Monday Memo: This Week on the Saving Channel

As part of the new and improved DailyFinance, we're launching a new Saving Channel -- and a different way of looking at saving money. Rather than focusing on the grim business of pinching pennies, we're focusing on the things you gain -- things like extra cash for the life events that matter and greater security for the unknown challenges that lie ahead.

As part of this change, we're launching a new feature: the Monday Memo. A preview of a few of our major stories for the week, the memo will give you an idea of what to expect, and a way for you to tell us what you want. It will also contain a weekly question, in which we ask you for your opinion on a major spending issue.

This week's question is: How does sequestration affect you? Have you noticed any reduction in your government services since sequestration started to kick in? Do you feel like the government's extensive budget cuts have had an impact on your life -- or are they just a lot of hype?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below; or you can send me an e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com or a tweet at @bruce1971.

On to this week's specials:

Monday:
Today, we'll take a peek at some ways that the sequestration budget cuts are already affecting life across America.

Tuesday:
In honor of Equal Pay Day -- the day that measures how far into 2013 women must work to earn what men earned in 2012 -- we'll look at some of the economic and political issues on the horizon that affect your daily life and your savings.

Wednesday:
Getting tired of dealing with high bank fees and low services? We give you the lowdown on another option.

Thursday:
For this week's Savings Challenge, we'll look at meal options that are quick -- and cost-effective.

Friday:
For a Friday Final Thought, we're going to look at women's health -- and how saving isn't just about money or time, but can also be about your health and your quality of life.

Those are a few of the money-saving topics we're going to explore this week. If you have any questions or suggestions, ideas or requests, drop me a line!

Bruce Watson is a DailyFinance's Savings editor. You can reach him by e-mail at bruce.watson@teamaol.com, or follow him on Twitter at @bruce1971.