I’ve decided to have me some fun with this simulation billionaire experiment and to go about it with a complete lack of common sense. After all, the objective is to see how long it will take me to spend a billion dollars, not to see if I can capably handle being a billionaire. In fact, I can’t be Mr. Fiscally Responsible if I want to get this money spent. This isn’t a test to see if I will make the right spending decisions.

Although I have some restrictions placed on me and have to "clear" purchases over half a million with my watchdog, I’m free to spend spend spend. Wouldn’t we all like to have a bottomless bank account and be able to just buy whatever whenever? But in reality, there are consequences to spending money irrationally, particularly where no new money is coming in to replace what is being spent. Obviously, it would take a while to reach the bottom of a billion dollar bank account unless, for some reason, you bought yourself 40 $25 million dollar properties in Beverly Hills, Bel Air and the Caribbean for example. That would bring you to the bottom of your billion dollar bank account. But why would you need 40 homes each worth 25 million? And after you’ve blown all your money buying 40 lavish homes, how are you then going to pay the hefty property taxes?

My point is, crazy spending is stupid in reality and you usually pay a price for failure to manage your money wisely whether your yearly income is a 5 digit number of 7. But for the purpose of this billion dollar spending experiment, I don’t have to worry about the consequences of my spending.

The last time I filled you in, I was going to be buying groceries because it’s always been a fantasy of mine to be able to go into a supermarket and buy 10 of everything on the shelf. Well, I’ve completed my shopping and would like to report that after filling my virtual shopping cart with a variety of meats and other items ranging from Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn, Natural Light, 3-Count Boxes (Pack of 12) to Russian Beluga 000 Caviar Malossol , I racked up in grocery bills and am technically no longer a billionaire. Think about it. Even if I had spent just 1 penny I would technically no longer be a billionaire because the value of my money would be exactly $999,999,999.99. That’s nine-hundred-ninety-nine million, nine-hundred-ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents for those of you who start getting a headache after numbers get to having more than 6 digits. So I’ve spent $2575.95 and I’m technically now just a multimillionaire with $999,997,424.05 left to spend.

As an aside, I do have to wonder why it is that certain meats are so horrendously exorbitant? And I know what you’ll say. If you’re such a big cook you should know. But I never said I was a big cook, or even a good cook and certainly never that I was trained in cooking or educated in food matters. I said I love to cook. But as to the matter of meat and why, for example the item described as, Six 10 oz. Black Angus Close-Trimmed Filet Mignons that’s being sold on amazon.com costs $128 dollars, I’m going to suppose it’s not because the animal slaughtered to provide the meat was descended from a line of aristocratic cows. I did try to find some info and the closest thing to a possible explanation I could find was that meat costs are calculated by measuring "the total costs (including profits or losses) for slaughtering, processing, and performing a multitude of marketing functions for a defined quantity and quality of product. (Info from: ers.usda.gov) But if you know the real answer as to why some beef can be so expensive, please feel free to enlighten me.

In the meantime, I might suggest that if you are not simulating your way through life and know you can’t afford to live as if you have a bottomless bank account, you don’t buy a 4lb USDA Prime 21 day aged beef boneless rib eye roast or worse yet, fish eggs for $165 per ounce.

The rich have the means to afford to spend money on a lot of ridiculous things. In reality, given what I make per year, it would be insane for me to buy Russian Beluga caviar for $165 per ounce just because I wanted to try it. The connoisseurs of caviar will know better of course, but I might suggest that, while, possibly, the more expensive caviar is superior in taste to the less expensive, you can probably get a pretty good idea what caviar tastes like, if you’re curious, buying. I’ll guess that since caviar is technically fish eggs and there are hundreds of species of fish, there are also hundreds of varieties of caviar and that each might have a distinctive taste; but just to get a general gist of the taste of caviar, if you absolutely must, if you’re not rich in reality or simulacra opt for something generic and under $10 bucks. Live within your means as they say. And don’t feel envious of rich people who can afford to guiltlessly experience the intense explosion of complex flavors that caviar is said to produce. Call it Iranian Imperial and charge $999 for it all you want, it’s still fish eggs. Remind yourself of that every time you hear the officious word "caviar". Last time I checked fish eggs do not come with any proven phenomenal health benefits, although, apparently, caviar can help cure depression. A funny thing I read: apparently, Beluga sturgeon populations have been declining at an alarming rate. Is it just me being ignorant or, does it only make perfect sense? If you’re killing the fish to take the eggs out of them that would make more fish…. Or is that not the way it works?

