The Lavish Cheapskate

Saving the Lizard

2011-08-02T00:21:00.004-06:00

I like to reflect on the little moments that open my eyes to the many treasures in life and the significance in the smallest of things.

Many times, those small things are monumental.

I have shared many of those moments with my daughter- so that she too can see the many treasures that are right in front of us.

Today, she shared a story that touched me deeply- and I want to pass it on to you.

She works as a counselor for a summer sports camp for children.

She told me there was a little girl who had a bone disease that made her appear to me much younger than her age due to her size.

The other children, not understanding that each of us have unique qualities, have teased her endlessly and today took the teasing to a deeper level of cruelty.

This girl was reaching inside a tire attempting to save a defenseless lizard and to bring it to safety.

The other children told her there were leaches inside the tire and hoped they would cover her whole body.

She told my daughter she wanted to go home- - and she didn't deserve to come to a camp that was supposed to be "fun" just to be teased.

She shared some of the stories of how others have teased her- in school, play parks, and other social outlets- and they were heart-wrenching.

My daughter admitted to me her anger at the other children for being so cruel toward her.

She brought the little girl into the room and gathered all the children that were a part of the cruel gestures and asked them how it would feel to be teased every where they went because they were slightly different.

She also talked about the blessings the children had in life- one of them having the freedom to go places free from such cruelty. The children listened intently, apologized, and took my daughter's words to heart.

She asked the small girl if there was anything else that could be done to make things better.

The small girl simply said, "I just want to save the lizard."

My daughter said it was nearly impossible to not cry when she heard about the pain this girl has had to endure, but when she said she just wanted to save the lizard, my daughter did cry.

I cried when I heard it- the kind of cry that marvels at the heart of such an amazing little girl-- Knowing the tiniest of things truly can be momumental.

A Lavish Moment, I just had to pass along.

-Ardy Skinner

Life- The Wonderful, Yet Mysterious Mirror

2011-04-28T15:20:00.000-06:00

Blogging- an interesting phenomenon. I have taken a short hiatus from my blog to allow life to unfold in its mystery and go with it.

Many times I am tempted to write from the perspective of the reader. However, this is when I’m led down a path that is filled with all sorts of perspectives, rather than my own, and it doesn’t serve my purpose in life.

The most interesting blogs are those who share “thoughts”… the ones that you can see into the person’s mind and heart. These are the entries I read and reflect upon most often. They go into my wisdom pocket where I can pull it out when most needed.

With that said, if you blog, I suggest you always do it for yourself. There is a unifying thread through all of life, and you are a unique expression adding to the colors in this world. I believe it’s what we all yearn for.

I share this out of selfishness and selflessness. Can both be possible?

Absolutely.

Through my own journey of hitting rock bottom, I have found that taking care of self has been the most gracious choice I have made. It opened me to generosity, loving others, loving the moment, and seeing the world with new eyes.

It was through other people’s honesty and wisdom that I was able to move from the trenches of misery to a new freedom.

What I discovered through the honesty of others is when I deal with the small stuff in front of me, this wisdom just comes through. It isn’t through what “they say,” but rather what they share from the heart.

Often, however, especially in this day and age where information is so abundant, side tracking whispers in every moment tempting me to be lured away from this truth.

The most profound and powerful lesson through this is realizing I can only do one thing at a time… hold one thought at a time… and it’s those actions and thoughts that shape my life.

In it there is peace, power, and boundless positive effects that come through.

In my book, The Lavish Cheapskate, I share how debt was a great teacher to me. It taught me that the accumulation of debt I unconsciously reaped through the years had to be handled one at a time. And each debt had to be handled one payment at a time.

That lesson brought me limitless gifts. It showed me that money (and all things in life) is one with life- not separate- and must be honored through conscious choices.

Being a Lavish Cheapskate isn’t about “the stuff.” It’s about honoring every moment. Money, being a part of our everyday lives, is a powerful tool to teach us how to regard all of life. Although we want to perceive money as a separate entity, once we embrace that it isn’t separate, our entire lives shift.

I have also ventured into consciousness studies. I have spent the past several years studying the science of mind, and how it is aligned with our own personal journeys from a spiritual perspective.

It’s something I have been drawn to all of my life. It has shaped my path and has brought me to a place of understanding self so that I can, in turn, understand others.

I am also in recovery, and have been for the past ten years. Recovery is a humbling experience that takes you into the depth of your own being. The 12 steps are a part of a deep spiritual journey suggesting honesty with self and others.

I never considered myself a dishonest person, but found that dishonesty begins with the lies you tell yourself. It is a prison I built and protected for years and it did erode my life (although I didn’t see it until I went through this journey).

There is a term in recovery reflecting on judgment that says, “When you point a finger at someone, remember that there are three other fingers pointing back at you.”

In the first several years of my recovery this helped me transform judgment into self-realization. A magnificent gift.

Today, I see the magnificence in others. When I raise my hand and point to someone and say, “You are magnificent!” I live in the same realization. There are three other fingers pointing back to me.

So that’s where selfishness takes on the alchemic effect of selflessness. J

I invite you to see the magnificence in others. From it, you will see the magnificence in yourself.

Life is a wonderful, yet mysterious mirror.

-May you live in lavish cheapskate liberation!

Ardy Skinner

Zen Baby...

2010-12-09T22:53:00.001-07:00

I've been out of the loop with this blog for a while. This is the place I post my thoughts and slices of life.

If you want to know more about my most recent book, The Lavish Cheapskate, go to www.lavishcheapskate.com. If you want to have a really cool thought to ponder, stay here.

Recently, I have been thinking of M&Ms... yes, those little candy-coated morsels of chocolate.

I have Christmas stockings hung and added some M&Ms to Santa's stash for the family. It took me back to over 13 years ago...

Back then, the majority of marketing for my business was through mail. So I always had big stacks of promotions through out my office and home. My daughter was 5 years old, and she had the good fortune of being on payroll. Her job was to place stamps and labels on postcards.

I would set out a little sample postcard for her so she had a visual of where the labels and stamps went.

Through time, she became a master at putting labels and stamps on the cards quite neatly.

One day, she came to me after a 20 minute surge of pasting stamps and labels and said, "Can I have an M&M break?"

I was tickled that she asked for a "specific break."

M&Ms were the only treats we kept in the house because you could have around 10-- get a sweet fix-- and without overspending health, money, or dental visits.

I gave her a plate and set down 10 M&Ms. I went back to writing marketing material for my clients.

Around 45 minutes went by and I was surprised my daughter hadn't returned to her task. So I did something I swore I would never "try to do" as a parent. I condemned prior to investigation.

I called her into my office and said, "Well... honey. I guess you don't want to work today."

Her face fell with hurt, "But I want to work!"

"Well, I thought you would ask for more postcards after your break."

Her voice cracked, "But I'm still on my break!"

I tried to hide my frown of disbelief as I followed her back to her plate.

On the plate, where I left her M&Ms, were 8 perfectly shaped mounds of chocolate by a red M&M and a brown one.

I was in awe.

That little girl of mine ate the candy coating off of each one leaving every bit of chocolate left (as if they hadn't ever been dipped in the candy coating).

I placed my hand over my heart. I smiled and shook my head.

She bowed her head, "I really do want to work."

