Both of my parents were born in Southern Italy where unemployment is high and quality of life is superb. My mother, A., made it to the 7th grade and my father, T., recieved the equivalent of a technical high school diploma. Both of my parents immigrated to the US in 1975 and are currently debt free, own their own two-family […]

The Tradition You Come From Matters One of the critical life lessons I learned from my Italian family is how to value food and dispel the myth of equating poor eating habits with economic class or spending power.  Specifically, I was taught: How to cook and the closely associated idea of, Why food is important and should be taken seriously. My mother […]

(photo: cast from the film, American Psycho) I see it all the time, twenty and thirty somethings ingrained with the idea that they deserve what they deem desirable, whether it be a new wardrobe, apartment in a trendy city, new luxury car, a monstrous new kitchen, the latest Smartphone, and/or a 6 bedroom home in a privileged suburb.  Let me […]

(photo: my young uncle washing his hands in an outdoor fountain in Bagnara, Calabra – Village of Pellegrina) One of the most important life skills you can teach your child is how to save or, more specifically, why it’s important to save.   My parents would often bring me to the bank as a small child and I observed my mother writing and cashing […]

I’ve often stated here and to many friends directly that recent immigrants have an intuitive personal finance philosophy that not only embraces the pillars associated with the American dream but also runs counter to the deeply entrenched, and ugly side, of modern American life: consumerism and materialism.   Some friends get the above point quickly and agree, while others look […]

Continuing on the theme of offering parents practical tips, I ask the all important question: Do Your Children Hustle? 7 Tips for Parents For Ensuring a Strong Work Ethic Teaching your kids to hustle or instilling a good work ethic is critical to raising children, in my view.  And it seems many of today’s young children are spoiled and posses a […]

(photo: thanks to the Pittsburgh Post) I come from a very giving family, as is the case for most recent immigrants.  My mother and father, while lower middle class, have always provided their children with whatever was in their means.  As a small child, my parents purchased hi-quality clothes and shoes for us, paid for braces, prepared wonderful meals, purchased […]