What would your future-you have to say to you?
The no-pants guide to spending, saving, and thriving in the real world.
What would your future-you have to say to you?
I received an email recently, asking “what kinds of things are you eating so that you don’t go bat-**** crazy?”
First, some background.
On January 2, 2011, I started Tim Ferriss’s Slow Carb Diet and, as of 2/18/2011, I have lost 30 pounds. The first 11 or so were water weight, but I’ve still been losing 4-5 pounds per week. This diet has a few—but only a few—rules.
That’s it. The rules are simple and don’t require that I refer back to the book for anything.
Here is a typical day for me on this diet:
For breakfast most mornings, I have 3 eggs and 2-3 sausage links. I bought brown-and-serve sausages so this takes 10 minutes to cook in the morning.
On the way to work, I have a diet soda if we have any in the house. If not, I skip it. I like pop, but I’ve broken my caffeine addiction completely.
For lunch, I will either have leftovers from the night before or some stir-fry with beans and whatever protein is convenient. I’ve been keeping pre-cooked brats(wurst, not kid) or polish sausages as a convenience food.
Several times a week, I make some stir-fry. I use a basic, flexible recipe.
I tend to cook the meat separately, as that lets me vary the meal more. I’ll make some chicken or steak ready to toss in the stir-fry before I re-heat it.
I vary the seasonings, vegetables, and oil to get different flavors I rarely make the same stir-fry twice. The real trick to keeping the food satisfying is to experiment with seasonings. They make a huge difference between bland and yummy. Seasonings can make or break a meal all by themselves.
If I don’t have any stir-fry or leftovers, I’ll bring some salad and a polish sausage. Most salad dressing is sugar-based, so I either go light on the dressing, or use balsamic vinegar. I try to avoid doing this more than once every couple of weeks. It’s boring and doesn’t taste that great. It’s okay, but that’s all.
I try to always have cooked beans or lentils in the refrigerator. They provide a significant part of my calorie intake. Beans are kind of a necessity. Vegetables taste better, but are a low-calorie, bulky food. You can’t stay full all day on nothing but lettuce. Beans get old. I’ll usually toss a few spoonfuls of salsa to change the taste. When I cook lentils, sometimes, I’ll cook it in beef broth with fried onions and garlic to make a tasty change.
For dinner, I have whatever vegetables we are cooking for the kids, a scoop of beans, and a protein that usually isn’t cooked for the family.
The protein source varies based on whatever was on sale when we went grocery shopping. It can be steak, chicken, or anything else. This week, we bought 16 chicken drumsticks. We spread them out on a cookie sheet and seasoned them 3 different ways, just for variety. Some got garlic salt, some got Italian seasoning, and some got a Greek rub. After an hour in a 350 degree oven, we had a delicious meal.
If I feel a need for a snack, or a craving for sweets, I just take a spoonful of peanut butter. It helps.
I’m not doing any major form of exercise. I wanted to test the diet on its own merits, first. What I am doing is some timed exercises shortly before and 90 minutes after I eat, when I remember. The exercises are resistance-based and 60-90 seconds in duration. The purpose is to crank up my metabolism before the food gets introduced into my body, and then keep it up and running for a while afterward.
I use a mid-level elastic rehab strap, doubled-over twice. I do 75 chest extensions about 5 minutes before I eat. Most days, I forget to do them again 90 minutes later. There are any number of other exercises that would work, including air squats or push-ups.
I am not your doctor. In fact, I am not a doctor in any capacity. Similarly, I am not a nutritionist, a dietitian, or even a board-certified snake-oil salesman. I have no qualifications here, in any way, shape or form. Follow this at your own risk.
I take 5 supplements.
Policosanal. This is an herbal supplement that is supposed to help with cholesterol, which is a helpful thing to do when you are on a low-carb, high-protein diet. More importantly, a side effect is weight loss. Hurray for helpful side effects!
Alpha-lipoic Acid(ALA). This is an antioxidant that helps your body produce vitamins C and E. It is also supposed to inhibit triglyceride and fat storage. To quote from the book, “ALA helps you store the carbohydrates you ea in your liver as opposed to in fat.”
Decaffeinated Green Tea Extract. This inhibits your body’s ability to store carbs as fat and it accelerates fat cell death. The second bit means it should help prevent the rebounding so many dieters experience.
Garlic Extract. This assists with cholesterol management and the inhibition of fat regain.
B Complex. I take a B complex vitamin with vitamin C. The B vitamins help balance out some of the things the rest of the supplement regimen does to cellular metabolism while giving your overall metabolism a boost.
I take the whole mess in the morning and again before bed. Shortly before lunch and dinner, I take the ALA, green tea extract and garlic extract.
As a pure body-hack, I ice my upper back every night. I have an ice-pack sheet that I place on my upper back for 30-45 minutes each night before bed. This lowers my core body temperature, forcing my body to work harder to maintain 98.6 degrees. That burns calories. An additional benefit: getting cold makes you tired, which helps with my chronic insomnia.