I sat down with her and said, "I love the way you eat M&Ms. You eat them the way you help me with my postcards. You're very careful. You take your time. And you think about one M&M at a time. That's really good stuff, Honey."

She smiled and said, "Thank you."

I walked back to my office slowly... thinking, "Where did this zen baby come from?"

Whenever you think you have to rush, remember this...
Every little morsel... every little moment... must be savored... just like the way my daughter eats M&Ms.

May you live lavishly!

-Ardy Skinner

PS- That's my zen baby in the picture above (when she was a little tyke). Hope you enjoyed my post as much as I liked writing it.

The Diversity of Goodness

2010-09-16T14:14:00.005-06:00

www.lavishcheapskate.com

As lavish cheapskates, we know that diversity of funds is a savvy decision. But there is a universal wisdom behind diversification.

When we look at money as an outside entity we must deal with, a source of power outside of ourselves, the three "d's" enter... disease, disharmony, and deficiency... and it's a result in the belief that there is "power" in money.

Money is a wonderful tool and extension to live a life of fulfillment. When we diversify what we are consciously choosing is to have money work "with us" as an ally of goodness.

We now have the awareness that disease is rooted in "dis-ease" in our way of living. We know that "disharmony" comes from not living in the flow of life. And we know that "deficiencies" come from lack of knowledge.

What brought this reflection is a shift in my own life. My daughter has entered her first year of college. She was raised to be independent and to reflect on these truths so that she could have liberation of choice. She entered her first year of college debt-free because she sees money as an extension and tool to live in liberation.

And I have had to reflect on diversifying goodness. People call this phase of life "the empty nest." I like to consider it a new beginning. I have had the blessing to know that giving "time"... that is, my undivided and unified attention to my daughter, has given her the gift of being that independent young woman she is today.

So my choices of goodness are being dispersed in new directions. Just like money, my energy and undivided unified attention now has broadened- and I have embodied the amazing gift that it is always available with my family, friends, colleagues, and of course, YOU.

The diversity of goodness allows one to open to harmony, health, and live in the realization that healing is recognizing these truths.

And for all of this, I am very grateful.

Until next time, may you live in lavish cheapskate liberation!

-Ardy Skinner

www.lavishcheapskate.com

Lights out...

2010-08-13T07:41:00.000-06:00

My daughter and I were driving home from our regular evening visit next to the bookstore.

Within (what appeared) a few hundred feet, lightning struck and the crack of lightning matched the flash.

Wow...

We came home, the electricity was out, and the internet connection went with it.

It's been a little over an hour and I am amazed at how much our lives have altered in 60 minutes...

Lit candles for my daughter to take a shower.

No blow dryer, curling iron, or hair straightener.

Had to go into the evening damp.

No air conditioning.

My laptop computer battery is about to die (so you may see me fade out for a moment).

Just washed clothes, so I have garments draping from every chair, stairpost, and door knob.

The sun is setting, so I'm now lighting more candles.

Needed to put a newsletter out, but can't.

Have a line up of emails I am supposed to respond to before a trip to San Fran, but can't.

All of this in just one hour.

Amazing.

I wish I had a marshmallow.

I could toast it above one of the candle flames, smile, and enjoy the silence.

What did we do before electricity?

We lit candles, perhaps toasted a marshmallow, hung our clothes to dry, and had nice long slices of silence.

So is it really inconvenient?

Perhaps a large bit of inconvenience was created with electricity.

And it all started, ironically, just as this blog post- with lightning striking.

... Or maybe I just need an iphone.

Jeez.

-Until next time...

Your lavish cheapskate buddy...
Ardy Skinner

The Chipmunk, the ant, and the donkey

2010-06-11T15:31:00.001-06:00

There is a collective thought during the recession that spurs all sorts of interesting behaviors.

Have you noticed?

Pay attention to your own life. As the media rattles off all the negative aspects about the economy, what beliefs are planting in your mind? Is it the suggestion of these beliefs that make us change, or is it that we revert to our basic tendencies?

When we hear such news, some people hoard things, while others keep moving with no sense of mindfulness of the moment, and others simply want to pull the blanket over their heads.

Instead of the natural flow of the moment coming and going and seeing the magic of it, we can fall into the "worry warp"... and from it all sorts of thoughts and borrowed beliefs riddle our minds.

All of us have our own ways to mask the white noise of worry.

We can be a chipmunk, a busy ant, or a donkey.

The chipmunk hoards-- gathering nuts, holding on to every precious commodity for the months ahead.

The busy ant works-works-works. The work numbs the mind from worry until it's time to rest and then the mind churns and churns until the next working moment.

And there's the donkey-- living in past worry, moving slowly, as if to say, "What's the point?"

Yet, within all of it is our lost youth; it isn't lost, it's just hidden by the suggestion which says, "Grow up."

But before that notion or suggestion sets in, the child sees the chipmunk, the ant, and the donkey as a world filled with things to play with.

The chipmunk could be the friend who brings nuts and all sorts of wonderful things to nibble on in any given moment.

The ant's work can turn into a dance... moving in all sorts of directions and finding larger objects to dance with.

And the donkey is a dream of a ride that might not happen too quickly, but the potential is marvelous.

It's in the magic of the moment.

My daughter is now an adult. She turned 18 in April and just graduated from high school. She recently said to me, "I don't want to grow up."

I got goosebumps. We talked about being "childlike" and how you can always choose to live in that magic.

When she was less than a year old and crawling, I bought a big bag of pretzels because she really liked them. She would crawl up to the bag and put her little hand out and open and close it like a lobster claw and say, "Pa-pa." Her baby word for pretzel. A year later, we were clearing out the house to move. I was going through all the cabinets and noticed one of the lower ones didn't have a safety lock on it. I opened it, and there was a huge mound of pretzels. Every time my daughter asked for a pretzel, she would crawl over to the one cabinet she could open and started her own pretzel mound for that rainy day.

She's a chipmunk. She can use her nature to bring all sorts of wonderful things for many.

I'm an ant. I can turn work into a dance inviting larger things and many others to join the dance.

My neighbor is a donkey. Within him is all sorts of potential.

Yet, all of us can be children... and when we choose childlike magic, our question is, "What's a recession?"

We see that there is abundance within our imagination in any given moment.

Until next time, may you live in lavish cheapskate liberation!

-Ardy Skinner

http://www.lavishcheapskate.com/

An Unlikely Proposition...

2010-04-30T22:41:00.000-06:00

I’ve had quite an amazing day.

I’m in Dallas, Texas, attending a Super Conference given by Bill Glazer and Dan Kennedy. In my book, The Lavish Cheapskate, I mention Dan Kennedy on page 44 and recommend the book, “The Ultimate Marketing Plan” as a great starter for anyone considering a business to create their own stream of residual income.

If you’re not interested in starting a business, there is still a universal message I want to share here, so hang out for a moment…

Now Dan is a “tell it like it is” writer, mentor, and genius marketer who doesn’t mess around with trying to “win you over.” He’s quite the opposite.

Dan can be so downright direct that some may find him quite offensive. Yet, this man is one of the most generous people I know. He shares his incredible gifts and simultaneously cuts out all the “B.S.” (as he commonly refers to as his style of communicating). He has not only helped me with running a successful business, he has helped me on a personal level.

