King Arthur Movie Tristan

title: TheSmartestWay to Save, Why You Can't Save Money and What to Do About It

authors: Heidi E. Clingen, Samuel K. Freshman

genre: self-help/non-fiction

published: 2008

pages: 217

first line: We live in the richest country in the world, but many Americans are just living "month to month."

source: review copy

rated: 3 out of 5

TheSmartestWay to Save, Why You Can't Save Money and What to Do About It is your guidebook for surviving the recession. Your money is hard to make, but easy to spend. You know you need to save to pay for your home, send your kids to college, and retire. But so many people drown in a sea of toxic debt and feel powerless to overcome destructive, compulsive spending. This concise, readable manual will help you spend less, save more, overcome bad habits, and conquer debt. It is filled with hundreds of practical, doable tips that you can apply to your daily life, regardless of your age or finances. Authors Samuel K. Freshman and Heidi Clingen have two different perspectives, but their stories come together to encourage you to embrace your economic situation with enthusiasm. Their straight talk is engaging and compassionate and will make a genuine difference in your wallet--and your future!

The concise guide is packed with pointers to help all ages and incomes keep resolutions to:


-batten down the hatches for the rainy days looming on the horizon


-rescue themselves from drowning in a sea of toxic debt


-spend more time with loved ones and spend money on what really matters


-save money on clothes, gas, cars, food, parties, and more


-get started on the road to financial independence





TheSmartestWay to Save, Why You Can't Save Money and What to Do About It is a great resource for anyone who is looking for advice or motivation for saving money.

"Its not how much you make, its how much you keep"

The authors touch on the factors that make us spend too much money in the first place to what we can do to change our spending habits to tips for saving money for the long haul.

Do you own your possessions? Or do your possessions own you?
Do you fill your life with things that have real value for you and truly enrich your life? Or are your possessions stealing the time and affection that you should give your loved ones?

Your relationships with your friends and loved ones should be your top priorities.

p. 5

There is some sound advice within these pages and this is a helpful book, I finished it in one day. The book is written in three major parts.
1. Your Money And You
2. Your Money and Others
3. Your Money and the World.

The authors touch on things like frugal party planning, vacations and gift giving. One good point they made was the topic of gift cards as gifts. Such as the fees involved with gift cards and how gift cards are usually put inside our wallets and forgotten about.

'Gift cards are designed to sit in your wallet and serve as a constant advertisement of that store'

p.82

The authors discuss why it is that we overspend our hard earned money in the first place. Media and peer pressure to fit in or impress others are topics that are brought up. They also touch on strategies to pay off toxic debt, such as credit cards and loans. I liked the sections on budgeting and prioritizing. They suggest taking it one day at a time, and being realistic when it comes to saving. There's even a section on protecting yourself from different types of internet scams that are created to steal your money.




I recommend this one to anyone looking for a few ideas on saving money and for those who are in a need of a little motivation to get them to start saving a bit more.

When you establish the habit of saving, you will be able to start investing what you have saved. There are many dreams that you thought were out of reach, but they are obtainable under a good investment plan.

What do you need to improve your career and your earning capacity? Plan ahead to create a legacy for your loved ones that lasts for future generations.

p.183

title: 10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea


author: Suzy Welch

published: April 2009

genre: self help

pages: 222

first line: I was born in Portland, Oregon-exotic Portland, as I like to say, since it always seems to get a laugh.

rated: 4 out of 5

We all want to lead a life of our own making. But in today's accelerated world, with its competing priorities, information overload, and confounding options, we can easily find ourselves steered by impulse, stress, or expedience. Are our decisions the right ones? Or are we being governed, time and time again, and against our best intentions, by the demands of the moment?



A transformative new approach to decision making, 10-10-10 is a tool for reclaiming your life at home, in love, and at work. The process is clear, straightforward, and transparent. In fact, when you're facing a dilemma, all it takes to begin are three questions: What are the consequences of my decision in 10 minutes?



In 10 months? And in 10 years?

10-10-10 is about changing your life in three steps. Pose your question, gather information...ie...what are the consequences of your different options, then analyze the results. Once you have the information gathered and look at your different options, then you can make a the best decision for yourself. 10-10-10 encourages you to look at the bigger picture.

By bringing every option and its consequences to the surface and connecting actions to deeply held values, the process empowers us to override the counterproductive tendencies of our own minds. It helps us help ourselves.

Author Suzy Welch thought up the idea for 10-10-10 while on a business trip to Hawaii in which she wound up bringing two of her young children along with her. At that point in life, like so many working mothers, she was trying to do it all and about to burn herself out in the process. It was then that she knew she had to take control of her life and re-evaluate her choices.

I wasn't living my life. My life was living me.

I found this book to be a helpful tool for anyone looking to better themselves.
The process of 10-10-10 does make sense. The author includes several stories from others who have used 10-10-10 to change thier lives. When you look at the different options you have, then the consequences of each, you do simplify things and get to the heart of the matter easier. Things will seem clearer.

10-10-10 adds reason where it is lacking, It inserts deliberation where there is only instinct. It replaces opaqueness with transparency.

This wonderful book came to me courtesy of a great site: MotherTalk.com. Thank you for choosing me as one of your reviewers!

Check out their book reviews here

title: A New Earth : Awakening to Your Life's Purpose


author: Eckhart Tolle

pages: 309

first line: 'Earth, 114 million years ago, one morning just after sunrise: The first flower ever to appear on the planet opens up to receive the rays of the sun.'

'Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity.'

I've found several of my favorite books through Oprah's Book club. Her latest book selection is 'A New Earth : Awakening to Your Life's Purpose'.

'How to be at peace now? By making peace with the present moment. The present moment is the field on which the game of life happens. It cannot happen anywhere else.'

I don't usually read self help books, but this one seemed interesting enough and even my sister as raving about it. In addition to reading the book, I logged on to view the web-discussions between Oprah, Tolle and other readers.




This is the type of book that really gets you thinking. I found it inspirational and fascinating. Tolle talks about religion, spirituality, the ego. He refers to the ego as the 'voice inside your head'. This voice and these thoughts are our conditioned thought processes. You have to realize the awareness behind these thoughts. This awareness is the real you.



Tolle speaks of how the ego can run your life and way of thinking. That 'little voice inside your head' is constantly going without you even realizing it is there. If you are aware of your ego, and realize that is not the real you, you will begin the process of 'awakening'.






Tolle touches on many different topics and after each chapter you need to sit back and reflect. This isn't the type of book you can get through in a week or so. I've been reading this book since mid-March. Each night I would read a few pages before going to bed.



With the risk of sounding corny or even gullable, this book has changed the way I view myself and others as well. To the point where my husband has noticed the positive change in me and commented on it. I told him, it was in large due to this amazing book I was reading.




It may sound far-fetched to some, but if you read this book and really reflect on it, it makes perfect sense. Tolle often refers to religion, and quotes the bible throughout the book.





I highly recommend this book, I cannot give it a rating. It's the kind of book that either will change your life, if you are ready, or it won't help you at all if you are not ready for that change.

'Nothing ever happened in the past that can prevent you from being present now; and if the past cannot prevent you from being present now, what power does it have?'

Oprah's Book club