This combination of factors has resulted in my losing an average of .7 pounds per day, without meaningful exercise. It’s a violation of a number traditional dieting principles, but it’s working. Is everything I’m doing necessary? Useful? Possibly not. Over the next few months, I’m going to be experimenting with dropping individual pieces of the plan, to see if my rate of loss drops for any of it.
For now, it’s working, and doing so at a rate I like. Dieting usually sucks, because the results are so slow. This is much more satisfying.
A few months ago, I picked up a NookColor. Being a geek, I immediately hacked it to run an unrestricted version of the Android operating system, allowing me access to the Google App market and, interestingly, the Kindle app. Yes, I run the Kindle app on my Nook. I also run Netflix, Dropbox, Evernote, and any other app I want.
It is, after all, my Nook.
This weekend, I’m visiting my parents, who, coincidentally, also have a new NookColor and want to be done with the slow, restricted version of the operating system that came with it.
Last night, I hacked their Nook. The site I use for the files doesn’t have instructions that work for me. It’s close, but since we’re not talking about horseshoes or hand grenades, close isn’t good enough. “Close” doesn’t get me a working Android tablet out of a $150 book reader.
So, instead of having to remember what I do every time someone asks me to help them root their Nook, I’m posting my system here.
If you want to get the biggest tablet-bang for you buck, here’s now to hack a Nook color into an unrestricted Android tablet, without voiding the warranty.
In addition to the Nook, you’ll need to get a microSD memory card, that’s at least a class 4. The classes are a measure of speed and are identified by a number in a circle on the side of the card. Don’t bother going with less than a 16GB card, and 32GB is better. If you don’t have one already, look for a card that includes and SD card adapter, because it’s easier to find a computer with a reader for those.
You will need to install Win32 Disk Imager, to prepare the memory card correctly. Most guides recommend WinImage, but I’ve never gotten that to work.
First, download the core memory card files. Use WinRar or something similar to extract the image file.
Insert the memory card in your computer. Make sure the computer is reading the card size as close to what the size you are expecting. If it’s not, you may have to reformat the card.
Fire up Win32 Disk Imager. Browse the the extracted image file, select your SD card drive letter and click “Write”. If it pops up any warning messages, confirm them and let it run. Everything it wants to do is a good thing to have happen.
Eject the card, then reinsert it.
Next, download the latest nightly build of the CyanogenMod. The file name will be something similar to cm_encore_full-253.zip. This can be the problem step. The first time I did this, the nightly build was broken. I waited a night and tried again, but that version had a bug with the wifi. You may have to try a couple of different builds to get it to work. After you have the file, copy it, unchanged and unextracted to you memory card.
Now, take the microSD card out of your computer and stick that bad boy in your Nook. There’s a little door on the back bottom corner. Turn the Nook on and wait. It will take a few minutes for everything to set itself up, so be patient. You will see lots of text you probably won’t understand. Watch it and pretend to understand if anyone is paying attention. It’s an instant boost to your geek cred.
When it’s done, it will power off. Turn it on, and go to Settings/Wireless Networks. Set up a wifi connection, then turn the thing off and put the card back in your computer.
Do you have a gmail account? If not, get one. You can’t get into the Google Apps Market without one.
Now we’re going to install the Google Apps Market App. This is what will let you install more apps.
Go here, scroll to the bottom and download the CyanogenMod 7 version of Google Apps. Copy it to your memory card, the pop it out, stick it back in the Nook and fire it up.
When the Nook finishes loading, press and hold the power button until you get the power off menu. Select “reboot”, then “recovery”. This will reboot the Nook, installing the Google Apps file you’ve got on the memory card.
When it’s done, you’ll be walked through a wizard to set up you Apps Market account and a bunch of default settings. After that, you’ll have a complete, unrestricted Android tablet.
The best part is that, since we’re doing all of this on the memory card, it’s not voiding the warranty. If there’s a warranty problem, just pop out the memory card and send it in.
What apps should you get? I start with the Nook app, then get the Kindle app, and the Overdrive app. The Overdrive app is what lets me get books from the library system, and you won’t be able to get the desktop software to read this tablet as a Nook any more.
From there, the sky’s the limit. This is now a full computer. You even have the option of turning on the built-in, but disabled-by-default bluetooth, which will let you use an external keyboard.
Beats a netbook by a mile.
It’s been almost exactly one year since I told my wife that we were either going to take control of our finances or file bankruptcy.
At that time, we were spending at least $500 more each month than we made, and often, it was $1000 more. We had more than $5000 accumulated on our overdraft line of credit, more than $30,000 in credit card debt, $2500 on a student loan, $12,000 on a car note, and our mortgage.
Our savings were nonexistent. We had automatic deposits established, but we’d transfer the money out right away to cover other expenses. Everything that came up was an emergency and a surprise. We had no real idea how much our lifestyles cost or what it actually took to maintain.
Maintaining our finances took several hours every payday to balance the checkbook and pay bills.
Fast forward 1 year. The student loan is gone, the line of credit will be gone next month, and the car loan will be paid off before the end of the year. We’ve reduced our total debt load by more than 20%.
We have a useful emergency fund and we’re meeting our other savings goals, including a college fund for the kids. We don’t have extremely high balances, but it’s reassuring to have more than a couple of months of expenses in our savings accounts.