I was a student of Dan’s when I lived as a “Poor-Rich Person” back in the nineties. In my book I tell the story of how my “ old lifestyle” put me in a place of losing it all (including a once very successful business) to having to find my first “full-time job” as a single mother at the age of thirty-five.

What I’m about to share with you is very personal…

Back in the late nineties, when I lived as a Poor-Rich Person, I had a big bottleneck in my life, and that was drinking. I wasn’t a “light drinker,” I was drinking myself to death. I didn’t mention this in my book, but I did mention a stress-induced seizure that woke me up.

A short time after that incident, I sobered up and have been sober ever since. In June I will be entering my tenth year of sobriety and as a part of my own gift to myself, I decided to come to Dallas and see Dan Kennedy, once again. It’s been more than ten year since I’ve seen him.

So why am I sharing such a personal story with you? I’m sharing it for two important reasons:

1. No matter where you are in life, there is always a path to a new freedom. It doesn’t matter where you have been, it’s a matter of where you courageously go… and you ALWAYS have a choice.

2. When you share something others may judge as “humiliating,” you also open a door for many others by demonstrating a new possibility. I have found as I become honest and direct, I have not only helped myself, I have had the gift of sharing something of value with others. The most inspirational stories I have received are from those that write to me about their own struggles as they compare them to mine.

Dan reminded me of the power of this as he talked about criticism this evening. His suggestion... “Unqualified Opinions Are Best Ignored.”

When I reflected on these words tonight, I asked myself, “If I were free from any fear of criticism, what would I write?” And I thought of how I have lived a new freedom since I gave up drinking and how this has had such a profound impact in all aspects of living. I also realized that the fear of criticism could have stopped me from sharing this and it’s quite possible it will inspire others to venture down a path of their own personal recovery (whatever that may be).

When you become courageous enough to share a part of yourself with the world and attempt to add value to others through your own experience, you WILL have critics. It’s not a matter of if it will happen, it’s a matter of when.

You will be criticized when you take courageous leaps in life. I make only one small request of you… Leap Anyway!

I will close this with something else Dan Kennedy taught me years ago (in my words, not Dan’s, but close)… If you haven’t received criticism by high noon, perhaps you’re not doing enough.

My hope is this will give you the freedom to look forward to criticism knowing that “taking leaps of faith” are never done for the critics; they’re done for YOU. And when you do it for you, you share a new possibility with the world.

May you have many courageous leaps!

Until next time, may you live in lavish cheapskate liberation!

-Ardy Skinner

What does this picture say to you?

2010-04-12T08:40:00.003-06:00

www.walee.com

I'd like to thank Waldo Lee for allowing me to post his image and creation, and I'd like to thank him for pursuing his passion in art.

This image is amazing. When I first saw it, it immediate evoked the thought of how our society has literally taken on an information explosion. Now, more than ever, we have access to art, images, and great information right at our fingertips worldwide through the web.

My goal is that Lee's image will inspire you in two ways:

1. To carefully choose the information you read.
2. To pursue your own passion in life (as Lee has).

Pursuing your passion is amazing. Life is short, and I believe we're all meant to do it.

In my book, The Lavish Cheapskate, a big part of the journey to becoming debt-free is to also open the doors to pursue your "Lifeline"... Pursuing your Lifeline is opening to the freedom to live the life you choose, rather than having financial circumstances dictate what you have to do.

I get a kick out of seeing people, like Lee, create their own masterpieces.

I've lived on both sides-- being stuck in financial circumstances dictating what I have to do, and I've had the liberation of living a simple debt-free life (where I have had the freedom to pursue my passion). Liberation of choice is priceless.

It can be quite overwhelming with access to so much information and images nowadays. As you walk through all of the free access we have today, you can narrow down your search and ride the coattails of others who sift, sort, and screen the information you desire most and turn it into an invaluable tool.

As an active blogger and information publisher, I am quite overwhelmed with what's available and have to remind myself that there is a wonderful element to simplicity-- it allows us to have room in our heads and hearts for the good stuff to enter.

The saying: "Take what you need and leave the rest..." has taken on new meaning. With my "lavish cheapskate tips," I focus on honoring every dollar and helping others find "lavish cheapskate picks" so they can further expand an honorary relationship with money (one simple step at a time). If you care to join me, the website to join this community is posted in this blog.

Honoring every dollar is also directly related to honoring every moment. Honoring every moment has allowed me to embrace my time and look for those gems that add value to my life. I enjoy passing it on to you.

If you haven't joined my lavish cheapskate tips, it's a place where we discover new ways to honor every dollar and honor every moment.

Go to www.lavishcheapskatesecrets.com.

Right now I have a free bonus to help those who are considering debt consolidation to really take a look at all options and support those who have a desire to becoming debt-free on their own. Depending on when you read this blog post, this free e-book may, or may not, be available. Go to www.lavishcheapskatesecrets.com and check it out. Most likely, if this bonus isn't there, I will have a new one.

Hope to see you on the other side!

Until next time, may you live in lavish cheapskate liberation!

The Birthday Whisperer

2010-03-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

As always, with this blog I write about things that make me ponder, and since it is pure joy for me, I knew it would be a great way to wrap up my birthday.

Today was a fabulous day. My daughter is now seventeen and she still abandons the day to my every wish. It is quite amazing.

As a kid, I often wished every day was my birthday because of all the special attention I was given, the peaceful joy always present, and the unique experiences it brought.

This made me think about what life would be like if I treated everyone as if everyday were their birthday. That’s what I’ve been pondering throughout today.

I also like to choose to do one thing that is of service anonymously for the ones I care for and honor my birthday as fully as possible.

Today that was to clean an apartment that wasn’t mine. This keeps me mindful of new experiences in other people’s lives. I briefly met the couple that was moving into the apartment. It would appear that I would be “the cleaning lady.” They don’t see that I have given my time to the task and have honored every inch, respected every new space, and have thought about them in every moment before their arrival. If it were one of my properties, there would be attachment. So I do it for others and it keeps this mindfulness in place.

One of my friends asked me if I do it to keep me humble. Humility is an amazing thing… it’s kind of like grace… it just is. It isn’t a destination, it surfaces on its own and in my experience it fits perfectly with grace. But I don’t do it to keep me humble (I don’t think you can be “kept” humble, you can only experience it just like grace). I do it because there is always an abundance of grace in doing so.

If you have ever owned a rental, you may have experienced that most often the rental is not returned in the same honor. If Mother Theresa was still with us, I like to think she would say, “Honor it anyway.”

Now about birthday gifts…

There’s one I’d like to share with you. I received a full season of Cesar Millan’s “Dog Whisperer.” My daughter heard me talking about how Cesar talks to dogs with full attention and surrenders every moment to their state of mind. I mentioned that if we treated everyone in our lives with such attention, perhaps the world would become a better place. So now my daughter and I will be sharing these episodes in our free time.

Nice.

I have two more birthday wishes:
1. Consider what it would be like if you treated everyone you see as if it were their birthday.

2. Watch an episode of The Dog Whisperer. Cesar has mastered the art of treating every dog like it’s their birthday (as well as their masters).

We can become “The Birthday Whisperers.”

Until next time, may you live in lavish cheapskate liberation!

-Ardy Skinner
www.lavishcheapskate.com

The Smallest Wish

2010-02-04T21:27:00.007-07:00

It’s been quite a while since I posted and have been playing with all sorts of neat gizmos on the internet. At the same time, it’s been quite overwhelming.

