It is important to understand that it generally takes a solid, well-established company to be able to offer what could amount to $10,000 per semester or more for eligible employees. So job hunters/college students should not look for too many startups to include tuition assistance as a regular part of their compensation package. However you should also understand that just because a company says it believes in personal development, you should not assume it offers tuition reimbursement. If this benefit is important to you, (perhaps because you want to complete a bachelor's degree or earn an advanced degree), it makes sense to clarify the scope of your intentions along with the company's capabilities up front.

Employees who want to attend college as well should understand that most companies that offer college tuition reimbursement base the amount on the employee's grade in the course or courses. Many companies won't pay if the employee earns a grade below a B. In addition, you should also understand that while some companies pay for the course at registration, others will only reimburse the cost after successful completion of the coursework. When investigating a tuition reimbursement program, you should be sure to ask about timing of reimbursement, since that could make a difference in how many classes you take at one time.

Tuition reimbursement used to be treated as taxable income to the employee but that has now changed. In 1996, Congress approved some sweeping changes that resulted in lower taxes for a number of sectors, and "employee scholars" were among the lucky ones. The tax-free status is good for up to $5,250 of annual employer-provided assistance benefits through the year 2010. Starting in 2002, it will apply to both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Apart from using continuing education as a hiring incentive, companies are also convinced that they need it to stay up to speed in the Information Age. Remember that your odds are better at larger companies. Four in five companies say they offer the benefit, according to a national member-company survey for 2000 by the Society for Human Resource Management. But keep in mind that those are businesses big enough to have some human-relations staff. Only one in three small companies offers tuition reimbursement, says the U.S. Labor Dept.

You may be wondering if there is a list of companies that provide tuition assistance. The simple answer is no. While there does not seem to be a list you can find out, though, about companies that offer this benefit. Tuition reimbursement is such a popular recruiting tool that companies are likely to bring it up even before you do. If not, it is alright these days to ask. Remember that the amount of the benefit will vary as widely as the companies who offer tuition assistance.

A final note-When asking about the benefit, be sure that you pay attention to the fine print because generalities can be misleading. For example: Surveys show that high-tech outfits are among the least likely to give tuition reimbursement, but they do as much on-site education for their employees(workshops and seminars) as bigger more established companies do. Determine what you need from your college education and then find an employer who can help you fulfill your dream and save big at the same time.

A cash reserve not only provides you with the peace of mind that you want and the ability to afford unexpected expenses, but it also protects you from the long term negative effects of going into debt. It is important to have a cash reserve so that you are able to fix whatever problem you have encountered, without creating a completely new set of problems that are related to high interest rates and possible negative credit score consequences. Think of it this way, a cash reserve keeps you from having to take out loans. Every time you take out a loan, you automatically owe more money than what you got in the loan. This is because of the cost of interest. If you have to pay a high interest rate, it may only take one or two major expenses to put you so far behind that it is going to be very difficult to dig your way back out. It is better to be frugal and contribute to a cash reserve ahead of time than have to cut back because you have compromised your financial situation so badly that you risk an even greater threat such as losing your house.

So how much should you keep in a cash reserve. Some people suggest keeping enough money in a cash reserve to cover the costs of living for 6 months in cash reserves. Some suggest keeping your money in a place that earns the most interest (short term CD, money market, etc.) If you find the penalty too high for pulling the money out of an account like this, you might consider keeping just enough in a savings account to cover you until you can get to the money that is invested with a better return.

Cash reserves do not just happen. It tales careful planning and regular deposits to make your cash reserve grow over time. Many people wonder where they are going to find money that they need for a cash reserve when the money that they have barely pays the bills. In order to start building your cash reserve, you will need to start cutting back in other areas so you can save. Although it is going to require some conscious thinking, time, and effort in the beginning, imagine how good you will feel once you realize that you have enough of a financial buffer in your cash reserve to make sure you and your family will be taken care of if something unexpected were to occur.

