SavvySugar

How Money Are You: Prime Time's Top-Earning Women

SavvySugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:00:28 -0700

Forbes released an exposé on prime time's top-earning women this week and some of the names and stats are a shocker for those of us who are used to hearing gigantic Tinseltown salaries. Sure, they still make millions more than most of us, but the recession has hit Hollywood. The article notes "Jerry Seinfeld-era paydays (the sitcom star one earned $1 million per episode plus tens of millions in back-end profits) are no longer practical, much less expected." How do the top TV actresses' paychecks lineup with the biggest earners on TV? Take my quiz and find out!

Take the quiz

Relating to the Office: Raise Talk Isn't Easy For Anyone

SavvySugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:00:26 -0700

On this week's episode of The Office corporate alerts Jim and Michael that there won't be funds to give everyone a raise and the co-managers are tasked with telling the team the crushing news.

Jim makes his first big call by announcing only the salespeople will receive raises. This immediately insights panic and questions from the ranks. While Jim and Michael feel the pressure to make everyone happy, the crew is understandably upset by the news and quick to jump on Dwight's revolt train. They even snoop in on Jim and Michael's bizarre promotion based on photos and beans project in the conference room.

It's a whole mess of silliness, but an unorthodox reminder that talking about raises with co-workers can get hairy, and isn't easy for employers or employees. Do you discuss raises openly with people at your workplace, or is money talk kept behind closed doors?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Guess How Much The Hills Cast Makes Per Episode

SavvySugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 06:00:18 -0700

Everyone's favorite guilty pleasure show, The Hills, returned to TV last night for its sixth season. Lauren Conrad may have moved on, but her Laguna Beach classmate Kristin Cavallari proved to be an entertaining addition to the neighborhood. Do you know how much the crew pulls in per episode of the show? Take my quiz and find out how they pay for their gadgets and fancy clothes.

Take the quiz

Has Your Boss Ever Pitted You Against a Co-Worker?

SavvySugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:30:57 -0700

On this week's Rachel Zoe Project, Rachel makes a questionable management move and invites Brad and Taylor to Paris before realizing one of them is going to have to stay behind at the studio. When she becomes aware of her mistake, she tells them they should decide amongst themselves who will go, thinking Brad will volunteer to stay home.

The suggestion immediately becomes an issue for Brad and Taylor. Taylor tells Brad she thinks Rachel is testing him, Brad calls Rachel and says he doesn't like being tested. Rachel says she doesn't have time to deal with it, and Taylor should make the call. Big time drama! Thankfully, Taylor ends up suggesting Brad go, but the dilemma comes off as completely dysfunctional because it pits the two co-workers against one another. As BuzzSugar notes, "Rachel needed to be able to woman up and just make a boss decision." Has your manager ever delegated a big decision to you and your co-workers because she didn't want to make it?

Want to talk more about the workplace antics in the episode? Join BuzzSugar's Rachel Zoe Project Fan Group!

Photo courtesy of Bravo

How Not to Behave: Career Lessons Learned From Mad Men

SavvySugar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0700

When it comes to workplace drama, Mad Men has it all: high-stakes accounts, employees fighting for promotions and power, interoffice affairs, drinking on the job, and professional talent clouded by shenanigans, secrecy, and even sexual harassment. Whenever I watch the show I am both captivated by the saucy situations and characters and thankful for how far we have come as professionals since the 1960s.

The plotlines that evolve within the powerful Sterling Cooper agency and its smart but unruly ad men and women are dramatized for our viewing pleasure, but it is true that office culture has changed substantially in the last 40 years. If it hadn't, we wouldn't be so shocked and awed when we see the way the characters talk to one another. There there are plenty of lessons we can learn from the (mis)behavior on the show. Find out what they are before you start bringing back early morning scotch breaks and get sent to HR.

View Slideshow ›

Do You Know Who Earns What on TV?

SavvySugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:08:18 -0700

TV Guide magazine's yearly Who Earns What? edition, which shows off TV's highest paid actors, hits newsstands today and the salaries are staggering despite the economy. Do you think you know how much your favorite TV power women and men pull in for their pretty faces, comedic timing, and acting chops? Take my quiz and find out!

Take the quiz

Do You Know Your TV Power Women?

SavvySugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:50:54 -0700

In the early days of television famous females primarily played the roles of loving mother, homemaker, nurse, and second fiddle to the main man. Thankfully, everything has changed. As female queens, leaders, and politicians have become more and more dominant, and women take over the workplace, women have naturally taken over the small screen as power-suit-wearing leading ladies. Take this quiz to see if you've been paying attention to TV power women!

