Save money on investing and financial planning

21. Make the most of your shelter: If you're investing for retirement or college in taxable accounts -- before your individual retirement accounts, 401k's or 529 college-saving plans are maxed out -- you're wasting money. You should first cram as many dollars into these tax-sheltered investments as you can.

For instance, say a 25-year-old invests $5,000 each year into a Roth IRA until she retires, and she makes an average annual 8% return on her investment. She'll have $1.4 million saved by the time she turns 65. However, if she stashes that cash in a taxable account earning the same return, she'd only have about $1 million (if her earnings were taxed at 15%). That's 28% less money.

22. Trim the fat: Mutual fund fees can weigh down performance. The average diversified U.S.-stock mutual fund charges 1.3% a year in expenses. If your fund isn't beating its benchmark, you're better off buying a low-cost index fund or exchange-traded fund that matches the benchmark.

For example, you'll pay an annual expense ratio of just 0.07% to invest in the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI), which tracks Standard & Poor's 500 Index. On a $50,000 investment, that's a savings of $615 per year.

23. Get advice a la carte: Paying a fee-only financial adviser to create a comprehensive plan and manage your investments for long-term goals can get pricey. Many set investment minimums of $250,000 or more and charge 1% of assets under management per year.

Instead, pick and choose your advice by hiring a planner by the hour through the Garrett Planning Network. You'll typically pay $180 to $210 hourly, as needed, with no annual fees or asset minimums. This can be a good way to make sure you're on track to meet specific goals.

24. Trade stocks for free: Zecco offers 10 free stock trades per month with a balance of $25,000 or more. Wells Fargo offers 100 free trades per year to customers with $25,000 in brokerage accounts, loan balances or bank deposit accounts.

Don't qualify for the freebie? Go for the deep discount. Just2Trade charges $2.50 per online trade; SogoTrade charges $3 and TradeKing, $4.95. Compare that to $30 or more per trade at a full-service broker. If you don't need the extra perks and attention at the big guys, don't pay for it.

25. Eliminate the guesswork: Trying to time the market is often a losing game. In trying to buy low and sell high, many people actually do the opposite. Instead, employ the simple strategy of dollar-cost averaging.

By investing a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals, you smooth out the ups and downs of the market over time. Take out the emotion and guesswork, and investing can become less stressful and more successful.

Save money on travel

26. Let price be your guide: Choose your destination based on the cheapest flight.

For instance, if you're interested in a Caribbean vacation but don't have a specific location in mind, go to Kayak to search for flights to anywhere in the Caribbean and then pick the place with the lowest fare. Airfarewatchdog also lists the lowest fares available from your hometown to anywhere.

27. Clone your dream vacation: Look for locales that are similar to your dream vacation, but with a lower price tag.

For a tropical getaway, trade Fiji for Panama. For Old World European charm, try Budapest instead of Vienna. For wine tasting, consider California's Sierra foothills region over Napa Valley. Get your fill of French cuisine and architecture in Quebec City instead of Paris.

28. Use the best Web sites: You can waste time and money wandering the Web to find the cheapest airfare. Instead, head for Kayak, which fetches fares (plus hotel rates and other travel products) from more than 140 sources. Click on the best deal, and Kayak will send you to a site where you can buy the ticket.

And for thousands of traveler reviews on everything from hotels to local attractions, go to TripAdvisor. It just may steer you toward an unexpected bargain. And don't forget Bing travel.

29. Pack smart: You'll pay $25 to $35 per checked bag on most major airlines. That can add up fast, especially when you're bringing the whole family. Don't forget that Southwest and JetBlue still allow two bags to fly free.

And watch your bag's weight. If it tips the scales at more than 50 pounds, you'll pay between $50 and $150 per bag. And if it's oversized, tack on an additional $100 to $150 per bag. In these cases, it may be cheaper to ship your luggage via the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx or UPS rather than pay the airline fees.

30. Travel in the off-season: Timing your travel can save you serious money, plus you'll avoid the crowds.

If a destination sees its highest tourist traffic in summer -- such as national parks, Europe and Canada -- plan your visit for winter, spring or fall. And, vice versa, in the summertime, head for popular winter destinations such as ski resorts and Caribbean cruises.

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