In any regard, I’m looking forward to "imaginatively" receiving my groceries and preparing dinner for Heidi on Sunday. My next spending adventure has yet to be decided, but after the experience shopping for the groceries online I don’t think I’ll be doing any more online grocery shopping for sure. It’s as much a tedious task, if not worse, than going to an actual grocery store. Besides I’ll definitely not be running out of groceries for a while.

I’ve decided to conduct my grocery shopping spree over at Amazon.com. They have a grocery department I’ve been meaning to try out but I’ve been reluctant because of some not so great reviews I’ve read about it. However, since this is just a simulation, it won’t really affect me if it’s true that Amazon takes weeks on end to ship groceries ordered and gives you the impression your order was successfully placed, only to email you days later saying such and such is not available and needs to be removed from your order, thereby delaying the shipment of your groceries which you wouldn’t have ordered if you didn’t need to eat. In reality, I probably wouldn’t shop for groceries at amazon.com. In the first place, who wants to wait weeks for groceries to be shipped, or have to pay $100 in shipping for eighty-something dollars worth of groceries? In the second place if I’m going to buy 12 boxes of Nutri Grain cereal bars, I’m not really going to make them all strawberry you know what I mean? That’s just crazy. And I read that’s what happens when you shop Amazon grocery. You have to buy in bulk; and a bulk buy of cereal bars means multiple boxes of the same flavor. Not a good thing.

If you’re wondering who the heck I am and what I’m talking about, read the first entry of Obadiah’s Billion Six-dollar gourmet goat cheese or 12 50-cent cans of sweet peas? In the meantime, I happen to be a man who loves to cook and loves to eat. Now, don’t go imagining I look like Paul Prudhomme or anything. I’m in pretty good shape. Don’t have the physique of a 25 year body-builder but still holding up well at 47. Have had my fair share of the ladies, and you know, now that I’m a billionaire, I’ll be like a drop of honey on picnic table in Central Park on a warm Saturday afternoon in summer. Heidi is already starting to worry. She just said to me a minute ago, "Guess I can start to count down the days until we break up". (hey, gimme a break man. I’m supposed to make this simulation real….)

So, Heidi’s trying to start a discussion about what I plan to do where our relationship is concerned now that I have enough money to afford myself a supermodel. Meanwhile I’m sitting here flipping through a cookbook thinking about the nice meal I hope to prepare for her (not Adriana Lima or Alessandra Ambrosio) next Sunday. That’s assuming the groceries that I’m about to purchase from amazon.com arrive in time, if I ever get around to completing the grocery shopping. I haven’t put a single item in my cart yet. I’m still mentally compiling my grocery list. Billionaires don’t do this do they? But then, they probably accumulate their billions over time instead of all of sudden like I have. By the time they reached their first billion they had probably already well adjusted to life at the top. I’m still relatively clueless sitting behind my dell dimension 5150 that I had upgraded trying to begin this billion dollar spending adventure. I should probably be looking at mansions in Beverly Hills instead of food. But I said, grocery shopping first….

So what will I make for dinner next Sunday? Hmm….

