Don't miss our LIVEBLOG of Black Friday action all day November 28!

With times tight, everyone is looking for ways to save money. One way to do that is by making sure you get the most bang out of every hard-earned dollar you spend. So today we're going to reveal some retail rip-offs that give you less than your money's worth.

These tips aren't about scrimping or cutting out life's little luxuries -- we just want to show you some places where you are paying big price mark ups and may not realize it. Once you see just how little you are getting for your money, you can save a lot with just a few simple changes. Like...

1. Wine in restaurants
The markup on wine in restaurants is outrageous -- 100 to 200% more than what you would pay at the store if you buy by the bottle. It's a whopping 300 to 400% markup if you buy wine by the glass! To make it even worse, the highest markups are on the lowest priced wines.

Here's one thing you can do to combat wine markups: If your state/restaurant allows it, bring your own bottle and pay a small fee for the restaurant to open and cork it for you. You'll normally pay about $10.

Option two: Find out if the restaurant has an "off premises" license that allows you to take open wine bottles home with you. If so, you'll save money when you buy the full bottle even if you don't plan to drink it all. Simply cork it at the end of your meal and bring it home to enjoy later.

Another week, another bank failure. Columbia Bank of Topeka, Kansas became the 9th bank to fail so far this year. You can read all the gory details here, but we want to focus your attention on just one number: $46 million.

$46 million was held in accounts at Columbia Bank that will NOT be covered by FDIC insurance. Most likely because those accounts were over the $100,000 FDIC limit. That's a lot of people losing a lot of money-money that, like you, they probably thought was safe in their bank. That's a lot of hard work, retirement dreams and college tuition payments that just went up in smoke!

Look, the banking industry is facing some serious trouble right now and we expect more failures ahead. (There are 90 banks sitting on the FDIC "trouble" list right now.) Don't let this happen to you and your loved ones.

Understanding how FDIC insurance works and taking a few simple steps to making sure you are playing by those rules can save you tremendous heartache should your bank fail. So, please take a few minutes now to be absolutely sure your money is safe.

Just watch our video below for a simple explanation of the rules and the steps you should take to protect the maximum amount of money possible.

Is your bank safe? Let personal finance experts Ken and Daria Dolan show you how to get the answer at Dolans.com. Plus learn 5 things you need to know if your bank fails.

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's First Family of Personal Finance, answer your money questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Having life insurance is sort of like that TV show, The Price is Right: The winner in the insurance game is the one who comes closest to meeting their exact life insurance needs without going over. So, how do you know how much you need -- and how long do you need it for?

This question gets trickier to answer as you enter retirement. Check out our video response below to learn what criteria you need to consider when making this important decision.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I have a life insurance policy through work that will end when I retire soon. I say we still need the insurance, but my husband disagrees. What do you suggest?

-Flo

Taking care of your life insurance needs is a critical part of your financial plan. Start with Ken and Daria's worksheet on Dolans.com to make sure you're getting the right coverage.

We don't mean to get too personal, but what's your score? We're talking about your credit score, of course. A few years back, no one knew their credit score. Today, people brag (or complain) about it at cocktail parties and compare scores over the water cooler at work!

That's because knowing your credit score can have a huge impact on your wallet. Being a 640 versus a 690 means paying 12.2 percent versus 9.5 percent on your next loan, and that adds up to thousands of dollars in extra interest!

So, you already know that the higher your score the better. And you probably know the basics for keeping your score high-pay your bills on time, don't carry too much credit card debt, etc.. But you might be surprised at some little known factors that can do some serious damage to your score.

In a world where one delinquent payment-just one-can drop your score 100 points, let's look at eight credit score "no-no's" that pack a real wallop:

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's First Family of Personal Finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Dear Ken and Daria,

I filed for bankruptcy and have recently gotten remarried. I wanted to know if my credit rating will hurt my new husband's credit. (He has excellent credit.) Thank you for your help!

Monica

Ken and Daria Dolan offer advice on debt management and living credit smart in their special report "8 Secrets Your Credit Card Company Doesn't Want You to Know," free from Dolans.com

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

Do you hear that sound? Listen closely... it's the sound of American consumers tightening their belts.

The endless barrage of troubling economic news and a badly bruised stock market have finally gotten everyone's attention. (Anyone still want to argue that we aren't in a recession?)

To protect your family and your finances during these very uncertain times, it is critical that you batten down the hatches and prepare to ride this out. One critical way to do that is by tackling your credit card debt.

