July 28, 2007: Taking stock, and three good ways to save money

As we head into the weekend, there is no need to panic.


Remember:

1. Investing is an art, not a science.
2. There is some luck involved with successful investing.
3. Diversification means investing in more than stocks and bonds.
4. Don't be too smart by half.
5. Take a break and appreciate what you have, in spite of some temporary loss.
6. Long term, a diversified portfolio works out very well.
7. Don't let the mainstream media dictate your emotions.

Enjoy your weekend, and if you must tinker with a few investments, only do so for compelling long term reasons.

Now, on to saving money while you are likely loosing it!

CONSUMER SEARCH.com has listed the best sites for travel, travel discounts and international travel.

The winners are:

Best travel search engine: www.Kayak.com.
Kayak is a free service that allows users to compare fares gathered from airline Web sites and online travel agencies. You can also use Kayak to find discounts on rental cars and hotels.

Best discount travel site: www.Hotwire.com.
Hotwire is still the best choice for bargain flights. The site's fares are consistently the lowest, according to Consumer Search. The trade-off is that you don't discover the airline you're flying or the exact time of departure until after you make your purchase, which means you are flying blind.

Best international travel site: www.Mobissimo.com
For bargains on foreign travel, this is far and away the best bet because it has the largest international supplier network. The site also includes a blog that tracks bargains on airfares and hotels.

An alternative to the above, check www.Airfarewatchdog.com, a service that is dedicated to keeping tabs on the cheapest tickets offered directly by airlines.