Giving up a meal out is challenging for people for a number of reasons. Some people feel that they do not know how to cook or that they have a certain place that they love to go and eat at for reasons that are not limited to the food that is served. Some feel that their living space is insufficient for the kinds of foods or the number of people that they hope to cook for. The point is that these are all excuses we use because we fear change. However, this kind of change does not have to be scary, it is exciting! With all the money that you are saving by not eating out, you can afford a cooking class or two. You could even afford a modest kitchen renovation so that you can be better suited to cook for yourself.

Many of us do not stop to think about the true costs of a treat from the vending machine. It is estimated that the vending machine industry generated U.S. sales of about $22.1 billion last year. By 2010, it is estimated that total annual vended sales volume will exceed approximately $35 billion and some analysts estimate the growth to lead to annual sales of up to $56 billion!
It may be difficult to imagine that a $.75 candy bar could be fueling a billion dollar industry. Visiting the vending machine once, a day for a week at the average 75-cent rate adds up to $3.75 a week. Multiply that by the number of weeks in a year and you will have spent about $195.

Look for sales but use caution

It is a good idea to stock up on foods that are less perishable (such as fruit snacks, cereal, granola bars, etc.) when there is a good sale. But make sure that the sale is really going to be worth spending money for sometimes a product can be on `sale' and only be five or ten cents cheaper than normal or the product is still more expensive than a generic brand even with the sale. Do not be manipulated by marketing techniques. Use your math skills to determine if the sale is really worth spending money for. Additionally, make sure that you are buying items that you normally buy or that you are certain you will eat. Remember buying something just because it is on sale, is no way to save money.

Make a list and stick to it

When you have a list of things to get at the store, you will not have to worry about momentary lapses in judgment. Use self-control and buy only what you need. Avoid shopping on an empty stomach as these are the times when impulse purchases are most tempting. Do not throw your efforts for better grocery store budgeting out the window just for what looks good in the moment. Additionally, having a list forces you to plan. When you have meals planned and have your shelved stocked with the ingredients needed to cook those meals, other temptations, like the temptation to eat out, are easier to fight off.

Fresh vs. frozen

Many people are torn when it comes to buying fresh versus frozen foods. When it comes to produce, it is usually cheaper to buy fresh versus frozen (depending on the season of the fruit or vegetable). When frozen foods are pre-packaged by the manufacturer, you pay for that at the register. You pay extra to have the convenience of pre-made items. Instead, buy your own freezer bags and freeze your produce yourself. Your food will taste better and you will save money. Additionally, if you like to eat organic produce, you can save yourself even more money by freezing the food yourself and have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you were the one who inspected, bought, washed, and froze the food that you serve to your family all year long.

Many people are surprised by all of the cool and interesting things they can do close to home: things tourists do there when they come to visit. When you are planning your staycation, do the same kind of research and planning you would do if you were going to a destination to stay for an extended period of time. This can help you find the gems that have been under your nose for years without you noticing and can provide a lot of great activities for you to do close to home. Many people take for granted all of the local attractions like museums and historical places that can really be great to visit on a vacation. Many popular tourist destinations are starting to offer special discount packages for residents and are calling them staycations. More and more people are starting to cater to the needs and desires of local vacationers and want to provide services to them at a discount rather than to no one for full price.

Another great way to spend summer vacation is to take day trips instead of a longer vacation away from home. Many children won't even notice the difference and will be glad that they get to sleep in their own bed at night. If you still want it to feel like a vacation, you can do a two day trip and spend just one night in a hotel and then go back home after the second day of fun and play.

You can really find great deals in your own backyard and the offers are even better on Thursday and Friday, before the weekend. Look in the newspaper for special ads about getaways for locals and special deals on hotel stays. You can also just get a tourists map of your local area and find some places that you want to visit and see. Many people are surprised by all of the cool things that can be seen so close to home. Some say with astonishment, "I never knew that was so close or so much fun." You can even take mass transportation around the town, like a train or bus, instead of your own car, so it feels more like a vacation than a Sunday drive. See what is offered in the way of tours by the local bus company and you may be surprised how many interesting places there are to visit close to home.