Heidi has a chronic sweet tooth. I think I’ll bake this Creme de Menthe Kahlua Swirl Cheesecake for dessert. It looks scrumptious; but I can’t be sure I’ll be able to get all the ingredients from Amazon. I might have modify that plan to shop amazon exclusively. We’ll see. I don’t think I can get Kahlua liquer or Creme de Menthe liquer at amazon.com. Will check in a sec; but first let me figure out what I’ll make for dinner. (Wonder why I’m thinking about Heidi and making food for her to eat 8 days from now when I could be shopping for a jaguar.) Guess I’m just weird like that. Becoming rich overnight doesn’t change the essence of who you are I imagine. Or does it?

Okay. What does Heidi like? Meat for sure. Give her meat any day. She’ll tear into it. I’ve had the shocking experience of watching her demonstrate her capabilities at sucking chicken bone marrow. I’ll let you use your imagination to figure out how she gets to the marrow of the bone. But you’ve gotta love her. She’s an amazing woman except for when she acts like a woman, like right now showing a hint of uncharacteristic insecurity. Would I trade a woman like Heidi, admittedly not a woman you’d see on the cover of Cosmopolitan and with arms that are probably almost as big as one of Mary-Kate Olsen’s legs for some empty-headed female who’d never devour 4 slices of pizza in the space of 3 minutes without running to the bathroom right after, shoving her fingers down her throat and bringing it all back up?

But I’m straying from the point. I think I’ll go with a dish of Spiced Prime Rib Beef served with vegetables for dinner. So let me go buy the items I need plus some other things for the pantry and fridge, including that six-dollar goat cheese for Heidi.

I had no idea what a billion dollars translates to in figures that I can actually imagine, so I had to Google "what is a billion dollars", and I’ll tell you, I was stunned by what I learned. I had no idea the relationship between a billion dollars in terms of how many millions make a billion. Here’s the information I found that stunned me. I found it very useful and I plan to use it to keep track of my spending. And you know what? I don’t think it’s all that easy to spend a billion dollars in a lifetime. At least it doesn’t look that way. Here’s what a billion dollars looks like in millions (all due credit to i69tour.org)

Here is a million: $1,000,000.00

Here is how many million it takes to equal $1 Billion:

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 100,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 200,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 300,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 400,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 500,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 600,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 700,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 800,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Sub total= 900,000,000

$1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00 +1,000,000.00

Total= 1,000,000,000 = $1 Billion = one-thousand million

Wow, imagine breaking that down into thousands. Maybe I’ll check that out next, how many thousands make a million….

Basically, what you see above is what I have to spend in this simulation experiment. I don’t know if it’s possible folks, but will give it to good old college try. One things for sure, I’m going to be spending a lot of time online "spending". I’m told now I have some new restrictions in place. I can’t spend more than 30 million dollars on any single purchase or investment and I can’t have more than 2 purchases/investments valued over 30 million, more than 5 purchases/investments valued between 10 - 29 million dollars, or more than 10 purchases/investments valued between 1 - 10 million. On top of that, I’ve been appointed a watchdog so to speak with whom I must consult before I make any purchase greater than $500,000 in order to clear the purchase with him and he’s not going to be allowing me to buy just to put a dent in the billion dollars I have to spend. I’m going to be limited in the number of frivolous purchases allowed.

By the way, if you have no idea who I am and what I’m talking about, read the first installment of Obadiah’s Billion: Six-dollar gourmet goat cheese or 12 50-cent cans of sweet peas?

I’ve suddenly come into a billion dollars. Alas, my money is only good to spend in simulacra. What the hell does that mean anyway, in simulacra? I heard a buddy use the term and liked the way it sounded so I’ve been using it, but I have no idea if I’m using it right. But I suppose that’s not really relevant to anything right now. I should be explaining who the devil I am and what this "Obadiah’s Billion" is all about. My name’s not really Obadiah. I’m blogging in the character of Obadiah. You could say I’m an actor who will be playing a character through a blog. It’s a simulation experiment of sorts being conducted by your friends here at ephosting.com and I’ve volunteered to help them out. You’ll have to bear with me because I’m not so sure yet how I want to go about this little experiment. The gist is, I’m supposed to see how long it would take to spend a billion dollars buying big things and little things and basically just spending without reservation. A billion dollars. That’s a lot of money. Not sure what I would do with that kind of money in reality; but about to embark on a journey of spending that kind of money in virtual reality. I’m to go all over the Internet and pretend to buy things. Cars, jewelry, houses and so on; and I’m to detail my imaginary purchases and the costs and so on and so forth. But I can’t make any super major purchases, like paying half a billion for a single product for example.

