I'm trying to maximize my experience & would like to eat with at least one new person at every meal.

Bedbugs can go a LONG time without blood meals,but they won't if there are hosts present.

50% of business meals are deductible.

I have offered to pay for meals / coffees and etc, but no takers.

Wear a suit, eat the rubber chicken meals, listen to the presentations and don't try to sell while there.

Some of my friends call me Al as well lol.

The reason is, if you can never let go of that mentality, it's very difficult to scale a business, because you will never give yourself the time to focus on scaling your business.Many successful business owners I know hire everything out -- from grocery shopping to cooking meals to buying clothes.

Renting out the entire house as a whole, and you living elsewhere (somewhere cheaper, of course) might be a smarter move, so you don't have to piece-meal everything quite so much.

That is why so many people move to warm climates to get healthier.

Funny thing is they also tend to eat from the dollar menu when they are buying, one always has coupons for meal discounts or a free burger with a meal.