Kohls Has the Best Coupons

I keep my eye out for good coupons and some of the best I have seen are the $10 off coupons from Kohls.  Usually stores will make you spend a certain amount to save a certain amount like save $5 on a purchase of $25 or more, but not Kohls.  They give you $10 off and you only have to spend $10!  That means if you can find something for $10, you basically get it for free.  It has to be over $10 so you will end up spending a dollar or 2, but still, getting $10 of merchandise for $2 is a great deal.

I have gotten 2 of these Kohls coupon cards in the mail over the past 2 weeks.  Usually I don't like being on mailing lists because you get so much useless junk mail, but Kohls is a good list to be on.  With the 1st card, I got a water bottle with a filter, $10 value for about a dollar.  With the 2nd card I got 2 packs of vacuum bags, $12 value for $2.

I'm surprised Kohls offers these coupons.  I can't see how they would be making money if people are using them like this.  Maybe they figure people will spend more once they are in the store, and maybe people will, but frugal types like myself will use it to get the best deal and spend the least amount needed to use the coupon. 

Have you found any other great coupons for other stores?  Share them in the comments below. 

Bobble Water Bottle Review

For many years I have been drinking bottled water.  I'm not sure when it started, but one day I decided tap water was not good enough.  Don't get me wrong, the water in my area is generally considered to be pretty good and plenty safe to drink.  I guess the fact that bottled water is pretty cheap when bought in bulk, it comes in convenient bottles, and it always tastes good are a few of the reasons I have been drinking bottled water.

Recently I got tired of lugging those bottles home from the store every few weeks so I looked into some alternatives.  I found that there are some reusable bottles that come with a built in filter.  I thought this might be a good option to try out.  After doing some research I found that the reviews were just so-so.  Some said it made the water better, others said it didn't really do much.  I was still interested to at least try out this option.

I had a $10 gift card to Kohls so I went in looking for one of these bottles with a filter.  They had the Bobble water bottle on sale for about $10.  Perfect, so I got it.

The bottle is clear and has a filter/cap combination along with another plastic cap to put on the top.  The filter comes in several colors.  I went with black.  According to the back there are 3 sizes: 13oz, 18.5oz, and 34oz.  I looked all over but it is not clear as to which size I got.  It does not clearly say it on the package or the bottle, but I think I got the 18.5oz.  I found this absence of information to be very odd considering this is an important thing to know.

So I got it home and tried it out.  I cleaned it first with some soap and water.  They say not to wash it in the dishwasher.  Then as recommended, I filled it up and squeezed the water out to clean the filter the first time.  The bottle is squeezable but it does take some effort to get the water out.

I decided to do a side by side test with plain tap water and water filtered from the Bobble.  With 2 glasses side by side, first I did a visual inspection.  Both appeared to have particles floating around in the water.  This could be little bubbles of air, or minerals of some kind, I don't know.  The filtered glass had slightly fewer particles visible.

Then for the taste test.  The tap water tasted pretty good.  It was drinkable, but mentally, drinking from the tap makes me think it is not as good as bottled spring water.  Next I tasted the filtered Bobble water.  I tasted very similar.  If anything, I would describe it as more "empty".  The tap seemed to have a bit more of a taste, not necessarily a bad taste, while the filtered water was a bit more bland.  Still very similar.   

As for the size and shape of the bottle, it is a bit large to carry around.  I like bottled waters from the store because their shape is great for carrying around or putting in a lunch.  This Bobble is a little too big for that.  The outside of the bottle is slick so it could be difficult to grip if it is wet.  The bottom of the bottle is contoured which gives less surface area on the bottom which may make it more likely to tip over if knocked.

Right now I plan on using the Bobble for water at home, but not on the go.  I will still use the bottled water from the store for that.  Hopefully this bottle will help cut down on costs and use of bottled water from the store.  I will report back with an update after using this water bottle for a while. 

Update: 5-18-13
So I have been using the Bobble for about 2 weeks and so far I have been happy with it.  I don't know that it is making the water all that better, but it is certainly drinkable and has helped me cut down on the amount of bottled water I have been drinking from home.  I still wouldn't use it on the go because the size is too bulky, but for home use it is a good alternative.  

