Her chicken dish was fantastic!

Here it is again for those of you who missed out the first time:

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken (reg size is fine)
1 tablespoon of Season-All
Spaghetti noodles
butter
garlic salt

First, you boil the chicken with salt and pepper until they’re just about done. This reduces overall cooking time and keeps the meat tender.

Transfer the chicken to a crock pot and cover with cream of chicken and about half a can of water. Add the Season-All and stir. Let simmer for about 25 minutes (less if you’re cooking on high…just make sure the chicken is completely done).

While the chicken is cooking, boil water for the spaghetti noodles. I’ve found that if you add a cap full of olive oil, it enhances the flavor of the noodles, so I recommend it, but it’s not necessary. Once the noodles are cooked, strain them and put them back in the pan. Add butter and garlic salt to taste.

Put noodles on a plate. Cut up chicken over the noodles. Ladle the cream of chicken sauce over the chicken and noodles.

Enjoy!

I changed it a little (like using a lot more Cream of Chicken soup) and didn’t use a crock-pot, but it still turned out rather tasty.

About the same time I was savoring “MasterYourCard Chicken”, my favorite radio station was doing a series of stories of meals for under $10.

• Chef Jose Andres started with a Moorish-Style Chickpea And Spinach Stew.
• Chef Ming Tsai then whipped up some Chicken-And-Corn Fried Rice With Lemon Spinach.
• Navy chef Michael Edwards made Sauteed Skate Meuniere with Potato Gnocchi.
• Pat and Gina Neely ended the series with Cheesy Corkscrews With Crunchy Bacon Topping.

The best part of the series were all the recipes that people left in the comment section, but they are gone now

Obviously there are a lot of great meals out there that are cheaper than $10 (here’s a whole site of them for half that price).

And if $5 is too much for you, there are plenty of simple meals that get the job done. My personal favorites are:

1. Spaghetti & Garlic Toast
2. Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
3. Mac & Cheese with Hot dogs

Or my all time favorite meal(no joke)…Hamburger & Rice.

Mix some rice with hamburger, top it with butter, and your good to go.

As you can see whether you spend $800 a year on food or $800 a month, there are many, many, ways to get the best bang for your food buck.

So how about we try this sharing thing again?

What’s your favorite $10 meal, $5 meal, or super simple meal?

I’m getting hungry just thinking about this.

Until next time,

-DD

Of course, this time it was different.

When news of his death became official, I felt genuine remorse.  I guess that is because part of my childhood died. As a kid I was a huge fan.  Thriller was my first “real” record that I bought myself.

I didn’t stay a mega fan for long, in fact Weird Al soon replaced Michael as my favorite singer (thanks to “Eat it” and “Fat” ).  But I’m still a huge music lover (as seen in my Pearl Jam posts) and I think I owe part of this to Michael Jackson’s influence on me as a youngster.

The morning after his death I was listening to NPR’s marketplace and they had a story about how he was deeply in debt. Actually they said he was $400 million in debt. Hearing this made the remorse return.

Although this time it was more like pity.

He went from child star to an international icon to a freak show.  This all happened so very fast.

We could put up with Neverland Ranch, Bubbles the Chimp, The Elephant Man’s remains, and the hyperbaric oxygen chamber. After all these were just the antics of an eccentric superstar.

But when the allegations of child molestation came up, most of us had had enough.  Of course it didn’t help that the allegations came at the same time his physical appearance was transforming before our eyes.

He is a prime example of stardom ruining your life.

Perhaps if his comeback tour would have been successful he could have gotten his life back together. I highly doubt it, but perhaps. An article on Yahoo details where his earnings went, not surprisingly most of it was squandered, so he definitely didn’t have a good history with money.  Perhaps his kids will have better luck with his estate than he did.

As I write this, 6 out of the top 10 songs in the itunes store are Michael Jackson songs.  I am not surprised by this.    Even accounting for the natural posthumous sales bump an artist gets, I think his records will sell like hot cakes for awhile.

Whether it be admiration, the need for nostalgia, or watching a train-wreck, the world loved Michael Jackson.

Which camp do you fall in? I’ll admit that as I got older his music was a guilty pleasure of mine.  I didn’t wear rhinestone pants or scream whenever I saw him, but I always thought he was “one of a kind.”

Rest in Peace Michael,

Until next time,

-DD

**Update** on 7-01-09 “All Things Considered” ran an interesting story about how much Michael was worth at the time of his death.

