High-Yield Savings Accounts, Extreme Savings, and Cookies

I recently read an article at U.S. News & World Report's Website called "9 Extreme Ways to Save" - among the advice given is to bake cookies in your hot car instead of a stove, to reuse plastic sandwich bags (a family of four could save about $30 per year), and to turn your car off while it's still moving.

While the article was certainly entertaining (despite my aversion to the overused buzzword "extreme"), I'm not sure how practical a savings strategy automotive cookie baking really is. Besides, I don't want the aroma of exhaust fumes messing up my Snickerdoodles. If you're looking to get some extra dollars each month, there are easier ways.

One of the best ways to increase your money saved is to have your savings do some of the earning for you, by moving your cash from a standard savings account to a High-Yield Savings account. The national average for a statement savings account is around .37% - compare that with what you could earn in a High-Yield Savings account (3.50% or higher) - and the interest your account accrues could provide a substantial amount of extra cash - enough to buy all the cookies you could want, without the exhaust-fume aftertaste.