The Savvy Life

I'm blessed to have a dad that is not only a role model for me as to how to live and enjoy life - but who is also someone I love to hang out with! 

One of the greatest lessons I learned from him is perseverance.  Dad has the rare experience of having lost his thumb while team roping.  Actually, losing fingers while roping isn't necessarily rare. What makes his situation unique is that he's lost three thumbs. 

Yes, that's right... three. 

The second time he lost a thumb the doctors were able to sew it back on.  A few years later, he lost that one too. 

Most people would have given up a sport that took such a physical toll.  Not my dad.  His passion for the sport kept him going.

Many times during the two years I spent submitting the manuscript for Living The Savvy Life I thought of him.  As I received rejection letter after rejection letter, 36 total, I thought about how he literally, kept getting back in the saddle.  I believed in my book and its message, but I also love  working on the material.  It's my passion.  So I kept sending query letters until I finally received an offer.

I learned from my dad to live life with passion!  Don't worry about falling down.  Just keep getting up and enjoy the journey!  

My dad and I at this year's Chowchilla Stampede. 

• Focus your spending.
• Quality over quantity.
• Find enjoyment in the simple pleasures of life.

Like the French lifestyle, Savvy Living isn't about doing without.  It's about picking and choosing what you bring into your life vs. mindlessly consuming.  This control over your financial life brings joi de vivre.

By Melissa Tosetti

During a Bridging The Gap Coaching session I did last last week, my client was looking for ways to cut back on her expenses.  One area she really felt the pain was in pet care.  She owns a large dog and lives in an apartment.  Five days a week her dog goes to “day care”.  I give her credit for wanting a pet and taking such good care of him, but unfortunately, it is costing her over $700 per month.
 
After much discussion, we are looking into two options.  The first is to move.  Her lease is up in a few months so she is on the lookout for a small house with a backyard.  Even if it increases her rent by a few hundred dollars, she could still save $500 on an expense that is important to her – her dog.
 
The second alternative we came up with is to get creative with day care.  In the San Francisco Bay Area, having a dog walker or taking your dog to day care is common.  Everyone is doing it.  However, I remembered back when I first moved here with my dog Murphy.  At the time, it didn’t even dawn on me to send her to a kennel when I travelled on the weekends.  Instead, I would take her to a friend’s house while I was away.  In exchange, I took care of my friend’s dog Munroe while she travelled.  It was a perfect arrangement saving us both over a thousand dollars a year.
 
I mentioned my own experience to my client and suggested looking for an alternative day care situation.  She has a few good friends with backyards that work at home.  She is going to see if one of them would be willing to let her dog hang out with them while she is at work.  In exchange, she will pick up after her pet and even offer to pay a few hundred dollars for the convenience - still saving her close to $500 per month.