We’ve automated almost everything and gone to a cash-only system. I now spend about 20 minutes a month balancing the checkbook and less than 5 minutes paying bills.
A year ago, we were in a hole, digging as fast as we could. Now, we can see the end of the debt tunnel and we are rushing as fast as we can to get there. According to my debt spreadsheet, we will be completely debt free in just under 4 years, ignoring any money coming from our side-hustles and work bonuses.
We’re making better progress than I had hoped for, and it keeps getting easier. Smart spending is becoming a habit, instead of a just wishful thinking.
Update: This post has been included in the Carnival of Debt Reduction.
This is a guest post.
No one knows what the single magic ingredient is to a successful career in any field (if such an ingredient exists). Talking with experts in accounting, however, can shed light onto what qualities people need to get the best accounting jobs today and stick with them for a lifetime. We spoke to a variety of professionals to get their opinions on exactly that. Below is what they had to say.
From the financial professional staffer: Plan early
“While some people fall into an accounting career, the ones who flourish in their careers are the people who plan for it.” That’s according to Greg Menzone, an executive manager in the financial division of Professional Staffing Group. “That means deciding early that you’re interested in accounting and choosing a school that will help set you apart, i.e. a college or university with a strong business/finance reputation where you can major in accounting. Internships, especially through a co-op school, are also important. On another note about education: I recommend getting a master’s degree right away — it’s essential for a career in accounting.”
Menzone continues with advice for those recently out of school.
“After graduation,” he says, “accounting majors typically have a choice to pursue either a job in private industry or public accounting. Going the public accounting route can set you up more favorably for achieving C.P.A. status since both a master’s degree and a specific number of audit hours are required for the CPA. If you choose the public accounting route, I recommend staying at least a few years until you reach a senior level. Doing so will help your reputation and position you for the next step in your career.”
Menzone stresses that sticking with one employer for awhile instead of bouncing among accounting jobs is smarter for the lifelong career of the accountant.
“A successful career is a marathon, not a sprint, and longevity with an employer can be valuable because it enables you to build a solid network and develop trust in your position and abilities,” he concludes.
From the company president: Develop marketing skills
“With growing revenues and uncovering new business opportunities for accounting firms becoming more paramount every day, the successful accountant will need to have skills in business development and marketing,” shares Nick Keseric, president of the Marketing Seeds, a company that outsources marketing and business development initiatives for banks, law, accounting and wealth management firms.
“No longer will an accountant get by or get offered a partnership within a firm because they are only a real good technician in tax or audit. There are a million good technicians but few accountants that are good in — here comes the dreaded word for accountants — SALES. Bringing in new business opportunities and converting a prospect into a client will be the new norm for advancement.”
Keseric goes on to explain how those seeking accounting jobs at Moneyjobs.com or who are currently employed in the field can go about improving this important skill set. Among the techniques he advises are: Observing styles and approaches of those currently employed in sales and marketing; working on being likeable; studying business etiquette; and “smiling, being approachable and extending a hand first and greeting to others.”
“When accountants ADD it up,” he jokes, “business development will SAY it all for their own success.”
From the Excel guru: Master spreadsheets
Breck Carrow knows the value of spreadsheets so well he heads a company that trains people in their use and mastery: StopSpreadsheetErrors.com. He reminds people that finding and keeping good accounting jobs can have a lot to do with how well you know your Excel.
“As with any career, you can achieve greater success based on the unique value that you offer,” he points out. “Knowledge of Excel spreadsheets is a must for today’s accountants. Just knowing the standard formulas and functions, however, does not set you apart from your peers. In order to truly shine, an accountant should know how to properly structure a spreadsheet with effective controls. The resulting process efficiency will pay off many times over with more productive work, faster turnaround and less stress. Moreover, this will help you avoid a major career pitfall: embarrassing and costly mistakes that can tarnish your reputation.”
When I started this blog in 2009, I was broke and in debt to my eyeballs. It began as a way to publicly hold myself accountable and vent my need to talk about my money problems.
Those needs are changing for me because my circumstances are changing.
When my mother-in-law died, she left us a big physical mess in her house, but the financial picture is coming out nicely. Even though the details and paperwork have been horribly scattered and difficult to piece together, the end result is significant.
I have 2 side businesses that are not generating enough money to quit my day job, but should be by this time next year.
Right now, I have just under $17,000 in credit card debt. By Monday, it will be $3500. By December, it will be gone.
We’ll be dropping $15-20,000 into modernizing the house we’ve inherited, but then we should be able to rent it out for a net profit of $800 per month.
We paid off the inherited car last night. We haven’t decided if we’ll keep it or sell it.
All told–by the end of the year–we’ll have no debt except our primary mortgage and the additional income stream of a rental property. By the end of next year, our mortgage may be gone.
That’s a significantly different place than the one I started in 3 years ago.
What’s it mean for Live Real, Now?
It’s hard to talk about paying off debt every day when you don’t have debt. I imagine I will post more about making money and increasing the top line rather than shrinking debt and reducing the bottom line.
What’s next? I’m not sure, but I do know that I won’t be going away. You’re stuck with me. What would you like to see?