I had a blast during my trip to NYC and meeting with All You ^[1]!

Again, I got to enjoy this trip with Mercedes @ Common Sense with Money ^[2], Erin @ Coupon Cravings ^[3] and Briana @ Bargain Briana. ^[4]

I arrived early on Monday afternoon so I could enjoy the city a bit with Briana (since our flights arrived around the same time). Later, Mercedes and Erin arrived so we got to go do some more exploring and enjoying Manhattan! The hotel we stayed in was right next to a restaurant that had a mechanical bull. I did NOT re-live my bull-riding days ^[5]though :)

Monday evening we spent time with PR Director, Jen Zawadinski, and Susan Spencer, Executive Editor. The dinner at The Harrison ^[6] in the West Village/Tribecca was soooo good! We took the subway – it was economical and fun to do since some have never experienced it before!

Tuesday morning we got all dolled up for our Photo Shoot. The Photographer said we *stacked* well with our varying heights. Hey, he knows some of our coupon language :) We then enjoyed lunch with the editoral staff of All You ^[7] – the minds behind the magazine folks! YES, I met so many of them!!

I’m sure you have noticed the page in the front of the magazine that says “these readers helped create this issue.” All You ^[7] is all …about YOU! The team wants to make a magazine that really is about US and what WE WANT! Having real people in the magazines sets them apart.

That’s part of the role of a Reality Checker ^[8].

YOU can be a part of the community of All You ^[7]! They want real people to share their lives. By sharing, YOU may help someone too! And, the fact that the staff *keep it real-YO* with their money-conscience ways was pretty impressive!

Susan shared they are doing a brown bag challenge. The staff will see how much they can save by bringing lunch rather than going out. When I heard this, I was impressed that they walk the talk, ya know. The authenticity is not just in the pages of the magazine – it’s in each of the employees! That means something to me!

Raise your hand if you love All You’s coupons!!!

During our discussions with the Editorial and Sales teams, we learned and shared a LOT! All You ^[7] is passionate about the quality of the magazine! They want to create a publication that we find value in. Our voices, as readers, are included in the pages published. All You ^[7] not only speaks our language, but they want to hear OUR thoughts!

All You ^[7]‘s passion, desire and focus is so similar to what I want for all of YOU! Live better on less. Have hope when the economy can make it glim. Sharing my personal story, that isn’t always easy to share, but doing so in hopes that it inspires just one person to achieve a goal. Having a resource like All You ^[7], and many of the amazing blogs available, hopefully helps YOU make it a reality!