I am talking about my side businesses and entrepreneur dreams: The Happy Rock, Top Blog Posts, and my so called strategic web consultant business.   In April of last year I finished my MBA and created great plans for the next year.   It is now well over a year and things are almost exactly where they were 15 months ago.   It just isn’t working.  I had the plan and it just hasn’t come together.    I had dreams of replacing 30-50% of my income, I failed.   I still have the same mediocre blog and not much else.

In the back of my mind I know that it is OK.  I enjoy failure to some degree.  It is a new challenge that will require new skills and approaches and a strength that must be received, because my effort isn’t good enough.   It is also encouraging that a lot of my awesome successes in my life have sprung out of failure.

So why did I fail this time?

I am not fully sure yet, but I do know three huge areas that are glaring culprits:

Failure to focus on the tasks that provide the most value. I get about 2 hours a night if I am lucky and it is easy to spend it all checking email, tweaking a design, fighting sleep, or even just wasting time.  It is quite another thing to spend my limited time doing high impact tasks that are usually much harder and offer a lot more resistance and discomfort.  The high value tasks that I have avoided like the plague are prayer and meditation, researching and writing great content that helps people, and directly helping others achieve their dreams(especially through strategy consulting).

Not facing my fears and discomfort.  Web strategy consulting requires skills and knowledge that are quite underdeveloped.   I can do the web development no problem, but small business marketing is a newer endeavor.  I must also overcome my shyness to create leads, communicate effectively, and impart vision and hope.  I have pretty much avoided that business altogether; it was the path of most resistance.  Oddly enough it is the path I feel the most attracted to and deepest call to pursue.

Not focusing on others. Businesses make money because they provide value.  Fulfillment comes from positively contributing to world that far beyond your self interest.  I have spent much of the year so focused on what I am trying to accomplish that I lost all perspective when it comes to helping others.   I am not a particularly giving person by nature, so this another area that requires tapping into resources that outside my own ability.

So where does that leave me.? Again I am not all that sure yet.  Nothing drastic is happening as of now, but rest assured it will.  It has too.   I desire my dreams I have been given far too much.

My answer was:

The household misc category is made up of misc items. 

It’s stuff like: toilet paper, bug spray, diapers, toothpaste, batteries, postage stamps, small appliances, paper towels, wasp & hornet killer…and anything else that I’m too lazy to separate out.

But to tell you the truth I had no idea what that months misc items were.  So I thought I’d provide the breakdown for May of the misc category so I could really see where our money was going.

According to May’s Expense report, we spent $305.52 on “household misc” stuff.  Let’s break that down shall we:

• $75.29 - Foam for couch repair job
• $36.11 - Lawn Supplies
• $27.91 - Bug Spray
• $27.76 - Cosmetics
• $23.99 - Party Supplies
• $16.15 - Vitamins
• $15.82 - Greeting Cards
• $12.70 - Toilet Paper
• $11.12 - Toys & Games
• $10.59 - Furnace Filter
• $10.15 - Diapers
• $8.47 - Toy Bin
• $8.43 - Useful stuff (WD40 & Goo-B-Gone)
• $8.36 - Benadryl
• $5.83 - Clifford Movie
• $5.37 - Candy & Treats
• $1.47 - Bottle of Pop

Add them all up and you see how we spent over $300 in misc expenses in May.

Uggh.

Actually I shouldn’t get too down on ourselves.  Some of this stuff was worth it:

1. $75.29 - Foam for couch repair job - I already bragged about how my wife used this to make our couch much more comfortable.  So I’m not going to poo-poo this one.
2. $27.91 - Bug Spray - This total represents most shipping.  I read a review for some new “eco-friendly” bug spray at The Greenest Dollar.  I’m not a big fan of spraying Deet all over my family, so I’d thought I try it out.
3. $23.99 - Party Supplies - We don’t throw many parties, so when we do we go big!  And with a budget nearing $25 you can imagine the shin dig we had.

Really the only stuff I see that is wasteful are the toy related items and treats (Candy & Pop).  The greeting cards are a little high as well, but we made a bunch of homemade cards this month so I don’t feel too bad about it. Every once in a while I like to throw Hallmark a bone for making such good movies.

So there you have it.  That is what I call miscellaneous stuff.  What do you consider miscellaneous?

Until next time,

-DD

Parents Gone Wild.  Money Fever.  Call it what you want, but this just seems crazy.