What stirred up this playtime? Well, I recently released a free E-book and have been exploring different distribution channels (more about the free e-book at the bottom of this blog)...

Through the process of putting this E-book out into the world, it is quite overwhelming to consider how huge the internet has become.

I was on the internet when it first emerged and email addresses were only numbers. My first email address was 74211.144.

Back then they had boards you posted on, and I gave my first wack at writing and publishing with a whopping internet bill of over $250.00 per month since they charged by the minute.

It forced one to only take a small spoonful at a time, and since there wasn’t much out there to feed from, you savored every morsel.

Back then I realized an entirely new world was opening before my eyes, and I knew it would change our world enormously. And it has.

Since that time, there is so much more to explore and we’re experiencing what seems to be an infinite source of information in real time.

Why am I talking about this and what does it have to do with “lavish cheapskate living?” It has to do with the value and honor of space. This is huge, so stay with me…

We thought we had hit information overload in the late 80’s, but now we have been catapulted into another dimension. Each day, at our fingertips, is more information. We seek it even if we don’t need it. We put our information in and add to it. But there is quite an interesting new shift happening where many spend so many hours on it, it almost replicates a pseudo-job—yet, there’s no pay and lots of energy put into it.

This is when it’s vital to seek mental space. I don’t know if I’m a minimalist in that department, but I’m becoming one.

Simplicity is not only our portal to peace of mind, it opens us to what is really important. It’s within this space that we are able to have the clarity of what messages we will read, and the messages we will share.

As more information is uploading into the web, our peace of mind can go with it. We can be constantly lured into more… more… more. It’s similar to overspending, overeating, and can easily become a part of overindulging.

Savor the space. What you read, and what you contribute, will have more value.

Speaking of space, many people have called me a minimalist. One friend had stopped by my place for the first time and asked me when I was going to fully move into my place.

I had lived there for two years at the time, and I asked, “What do you mean?”

He nearly looked embarrassed. “Is this all your stuff?”

“Yes.”

Over the years I’ve grown fond of space. And most recently space within my MIND.

So how does one open up to space within the mind and why is it important?

Mind is where your experiences are birthed. Even in prayer our minds are at creative work. And when we move beyond a prayer and start “thinking” we’re, in an essence, praying-- we're still conceptualizing creation. But are our thoughts aligned with our prayer? Or are they mixed into a sea of other ideas we couldn't possibly keep up with (or want to)?

When we have space within our minds, our thoughts, our prayers, and our intentions have focus and purity. So space within the mind (and space in general) is quite powerful.

There are millions of flash images when we look at any visual on a screen, and those impressions are lodged within your subconscious mind. If we’re not aware of it, it consistently works its way through all of our thoughts.

It affects our everyday movement and interaction. It affects our intention. And yes, it even influences our prayer.

So the question to ask is, “Does this contribute to me, or others… Does this bring me joy… Does this open the door to a new freedom… Does this make my life more simple… Does this plant the seeds within my mind to create the thoughts that help me grow where I want to grow?”

By asking these questions, you now have a path on how to use this abundant resource at your fingertips.

What’s great about following a specific type of messenger on the internet, is the author can sift, sort, and screen information. If it serves you, follow. If it adds to the chaos and clutter, unplug.

So my goal (or perhaps wish) today is to imagine someone jumping into my head and saying, “When are you going to move in all your stuff? It’s quite empty here…”

And I’ll smile and say, “Yes!"

-Until next time, May you live in lavish cheapksate liberation!

P.S. About the Free E-book I mentioned... it was written to help others avoid costly mistakes in debt consolidation and to enable conscious choices when considering this option. If you want to find out more about it, or would like a copy, go to http://www.lavishcheapskatesecrets.com. It’s available now.

The Golden Spoon and the Porcelain Angel...

2009-12-03T10:38:00.001-07:00

www.lavishcheapskate.com

Leo Griffen designed this 24 carat gold and enamel spoon for the 2008 Georg Jensen Collection...

Now, this is one lavish spoon. The list price in 2008- $235.00.

Today's price? Whatever the price of gold is at the moment.

"The golden spoon with a porcelain angel"... it just sounded nice.

Actually, this thought was inspired by friend and fellow blogger, David Masterson, "The Fitness Heretic." Somewhat of an oxymoron for a name, kind of like "The Lavish Cheapskate."

I recently read one of David's blogs and it made me think of a golden spoon. So I searched for one, and found Leo's spoon in the picture above. Beautiful.

Reading David's blog is just like eating with a golden spoon... Perhaps eloquent words just spill out of him without brute force, or without the rigid control to "muster up" jargon that sounds intellectual. I'd venture to guess that words come with ease as he writes-- they just flow out of him and the poetry is just a gifted side effect that we, the readers, can savor.

Of course, there is a need to write about the motions of getting from "Point A to Point B," which is a big portion of what I write about with Lavish Cheapskate tips and what David also covers as a fitness expert, but what about the golden part... the porcelain angel... what about making a blog a piece of art as David does?

I believe that's a part of what makes a blog worth returning to.

There is so much information out there that there is a turn around happening... and it goes back to something very simple.

Your life.

The blogs that will be read and savored will be the ones that focus on this one, very simple thing.

So let's think for a moment... Would you eat differently with this golden spoon?

My guess is you'd become very aware of where your teeth were before it entered your mouth, and you would also posture your mouth to cushion that golden spoon as you gently pulled it out.

Every bite fully embraced.

Interesting.

I have always wondered why I have so many spoons. I have seven spoons in my house. I only use one at a time, so why seven?

I suppose I could ask, when people visit, "Did you bring your spoon?"

Something to ponder.

Seven Stainless steel ones...

So, perhaps trading my seven stainless steel spoons for a single golden one would be a good investment...

Perhaps I would think about every spoon of food I fed myself...

I would treat it with full consciousness...

Every morsel would have dignity...

I'd be careful of what food I would place on the spoon, making sure

it was gentle too.

My health would improve because I would feed my body gently.

My longevity would be extended because I would eat less abrasive foods and avoid acidic ones.

My teeth would be treated well too and would become mutually respected.

I wouldn't need a big drawer to keep all my spoons because I'd only have one.

I wouldn't have to run the dishwasher twice a week... only one spoon.

Wow... that spoon really isn't that expensive.

Or maybe...

Maybe I could choose my nicest stainless steel spoon and treat it with the same respect...

After all, I'm a Lavish Cheapskate.

-May you live in "lavish cheapskate liberation."

During this recession, have you noticed the words that aren’t being spoken?

2009-11-19T21:34:00.003-07:00

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It’s that unspoken language of anxiety where one can become autonomic, rather than reaching out to others during challenging times. There is no doubt that many are facing big financial challenges (perhaps for the first time) in their lives.

Isn’t it strange how, when unemployment hits an all time high, there is also that visiting force that says it’s time to retreat, make things smaller, and to cocoon ourselves into some comfort zone where we can, once again, know everything surrounding us?

But have we ever known everything surrounding us?

Something to ponder.

Yes, there is a time for comfort, and there is also a time for a strong reach for independence to grow as an individual and fulfill a personal legacy. Yet, there is a vital timeless place where reaching to others is the ultimate fulfillment.

We like being a part of something bigger.

We like joining with like minds and to become a bigger beating heart of humanity where we are able to grow exponentially through inspired actions.