Second, let's look at the various ways a public transportation pass saves you money.

• #1: You will not have to buy a car, or a second car. If you and your spouse have one car, and you both work, you are faced with the choice of trying to coordinate schedules to drop or pick one another up, buy a second car, or use public transportation. If you choose to use public transportation rather than buy a car, not only will you save the cost of the car (usually between $200-$300 a month) but you will also save on car insurance (about $65 a month). The savings on the insurance alone will cover the cost of your bus pass. So, using public transportation in these circumstances, or ones similar will save you over $3000 a year.
• #2: The cost of fuel. According to studies, most people spend upwards of $2000 a year on fuel for their car. When you buy a public transportation pass you are basically splitting fuel cost with several hundred people. When you drive yourself, you are not splitting it at all. This means if you can replace half of your driving with riding public transportation, on average you will save $1000 a year. If you minus out the cost of the pass for the year, you are still going to see several hundreds of dollars of savings each year.
• #3: Wear and tear on your car. The cost of driving is not just gas. You wear your tires out, and they need replacing. You clog filters, wear out belts, make your engine slower, etc. The cost to maintain a car can be high, so if you cut your driving in half, you can cut that cost in half as well. You will need to replace your tires less frequently, get oil changes less frequently, and not need tune ups as often. This results in several hundred dollars of savings each year.

Netflix is a service where you sign up and pay a monthly flat fee for movie rentals. Then, you go online and you make a list of the movies you want to watch. Netflix mails them out to you in order. So, you get the movie in the mail, then when you are done watching it you mail it back to them, and they send you the next movie on your list. To get the most out of a program like Netflix, it is wise to sign up for multiple movies at a time, that way you always have one, and always have one coming to you. They have various prices, offer a free trial, you can get one movie for about $10 a month, for two movies at a time the cost is about $14, and for three movies at a time the cost is $17, and for four movies the cost is $24. This also includes unlimited downloads of movies to your computer for instant watching. A great perk!

Okay, so now, let's look at the price to rent a movie from Blockbuster. For a New Release the cost is about $4.25. In addition to that, if you turn your movie in late, you have to pay an additional $4.25. So, if you rent five or six movies in a month, you are going to spend over $20. That means you could, for the same price get a three movies at a time Netflix rental, and just be sure to go through it two times that month. Basically, the per movie cost goes way up.

So, if you get just two movies a month from Netflix, you are equalling what you would have spent at Blockbuster. However, if you watch the movie and send it back right away, you have the potential to get far more movies each month, thus making the cost well worth it.

Other ways it helps you save is it means you have an expected expense, and you will automatically try to get your money's worth, that is just human nature. In addition, if you get a movie in the mail, you may choose to stay at home and watch that movie rather than go out that evening, which can save you untold amounts.

Also, because it is convenient, and you really do not have to leave your house to get the movies, there is no temptation to stop and pick up food, buy a soda at the checkout line, or impulse shop in other ways. This can mean even greater savings.

Example one: Getting a cash back or rewards credit card. Some gas stations will offer you a credit card that has a cash back or rewards program. For every dollar you spend on the card you get a percentage back in cash, or a point towards rewards. If you get a gas credit card the way it typically works is as follows: On most purchases you get 1% back, on gas purchases you get 3% back. Or, for every dollar spent you get 1 point, but for every dollar spent at the store the card is for (Chevron for example) you get 4 points. When you reach 1000 points you are mailed out a ten dollar gas card reward.

Example two: Club memberships. Many club membership places, like Costco or Sam's Club offer gas at a discount. The discount is typically about five cents less per gallon than the price of gas in the area. This means for the average vehicle (a ten gallon tank), your savings are fifty cents each time you fill up. If you fill up once a week, that is equivalent to $25 a year. This is a nice savings for doing nothing more than filling your tank after you do your grocery shopping.