So much for being a kid, because I can’t help but think of what it took to get to be that good at 16.   He is obviously supremely blessed athletically, but one can only assume that his parents groomed him from an early age.  Long time scout, Gary Hughes chimes in about how parents are pushing their children at an early ages.

Traveling squads for little kids, parents paying up to a thousand bucks for a weekend. I have a 10-year-old grandson who is a closer. A closer. I know one family where the parents are assessed 45 bucks per kid – they have two kids – for a session with a strength and conditioning coach. They’re 9 years old.

How knows why parents do this sort of thing, we can only guess: vanity, living their dreams through their children, for the money, or maybe for fame.  Anyway you slice it, it doesn’t quite seem fair to the children.

I grew up playing baseball at an early age and loved it.  I played on multiple teams each year and it took up the majority of my time, but it was because I wanted to.   I could have been better if I lifted weights or did more formal training and my parents tried to give me those options if they could, but in reality it was too much.   You need time to hang out, play capture the flag, school dances….kid stuff.

I know it takes that sort of dedication now a days, but at what cost?  Is this just too much or am I missing the bigger picture?  Should he make sure to grab the money before people find out he isn’t that good or before he gets injured?  I mean imagine all the records you can break if you are in the major leagues by age 18!

Source : MLB Yahoo

You sell your cell phone soul to Sprint, or Verizon, or AT&T and in turn they give you a phone for a great price or even free.  In return you agree to purchase monthly services for usually two years.   You can’t switch providers without paying huge fees and you are required to shell over a hefty sum each month.    That sounds a lot like the same type of prison that debt offers.   It robs you of choices and puts the company in control, not you.

If you still don’t think that sounds enough like debt, let’s take a closer look at the iPhone 3GS which was recently all over the news.   Many iPhone fans recently purchased an ‘old’ iPhone 3G for $199 and signed a 2-year contract.  They now want to upgrade to the shiny new phone and AT&T told them to pound sand.  They can wait until a year into their contract and then purchase the new 3G S for $400 not the $199 that new customers are paying.

The truth of the situation is that cell phone companies fork over fancy new phones for a cheap price, but you have to sign up for a two year contract so they can make up the lost cost.  Don’t believe me, try buying an iPhone or the Palm Pre type phone without a contract.  They are hundreds of dollars more. 

Basically, the cell providers are floating you a loan which is paid off after two years when they have recouped their money and much more. The scary part is that a lot of people don’t even realize that they are entering a debt type relationship with cell phone companies and are really confused when things go bad.

Let’s run the math.

iPhone power user total cost
$200 phone + 24 months of $150 service = $3800(before taxes and fees)

Palm Pre power user total cost
$200 + 24 months of $100 service = $2600(before taxes and fees)

That is a lot of money people pay for a $400 dollar loan so that you could by the phone for $200 dollars instead of full price.  Like I said, cell phone contracts are debt.

There are other options.  Buy an iPod Touch for $229 and go for a pre-paid phone plan($80 a year) for a total of $389 for two years. Yep, I just saved myself well over two grand and stayed out  of debt.

What do you think?  Are cell phone contracts debt?

*Sources:

AT&T Isn’t Cheating iPhone 3G Customers(via Ray @ Bathtub Brewery)
Pre vs iPhone, Which Is Better Value?

Some of you long time readers might remember that back in February, I decided to take my student loan and try to time the market by investing in a hand-full of well known companies whose stocks were very low.

Here’s what I got(2-25-09):

• FORD - 100 shares @ $2.04
• CITIBANK - 100 shares @ $2.66
• JP MORGAN -  20 shares @ $21.13
• GE - 15 shares @ $7.07

These were not rock bottom prices.  In fact the market took a HUGE tumble right after I got in (Citibank went down to $1.03).  Oh well that how these things go.  But since then the market has recovered nicely.

As of this writing (6-01-09) here is where these stand:

• FORD - $6.13   (+ 199%)
• CITIBANK - $3.69   (+ 38%)
• JP Morgan - $36.11 (+71%)
• GE -  $13.86 (+ 96%)

In a little more than three months I turned my $1000 into $1900.

My personal trading account is my fun money.  Over the years I used it to help with down payments for our first house and our van.  I also tapped it to buy our first Mac (6 years ago, using it to write this post).

I realize that there will be a short term capital gain tax, but I don’t sweat those.  To me taxes just mean I made money.  Plus I don’t think I’ll have to worry too much about taxes this year(full time student, kids, high medical expenses).

So, what to do?

As I’ve mentioned before, we use a Wish List to keep track of long term wants.  And one item in particular is starting to look very enticing.

