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YOUR MONEY

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CREDIT, COLLEGE, TAXES AND REAL ESTATE

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Save Money on Transportation
No doubt getting around can be a huge budget buster. Here are ten tips to help cut your costs
KIPLINGER'S MONEY POLL
What has thrown the biggest wrench in your budget?
High gas prices
High food prices
Increasing debt and bills
A frozen home-equity line of credit
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ARE YOU MILLIONAIRE MATERIAL?

Enter your age, current savings and investments, and expected returns into our calculator to find out how old you'll be when your portfolio hits the magic number.



GOALS
How to Make a Million
You could marry rich, win the lottery, or, like these 12 people, have a goal and a plan for getting there.

So you want to be a millionaire -- who doesn't? If you're looking for a little inspiration on your quest for wealth, get tips from people who already have made their millions. These success stories run the gamut from Grammy-winning songwriter to first-generation entrepreneur to every-day people who simply lived below their means. Their paths to wealth are diverse, but what they have in common is a 24/7 commitment to their goals. Learn from their experience what it takes to become a millionaire.

Plus, with the help of market research firm TNS Financial Services, we found where the nation's millionaires live. We put together a slideshow revealing the top ten cities and towns in the U.S. with the highest concentration of millionaire households. The results may surprise you.

TIP #1: Seize an Opportunity
When the tech industry tanked and her company "was almost down to a liquidation plan," Nina Vaca bought out her partner and reinvigorated the business by changing its focus.

TIP #2: Have a Fallback
Josh Abramson and Ricky Van Veen started their college-humor Web site while still in school. "If you fail, you just go back to being students," says Van Veen.

TIP #3: Learn from Your Experience
Dave Grotz's losses on tech stocks taught him a lesson about diversifying that helped get his tree nursery off the ground.

TIP #4: Take a Chance
Diane Warren, a Grammy-winning songwriter who has composed dozens of top-ten tunes, maximized her earning potential by forgoing a salary and striking out on her own.

TIP #5: Forget Stereotypes
"I'm not a natural businessman, and I'm not motivated by money," says Jeong Kim, who sold his telecommunications company for $1.1 billion. The key to success is "having a goal and the motivation to do something significant."

TIP #6: Simple Ideas Work
Investing regularly and living below their means helped Paul and Doris Cloud amass a million-dollar portfolio before age 50.

TIP #7: Find Your Niche
Emily Mange and Doug Zell run a specialty-coffee business in Chicago that competes successfully with Starbucks.

SLIDESHOW: Where the Millionaires Are
Forget Park Avenue. The highest concentrations of wealthiest U.S. households are in some surprising places. Take a look at our top ten.


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