Example three: Grocery store rewards cards. Some grocery stores have affiliated gas stations that you get a predetermined discount at depending on how much you spend at the grocery store. So, for example, if you spend $30 or more you get five cents off per gallon. If you spend $75 or more you get ten cents off per gallon. If you spend $125 or more you get fifteen cents off per gallon. If you do all of your grocery shopping together and hit the fifteen cents off per gallon level, then that is $1.50 in savings for a ten gallon tank, or $75 a year in savings. That is nothing to sniff at, and again requires little effort.

So how can you save even more? Try combining the cash back gas rewards credit card with some of the other options. If you get a discount using your Costco, Maverick, or other membership card, and then use your rewards credit card to pay, and you get 3% back on what you do spend, you will save close to $100 a year on gas. If you combine the credit card with the grocery card savings you could save as much as $150 a year.

Promotionals:
Many places will do promotional events where if you bring in their ad for the event you get some sort of discount. For example, the local miniature golf course might be celebrating it's tenth anniversary, so you can take in their coupon and mini-golf for $10 for the whole family. Other times places try to promote specific nights that they might be slow on, or something similar. If you hear an ad, or see a flyer, a mailer, etc. for a promotional take advantage of it. For example, one family fun center in Utah offers a half price night on Tuesday nights, where all activities are half off. This is because it is their slowest night of the week and they want to promote sales. Well, if you enjoy the things they have to offer (an arcade, a laser tag, bumper boats, etc.) then going on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, or Friday will help you save. Same entertainment, a portion of the price.

Fundraisers:
Fundraisers are a great place to find coupon books for local places that you already attend. Not only will buying a coupon book save you money on your entertainment, but it may also help your local school, brownie troop, football team, or some other affiliation. Most of these fundraiser books and cards get you discounts on food, buy one get one free or buy one get one half off admissions to local places. So, take advantage of it.

Costco:
Many times at Costco Warehouse you can purchase tickets to events, places, etc. for a discounted rate. For example, you might get a $100 gift certificate to a restaurant for $80, or a 30% off ski lift pass, or movie tickets that cost the normal price, but that come with a voucher for free popcorn. Take advantage of it.

Using a coupon will save you between 10%-50% on average.

Fluorescent lights have been around for a while as well and compact fluorescent bulbs are fairly new to the scene. These are much more efficient and take less energy, and money, to use than standard incandescent bulbs. CFLs, as they are sometimes called, can save about 75% on energy compared to incandescent bulbs. But they need to be used properly as well if you want to squeeze all the savings out of them that you can. Fluorescent bulbs take more energy when they are constantly being turned off and on. A general guideline if you have these in your home is to not turn off a light if you know you will be returning to the same space within 15 minutes. This will help you save money as well.

Although the savings you can make by using compact fluorescent bulbs, they can still be considered inefficient if they are on in a room where they don't need to be. If you are leaving the house or won't be in a room for a while, then the best rule is to turn off the lights and only use them when you actually plan on being in the room. Many people choose to have incandescent bulbs in the permanent fixtures around the house and then to use CFLs in smaller lights like lamps. This can be a smart idea, especially if there are a lot of people always coming and going from a room.

But many people talk about saving money on appliances or by using efficient light bulbs and then go and spend the money they `saved' on some kind of electronic device that uses more energy. When you are being conscious about the money you are spending on energy in general and specifically electricity, keep track of what your monthly bills are and also how many kilowatt hours you are using from month to month. When you see the money that you are saving on your bill each month, deposit the money into an interest bearing account and you will really see the fruits of your labors. Saving money really only does any good if you actually save the money and set it aside for something more important or for a cash reserve in case of an emergency.

