Fiscal Fitness '09: 1 Month, 2 Grand, 3 Stocks

The best New Year's resolutions -- meaning ones people actually achieve -- are clearly defined with explicit action steps, a hard deadline, and an enticing payoff. If accompanied by a team of on-call supporters, even better.

Well, Fools, our "1 month, 2 grand, 3 stocks" resolution is all that and more. In just one month, we'll show you how to save at least $2,000 to invest in one (or all) of our top stock advisors' three best -- and timeliest -- stock ideas. Oh, and your personal cheerleaders -- jingled jester caps and all -- are already waiting to cheer you on.

Just one month. Really.
Saving money may be a rediscovered national pastime, but that still doesn't make it a palatable gig. So we condensed an entire year's worth of our best savings tricks into just one month (20 weekdays, to be exact). All January, we'll dole out specific money-saving tips every weekday. (Bookmark alert!: We'll add each to the bottom of this page as we go.)

During your four-week Fiscal Fitness challenge, you'll cut costs in the major areas of spending -- workaday expenses (like that cable TV bill and the Incredible Disappearing ATM Withdrawal), big-ticket items (travel, insurance premiums), irritating budget busters (groceries, gas), and finance-related fees (fund costs, brokerage charges).

Every Friday, we'll feature a new tip as well as a roundup of some of the great money-saving ideas that crop up on our dedicated "Fiscal Fitness '09" discussion board. Check it out, and chime in -- some of the smartest members of the Fool.com community are there right now to cheer you on.

Make $2,000 during your lunch breaks
Many of our money-saving tips will pay off instantly. (Spoiler alert!: See the entries for Jan. 8, 14, and 20, for example.) Others will pay off over time (e.g. Jan. 7, 21, and 26). We've done the math and calculated at least $2,000 in potential savings -- some serious coin that can seriously pay off over time. More on that last point in just a moment.

Since you have a day job (or a DVD queue to catch up on), we've made it so that each daily task can be accomplished in less time than it takes to wolf down your lunch. That said, we encourage you to do as little or as much as your time and temperament allow. (Extra credit means extra money in your pocket, after all.) If you discover more ways to save -- some tricks and tactics of your own -- please share.

By the end of January, you'll have a few fistfuls of extra cash. And while all that dough can certainly buy you a nice flat-screen TV or one heckuva happy hour, we have an even better idea for how to "spend" it.

Three top stock picks for new money
As easy as it will be to achieve each and every one of our money-saving tips, we still think you deserve a reward for your work. We have a special treat in store for you: On Jan. 30, we'll present three timely stock picks from our market-beating subscription-only investment services.

Stock ideas? In this market? Absolutely. In fact, there is no better time -- nor has there been for quite a long while -- to invest in stocks. To put it in real-estate terms, it's a buyer's market, baby. And you're sitting on the right side of the table for this transaction.

Even some of the market's best historical performers are at bargain-basement prices. Just take a look:

Source: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's.

No excuses. This is one resolution tailor-made for commitment-phobes (it'll take just one month!), reluctant savers (we're sure you've got $2,000 hiding somewhere!), and opportunity-seeking investors (three hand-picked stocks from our advisors!).

By the end of January, with the money you save throughout the month, we'll get you started on your illustrious investment career. To get started on this potentially life-changing month, simply bookmark this page (or sign up for our daily FoolWatch email, which will feature every tip), and head to the "Fiscal Fitness '09" discussion board.

Week 1  -- Cutting back on everyday expenses

• Tip No. 1: Control Your Cash Flow in 5 Minutes
• Tip No. 2: Cash Is the Cure for Over-Spending
• Tip No. 3: Get a $200 Raise Right Now
• Tip No. 4: Slash Your Cable Bill on Your Lunch Break
• Tip No. 5: One Phone Call, $198 in Debt Savings
• Week 1 Roundup: How to Save $419.50 in Less Than One Hour

Week 2 -- Saving on infrequent expenses

• Tip No. 6: Bragging to Your Insurer Is Worth at Least $400
• Tip No. 7: 6 Ways to Score Cheap(er) Drugs
• Tip No. 8: Trim $240 From Your Home Insurance Tab
• Tip No. 9: Save $240 on Your Next Vacation
• Tip No. 10: How to Save $252.80 Just by Asking
• Week 2 Roundup: Click, Call, and Haggle Your Way to $1,365.07 in Savings

Week 3 -- Sweating the small stuff for big savings

• Tip No. 11: Stop Mystery Spending, Save $200 a Month
• Tip No. 12: 3 Ways to Save $100 on Groceries
• Tip No. 13: Stop Paying to Heat the Whole Neighborhood
• Tip No. 14: How Much Do Your Guilty Pleasures Cost?
• Tip No. 15: Get Cash for Your Cast-Offs
• Week 3 Roundup: Sweat the Small Stuff and Save $487.50

Week 4 -- Padding your wallet by organizing your finances

• Tip No. 16: Are You Overpaying the IRS?
• Tip No. 17: Double Your Money in 347 Years!
• Tip No. 18: Stop Paying a Toll to Invest in Your 401(k)
• Tip No. 19: Invest Now, Save $125

The Grand Finale

• 3 Stocks for Your 2 Grand