How to Fix a Clicking Cabinet Hinge without Replacing it or Using Oil

So I had this cabinet that was driving me nuts because every time I would open and close it, it would make this loud click. This was a cabinet I used often so it became very annoying. I did a bunch of research online trying to figure out how to fix it, but there really was not a lot of information out there.

First I tried the obvious solution, which was oiling it. I had some WD-40 type spray so I tried that first. It worked for about a minute, and then it made it worse! Apparently, these hinges need some kind of special lubricant that is thick and will not dry out. Well, I didn't want to have to go to the store and buy a new cabinet oil. Next I tried putting some lotion on it. This worked, but only for a few days. Then it dried up and started making the clicking noise again.

I didn't want to go to the hardware store and try to find a new matching hinge, so I got creative and found a solution. Chances are if you have one hinge that is making noise, you have other cabinets that use the same type of hinge. Often some of these other cabinets are not used very often and that is why they do not make the noise while the one that is used most often does make the noise.

Since I had a few cabinet doors that I rarely use, I just picked one of them and swapped out the bad hinge. This was very easy and only took about 10 minutes. You just need a screwdriver. After switching them out, the hinge was good as new! No more noise. I even tested out the other cabinet and it didn't even make the noise, probably because it was a smaller door with less weight.

I realize this is not the perfect solution, but if you want to fix a clicking hinge without buying oil or getting a new hinge altogether, this is a quick and easy way to do it.

Update:
After time, the new hinge may eventually start making the clicking noise again. Recently I tried applying some olive oil to the hinges and so far it seems to be working pretty well to reduce the clicking noise. I took the cabinet doors off the cabinets to apply the oil so I could get a good angle and coverage on the hinges. It is pretty easy and seems to be a good solution to solve the clicking noise. The clicking noise does tend to come back over time but applying more oil to it seems to fix it.

Siberia Episode 1 Review - New Show on NBC

I just got done watching the pilot episode of the new reality competition show "Siberia" and I must say, I am very impressed. I didn't know much about the show going in so I went in with an open mind.  After seeing the first episode, this may be one of my favorite new shows of the year so far.  Already I'm hooked.

So the show starts out with a bunch of contestants being taken to a remote area in the Siberian wilderness. They are dropped off and told to find a campsite 2 miles away. The catch with this show is that there are no rules, so contestants can do whatever they want. Early on we have some characters who work together and help each other while others are selfish and only look out for themselves. Some are mysterious, others put everything out there. Some step up as leaders, others become followers. 

If you have not seen the show yet, you may want to watch it before reading ahead because there are some pretty big things that happened in this episode that I will discuss here.

So the host mentions how they are out here alone just with the camera crew and the only way to get out is to hit a button to summon a helicopter, ultimately forfeiting the show and giving up the chance to with the big prize money.

On the first night they hear some growling noises which scare all of them. On the second day something bad happens. One of the camera crew members stumbles back to camp all bloody and one of the contestants that was with him is not there. A while later the host gathers the group and tells them that the missing contestant has had a fatal accident. This greatly disturbs the group. The host says if they want to leave, they can go home and they will be paid for their time here.

The show ends with some final footage of what happened to the guy who supposedly had the fatal accident. In the credits, they tease us by saying "What is real?" By showing that final footage, and giving this hint, it makes me think there is more to this show than they or we know yet.

I think the death is fake, but the contestants don't know this. I also think that some of the contestants are actors or are working with the show, while others are real and think this is a legitimate reality competition show. This is just my theory, I could be wrong.

The final preview clips of this episode were amazing. I actually got chills seeing the teases of what is going to happen this season. There looks to be a lot of really good drama and action that is going to take place. What is real and what is fake? We will have to tune in to find out.

What did you think about Siberia? What are your theories?  

Update: 7-16-13
After realizing that this show is not actually a reality show and is in fact scripted with all the contestants being actors, I have begun to lose interest in the show.  I think it would have been much better if they had at lease some of the characters as real contestants.  

