I took piano lessons for years when I was a kid, but gave it up when I started playing after school sports in junior high. Recently, however, I’ve been thinking of picking it up again. We’ve already got an electric keyboard in the house, so I figure I can just start with that for now. If it turns out that I truly am interested in taking piano lessons again, I’ll think about purchasing a real piano at that time.

Since I’m not sure what my interest level will be, I don’t want to pay for lessons right away either. I’ve heard that there are websites that provide Piano lessons & piano chords to help people learn how to play, so I decided to check a few of those out first. A site called PlayPiano.com was the best one that I came across.

PlayPiano.com offers a completely free email newsletter containing playing tips, lessons, and different chords that I can practice on my own. A new issue is sent out every five days or so, which gives me plenty of fresh material to work through.

Then, if I like what I’m learning, I can purchase full piano courses on DVD and continue learning in the comfort of my own home. These DVD piano courses are designed for adults, and are much cheaper than paying for private lessons.

Of course, there’s no obligation to purchase anything, which means I can still enjoy the 101 issues of the newsletter for free.

Sounds good to me, so I’m off to sign up right now!

Did you hear about this? The NHL staged their first-ever regular-season outdoor hockey game (in the U.S., that is) yesterday. Dubbed the Winter Classic, the game was held at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, the venue where the NFL Bills play their home games.

By all accounts, the game was a resounding success, as more than 71,000 fans showed up to see the hometown Sabres clash with the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins — despite the snowy, cold weather. In addition, the TV broadcast drew the NHL’s highest Nielsen ratings in more than 10 years, with an estimated two million viewers tuning in to NBC to catch the action. These numbers are even more impressive when you consider the fact that NCAA bowl games were being shown all day long as well.

The game itself ended in a 2-1 victory for the Pens after superstar Sidney Crosby scored during the shootout.

This Winter Classic sounds very cool, and if it ever comes to Chicago, I would definitely try to attend!

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images via Yahoo!Sports)

When I think of investment vehicles that can help solidify my financial future, I usually envision the more traditional offerings, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or even real estate. That’s not surprising, as the average portfolio is likely made up mostly of these things. But I’ve recently been hearing a lot about the benefits of investing in rare coins, so I’ve been doing a bit of research in this area.

From what I’ve read, it’s best for beginners to work with coin experts who can help them locate buying opportunities and ensure that they don’t overpay for specific coins. For example, I don’t know the fair market value of morgan dollars, so I’d have no idea how much to pay for one, which obviously leaves me vulnerable to unscrupulous people who wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of my ignorance.

But if I buy my coins through a reputable middleman, then I can be relatively certain that I’d get a fair deal on genuine products.

This is certainly something to think about, especially since I really want to start investing my money more aggressively this year. I’m going to continue looking into the possibility of investing in rare coins, and I’ll be sure to post updates once I find out more.