Now let's be clear about something before we start... you DON'T need a lot of money to make an immediate dent in your debt. Armed with these three simple steps and even $10 extra a month, you can take a big bite out of your credit card debt. So let's get started.

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

Dear Ken and Daria,
I have my IRA savings all invested in CD's. What are other low risk income investments that you would recommend now?

--Helga

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Ken and Daria Dolan, widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance, offer advice on all things money at Dolans.com.

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

Every time Ken and I hear someone brag about how they got a big, fat tax refund, it's all I can do not to scream. A tax refund is NOT a gift...it's NOT something to celebrate! A tax refund means you let Uncle Sam keep too much of your hard-earned money for the last 12 months!

So today let's stop the madness. Put an end to the interest-free loan you're so generously giving Uncle Sam and give yourself an instant pay raise instead! That's right, spend five minutes with us now and get a fatter paycheck all year long.

All you need is a pen, a calculator and a W-4 form (which you can get from your payroll administrator or click here to print one now.

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

Wow...

Daria and I were shocked at the number of you who emailed us in response to our Four creative ways to travel for free post . Seems lots of you are intrigued by the idea of traveling the country for free as an RV courier.

Then again, what's not to like about getting paid to travel?!

So today let's talk about whether being an RV courier is right for you and how you can get started. We called America's number one expert on the subject to get the full story and we've got some great tips for you.

Let's start with 3 things you need to know about being an RV courier...

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

Q: I've been thinking of joining a gym for a while and have been holding off because I don't want to get ripped off like I did when I was in college. I keep seeing these coupons and adverts claiming $30 a month or half price and was wondering, where's the catch?

A: Gyms rake in millions this time of year as our perennial New Year's resolution to shed some extra pounds and get in shape drive people to join a gym. But much like having too much bubbly on New Year's Eve, many people regret it the next day! See our quick video below for five tips to make sure you don't get ripped off or end up wasting big bucks on a membership you don't use.

Ken and Daria Dolan of Dolans.com have hosted their own national radio program for 22 years, anchored their own television shows on CNN, authored six books on money matters, served as money contributors on CBS This Morning and have now launched a comprehensive web site.

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

Believe me, my friend, this is as close as you'll ever get to a free lunch! And there's no catch, we promise.

We are constantly shocked by how many people are sitting on completely legit sources of free money every day and letting it just slip right through their hands. It's yours for the taking, and it could be the difference between retiring in style and just getting by in your golden years.

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

What do Oprah, Tiger and Spielberg have in common? They've all been the victims of ID theft -- along with 27,000 other Americans TODAY alone!

Identity theft is a massive problem that can cause years of headaches and heartache trying to get your finances untangled and your credit restored. Here's the #1 way you can protect yourself today:

Remove your name from the pre-approved credit mailing lists that are sold by the big three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. This isn't something many people know how to do, but it's super easy when you know this website: www.optoutprescreen.com.

Simply visit the site and follow the directions. By limiting the unsolicited offers you receive in the mail, you also limit the chances of some dumpster diver finding one of those applications you toss in the trash and using it to open an account in your name.

Click here for 4 more simple ways to protect yourself today.

Ken and Daria Dolan have hosted their own national radio program for 22 years, anchored their own television shows on CNN, authored six books on money matters, served as money contributors on CBS This Morning and have now launched a comprehensive web site and free e-letter at Dolans.com.

Ken and Daria Dolan are widely known as America's First Family of Personal Finance.

How would you like to vacation in a dream location and never pay a dime for your accommodations? Or travel the United States all expenses paid? Sound impossible? It's not -- here are four creative ways to travel free:

Gallery: Four Ways to Travel for Free--Really

A $10,000 tip for your waiter? Even for The Donald that sounded too good to be true!

But this is the time of year when figuring out how much to tip your paperboy, hairdresser and such for the holidays can pose a dilemma. Too little is an insult with potential consequences -- some NYC doormen are notorious for holding a grudge for a bad tip all year long -- but you don't want to go overboard either.

Don't risk a bad haircut or "lost" newspaper by tipping like a Scrooge! Just follow our rules of thumb and spread some holiday cheer without breaking your bank.

Ken and Daria Dolan have hosted their own national radio program for 22 years, anchored their own television shows on CNN, authored six books on money matters, served as money contributors on CBS This Morning and have now launched a comprehensive web site and free e-letter at Dolans.com.