Installing a Stellar BMW45P Remote Keyless Entry for BMW E36 3 Series

This guide will help you install a Stellar BMW45P keyless entry system for a 3 Series BMW. The model of this keyless entry system is the AutoLoc KL550. Kits like these are custom wired to work with BMW so you just have to plug them in and program them. They are sold from a few sites online such as Bavauto, Pelican Parts, and The Hoffman Group. The system sells for about $150.

First thing you should know is that installation of this lock system is not very easy. Yes it is technically plug and play, but getting to that point involves taking out the glove compartment of the car. You will need the right tools, some patience, and a couple hours to install this keyless entry system.

Tools you will need:

- Phillips head and flat head screwdrivers (preferably ones that are short)

- A 10mm socket wrench with an extension that is about 4 inches

Taking out the screws:

There are 8 screws you will need to take out. 2 are in the vents above the glove compartment. Unscrew these. Next, open the glove compartment. There are 4 screws to take out here. 2 are likely hidden by a couple of plastic covers. The other 2 are towards the bottom. The final 2 screws are underneath the glove compartment.

Taking out the vents:

Now that the screws are out, you should be able to pull out the dash piece at the top that has the vents. It's not very easy to get out. You might have to pry it a bit with a screwdriver. It does have some latches holding it in, so if you lift it up, it might come out easier. Just keep at it until it comes out. Some levers that adjust the vents might get knocked off while you are removing this piece. If so, make sure to take these out too and snap them back into place once the vent is out.

Taking out the 10mm bolt:

In the glove compartment, there is a light on the top. You can pry this out with a flat head screwdriver. Pull the light down so you can access the bolt that is above it inside. Use your 10mm socket wrench to remove this bolt.

Taking out the glove compartment:

If you have removed 8 screws and 1 bolt, you should now be able to pull out the whole glove compartment section. You should be able to do this rather easily. You don't need to unhook any wires. Pull it out and place it on the floor mat below. Now you should be able to see all the wires and things inside.

Preparing the Stellar Autoloc system:

There is one set of wires you need to plug into the main lock box. Plug in the white end to the box. The other end (black) will plug into the car. You also need to plug in the valet button wire and the LED wire into the main box. These help you program it.

Plugging it into the car:

Inside, it will look like a lot of wires and it's not clear as to where to plug it in, but if you look far back, on the left side, there should be a place to plug in the black end of the wire. The shape will fit the plug exactly, but you have to make sure it is facing the right way. It is hard to plug this in because it is so far back and there is not a lot of room. You may have to hold it by the wires and try to guide it in. Then carefully use a screwdriver or something long to push the edges to make sure it is plugged in securely. Once this is in, you are ready to program the lock.

Programming the Stellar BMW45p:

Put the key in the ignition and turn the key to the on position. Next press and hold the red button that is plugged into the main box for 3 seconds. You will probably hear a noise and the red LED light will blink. Once it does this, press the lock button on the remote. Press the lock button on the other remote also if you have more than one. That's it. Turn the key to the off position and take out the key. Test out your remotes to make sure they work. They should now be able to lock and unlock the doors. Try to position the lock box somewhere inside where there is room and it will not move around much.

Put it all back together:

Now you can resemble the glove compartment and vents the same way you took it apart. Congratulations, you now have keyless entry on your BMW 3 series!

If you have any questions on this guide, leave them in the comments below.

Work From Anywhere - How to work from home or on the go

The past few years I have been researching work from home type jobs in an effort to be able to earn an income while not having to leave the house to go to work. I have tried various different methods and sites over the years and in this article, I will review them and share what I have learned. While thinking about the term "work from home" I realized that many of these types of jobs just require a computer and an internet connection. With a mobile laptop and wireless internet, you can actually do many of these jobs from just about anywhere, hence the title of this article "Work From Anywhere."

It is not easy to find a good home based job and when you do find one, chances are it does not pay much. Not to mention, there are plenty of scams out there promising to teach you how to earn a living from home, all you have to do is buy their book or subscribe to their website. That being said, if you do your research and put it some hard work, you can start to earn money from home or anywhere. Below are some of the ways I have used to make money by working at home.