Question 1 of 10

Actress Lisa Edelstein plays Dr. Cuddy on House. What's Dr. Cuddy's title at the hospital?

Watch: Marisa Tomei Is Wild About Emergency Funds

SavvySugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:30:41 -0700

The stars came together to prove many points in ABC's UN-BROKE: What You Need to Know About Money, and host Mellody Hobson's intermittent interviews with random Americans on the street were evidence that most people need to learn those money lessons. This statistic really stood out: the average American family has $10,000 in credit card debt spread across five high interest cards. If only minimum payments are made, it would take 58 years to pay off the $10,000.

Mellody introduces the special by saying she is boggled that we're not taught about money in school and says, "We've been handed keys to financial futures, but nobody has taught us driver's ed." Viewers are taken through a series of celebrity skits about everything from credit cards and emergency funds to purchasing a home, investing, and retirement savings. Mellody continues to make strong points about the inconsistencies in the way most Americans are raised, and jabs, "Kids leave home learning how to do laundry, but not learning how to use credit cards."

If you missed the Friday night special, check out one of the segments including a clip featuring Marisa Tomei when you read more.

Will Smith, Rosario, Jonas Bros, Acting Out Money Basics

SavvySugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:30:20 -0700

Some things you need to see to believe, and tonight's one-hour special UN-BROKE: What You Need to Know About Money might just be one of them. ABC has put together a star-studded cast to teach the fundamentals of finance in an unconventional way. The program will be broken into segments featuring Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, the Jonas Brothers, Christian Slater, Cedric the Entertainer, Seth Green, Sesame Workshop's Oscar the Grouch, Rosario Dawson and the E*Trade Babies, and more!

I have no idea what to expect (will it be cheesy, or funny and effective?), but I love the fact that ABC is giving this a shot. According to ABC, we can look forward to scenes like Christian Slater and Rosario Dawson visiting "an office workplace to explain the importance of investing in a 401(k) retirement plan," and Will Smith getting "down to basics with a boardroom full of corporate finance executives."

The special airs tonight, May 29, at 9:00 p.m. ET. Will you be setting your DVR to record?

Source

11 Real-Life Lessons Learned From the Celebrity Apprentice

SavvySugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:30:06 -0700

NBC has already given the nod to a ninth season of Donald Trump's Apprentice, so the show must be speaking to viewers. Sure, it's reality entertainment, but there are real-life lessons to be found in each episode of this season's Celebrity Apprentice. We had to get something valuable out of those two-hour segments, right?

If you were too distracted by the celebrity drama to deduce your own career-minded conclusions, Trump University's Lessons Learned Blog kept track for you. Randal Pinkett (winner of The Apprentice Season 4) runs the blog and he came up with several lessons from each episode, so I've selected the best ones from each week.

Episode 1: "Disagree behind closed doors all you want at work. That's part of teamwork. But never badmouth your team to outsiders. You need to present a strong image to the people who judge your performance."
Episode 2: "Cultivate the ability to adjust quickly. In today's fast-paced world of business, flexible people win out over the rigid."
Episode 3: "Remember, leaders don't shoulder their way into the spotlight. They know that the more they can let their team members excel, the brighter their own success will be."

To see eight more lessons, just read more.

Episode 4: "If you want to succeed in business, you have to stand on your own. If you cannot fight your own battles, you're not ready to succeed."
Episode 5: "Remember that simple systems free your mind to focus on the big picture. In times of confusion, even a little organization saves the day!"
Episode 6: "Stand by your word. Even if you don't realize it yet, a good reputation is your most powerful career asset."
Episode 7: "Never rely 100 percent on technology, because things go wrong. Hard drives crash. Power outages occur. The graphic you send at the last moment could be in a format that the recipient can't use."
Episode 8.1: "There will be times when you will feel shut out of some inner circle at work. If that happens, focus on the excellence of your work. You are not in junior high school anymore. Your feelings are no longer your top concern. It is time to get the job done."
Episode 8.2: "Remember that simply meeting demands is not always enough. Research and creativity will carry you into the winner's circle."
Episode 9: "In your career, take any hand you are dealt and play it to win. If you apply that strategy consistently, you will build small victory on small victory and move ahead."
Episode 10: "If you don't set specific goals and know how to reach them, you can never expect to succeed. You can't wander into success, you have to plan it."

Photo courtesy of NBC