So let’s see. I’m a pauper. My adjusted gross income on my 1040 was less than $25,000. So this billion dollars I’ve just come into is obviously going to change my life dramatically. I’m already getting phones calls. Don’t have the slightest idea how word got around about my billion dollar windfall. The only person I told was my girlfriend Heidi; but come to think of it, Heidi’s been all bosom buddy with my sister Anne so I guess she told Anne who probably told Claire who probably told Bryan who probably told dad…. When you suddenly come into money the whole world finds out about it and suddenly your phone’s ringing off the hook….

So what’s going to be my first purchase? Hmm. I suppose it should be something for Heidi. In an ideal world where all a man ever does is think about his girlfriend/wife and how much he lives to please her I’d be surfing the net trying to find a great place online to pretend to buy some jewelry; but you know what, I think I’m going to go to the supermarket and buy myself a grand worth of food. I remember when I was a little boy I used to watch these shows with my mom where people would get to run through a supermarket and fill their multiple carts to the brim and I used to fantasize about winning grocery shopping sprees. So, as crazy as this sounds, I’m going to the virtual supermarket to pretend I’m the winner of a grocery shopping spree. Maybe I’ll pick up some of that six-dollar goat cheese Heidi wanted me to buy the last time we went shopping together. At that time I had to ask her if she was crazy. "I’m opposed on principle." That was my explanation when Heidi asked why I wouldn’t buy the cheese. What I was thinking was, I could buy six items for a dollar each with that six dollars she wanted me to spend on goat cheese. Or better yet, 12 items for 50 cents a piece. Like 12 cans of generic sweet peas or something. Today, I’ll pick her up 2 packs of her gourmet goat cheese. So see ya in a bit. I’m off to indulge in some grocery shopping.

UPDATE 02/25:

I’m told it’s important in this experiment for me to also talk about what it’s like to be suddenly obscenely rich. Well, hmm, it’s gonna be tough to simulate the thoughts and feelings of a billionaire when I have no idea, in reality, what it feels like to have $100,000 much less 1 billion.

If you’re like me you consider yourself too sound of mind and too practical to believe in the simplistic idea that you can attract money onto yourself, without having to do anything to earn it, just by changing the way that you think. Some people interpret Think and Grow Rich literally, expecting that if they simply think wealth, they will attract wealth effortlessly as in without having to work for it. One of the popular terms being searched relevant to the idea of attracting money by utilizing affirmation tactics is manifest money with people looking for advice and guides about how to manifest money.

The idea behind manifesting money is to attract money onto yourself by keeping certain money-centered statements ever present in your conscious mind.

On the website psychic101.com there is a page dedicated to the subject of manifesting money. The piece is titled, "The art of Rapid Manifesting", and in it the author writes, Learn how you can easily manifest your abundance and the life your deserve. There is no secret just simple steps to follow, achieving prosperity and abundance is simpler than you may think." He then goes on to share a story about the first time he began manifesting, explaining that it was after reading the book Telepsychics: The Magic Power of Perfect Living by Joseph Murphy, wherein the author claimed that if he entered a deep state of relaxation and pictured what he wanted with clear intent and great exception, it would manifest.