It’s what draws us to become sports fans. It’s what brings us to our feet in a standing ovation. It’s what brings us to watching shows like America’s Got Talent (I just love that show). It’s what brings tears to our eyes when we watch shows, like America’s Got Talent, and witness a “chicken catcher” displaying the courage to sit in front of a nation strumming a guitar in the rawness of who he is and sing in perfect imperfection. That’s what Kevin Skinner did, the winner of the last season of America’s Got Talent.

And we love it.

We love it so much we can vote and grant that “chicken catcher” the opportunity to be blessed with a million dollars and the fulfillment of a dream.

How did a chicken catcher accomplish this?

The chicken catcher, Kevin Skinner (no relation), didn’t seek comfort. He didn’t settle for the smallness of the place he had settled in for many years. He had incredible odds working against him and outstanding talent as opponents. Yet, he still delved into the strong reach for independence to grow as an individual and fulfill a personal legacy.

Yet, with all that said, he couldn’t have done it without America.

He knew that.

And most importantly, he shared what he had.

That’s how he accomplished this.

Unity.

He shared what he had with us.

We can do that too.
It’s recession-proof.

Happy Halloween with a Very Healthy Hot Dog!

2009-10-23T19:45:00.006-06:00

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That's right... this is the healthiest hot dog I have ever seen!

(In fact, it's the only healthy hot dog I've seen)...

Happy Halloween!

Speaking of hot dogs, and other cheap foods, let's take a look at the bigger picture... are they really cheaper?

Many people talk about hot dogs, bologna, fast-foods, and other highly marketed low-cost foods as a solution to cutting back on expenses.

But how cheap are they?

Consider the big picture... If you have seen the movie, "Super Size Me..." a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker, you know it's a graphic documentary of what happened to Morgan during a 30-day fast food diet. If you watch it, watch at your own discretion.

Hulu (http://www.hulu.com/) is a place where you can watch it free. Once again, it's for adults only and has some material that many might find quite offensive. In short, Morgan lines up physicians, dieticians, and medical professionals to assess his health before he goes on a 30-day fast food diet. After 30 days, his health is reassessed. It is astounding to see how much it affects his body.

Now, let's take notice of the trends in the grocery stores... There are a multitude of foods on sale that are highly processed. Many Americans are buying them left and right, hunting down coupons, clipping coupons, and buying the infamous 10 items for 10 dollars-- most of which are highly processed.

That's a big part of why I'm "anti-coupons." There is a striking similarity between Morgan's assessment of fast food and this trend of using processed foods as an inexpensive alternative.

First, I've debunked the myth that coupons save money. We took 4 1/2 hours total to see what would happen if we simply went on the internet, clipped coupons from mailers, and compiled them together as potential buys.

After all was said and done, we saved more by purchasing generic brands and store brands.

The face value of the coupons was $25 dollars, but by abandoning them we saved $25 above and beyond the face value of the coupons.

I call coupons "stimulation spending tickets," but it goes beyond this. Most coupons promote name brands that constitute a diet of highly processed foods. So what is the ultimate cost of buying these foods and eating them everyday? Considering your health, it's very costly.

Out of all of the products we found coupons for, the healthiest picks were yogurt and cottage cheese-- yes, still processed, but less processed than all the other picks on the list. Both products were less expensive by purchasing store brands.

Interesting.

Something to consider.

So what is the solution?
Whole foods.

We have the freedom of choice to honor every dollar spent and it does not have to be costly. Beans, brown rice, legumes, grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats in moderation, water (yes, water), and skipping the coupon chase altogether are all ways we can honor our dollar.

Is it cheaper?
Believe it or not, yes.

We'll often hear people say that eating healthy is more expensive. But when we become honest with ourselves, we realize this is an excuse to a bigger hidden agenda.

What's the hidden agenda?

Could it be one of these?
Not fast enough...
Too busy...
Too much work...
Too much mess...
I hate to cook...

Now that we've looked at it squarely, let's consider a solution...

I advocate "the quick grab concept," which is preparing meals in larger quantities and freezing them so you have full meals you can "grab" out of your freezer. This enables you to have healthy meals at your fingertips without having to cook every day.

By adopting this one habit, you can have healthier meals regularly, and the rest of the food can be reserved for "quick grabs." Plus, the added benefit is an opportunity of "life" opening to you. It is much bigger than simply saving a dollar (which you will most certainly do). It is living a much richer life and spending quality time in the home. Perhaps that could be one of the positive side effects of the recession... we now have the opening to consider coming home to eat a healthy meal.

To find out more about meal preparation, visit our sister site at www.frugalfootsteps.com/meal_planning.html .

In my book, The Lavish Cheapskate, there are strategies on how to honor your dollar in the grocery store. But what is a universal truth is that most of us can unconsciously walk through the necessities of life which bleed into affecting other parts of our lives.

When we make the small shift to "consciously choose to honor our dollar," we find that we honor our lives.

Hope you liked my healthy hotdog. Found him on Google images and fell in love.

If you would like to find out more about my book, go to http://www.lavishcheapskate.com/ and sign up for our free "lavish cheapskate tips" newsletter while you're there.

Until next time, may you live in "lavish cheapskate liberation!"

The Perfect Idea of Money...

2009-09-21T13:43:00.005-06:00

http://www.lavishcheapskate.com/

How important is it to have the "perfect idea of money" and what does that mean?

With the plethora of messages from a multitude of sources (ones we used to rely on and abandoned when we saw the "red print" with negative losses in our investments), we realized that responsibility came down to two letters... "ME."

Money talk nowadays sounds more like chatter, yapping, confusion, and chaos... the mixed messages become so overwhelming that most every American has resorted to doing zero, zip, nada. So as we sit on our hands, less moves. So is this the perfect idea of money? To sit on our hands and hoard it until something moves?

If so, when will it move, when will we move, and the most important slice... well, we'll get to that in a moment.

The "perfect idea of money" comes down to you. With the recession here, we have become so much more aware of unconscious spending that there is an anxiety, a little white buzzing noise in the back of our mind that makes us feel guilty to buy anything.

There are little statements like, "The new fashion statement is frugality..." and articles showing celebrities adorning simple and less expensive fashions. Snippet after snippet, ad after ad, everyone is boasting of this new frugal trend.

Could it be that most people who are still making just as much today as they were before the recession hit are feeling guilty about spending? And those who have endured job losses... have they replaced the old "road rage" antics with "lack of money rage?"

When we pay full attention and remove all the "outside influences" from the equation, we have found out, on a deep level, that money can serve incredible purposes in life yet many things we have witnessed for the past few years has displayed how many choices turned money into a run-down workhorse.

And just like a workhorse, it can only take so much.

We've watched that workhorse breakdown under the tremendous beatings through the stock market fiasco, the mortgage crisis, the credit-card debt highs... and so on.

Take good care of your workhorse, i.e.-the money in your life. Nurture it. No one else can do a better job than you.

Just as you would treat any person who's important to you, treat the money in your life as you would treat a loved one.

Here's how simple it is...

1. Honor every dollar spent.
2. Use it to consciously buy the best value for the leanest cost.
3. Wipe out the blockage (debt).
4. Build up your paycheck extension account (the time you can live without a paycheck).
5. Invest in a net worth of liberation (rather than a mere net worth).

