettes. Thirteen dollars and change for a cheap plastic lighter and two packs of the hard stuff. The exorbitant price of slowly killing herself should have been reason enough to kick the habit, but sadly no. This woman would continue to exercise her constitutionally protected freedom to contract cancer no matter what the cost.

That got me thinking about the rising price of gas and what hapless commuters can do to cut down on the cost of making a living. Unlike the lady with the cigarettes, we can't simply quit cold turkey. But we can start instituting some cost saving measures to take the sting out of driving back and forth to work.

Motor less, pedal more. I used to live and work in the city, allowing me to truck back and forth about twenty blocks each day. Sure beat fighting traffic and paying for parking, not to mention kept me in shape without a gym membership. Unless you're terribly out of shape, try walking or biking to work. Many employers will be happy to provide a secure storage area or bike rack for employees who want to give it the old college try.

Fuel when it's cool. You get more bang for your buck if you fill the tank in the early morning or evening hours when temperatures are usually low. Hot air helps gas evaporate, leaving less for the tank. Also, make good use of nozzle covers. They also help stem evaporation when positioned to cover the tank opening.

Carpool. It's not unusual for neighbors to work at the same place of business or nearby. Advertise on company bulletin boards, Craigslist, and neighborhood houses of worship. You'd be surprised how many people

And to those of you who are self-employed, congratulations. The IRS just raised the mileage reimbursement rate a whopping $.08 to a $.58 per mile.

Are you feeling the pain yet? Many of the "authorities" deny that we are in a recession. Yet. However, we all know that things are getting a little tighter. We are working a little harder. Our pockets are a little lighter. And those credit card bills are -- well, we've avoided actually looking at those.

We may not be officially in a recession, but our lives are the best barometers that we are in a recession. It's time to go back -- waaay back -- to the "old school." To the ideas that can save a little money or stretch that paycheck. Remember when (and perhaps you should revisit) . . .

• buying used
• patch and sew items of clothing
• repair your shoes
• shop thrift stores
• make a list of items you need and then wait for a sale (or until you save up for it)
• wash your car with a bucket and a hose
• sneak snacks into the movie theatre
• walking to the store
• shop for food at the grocery store with a list
• eat at home/turn on the oven and cook food
• use library cards
• visit garage sales on Saturday mornings
• ask for discounts
• drink tap water
• take your lunch to work
• actually save money
• budget

Is it all coming back to you? Do you need to consult with grandma for more ideas? Let me know, I have loads more ideas that I can "remind" you of. Or if you have any memories send us a comment.

"I think the most important question facing humanity is, 'Is the universe a friendly place?' This is the first and most basic question all people must answer for themselves." - Albert Einstein (read the story here)

Do you think the universe is a friendly place? Do you think those other drivers are out to hit your car, or was it just an accident? Is every mortgage guy gonna try and rip you off, or are those types the exception and not the rule?

Not only are debt-free scholarships a wiser way to pay for college, but the current student loan market is making scholarships look better every day. Major sources of funding for student loans are backing out of the business, particularly banks like the TCF Financial Corporation, HSBC Bank USA and the M&T Bank Corporation. With three of the fifty largest lenders out of the game, $560 million dollars worth in student loans is now inaccessible to the students who need them.

I can't remember who said it, but this one little concept changed me forever. Money is water. If you think of money as water - because it behaves exactly the same - you would be far better off for it.

So, what do I mean by money is water? Well, there's a finite amount of it on the Earth, but far more than any one person could ever use or need. In this day and age, you pretty much can't go without having money at some point in order to survive.

Yesterday's trip to the grocery store made me want to run away and join a commune, or at the very least start growing my own fruits and vegetables. Big aspirations but short on time, my chances of becoming Old MacDonald are slim and none.

Yes, sharp increases in food prices have me pinching every penny. My hungry family of five consume at least twenty dollars more per week, not because we're buying more food or spending extravagantly, but because prices went up about 20% on everything in the store.

Time to implement Draconian cost cutting measures. These are tried and true strategies guaranteed to average net weekly savings of $5 to $10. Add that up over a month's time and I may be able to afford an extra tank of gas.

The smartest thing you can do before buying something is thinking. Just - think. What is the purpose of this thing you want to buy? What do you really expect out of it? And, most importantly - what retailer is going to give you the most bang for your buck?

Today at the local 7-11, I overheard a lady complaining about the rising price of cigarettes. Thirteen dollars and change for a cheap plastic lighter and two packs of the hard stuff. The exorbitant price of slowly killing herself should have been reason enough to kick the habit, but sadly no. This woman would continue to exercise her constitutionally protected freedom to contract cancer no matter what the cost.

That got me thinking about the rising price of gas and what hapless commuters can do to cut down on the cost of making a living. Unlike the lady with the cigarettes, we can't simply quit cold turkey. But we can start instituting some cost saving measures to take the sting out of driving back and forth to our jobs.

At first glance, an annuity might seem like a great retirement solution for the average guy - especially if you happened to run into a large sum of money. Well, not so fast.

I definitely believe annuities are not right for the average Joe or Jane looking to retire. They definitely have their purpose - and it is certainly not to be your sole solution for future planning.

You should do both--save and eliminate your debt. Doing both is very important to your financial success. Doing both ensures your success in staying out of debt. I know all the arguments . . . there are those on the side of saving, and those that claim that hitting that debt is of the utmost importance. But I must say that doing both (at the same time) has garnered me much better results.