• A Trip to NYC

We’ve been wanting to go for a couple of years now.  But timing, relatively low airfares, and these recent stock gains might finally push us over the edge and actually get us there.

While there we plan on catching the US Open, the Late Show, a Yankee Game, and all the other usual touristy stuff(Broadway, Museums, Famous Landmarks).

I realize that you Dave Ramsey fans out there won’t be too pleased with the vacation option.  Here’s what his recent newsletter said about the subject

Waaaahhhh! I didn’t go on vacation for two years while I was cleaning up my mess. Listen, your life has been a trip to the beach. Now it’s time to clean up your mess! I’m not saying that you should never go on a vacation. Just don’t go when you’re $20,000 in debt! Suck it up and live like no one else now so later you can live like no one else. That’s what I did. Now I can go to the beach any time I want! You’ve got to break this cycle in your head that you deserve stuff. None of us deserve squat.

So do I take the money and head to the big apple?  Or do I let it ride and really let it accumulate?

I guess I could also use it for something responsible like tuition or for the A/C repair in our van, but where’s the adventure in that?

Until next time,

-DD

I will tell you first hand, being out of debt is awesome.  We have so many more options as a family it is so energizing and even a bit overwhelming at times, but it is a great problem to have.

This post is designed specifically to try and lift our heads out of the muck to visual and imagine what it would be like without debt.

A good way to start is to close your eyes and picture your list of debts in your head.  Now cross them off one by one starting with the the debt that irks you the most.  Pause after each cross off to let yourself feel the emotion of having that debt gone.   I am picturing having my house paid for and a big smile comes across my face.

Once you have finished that exercise consider a few ways that getting out of debt frees up our future.

1. Cash flow. How much cash is tied up in monthly payments?  Think about all the savings, vacations, or purchases that you could quickly save for.
2. Stability. How much less scary losing your job would be? How about a major repair?
3. Career.  Think about how little you would be tied to a job you don’t like when you only have a few monthly bills to take care of.   That career or job you always wanted is now on the table.
4. Time and Energy. Imagine all the time and energy that you were wasting on thinking, stressing, and paying for your debt.  What kinds of great things you could be using it for?

There are thousands of other areas that debt effects, but it is for you to start to put on the no debt mindset.

If you really start to feel and see how great it will be,you will be amazed at how much energy it creates for your debt destruction journey.

Let’s hear it.  What type of things are you going to reclaim in your life?  What dreams can you begin to consider again?

For an easy voting reminder the voting widget is displayed below(RSS readers need to click through to the site to vote).

Also new this week is the “Share this poll” link on the bottom of the voting widget which is designed to provide simple access to any bloggers who want to show the poll in a post on their own site like I did. The purpose is to reward the best content with as much traffic as possible.

IT ROCKS!!!

It rocks for the 3 LPs(viva la vinyl). It rocks for the remixed CD. It rocks for all the collectible stuff!  But my favorite part of it so far has been the DVD of Pearl Jam Unplugged.

That performance probably is what made me such a die hard fan. I know the Nirvana appearance on Unplugged was more noteworthy, but I always thought Pearl Jam’s was the best ever.

Watching it instantly takes me back to my teen years (which when looking back, weren’t as bad as I thought they were).  I’m a sucker for nostalgia, so for that alone it was worth the $140.

Back in college a hobby/obsession of mine was tracking down Pearl Jam bootlegs or concert videos.  I have a whole shelf of them.  They were usually very poor quality, but every once in a while there would be a diamond in the rough.

They were also about $40 each.

I paid $40 for this crappy VHS in 1998...and loved it!

So when I think about all the money I spent on my collection,  $140 is nothing.  Of course that was before I had a mortgage or kids. It was also when I’d be so excited for a new Pearl Jam album to come out that I’d be waiting in line at a midnight opening.  Ah the glory days…

Enough reminiscing, there are plenty of memories to be made today!

For those of you hiding in a cave, Conan O’Brian recently took over The Tonight Show from Jay Leno.  His first musical guest, Pearl Jam! In case you went to bed early, check it out:

It’s going to be a banner year for Pearl Jam.  A new album will come out this fall, (which you will be able to find at Target…can’t wait for the commercial), probably more TV appearances, and of course there will be a tour to follow (there is a mini-tour this summer).

I can’t wait.

So now that you know what I’m looking forward too, how about you share what you’re anticipating? Should be a fun list.

Until next time,

-DD