Some other websites have great ways of finding good deals on last minute travel. Sites like American Express Travel and American airlines have sections that are dedicated to last minute travel and all of the things to consider when booking flights and hotels. They key with booking a trip last minute is not waiting too long and being patient enough to feel the stress a little. You also need to learn how to pass up a deal if it doesn't get sweet enough. When you are planning on traveling last minute, you also need to be prepared to pay normal price for the fare or to walk away if it doesn't go down enough to meet your needs. If you are able and willing to leave on the drop of a hat, you can really find a great deal and have great savings.

You often need to be flexible with your travel destinations when you are traveling last minute, but you can still find great deals this way. If you are looking to travel to a specific destination, they you should find a site that offers some kind of email or text message alert when a price drops below a certain level on airfare or hotel stays for that location. This can really help you make that last minute decision and really snag a great deal. You can save even more money if you are willing to just take the hotel that is offered in travel package instead of purchasing them individually. You should also take advantage of any special discounts or programs that you may be eligible for like a student or youth ticket fare. There are many organizations that offer special deals and discounts for students and other people in special circumstances. Look for these groups and take advantage of the deals they are offering whenever possible or a better deal than you can get on your own.

If you can't find someone who will be available to watch your children as often as you need, then consider trading with multiple people. You will find that the savings make your nights out much nicer, and in addition to that, you will find that you can build your cash reserve much faster without cutting out any of the enjoyment you have and the entertainment you get to enjoy.

Let's look at how much you can free up for your cash reserve by trading babysitting.

Let's say you pay an average of $2.50 an hour per child you have for babysitting. If you have two children, and you go out to dinner and a movie, a typical 3.5 hour date, your date will cost the price of the food and tickets, as well as another $17.50. If you go out twice a month for a whole year, you can save $420 in your cash reserve that you would not save otherwise.

If your frequency is more often, or if your dates are longer than 3.5 hours, or if you have more than two children, you are looking at a great deal more savings than what was mentioned previously. So, even if it means a couple nights a month of taking care of a few extra kids, you will think it is worth it if you can build your cash reserve quickly.

If you don't know anyone that would want to trade, you can always try your church group, your or even post an ad online to see if anyone else would be interested in an arrangement. Just be sure if it is someone you do not know that you check them out thoroughly before you entrust your children to them.

This means the difference for the same salad is $3.30, and a little less effort. Does it really take that much effort to wash and chop lettuce yourself? No. Imagine if you started saving $3.30 on every item you buy at the store. How much could you save in a week's worth of groceries?

To buy a pack of eight pouches of pre-cut apple slices at Costco you are going to pay $7.99. To buy eight apples on their own, you are looking at closer to $4. As you can see, each time you add a step to what it takes to get the food from it's first state, to you, you pay.

So, with your fresh produce, buy it fresh, and do the work yourself. Canned fruit costs more than fresh, and fresh is better for you, so buy fresh rather than canned whenever you have the chance. You will save money, and you will have the added benefit of not eating the preservatives.

If you buy a whole chicken, and cut it up yourself you can save up to $1 per pound. If you buy a big tub of yogurt, rather than the individually portioned yogurts, and portion it yourself at home, you can save 10-15 cents an ounce. If you buy a carton of eggs and scramble them yourself for breakfast, rather than buying "egg beaters" you are going to save a couple of dollars a week.

The effort it takes to not buy everything pre-made is really not as much as some people think. For example, you can buy a bag of pasta with chicken, sauce, and a few veggies in it, pre-made and frozen for $8. If you were to spend the same amount on the ingredients and make it yourself, chances are you would have close to four times as much. Pasta is cheap!

By choosing to portion, cut, wash, beat, prepare, etc. yourself, rather than have someone else do it for you, you are going to save between 10-20% or more on your weekly groceries, and you will spend almost the same amount of time to prepare your food.

One of the best ways to receive a discount on your insurance (any type) is to be part of a group. Groups can be sponsored by an employer, civic organization, trade union, credit union, etc. You will want to check with agents of several different insurers to learn which groups the insurer has been approved to offer discounts to and the size of the discounts. Any member of an approved group is eligible for the insurance discount.