According to the author of "The art of Rapid Manifesting" as published on psychic101.com, he followed the steps that had been outlined, placing himself into a deep state of relaxation at night before falling asleep and picturing a sum of $125 dollars in his bank account (He explains that, as he was a 17 year old student with little money, $125 was a lot of money to him) He says he "pictured the sum with laser like clarity". He also "added great feeling of joy", then "let it go" and fell asleep; and the following day he discovered $150 in his bank account. The tale is not told in a particularly believable manner so that, if you were inclined to believe that it were possible to do as the writer describes, it would be irresponsible of you not to question the discrepancies that are present in his report.

Assuming the author did not make up his story, perhaps indeed he did find $150 in his account after practicing the manifestation of money techniques outlined in the book he was reading; but perhaps the money was put there by a parent who, knowing he was trying to manifest money and not wanting him to be disappointed with the results of his efforts decided to deposit the money into his account? But considering the story is just a build-up to the point of trying to get people to pay $277 to purchase Remote influencing thought and reality and Financial abundance money magnate courses, it’s more likely this story is as fictional as it reads.

The Million Dollar Experiment

Steve Pavlina of stevepavlina.com has taken the manifest money idea a few steps further and has inspired thousands of people to join him in a million dollar experiment that, according to his description on his website, is "based on the intention-manifestation model of reality, where the goal is to generate $1 million of additional wealth for each person who chooses to participate".

Reportedly, $3,552,642.25, has so far been manifested by the various participants combined. The sum looks big and impressive but the reality behind it might not necessarily be as impressive as the sum looks when printed in big bold red text. It just means that combined, these 5440 people participating so far have manifested money that totals $3,552,642.25. What would be interesting to know are 1. the individual stories behind the manifestation of the money and 2.how close to $1,000,000 has any individual participant reached?

This is not to criticize Steve Pavilina’s experiment. One has to give him credit for not trying to feed the idea of manifesting millions without effort, but being responsible enough to delve a little bit more deeply into the theory of thought and attraction. Yes, he does suggest the following mantra for those who want to participate in the million dollar experiment, "In an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way, in its own perfect time, for the highest good of all, I intend $1,000,000 to come into my life and into the lives of everyone who holds this intention." But Pavlina does not appear to suggest that all you need is an intention combined with affirmations you recite daily, trances you put yourself in, thoughts you send out while deeply relaxed and filled with joy (though it’s arguably that its not possible to be deeply relaxed and at the same time filled with joy). There does seem to be an underlying message that, at some point, action of some kind is going to be required. It’s opportunities to make money that you will attract. A million dollars won’t mysteriously drop from the sky in front of you while you’re out walking the dog.

The real value of manifestation theories

Positive thoughts inspire and negative thoughts depress. Inspired people are more likely to take positive action. Inspired people are more likely to do things that bring them joy, whereas depressed people are more likely to take negative actions and do things that exacerbate their depression. The word can’t is a negative word. The word not is a negative word. The word won’t is a negative word. "It can’t happen", "it won’t happen", "it’s not meant to be", these are negative statements. Negative statements cannot inspire, unless you are a sociopath who gets inspired by evil; but one inspired by evil is not likely to take positive action. To such a person an evil act might be a positive thing, but generally, evil is a negative thing. Negative statements will usually generate negative feelings. Thinking in the negative will usually assure you of negative experiences.

The benefit of thinking positive thoughts is that you can inspire yourself to take positive action. The problem with manifestation and other positive thinking think and grow rich type theories is that more often than not, they are being practiced by people who take the ideas literally, rather than recognizing the real benefit of these programs: to train yourself to use your thoughts to your benefit rather than to your detriment. It’s silly to think that by sending out the right thoughts you can make $500 appear in your underwear drawer by the morning. But by sending out the right thoughts you might find yourself suddenly inspired with a brilliant idea and the filled with the spirit and enthusiasm to put the idea in motion. Affirmation tactics help you to clean your mind and spirit; they help to clear your clouded vision. They can also help to energize you and motivate you and strengthen your resolve, essentially clearing the way for good things to happen, removing the blockers that prevent the things you want from reaching you.

You might also read 8 Simple Steps To Manifest Money Fast - as in NOW