She has talked to the rich and famous for years. But when Dayna Devon, co-host of TV's entertainment program "Extra" comes home to her Beverly Hills home, all she wants to do is talk to her two children, Emmi and Cole, then curl up with a glass of wine and catch up with her plastic surgeon husband, Dr. Brent Moelleken.
Devon is aware of the good fortune that has come her way since moving to Los Angeles. Born in San Antonio, the 38-year-old news anchor graduated from the University of Texas and from there landed a job as a local news anchor in Memphis, Tenn. before going to Hollywood.
Moving up the entertainment ladder, she solidified her place in TV chatting up Hollywood's most prominent people when she joined "Extra" in 1999 as weekend anchor; she was named permanent anchor in 2003. The Emmy-winning entertainment reporter has gone one-on-one with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Bankrate talked to her about childhood financial lessons, the pleasures of online shopping, and her family.
Bankrate: You have two small children now, so there are the costs of schools in the near future. Do you save for a rainy day?
Dayna Devon: Absolutely. It's not always easy, especially right now with gas prices being so high and everything else being so crazy. Being in a recession-type economy, it affects everything. It affects Brent's practice because people stretch out their Botox treatments longer than they normally would. It affects the TV show because advertising goes up and down. So I'm always aware of that. Plus, I think television, in general, trains you to always be wary because things can end so quickly. I've had to learn that you do save for a rainy day and you always have to be careful.
Bankrate: Do you adhere to any financial advice that your parents might have given you when you first started out in this business?
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Dayna Devon: You know, my mom is the worst person, ever, with financial advice. My mom's advice would be spend every dime you make and then spend more so … no. I was basically starving in my early jobs and my father would say to save a little bit out of what I make. I was like, "Dad, I can't even eat … I'm eating ramen (noodles) every night."
My parents had a really hard time financially; we were not well off. We went to a very wealthy school, though. I had to get braces and it was a major ordeal where that money was going to come from. So I have been trained to make sure there is some money sitting aside in case you need it.