The Savvy Life

My friend The Budget Babe has an extensive list of the best Cyber Monday clothing deals.  Just two of the outstanding sales she posted include:   

• Forever 21: Up to 90% off plus free shipping with no minimum. Also, get 10% off orders of $100 or more with code TENOFF (Valid 11/28 - 12/5/11)
• New York & Co.: 50% off everything plus free shipping with code 2129

To see the entire list, visit http://bit.ly/v2hqZ2

I am not a fan of Black Friday because it overshadows Thanksgiving, one of the most important holidays of the year.

I am however, a big fan of Cyber Monday.  You can take advantage of the year's deepest retail discounts without the need to camp in a parking lot! 

For a consolidated list of some of today's best deals visit CyberMonday.com.

I've never hosted and prepared Thanksgiving Dinner and a small part of me still feels like a kid because I haven't experienced this rite of passage.

For now, I'm ok with continuing my "guest" status, but one of these days I'd like to don an apron and play host.  In the meantime, I'm grateful to my mom who is hosting dinner this year. 

In addition to dinner at my mom's we're going to have breakfast with my dad and other-mom Linda tomorrow morning.  It's going to be the first time we spend Thanksgiving together in a long time so it's a treat!

I have an amazing family that I love to be around so I am especially looking forward to the day!

A big part of Living The Savvy Life is being grateful for what you have while working toward achieving what you want.  I have much to be grateful for and tomorrow, like every day, I will be counting my blessings.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. 

For the last few days, I've been conducting phone interviews of Savvy Life readers to determine the type of information they want to learn to make 2012 their best year yet from both a financial and a lifestyle perspective.

During the interview, one of the questions I ask is, "Were you taught basic day-to-day money management as a kid".  This is a question I always ask audiences when I speak or give seminars.  I'm never surprised when only a few hands are raised.  In fact, when I spoke at Author 101 University in Las Vegas last month, only about five out of 300 people raised their hand.

What I find particularly interesting about this question during the phone interview is that not only has almost everyone said "no", but they've actually laughed and then said "no".  It's obvious that this is a touchy subject.

In truth, basic day-to-day money management is not taught in the U.S. and because of that lack of education, we suffer for it and the economy has suffered for it.  One of my goals is to push for personal finance to be taught in school and not just a single class, but an ongoing curriculum beginning in grade school and continuing through high school.

But for now, it's imperative that we educate ourselves.  Whether that education entails attending a personal finance class, picking up a book or taking part in a course like the Living The Savvy Life Online Program.

It's time to stop beating yourself up for struggling with money... and don't beat your parents up either!  I have the most amazing parents in the world, but it just didn't dawn on them to teach me about money - because they weren't taught about it as children either. 

One very inspiring conclusion from the phone interviews is that every single person I spoke to had already improved their financial situation or was in the process.  A brighter financial future is in your power.  It's time to take control!

With the New Year just six weeks away, it’s time embrace 2012 with a positive outlook – but more importantly, with a plan!

Now, through November 30^th, I will be personally conducting phone interviews with Savvy Life readers.  I want to know what it will take to make 2012 the best year of your life and what The Savvy Life can do to help.

If you’re willing to spend 3 – 5 minutes answering a few questions, I’ll enter your name in a drawing for a $100 Visa Gift Card.  Only those who I actually speak with will be entered to win. 

To set up your call, send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with Phone Interview in the subject line.  In the body of the email, please include your telephone number and the best days and times to to be reached. 

The drawing will take place on Thursday, December 1^st.

The weather in the San Francisco Bay Area changed pretty dramatically this last week.  It's COLD! 

The change in the temperature was incentive for me to move my summer clothes to the back of the closet and winter clothes to the front.  While making the switch, I realized that my closet is looking a little bare.  It's time to shop!

I've made an inventory of what I need for both work and play.  The list is tucked into my Spending Book which stays with me at all times.  I am now on the hunt! 

Over the next few weeks I'll check the ads of my favorite stores and head over if anything catches my eye.  I am not a fan of marathon shopping trips so my plan is to hit one store on Wednesday nights (my evening off from teaching at Fearless) and one store during the weekend. 

With holiday sales already starting, I should be able to restock my wardrobe within a few short weeks.  Wish me luck!

That last four days have been INTENSE!

I was in Las Vegas to speak at Author 101 University talking about my own Author 101 experience. 

It was so incredibly cool to stand on stage in front of 300 future authors and tell them that 18 months ago, I sat in that very same audience. I told them how it was there that I met David Hancock and Scott Frishman of Morgan James Publishing - my future publisher and how now I am an international best selling author.

During my speech, I could literally feel the energy in the room pick up as I talked about my experience and how I stalked David Hancock at the conference until I cornered him to pitch my book.  

I had at least 50 people come up to me after the speech telling me how much they appreciated hearing my story.  For anyone who has tried to get a book published, you know how frustrating and disheartening it can be. 

You need to believe in your message, push forward and as Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles suggests, "When someone says no, you say - next".  Don't dwell on the no.  Focus on the next opportunity.