Affiliate Marketing

One of the best ways I have found to make money online is by promoting affiliate products. This means you help other companies sell their products and services online. There are companies that actually specialize in this, for example, CJ Affiliate and ShareASale. They each have a huge database of companies you can promote products for. Many companies will actually have their own affiliate program. Check the links at the bottom of many websites and you will likely see a link for Affiliates.

So how does it work? Basically they give you a promotional link and you use that link when you promote the product. You might write a review and put your link in your article, or you might find someone with a related question and help them out by giving them your link to the product. If they buy from your link, then you get a commission. This can be a way to start earning passive income once your links are out there on the internet.

Writing Articles

Another way to earn money from home is to write articles. There are many sites that will pay you to write articles. Some pay per article, others will pay a percentage of how much your article earns from advertisements. You can even set up your own blog and write your own articles and put ads on your blog. If people click your ads, you will get some money. Keep in mind, this is difficult to earn a lot of money unless you are able to get a lot of traffic to your website. There are a few options for putting ads on your site. One of the most common is Google Adsense. If you like writing this can be a good way to earn some extra cash online.

Hourly Jobs

It is also possible to get a job that pays hourly based on the work you do from home. These types of jobs can involve working for internet or search engine companies helping to improve search engine results. Companies such as Lionbridge and Appen are popular for this type of work.

Another position becoming more popular is customer service and sales chat jobs. Many companies now off chat support on their websites and they hire people to work remotely to manage these chats. Find some of your favorite online stores and see if the chat option pops up. If so, you may be able to work for the company if they are hiring. 

Hours for these types of jobs are usually flexible and the pay can range from entry level to moderate. These jobs can be good for part time work, but they rarely provide any types of benefits such as health insurance or retirement plans. Because of this, you may want to keep a regular job and just do the work from home type jobs on the side, at least until you have a few options lined up and are earning enough to have a stable income. That is another thing to keep in mind; the stability of work from anywhere type jobs. The internet is a quickly changing environment and what is making money right now, may change or stop working at any moment.

Being able to work from anywhere is great because it provides a lot of freedom and you don't have to spend time commuting to work every day. You can also travel around if you want and work on the road. As mentioned before, this type of work is not easy to find and when you do find it, it takes effort to actually earn money. Don't expect to get rich with jobs like these, but if you can live on a moderate budget and can get a few of these jobs going at the same time, you may be able to make a full time living working from home or anywhere for that matter!

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.  It 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.

Update: 7-13-13
2 months of using this bottle, and it is still going good.  I have gotten a lot more comfortable drinking from it.  The water tastes good and I have saved money by not having to buy the bottled water.

Update: 2-23-14
It's been about 9 months since I have been using the same filter so I decided to get a replacement. According to the package, you should actually replace it every 2 months.  First I tried going back Kohl's but apparently they do not have them in stock any more.  I had a gift credit to JCPenny so I went to check if they had them.  They did have some in stock but only in lavender color.  Not my first choice in colors, but whatever, I had the credits so I went ahead and got them. It was about $10 for 2 filters.

Upon installing the new filter, I actually kind of liked the new color.  However after using this new filter for a few weeks, I have 2 issues with it.  1. The seal does not seem to be as good.  It leaks out unless you screw it on very tightly which is very annoying when it drips on you.  2. This new filter seems to be making a hissing noise after each drink as it pulls in the air to regain it's original size.  The previous filter did not do this, at least not this much.  Other than that the new filter has been ok.

Update 11-13-15
It's hard to believe I have had this bottle for 2 and half years now. It still seems like it is new. You just have to replace the filters every once in a while, but other than that, they are easy to use and maintain. 

Update 6-9-17  
It has been 4 years and I still use the Bobble water bottle. I did notice the clear part of the bottle has started to discolor a bit towards the bottom half. Given the fact that I have been using it every day for 4 years, I'm not surprised it is showing a little wear. I may get a replacement with a new bottle.

Also, just recently I installed a faucet mounted water filter from Pur for extra filtration. You can read the review of the Pur water filter here. 

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.