You hear the same advice all the time: spend less, save more and "live beneath your means".  That is easy advice to give but not so easy to explain.  And following through is even harder.

It's the middle of August so I thought why not write about some holidays.  I have favorite holidays because of happy childhood memories.  There have been good times during my adult life, too, but it's our childhood that makes our holidays.

I love sausage. That tangy, herby, spicey flavor that comes out of these cured meats really satisfies my appetite during the summer months. And what is ironic about that is some countries developed sausage preparation as a way to store food for the winter?

Large expanses of white sand beaches and crystal clear waters make the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean an alluring destination for a fun-filled vacation. A wide spectrum of land and water sports are available on these islands ensuring that visitors are never short of interesting things to do while they are on holiday, Whether they are in Providenciales (or Provo, as it is often referred to by the locals) or in Middle Caicos or Grand Turk, land and water sports enthusiasts can look forward to an unforgettable vacation

This is Stephen A. Schwarzman’s story. Last year Steve was listed as the fifty third most wealthy person in the U.S.A. by Forbes Magazine, nevertheless it’s his significant success in the world of finance as well as his donations to non profit organizations that make this story something special. The Blackstone Group co-founder is inspiring and further proof that success can be gained by hard work and being truly dedicated to your job.

Everybody knows that a wedding is a costly event to organize. Gone are the days where the parents of the bride paid for the day in full. Now it is common for those actually getting married to contribute to the costs and many people feel that they do not wish to begin their married lives in debt, courtesy of the wedding itself.

My brother and I were talking about our retirement savings over the past weekend and we decided that we probably won't have enough to retire on when we reach the maximum age of 70. That is because we cannot agree on how much growth you should expect from your investments on a year-over-year basis. Should you project 8%? 10%? 2%?

When it comes to making money, to creating wealth, which would you think is the better strategy: to save your money or to borrow it? I have heard many stories about how people saved their money for years and retired in comfort. I have also heard how some people went into debt and even lived off credit cards while they pursued their dreams and ultimately became rich and successful. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle: that saving money pays off for some folks and borrowing it pays off for others.

I miss my old high school friends. I have never gone to a high school reunion. They happen so seldom it seems like something has always come up when one was scheduled. Every year around New Year's Day I get to thinking about my old buddies. We spent three years in high school hanging out, ogling girls, and trying to figure out what we were going to do with our spare time. We probably wasted more than we should have.

I am not old. I do not feel old. But I feel like I missed a great opportunity when I was growing up. I never spent much time in the kitchen with my Mom and sister. But on weekends in the summer Dad would get out the grill and make hamburgers and hot dogs. On special days he grilled ribs or steaks. Once in a while he would grill a sausage or kielbasa. I can throw meat on a fire and wait until the right moment to flip it. But is that really cooking?

Christmas came early this year. My cat decided our old sofa would make a great scratching post. By the time my wife and I found the damage it was too late. Reupholstering the old comfy couch would have cost too much to be worthwhile. The cushions were beginning to sag anyway. So off we went to the local array of furniture stores to find the perfect sofa. I thought that would make a great article so here are my thoughts.

Gourmet foods are, by definition, specialty foods. They are hard to find, expensive, hard to prepare, found only in certain areas, or otherwise separated from the highway of cheap, mass-produced food. Red Robin may sell "gourmet hamburgers" but they are still just hamburgers with fancy toppings. And I love Red Robin. I love their hamburgers. But hamburger no matter how you dress it up is just not gourmet food.