Kiplinger’s magazine ran an excellent piece in their February issue on how to cope with financial stress.  The article highlighted six key tactics to deal with a shrinking portfolio: 1. Everything passes.  Financial goings-on are cyclical, like most life events, so just wait out the negative cycles. 2. Exercise.  Working out can help with any type of stress. 3. Know […]

How to Make Great StoveTop Espresso or Moka at Home Like an Italian In my view, espresso is the greatest representation of coffee on the planet.  I do enjoy a cup of French Press coffee each and every day but when I crave pure coffee taste, I brew up a batch of stovetop espresso or at times referred to as Moka […]

Beyond a perfectly roasted chicken and a plate of linguine with extra virgin olive oil and grated Parmigiano Reggiano there are few dishes that can come close to the texture and flavor of a gently Poached Egg with Crumbled Toast (Uovo in Camicia).  Here’s our easy recipe: Poached Egg with Crumbled Toast   Print Cook: Vince from Scordo Ingredients 1 large […]

Most Americans aspire to owning a one-family home with a nice backyard and a white picket fence.  They imagine their kids riding their big wheel up and down the driveway and family barbecues on their back deck.  At face value, there is nothing wrong with owning a one family home, afterall, a home without tenants or extra maintenance comes without […]

As I’ve said in the past, eating out/ordering in is a colossal waste of money and beyond the occasional breakdown or special night out I tend not to reach for the Chinese take out menu or make reservations at our local restaurant very often.  My other rationale for not eating out is that I simply will not get the same […]

– Wise Bread has an interesting article on the pros and cons of pre-paying your mortage – I can tell you that I’ve been giving this one lots of thought and I still haven’t come to an easy answer   @ WiseBread. – Dough Roller posted a “festival of frugality” that contains some great information on frugal living, finances, debt, etc.  @ Doughroller.com […]

Good Life and Food Most people live beyond their means because they want to feel and be perceived as being wealthy.  A Coach handbag or Mercedes-Benz  sedan screams, “hey, look at me I can spend money and feel good about it!”  Feeling good about buying stuff or leading a “high-end” lifestyle is not inherently a bad thing, afterall we all […]

The process of buying a car is not what it used to be. Gone are the days of limited selection, brand loyalty, and the mysterious and long-winded pricing negotiation sessions.  Nowadays, consumers often focus on car reliability rather than brand name, the exact model that meets their families’ needs, and are well versed on exactly how much their car should […]

Guide to Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Eight Extra Virgin Olive Oil Basics Italians consume olive oil like it’s water and our grandparents, for example, used olive oil for cooking, shining shoes, preserving food, lubricating machinery (including various shotguns), and curing various ailments (including stomach ulcers).  I wouldn’t recommend you use olive oil to lubricate your shotgun, but we’d […]

They say that money can’t buy happiness and I certainly agree.  However, did you ever stop to think about what money can, indeed, buy? Here is a list of ten things that money can help you buy: 1.  Money can buy peace of mind.  Do you have trouble sleeping at night because you are worried about bills or your current […]