Funny Girls - Milana Vayntrub and Stevie Nelson from Live Prude Girls

I recently discovered a new pair of funny girls named Milana Vayntrub and Stevie Nelson.  They run the Youtube channel called Live Prude Girls which features the 2 of them sitting on a couch interviewing a guest, usually a fellow Youtuber or someone from tv or movies.  Their style can be described as awkward, aimed to make the guest feel uncomfortable as they tag team back and forth asking personal or controversial questions.  The girls compliment each other wonderfully as Milana plays the cute naive girl and Stevie plays the privileged no nonsense deadpan style.

Here is an example where they interview comedic Youtuber Kassem G:


In this one, they interview Bob Odenkirk from Breaking Bad:


One last quick clip from their 2nd channel LivePrudeGirls2:


This is the 4th blog article here featuring funny girls.  If you liked this one, be sure to check out the others here, here, and here. 

Best Reddit Subreddits to Subscribe to

If you are a Redditor, you know how important subreddits are.  For those who might be new to Reddit, subreddits are the different forums or groups within the website.  These forums are created by the users and can be about anything or any topic.  While Reddit starts you off with some default subscriptions to a few subreddits, they don't make it too easy to find the good ones.  Subscribing to subreddits that interest you are what will make or break your experience on the website.  Below, you will find some of the best subreddits you should check out and consider subscribing to. 

The Basics:
/r/Pics and /r/Videos are 2 huge subreddits which are pretty self explanatory.  Images and videos are some of the staples on the internet and these 2 groups will help you find the new submissions that are popular and will probably end up being talked about among friends and end up on the news later that week.

Funny: 
/r/Funny is another huge group that is a recommended if you enjoy a quick laugh.  It mostly consists of funny pictures found on the internet. 
/r/ContagiousLaughter. Laughter is contagious and this subreddit is proof of that.  Check out the top submissions and you are sure to be cracking up in no time. 
/r/AdviceAnimals is all about memes. You know the pictures with the top caption/bottom caption that are usually funny or witty or just point out something we all know but never really thought about.  These are always fun and you can make your own very easily. 
/r/FirstWorldProblems. A fun take on the types of problems those who are privileged and seem to have it all encounter in their daily lives.  

Interesting: 
/r/MildlyInteresting. Like the title says, these post are about things spotted that are mildly interesting and more times than not, actually very interesting. 
/r/DoesAnybodyElse. A place where people post about their unique quirks and find out if anyone else is the same way.  A fun place to discover how different or how much the same we all are.   
/r/AskReddit . Have a question or need some quick advice?  AskReddit is another huge subreddit where you can ask the community anything and get answers from other users. 
/r/iAmA is a place where people state who they are or what they do and then they answer questions that are submitted.  These can be very interesting depending on who is hosting them.  Often it is famous people or people who have interesting jobs or experiences.  

Helpful / Educational: 
/r/LifeProTips and /r/YouShouldKnow will give you advice on how to live better.  They provide tips that will make things easier and improve your life in ways you never expected. 
/r/TodayILearned. People learn interesting facts and things everyday.  This is the place to share and read about them. 
/r/Frugal is a great place to learn about how to stretch those dollars and make the most of your earnings. In times like these, everyone can use some tips on how to save money. 

Entertainment: 
/r/Documentaries is a great place to find some of the best documentary films on the web.  Sort by popularity to find the best ones and discuss them with other users in the comments section. 
/r/FullMoviesOnYoutube. It is not always easy to find movies online, but this subreddit really helps out a lot when it comes to finding good movies on Youtube.  Check frequently as new movies are often taken down quickly. 
 /r/ListenToThis is a good place to find new music that is not popular yet.  Do you know of a great band or artist that has not made it big yet?  Share their music here. 

Other: 
/r/JusticePorn. Do you like when bad people get what they deserve?  This one is the place where justice is served. 
/r/Technology.  Stay up to date with the newest technology related news and discussion with this one. 

For more user subreddit recommendations check out this thread on Reddit. 

For a big list of subreddits sorted by subscribers and popularity, check out Reddit List. 

Do you know of some good subreddits that are not on this list?  Share them below in the comments section. 

Thoughts on Having Kids

I'm around the age where it is acceptable to get married and have kids, but I have choose not to do either of these things. There are a few reasons why I would not want to have kids. One reasons is the enormous responsibility. Another is the unpredictability of what your child will be like. And the third reason is that life is too hard and just not good enough. I'll explain all of these reasons in detail below.

