Trent over at The Simply Dollar blog had an interesting post this morning on “A Long December”; that is, how, for many American’s December will be a tough month given job cuts, gift buying pressue, investment/401K performance, and the poor economy in general. Trent’s post got me thinking about my childhood and how my parents (pic: that’s my mother on […]

As I sat in my home office this morning the book, “The Millionaire Next Door” stood out prominently on my wood bookshelf.  The book stands out because it’s a classic in the personal finance world and can be easily understood by everyone.  I often re-read chapters of the book and can really identify with most of the content in the […]

Given that most of you will likely be interacting with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day, I thought I would offer some “how to” tips on getting along with your dinner companions: – Be nice. Getting along with people is not rocket science.  If you’re coming across as cold, snobby, and unwilling to engage in a conversation, you’ll most likely be […]

One of my father’s golden financial rules is to not buy what you think you need.  As I’ve said in earlier posts, my father is an incredibly crafty individual, though I didn’t realize the full extent of his ability to improvise and save money until we purchased our own home. As new homeowners most couples are eager to make home […]

Many of the best personal finance blogs I read on a daily basis, including Get Rich Slowy (which Money Magazine called the most inspiring money blog today), The Simple Dollar, Free Money Finance, and Money, Matter, and More Musings focus on how to save money or lead a frugal life, however we often hear via the media that the US economy is […]

Sometimes it’s obvious, but most of the time it’s not.  What am I talking about?  I’m talking about how we, as humans, are comforted by following the pack or making decisions that everyone around us is making.  For example: – We like buying Google stock because it helps us find things (there are alternatives) and the media loves Sergey and […]

  (photo: the Scordo and Latella families in southern Italy during the annual wheat harvest) Every time I travel to Europe (especially outside of the big cities) I notice that the stress level tends to be much lower than what we have here in the US (regardless of city or town).  Yes, big city folks tend to always be on […]

The French Press coffee brewing method produces some of the best coffee on the planet via a very simple, non electric, process.   High quality coffee is a staple of my Italian life and, in moderation, the golden liquid has proven to have some excellent health benefits, including: Coffee seems to protect men from Parkinson’s disease Coffee drinkers may be […]

Do you know those people who need to spend money in order to have a good time?  You know, the folks who inevitably see a movie, go out for dinner, buy a new pair of pants, and buy a few books at Barnes and Noble every weekend.  Well, it’s easy to fall into the trap of spending to put a […]

How to Make Home Made Wine Let’s face it, enjoying and collecting fine wine is an expensive hobby, especially in light of a tanking economy.  My Italian father has only bought a few bottles of “real” wine in a proper wine shop over the years, but he consumes two-three glasses of wine each night.  You’re probably asking yourself at this […]