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. 

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 worth checking out. 

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.
/r/News - Pretty self explanatory. Good for staying informed on what is going on in the world.
/r/BestOf - A recap of some of the best contributions to Reddit each day.

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/FirstWorldProblems. A fun take on the types of problems those who are privileged and seem to have it all encounter in their daily lives.
/r/MadeMeSmile - Not so much funny, but things that are sure to brighten your day. 

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.
/r/DataIsBeautiful Educational and interesting stats, charts, maps, and surveys.
/r/IRLEasterEggs Pictures of interesting things found creatively placed in unexpected locations. 

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/NoStupidQuestions A lot like /r/AskReddit.
/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.
/r/WhatIsThisThing. Have you found something but you have no idea what it is or what it is for? This sub-reddit is for you!

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/NetflixBestOf Recommendations and discussions for the best shows and movies on Netflix.
 /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/UpliftingNews/ - Positive news stories that are inspirational and make you feel good! A nice change of pace from what you usually see covered on the news.
/r/JusticePorn. Do you like when bad people get what they deserve?  This one is the place where justice is served.
/r/Travel Some of the best pictures from travel destinations around the world. 
/r/Technology.  Stay up to date with the newest technology related news and discussion with this one.
/r/CrazyIdeas.  They are not actually crazy, in fact, the ideas posted here are some of the most amazing ones you will find and will make you ask yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?"
/r/TIFU Stories people share about times when they messed up.
/r/InternetIsBeautiful/ - Random interesting websites that you probably have never seen or heard about before.

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

Also check out our Funniest Stories on Reddit Post! 

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.