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: What are your summer secrets? We'd love to hear your best tips for saving on vacations or summer amusement. 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.

Monday: Looking for fun, cheap and delicious alternatives for sugary juices and sodas? Today, we taste-test the offerings from your local Asian market, where you can find a selection of soft drinks that will broaden your horizons without hurting your wallet.

Tuesday: It's student loan season, and we're here to help you figure out the complexities of college finance. This week, we're looking at the difference between private and federal loans.

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Wednesday: Trying to figure out what you're going to do after graduation? We've got some suggestions for ways to delay your entry into the job market while gaining essential and marketable skills.

Thursday: When it comes to college, the difference between what you want to do and what you need to do can cost you a lot of money. We're going to look at the compromises you need to make to get the education you need to have.

Friday: Who saves and who pays? We'll look at the uneven face of sequestration to see how Washington's budget battles are affecting you.

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