What is your net worth of liberation?
It's simply what it says... It is your statement, money wise, that creates liberation of choice in your life, rather than having financial circumstances dictate what you have to do.

I was speaking with a client who had a net worth of 4.5 million. It dropped to 3 million this year. He was more stressed than ever even though he doesn't really have to worry about financial security.

As we visited his finances, there was a reflection of his relationship with money-- his money had become a workhorse, and so had he.

When we identified it, he was teary eyed and started to reminisce back to the days of being a college student and a lifeguard on the stands. He enjoyed the sun, watching the kids play, and training other young lifeguards to be what they signed up for... to guard life.

He said, "I often wish I could go back to the lifeguard stand..."

I smiled, "Maybe it isn't the lifeguard stand you want back, but perhaps it's your life. Isn't it interesting that this is the job you miss the most? To guard life?"

He asked, "What does that mean?"

I responded, "Perhaps it's showing you that it's time to add liberation to that raw number. You simply need to add "life" to that net worth balance sheet of yours."

"Yeah... I have done it for so long I don't know what it means anymore..."

The truth is that the little adventurous kid in us isn't gone, it's peeking around the corner waiting to be rediscovered. It doesn't mean retirement, it means it's time to add some recreation (re-creation) to the equation.

We are amidst a time of re-creation, and that, my friends, can be a powerful and worthy shift.

Cash For Clunkers...

2009-08-19T07:42:00.002-06:00

www.lavishcheapskate.com

If you haven't checked out this option, you will want to follow this blog. This is an informative blog keeping up-to-date with the "Cash for Clunkers" program. I enjoy it because it goes into more detail about what's going on "beyond" the monetary exchange.

If you want to take advantage of this stimulus incentive be sure to read up on these postings.

Here is the link: cash4clunkershelp.net

A New Lavish Cheapskate Liaison On The Horizon

2009-08-12T16:42:00.005-06:00

www.lavishcheapskate.com

Dr. Roy Vartabedian, best selling author of Nutripoints, is astounding. In fact, I wrote a blog about him upon returning from New York's National Publicity Summit. If you scroll through my blogs, you can read it. It was the first post I made.

This expert is the "go-to expert" that other experts seek. He has nutritionally rated more foods than any other source, and he is the pioneer and creator of Nutripoints. Taking millions of bits and pieces, he compiled this information and assimilated it into a computerized analyzer. End result? He rated thousands of foods and broke them down into a simple rating system that tells you, in a snapshot, how these foods rated on a nutritional scale.

So I started thinkin'... Hmmm. Well, if this guy can do that, I wonder how many "lavishly cheap foods" made the list? I went through his system and found many... MANY!

Now, this is exciting! Being an active enthusiast of honoring every dollar, I was relentless in my pursuit to extract as much information as possible from this expert so I could share it with you. What I sought was a resource to point us in the direction of "what foods to buy" when we fill our grocery carts so we can support a healthy, lean, and lavish body.

Then I thought, "This man would be a great Lavish Cheapskate Liaison for Nutrition."

So I asked him to do an interview for the purpose of offering an informative 1 hour audio program to make it simple for listeners to buy the best foods possible and to simultaneously free up as much money as possible.

Well, this interview was incredible that I told Dr. Vartabedian I was going to make a 100 copies of this CD and to offer them as a bonus for those who ordered my book, "The Lavish Cheapskate."

If you click here, you will find details of my book and this free bonus offer.
If you have ordered my book, order a copy for a friend and keep the CD-- it's that good.

I will be doing more interviews and seeking Liaisons from different fields. I promise to keep you in the loop and let you know what's next.

Until next blog, may you live in lavish liberation!

Click here to reserve your copy of the book and get this Free Bonus!

The Invitation to Money

2009-08-02T00:41:00.007-06:00

Free Bonus offer when you order the book, "The Lavish Cheapskate"- click here to find out more.

In the last blog we discussed the Circulation of Money in our lives and how it is interconnected with everything.

In this blog we are going to talk about how we "see money" and how this too determines the flow of money in our lives.

What we see is determined from our mindset, and our mindset is the foundation to shifting how money flows in our lives.

When our thinking responds to money being a flow in our lives which honors it as a part of our lives, then our actions follow honoring every dollar. Simply pay attention to how your thoughts shift when you look at money as a flow of honor rather than having a power of its own. Instead of any internal fight, the tension is replaced with a calmness at the center of your thoughts, and in every direction you turn that calmness is met. This is rooting your mindset based in prosperity rather than limitation.

We have all heard the saying, "Money is the root of all evil..." yet, the true saying is "The love of money is the root of all evil." But let us really consider this... isn't it true that it is intention which determines outcome? Isn't it also true that money has no power of its own? It just "is."

And if we choose to link our mindset, whether it's conscious or not, to that old phrase comparing it to any sort of evil, what do we do with "anything" we consider evil?

Isn't it true that we do everything we can to "get rid of it?"

Here's another thing to consider: when we tithe to our church, or when we give to any philanthropic organization, what do we give to enhance the mission? We give money. It becomes a blessing in that moment which allows good things to transpire. It is because our intention is to give to what is good.

Consider your own life. Money has that possibility within your life as well. It provides the possibility to enjoy time with loved ones by traveling to see something you've never seen before. It clothes us, feeds us, and gives us new boundless opportunities. It is a miraculous flow that brings forth many good things.

Our lives have been built on the supposition that we are to contend against money. The conditions that have gathered around us (especially during the recession) have mounted to fearful proportions that how we see money becomes filled with gloom rather than the light it can bring.

When we see money for what it truly is- and that is to extend liberation to ourselves as well as others, we know there is another way to see money- we see a truth about life and that we can have the freedom to honor every dollar to bring forth such wonderful blessings.

By using this invitation to money, we open the door to allow it to come in with mutual honor. With fresh simplicity and a new perspective, we re-engineer our thoughts taking into account all of the possibilities and uncovering the subtle meaning of what it is and allow the law of good to become the fuel of how we use it.

Everyone who asks, with this intention, receives. The door opens when we knock. We find what we seek. So when our intention, and our own sight shifts to this honor, the reaction to our thoughts shift our actions automatically and bring forth a prosperous flow of it within our lives.

With this invitation to money, we shift our mindset, we shift how we see it, and we shift what we do with it. It is the foundation to our own prosperity.

How Does Money Circulate in Your Life?

2009-07-20T19:13:00.002-06:00

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Have you ever wondered how money circulates in your life?

In my book, The Lavish Cheapskate, one of the foundational steps is taking the SLAP—which is an acronym for:

S-tep in
L-ook
A-nd
P-rosper

At first, this can seem like a fearful leap—but in my experience, including my coaching, we only live in the fear until we step in and look. Once we take a look, we can see that money coming in and going out is a universal principle. It’s a circulation system—just like blood flowing in certain parts of the body and completely blocked in other parts. It is at this point we are able to see the connection to money and life.

Before we step in and look, money seems to have a power of its own. It can seem to be an outside entity fighting against us constantly. We work harder and harder trying to figure it out. We do until we realize that money, in itself, is a part of our life and not a separate entity. It does not have a power of its own.

The message most of us are given throughout life is that money is hard to get. You have to work hard for it; you have to follow certain rules to keep it; and outside entities are trying to take it away. Yet, when I looked at my own circulation system of money flowing in and flowing out, a mindset shift happened—money finally became a part of my life—it was no longer a separate entity. It is a wonderful tool in hand to live a liberated life.

