The $500 Cup of Coffee® helps balance present-day choices and future needs by asking, "why are you paying $500 for a cup of coffee?"

If you're a baby-boomer, like authors Steve Lome and Dave Kramer, you're not. But if you're 20 or 30-somthing years old, consistent investment of small amounts adds up over time. When you invest rather than ingest your coffee money, the future value of one week of gourmet coffee could easily exceed $500 thanks to the power of compound interest.

Lome, a residential real estate developer, and co-author, David Kramer, a mortgage broker, nearly lost their shirts when the housing market crashed in 2008. Picking up the pieces, they wrote The $500 Cup of Coffee to inform and inspire others to build and hold onto their wealth.

Writing in a friendly style, they show you how to take control of your money so that money stops controlling you. They demonstrate that managing money is not difficult, investment is not scary, and that financial security is within reach, especially if you're young and invest your time and money wisely.

A how-to book that doesn't tell you what to do, it presents a big picture view that will inspire you to think more carefully about education, work, home, and planning for the future. With The $500 Cup of Coffee as your guide, you'll make smarter money choices, build your wealth, and use it to make life better.

Steven Lome