Most of us have heard of The Latte Factor. Love it or hate it, there's been some misconception on how much it actually costs to sip a latte daily. The coiner of the phrase, personal finance expert David Bach, has stated that buying a daily latte or something similarly priced can cost you a pretty penny of $2.7 million over 30 years. Alpha Consumer did some calculating and found that the final cost comes out to around $50,000.
I'm not a proponent of The Latte Factor, because I do enjoy my daily coffee. I like my store-bought lattes, but on the occasion when I don't have the time to beat those Starbucks lines, I make my own at home and spice it up with things like manuka honey and ground cinnamon. I believe that if you budget right, you can skimp on some things and splurge more on others. It's all about balance and allocating your money properly.
So what do you think Savvy readers — do you believe in The Latte Factor?
My first Toastmasters experience was unreal — think hedonism, Patrick Dempsey, and bacon-hating. But first, let's go back to the beginning. Yesterday, I started the eight-week professional development kick challenge, and I told you readers that my first step was to go to a Toastmasters meeting. I admit I was nervous when I walked in, because I wasn't sure what to expect. You hear about it all the time — Toastmasters, Toastmasters — but you can't fathom what that means until you've experienced it.
I think what surprised me the most about the club, a nonprofit aimed at helping professionals develop public speaking and leadership skills, was how structured it was. There were officers, timers, and schedules to be followed. Everyone had to stand up when they spoke, and the people who were assigned speeches stood behind a lectern to speak. There was someone assigned to time each speech, someone to watch for verbal distractions such as "ah" and "um" and someone to scribble down a detailed evaluation of the presentation. It all seemed pretty intense, so when it was my turn to say something, I was really nervous.
To find out what happened, read after the jump.
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Who doesn't like a juicy tidbit every once in a while? Whether good or bad, gossip can help a group of people connect. And according to a study, it can even be beneficial to your office relationships. In a piece from the Harvard Business Review, Professor Giuseppe Labianca describes how gossiping in the workplace can increase your social understanding and cachet. Read on for five reasons he says being a gossip girl at work can be good.
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