And what is liberation? Liberation is being able to do the things you want to do rather than have circumstances dictate what you have to do. It is also abandoning all the old conditional beliefs that are passed on from one another. It is up to each of us to realize these conditions are only taught and reveal what liberation is in our own lives. When we come to the end of this short trip called “life,” we don’t worry about another workday, or the conditions that got in the way, we ask if our life had purpose.

That’s why is it crucial to realize that money is not separate from us. It is a part of the wholeness of life. This is the moment when we can fully embrace life and use money to help fulfill our purpose.

Abandon the silly notion that money isn’t important. That notion comes from the place that money is a separate entity and has its own power. It doesn’t. It is, once again, that tool in hand to give you the liberation to fulfill your life and its purpose.

In my book I show simple demonstrations of how compounding interest works—and today I clearly see its universal meaning. Yet, there was a time when if you mentioned “compounding interest” to me, I wanted to cover my ears and sing the “me-me-me” chant to shut it out. I didn’t want to look at it because I feared it—and because of that fear I blocked out many other possibilities.

Recently I had a conversation with my good friend, Christopher Dorris, and we were talking about making a difference in people’s lives and how these relationships have exponential growth as well. As we shared, we took the same concept of compounding interest and related it to life. One action can quite literally exponentially expand and change many lives. The story “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one great example.

Today, I look at compounding interest in complete fascination and how this is connected with EVERYTHING we experience in life. I also realize that my relationship with money is interconnected with my relationship with life.

Recently, I did a SLAP for a client. This work entails going through the flow in and flow out of personal finances. There is no judgment in this process—there is merely stepping in looking and opening to prosperity.

When we looked through it, I showed her how money circulated through her life—not from just the literal numbers, but from a universal principle. We were able to see the blockage and the clogged arteries that she was experiencing—and it was directly connected with her own limiting beliefs. The money flow revealed a deeper meaning of the undercurrent in her life.

I turned to her and said, “You no longer have to prove anything to anyone in your life—you have no more apologies to make—and you are wonderful just the way you are.”

Tears filled her eyes, because her own truth was revealed as to how money flowed in her personal finances. But most importantly she nodded, knowing she no longer had to fight.

Her circulation system revealed that she saw money as being an outside force. She worked hard to make it and she fought hard to keep it. When we looked at the circulation system of her money, we found $2,000.00 a month she could free up—and her life would be open to allow more money to flow in.

We have been taught that money is something outside of us—and we’ve been taught this fallacy well. When we look at it as separate from us, it brings on euphoria or despair. There seems to be no middle ground. It’s quite interesting, isn’t it?

On the other hand, when we see money as a part of us—just like the blood that circulates through our own veins—we can look at its flow and see the wounds come from the idea that it isn’t a part of the wholeness of life.

There is no hindrance in looking—it is where the healing lies. It is where liberation begins.

Remember that the “Lavish Cheapskate” isn’t about saving a buck; it is about how we see money and what we do with money. It is allowing the abundance of money to flow.

Ardy Skinner, The Lavish Cheapskate, Creates a Great Free Game to Turn Your Kids into Bargain Hunters!

2009-07-03T10:49:00.000-06:00

Ardy Skinner, The Lavish Cheapskate, Creates a Great Free Game to Turn Your Kids into Bargain Hunters!

Keeping It Simple

2009-06-29T22:33:00.004-06:00

Just tonight I was considering the power of simplicity.

Right now, more than ever, this approach is crucial. Just this past week, I did some volunteer work and helped move a person out of an apartment. It was an eviction.

As I packed boxes, and moved furniture, my mind started spinning into a whirlwind of thoughts about how all of it could have been avoided.

I was grateful for the opportunity to be of service to someone else in need, but must admit I wished it were under different circumstances.

If you have a current job, I can not stress enough how important it is to keep it simple.

Here are four ways to do that:

1. Know your bare minimum of expenses.
2. Identify how much money you have left over.
3. Use that freed-up money to pay off your debt.
4. Simultaneously build up what I call a "Paycheck Extension Account."

You'll be glad you did.

Just recently I found out that one of my own loan officers lost his home. I remember one of the conversations I had with him about the "Lavish Cheapskate Lifestyle." It's strange how you can have a conversation with another and watch their nods of enthusiastic agreement. It brings forth the belief they are doing the same thing.

Not so.

Which leads me back to the message of this blog-- Keep it simple. And I will add one qualifier-- Simply take action.

I am fully aware that many of the things I share have been shared by others. Why? Because it's sound advice. But what makes the difference between someone who loses a home, and another who says, "I think I'll take a year off and write a book..." is quite simply different actions.

These 4 actions open the door to liberation. Hope you join me.

Until next time, may you live in lavish liberation!

The Friend Who Moved In

2009-06-28T22:11:00.006-06:00

In my last blog I shared a story of my new neighbors-- a chickadee nest underneath the eaves. This past week, another creature of nature decided to move in.

He was a little shy at first and remained in hiding. His loud singing gave him away. He was a cricket behind my cabinets. I couldn't reach him, nor could I move the cabinet he was hiding behind.

If you haven't had the gift of a cricket moving in with you, their wonderful chirps inside a home sound quite different than the song outside. I thought a fire alarm had gone off. I ventured into my kitchen and I asked him to come out. He stopped and listened. After several calls to him, he remained quiet not quite sure he could trust the gentle coos I sent his way. He chirped well into the night.

I didn't want him to die and would have gently placed that fellow outside. But then again, crickets are often another creatures meal, and since my other neighbors were chickadees, I realized he had made a wise choice.

By the second evening, the cricket resumed his song. I decided I had a new family member. I started having conversations with him. Now he sang with those mighty legs with joy. I wondered how he could sound so cheerful hiding behind a cabinet, but he remained there. My phone rang, and I shushed him; he complied.

The third evening, the cricket decided he wanted to see who I was. He came out, but every time I tried to move him, he jumped in extreme fear. What was very curious to me is he didn't run and hide. He decided he wanted to be close to me; so there he remained all evening. I took out some crumbs and water to keep him fed and hydrated (truly not having a clue how to keep my new family member content).

The fourth evening, the cricket sang, but his song was growing weak. Once again, I tried to scoop him up and he firmly told me he wanted to stay as he wiggled with the little life he had left within him. So this time I complied.

I sighed, I talked to him, and knew his life was leaving him. He remained just underneath me seemingly content to hear my gentle voice. I remained with him until he decided it was time to go and leave that little body of his.

I was in awe of the experience.

I thought of how life is so fragile.

I pondered the unspoken language between two different species-- and how this little cricket spoke volumes to me without saying a word. I remained with him even when his legs were too weak to sing his song.

And I realized this was a love story.

Learning To Fly

2009-06-21T15:35:00.007-06:00

www.lavishcheapskate.com

This blog is about some neighbors that moved in just a few months ago... a chickadee nest just under the eaves. The two birds have diligently built a nest over the past few months. They have become somewhat friendly, but for the most part their mission has gained precedence over my curious invitations to them.

Just this morning, one of the parents was in the tree just a few feet from the nest teaching one of their offspring to fly. As the little one chirped, I could hear the cries of fear. The parent continuously encouraged the offspring with its lower toned chirps.