Having a kid is a big responsibility in terms of commitment and time, not to mention the financial aspect of it. When you have a child, you are pretty much saying that you are going to take care of this child and be a parent to him or her for at least the next 18 years. That is a long time! You are responsible to provide for them and make sure they have a good life as they grow up. Taking care of yourself is hard enough, but throw in another person and you are working twice as hard.

There is so much uncertainty when having a child. You don't know if it is going to be a boy or a girl. You don't know how he or she is going to turn out. You don't really know how it will affect your life if it is your first child. People assume their child will be born healthy, but many babies are born with medical problems or disabilities. As mentioned before, life is hard enough even when you don't have any significant problems to overcome, but throw in a mental or physical disability and it makes it much more difficult. You are really taking a chance and rolling the dice when you decide to have a child. You hope for the best, but you never know what you are going to get.

The last reason for not having kids is the fact that life is too hard and not good enough. This is a depressing reason but there are so many bad things and negativity in the world that it would be unfair to bring someone into it and subject them to these things. I realize this may be a controversial reason and there can be a lot of discussion about it. I think the world needs to be a better place to live and the living situation needs to be very good before deciding to bring a child into the world.

What about the flip side? One might ask, "Haven't you ever seen a baby and wished you had one of your own"? This has not happened often, but I have worked with young children in the past and it has made me consider this question. In moments like that, I have thought about what it would be like to raise a child of my own, but all things considered, I still would decide against it. I would be more willing to help someone else raise a child by assisting with babysitting. This would provide a similar experience without all the pressure and commitment of having your own child.

What are your thoughts on weather or not to have kids? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

GoDaddy Promo Codes

I recently transferred a domain name from Bluehost to GoDaddy to save some money.  Bluehost is charging $13.99 per year to renew a domain name.  I got fed up with these high costs and decided to look for a cheaper option.

After doing some research I settled on GoDaddy.  I know they are famous for their commercials, but they are a big company so they can offer low prices on website related services. I got my domain transferred and renewed for a year for just $7.99.  I plan on doing this for my other domains as soon as they are about to expire.

I found they have some good deals if you are looking for webhosting or new domain names.  Here is a current promotion for 35% off all new orders.  It expires on February 28th 2013.

If you happen to read this after February 2013, there are some more GoDaddy promo links in the sidebar on the right that should be active right now. 

Best Youtube Channels of 2013

It's still early in the year, but already there are some great Youtube channels to check out.  Here are some of the best and funniest Youtube channels of the year so far.

1. Laina the Overly Attached Girlfriend (wzr0713)
You probably recognize her from the Overlay Attached Girlfriend meme which is a screen cap of her face from one of her videos.  Laina as risen from this fame and created a great new Youtube channel.  She is very funny and smart, traits that come across in her videos which range from vlogs, to parodies, to fan challenges.  Here is one where she goes to the red carpet at the American Music Awards to try to find Justin Beiber.


2. Vitaly Pranks (VitalyzdTv)
Vitaly is one of the bravest pranksters out there who is known for pushing the envelope and creating "R Rated" pranks.  He does the kind of stuff that makes people want to beat him up before he reveals that it is all just a joke.  Sometimes people are a good sport about it and other times things get out of hand.  If you like edgy prank videos, be sure to check out this channel.  In this one, he goes around to guys saying, "Do you even lift?" implying that they need to work out.


3. Jia Jiang - Rejection Therapy (DukieAjah)
Jia Jiang is on a quest to create 100 videos featuring the concept of Rejection Therapy.  This means he goes around and asks people requests that are unusual or weird and most likely going to get rejected.  Jia films each situation and records the outcome.  Many times his odd requests are granted and he gets to experience something special. On this day, he goes to Costco and asks to speak on the intercom system which leads to an unexpected result.


4. Roman Atwood Pranks (RomanAtwood)
Like Vitaly, Roman Atwood and company are another great prank group to check out.  These guys come up with some of the best ideas that are always funny and elicit hilarious reactions from the unsuspecting targets.  In this one, they use a play on words to tell people they have a bee on them.


5. Badge of Shame - Joe Goes (BadgeofShame)
Joe from Badge of Shame goes around to conventions and different events to interview people in attendance.  His questions are funny and awkward which make them very enjoyable to watch as he interacts with the general public. Here is one where he visits Japan to interview the people and learn about the culture.


If you liked these, check out the Best Youtube Channels of 2012