Look, just because the majority of scholarships are geared toward high school juniors and seniors does not mean your search for scholarships should end with your child's graduation from high school.

Your kid can get scholarships (free money for college) during their college years as well. And guess what? Other kids are not competing for these scholarships and grants so winning them are much easier.

When I was very young, just out of my teen, I met a wise man at Bob's Big Boy Restaurant. I know, I know you find it hard to believe that you could have a life changing conversation at a burger stand -- but I did. Hey, don't belittle my experience!

The wise man was a widower. His wife had just died the past year. While sitting at the counter, eating greasy burgers and ketchup, soggy fries, he told me a truth that many people are not aware of . . .

You want to have good credit, you really do . . .but, some times the bills . . . there are so many of them, darn it. Send your payment two days tardy (after the due date) you get a 30 day late mark on your credit report. And then the next bill has a late payment finance charge tacked on to it.

This can happen so easily, and we all know that no one is perfect, how do you keep track of your bills when you have so many?

Well, you can do a few things to help yourself:

Wow, my friends just bought a four bedroom, 2 bathroom house at one-third the price it would have cost them just two years ago. We are all happy for them . . . and they are so cute because they are so proud of themselves for their great financial find. They bucked the system. When everyone was saying, "Buy now or you'll be priced out forever!" They quietly saved their money and waited for the prices of real estate to fall. And now they can't wait to tell everyone they meet about buying their foreclosure . . . until they moved into their new home and told their story to the neighbors.

Student loans, they have very low interest and many financial pros will tell you . . . don't worry about getting rid of these loans. Financial columnists will tell you that having these loans on your credit report will help your credit score. Their advice: just leave this debt alone.

That's cute, real cute -- but here's my argument.

It was a long, hard, ugly battle but you have finally gotten rid of the credit card balances. Yes, it was painful. Hell yeah, it was hard unforgiving work. But guess what? You have just knocked out a set of bills and each month you are hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars richer for it!

You never have to worry about those types of bills again. You are no longer giving away money. You now have cash -- more money to over-stuff your retirement fund, emergency fund or "stuff happens" fund.

OR . . .

You can get rid of those car payments.

Okay, so you now have a "Stuff Happens" account. It's a small amount, but enough to take care of surprises right? Good. You have money in an emergency fund in case your household loses an income source. Excellent. You are putting a little money away each month (it can be as small as $25 a month, just do something) automatically for retirement. Yes! You are now ready for the next step.

STEP 2: Kill Those Credit Cards

Okay, so you've decided to get rid of debt in your life. Now, a new problem presents itself: Where do I start on this herculean task and how do I pack the most punch in my fight?

Good question. Unlike myself -- who fought the good fight the hard way, the way everyone else does -- without a good solid plan, fighting debt in fits and starts that leaves everyone frustrated. You have decided to engage in an efficient fight. You have decided to work smarter instead of harder. Good for you.

Kids. Can’t stop them from growing. Can’t stop them from wanting to fuel the economy.

Yesterday, my daughters and I went shopping for summer clothes. The little one complained about her out of style hand-me-downs and her older sister needed under garments. The minute I set foot in Target, I felt like I had entered a hornet’s nest. The girls immediately wigged out in the retail zone.

“Oh, Mommy, buy me this bathing suit!”

“Mom, I need a new rug for my bathroom.”

“Look at this flashlight, Mom. I’m gonna need a new flashlight for camp.”

And so on.

So many people live from paycheck to paycheck. Anything left over is quickly spent. New shoes…fancy dinners…the latest tech gadget…cigarettes. You name it. I’ve seen people throw away money on it. Then one day, their car needs new tires, or their refrigerator blows, or they’re laid off from work, and lo and behold, there’s no money to pay for it. Not in the bank, not from friends, nor relatives… what then?

I once had a client who, no matter what she earned, could not save money. It was sad, really, because she earned a decent living. For some reason, she always spent surplus income and barely had any savings. She knew her spending was out of control. She just couldn’t help herself.

Luckily, through therapy, she came to understand the root cause of her problem which in turn opened the door to a solution. Uncontrollable spending is a symptom of more than just a desire to own. But recognizing the underlying cause wasn’t enough for this poor woman. Try as she might, she just couldn’t stop.

I remember when from out of the past the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver meant that my masked hero and his trusted companion Tonto were about to bring justice to someone who had been badly offended by evil forces.

Well, silver has returned... in a demonstrative fashion... and this time the evil forces of your personal debt can be crushed into extinction --- but only if you heed what I'm about to share with you.

The best way to build wealth is to understand the potential of an inevitable future circumstance... and, then, take action BEFORE that situation becomes common knowledge. Let me explain

With college tuition rates on the rise, you can’t start too early to save for college. There are several ways to save for college and it’s definitely best to save with something like a 529 fund so you can reap the tax benefits. However, I don’t know about you, but I need all the help I can get to start saving. I’ve recently found something that’s put the fun back in funding -- an online saving site called SmartyPig and I highly recommend it.

When I was a kid, my grandparents used to give me 20 dollars for every birthday and Christmas and other momentous occasion. The 20 dollars was supposed to go toward my college education, but because I am like most humans, I sought instant gratification rather than long-term gain. I spent all of the money on candy, toys and other stupid trinkets that I just had to have. Not one dollar that my grandparents gave me actually went toward my college education.