William Ollinger is a retired nuclear engineer, a genius of frugality, and my father. (Today, April 9, is his 92nd birthday!) Along with my late mother, Dad raised six children on a reliable but modest salary from the local utility. In an attempt to understand better where my attitudes toward money come from, I ask him to tell me about the financial goals and stresses when he was a younger father. His secrets for wealth accumulation are simple but rarely followed today: spend less than you make, when you do spend, don’t buy a bunch of crap.

Bored out of your mind? Check out my website on http://paulollinger.com