Currency connoisseurs, what are your big plans for this first Monday in August? Let us know!

Student loans can follow you around for years after you’re finished with school. So when the check arrives, never forget that that money isn’t free. Do your future self a favor—manage it wisely. Learn about four regrets of several of my friends, and avoid making the student-loan mistakes they made.

Even if you don’t have much money to give to charities and causes you support, you can still find a way to contribute—volunteering your time or talent can be far more valuable to a non-profit than your check.

Group-buying vouchers don’t make good gifts, because you almost have to give it with the caveat that you have to use this right away—plus three other tips on group-deal etiquette.

If a raise isn’t in the picture this year, you can make up the difference by requesting seven money-saving job perks that might save you enough money to make it worth sticking around. So if your boss declines your raise, here’s what to ask for instead.

Uninsured people under 65 averaged $1,203 in medical expenses in 2009, and paid 47 percent out of pocket—not an insignificant amount, especially for those who are self-employed and don’t get a steady paycheck. Fortunately, there are alternatives to pricey health care.

When you’re looking for a house, start by “playing house”: Take the cost of your monthly mortgage payment and other fees, subtract your monthly rent—and then take that difference and “pay” it to yourself, transferring it into a high-yield savings account.