The parent bird landed on the little ones back, continously flapping her wings. She would fly just three feet away from the bird. Repeatedly, the bird did this and the baby bird would flap its wings, but hesitated to make that first jump. Eventually, it was flying from one branch to the other. Within a few minutes, they both left the tree in flight.

I was in awe of the nature of new lessons and how these lessons are continuously shared through nature. Universally, it's how we all learn. There are parent birds everywhere with their tones of encouragement, their flapping wings, and their ability to teach another to fly.

I considered my own daughter, and how she was taught every new skill in a similar fashion. I also considered the many skills I have acquired and the incredible capacity we have as human beings with the ability to read a book, apply it, and "fly with it."

I thought about all the words that haven't been written yet, and how perhaps all of us have a message within own ability that could teach another to fly.

I thought about my most recent book and how it's simply this: it is sharing the skills that put me into flight.

We are all like that little bird afraid to make that first leap, but with the encouragement of those who know how to fly, we too, can join them.

Living in Liberation!

2009-05-26T08:00:00.002-06:00

http://www.lavishcheapskate.com/
What does living as a Lavish Cheapskate have to do with living in liberation?.
.
First, we need to ask ourselves what living in liberation means to us. The key to liberation is having the freedom to do what you choose to do, rather than have circumstances dictate what you have to do.
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The Lavish Cheapskate's mindset is focused on freeing up money in everyday spending and everyday living. When we shift our focus away from "living on a budget" to "freeing up money," our actions are quite different. Our intention shifts to how we can create our ideal lifestyle.
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Why is that important? Almost everyone waits to fulfill their dream-- which is what I call our Lifeline. One of the biggest travesties we can witness, is a person who never fulfills life's purpose or intention. We see it more often than not.
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The foundation to any dream starts with our everyday focus on money. But most of us have been taught that money should never be our focus. When we listen to conversations nowadays, it doesn't take long before we hear about money frustration. And if we listen carefully, we will also hear a "tagline" such as, "it really isn't about the money..." even though the entire conversation is about it. It's about the absence of it. Money itself doesn't have any power. It's what we do with money that brings meaning to it.
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Invite this in-- Money is a tool to gain liberation. It isn't a thing in itself. It's a tool.
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So the question simply is, "How will you use this tool?"
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For me, and my life's purpose, it is a tool to gain liberation, but it is also a vital tool to serve the highest good.
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I have recently been speaking with Goodwill Industries. This is an organization that not only provides a resource for people to purchase merchandise at a lower cost (as well as a place to which one can donate merchandise), it provides multiple vehicles to help people with disabilities, difficulties, and setbacks to find jobs and careers. This organization, as well as many others that serve a higher good, depends on charitable donations (money). My goal is to donate part of the proceeds of my book sales, "The Lavish Cheapskate," to Goodwill Industries. It looks promising-- and I'll keep you posted (the book will be out by the first week of June, and I will post a blog when it's out).
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We all can give freely when we're in a place of liberation-- and the foundation to it is seeing money as a tool to do so.
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I can promise you this-- as you shift your focus to the mindset of the Lavish Cheapskate, you will experience more peace, more freedom, and more space. And from this place, the "things" that really light your fire will emerge!
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You are meant to live in liberation.
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It called LIFE!
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-Ardy Skinner

What's Your Diet Type?

2009-05-06T00:36:00.000-06:00

Being an author of low-fat cookbooks, and being in the fitness field for years, I have seen many diet books out there-- but this book, "What's Your Diet Type?" is fun, interesting, and has a "new twist" to eating-- it ties it to your personality. The philosophy of this book is, "You don't change yourself, but you discover how to outsmart your bad habits and adopt a mindset that will work.

It's by Heather K. Jones, RD with Mary Miscisin, MS and Ed Redard, MD.

Here are the diet types:

The Planner: Thrives on rountine. When the unexpected happens, often eats to alleviate stress.

The Player: Lives in the moment and hates rules. Prone to "opportunity eating"-- a free slice of cake at the office is fair game (oh boy, that is ME)...

The Feeler: Strives for personal growth and is attuned to others. When disappointed or hurt, food is often a comfort.

The Thinker: Requires all the facts. May twist info to justify eating poorly.

I thought I would have been a feeler, but after reading the book-- I found out I'm a player. Hmmm... check it out at Amazon.com, and tell them Ardy Skinner sent you.

Baby-Boomer Success and Product

2009-04-29T06:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks, once again, for following. On my blog I not only cover ways to free up money, but ways to open people to create income streams by pursuing what they're passionate about. In my book, The Lavish Cheapskate, we address "Living In Liberation"-- and the foundation of this is to free up enough money to open your life to jumping into it with the resources needed to do so.
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Today I am going to talk about Jean Newell, the Boomerpreneur. I recently met her in New York at the National Publicity Summit. She has one of many ideas on how to reinvent yourself in these challenging financial times.
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With no formal education in business, finance or distribution, Jean started Newco Enterprises, a manufacturing and marketing company specializing in her own inventions. Her products, a line of wearable organizer bags called PUPs (acronym for personal utility pouch), have been featured on QVC, and in major department store chains, boutiques and gift catalogues.
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As a national speaker, author and consultant, her inspirational advice and training series "How To Turn Your Pink Slip Into a Red Hot Business," could possibly be a "big door opened" for many people that are facing big changes in their professional lives. Her website is www.JeanNewell.com. Check it out when you have a chance, and until next time-- May you live in Lavish Liberation!

Trip to New York

2009-04-25T17:15:00.001-06:00

I just finished the National Publicity Summit here in New York. My goal here was to meet the media and national television shows to promote my book, "The Lavish Cheapskate-- Everyday Strategies to Free Up Your Money!"

I have several radio interviews that will transpire this upcoming month, and a a few in June. And yes, some national shows loved the pitch. One of them expressed interest and will be taking my pitch to the board room within a week.

I also met some wonderful people. It is beyond inspirational to watch others courageously leap to pursue their passion and share their message with the rest of us.

I met the best selling author, Dr. Roy Vartabedian, who has a great book out "Nutripoints: Healthy Eating Made Simple!" I am an advocate of simplicity, and having the privilege to meet someone who is bringing great value to others was a gift. We talked about doing an interview on getting the most bang for your buck in healthy eating. I will keep you posted on this and look forward to sharing his great insights with you! Stay tuned...

Whatever it is you want to do, whatever it is you have dreamt about, you should take that courageous leap. It's worth it. As the people at the National Publicity Summit demonstrated to me, you can! To Steve Harrison, thank you for taking this leap years ago and putting all the hard work, passion, and ideas together to make this summit possible. Steve and his staff have provided a great avenue for people to leap into a larger world-- and all of them (this past week) have graciously put their hands and arms out to embrace everyone who dared to dream big by participating in it.

I was considering fear and how we can choose to use fear to step in, look at what is truly important within our own hearts, and prosper beyond our expectations. Our minds and hearts expand in such moments. And in turn, we open the doors to others to do the same. It is hope in action. When we consider fear in this way, it becomes a powerful pointer.

To all my new friends at the Summit, thank you for daring to dream big and taking action! All of you have inspired me, and my hope in sharing this is it will inspire you.

To find out more about the Lavish Cheapskate and free up your money, sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.lavishcheapskate.com/

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