My First Stab at Being Mustachian - Installing a Clothesline

I have always considered myself a somewhat frugal person (hence reviewing products, the original purpose of this blog), and my husband and I paid off our home a few months ago. As thrilled as I was about this, I became nervous, unsure what my next financial goal would be and how I was going to get there. My husband and I are currently saving money to buy a rental property, but what can I do now?

I was discussing this with a dear friend, and she mentioned Mr. Money Mustache. I have now spent hours upon hours reviewing his site, and I am going to try and become more Mustachian myself.

My very first Mustachian move was convincing my husband to install a clothesline. My mother uses one to this day, and my mother-in-law has used them in the past, so it was a natural first start. I gave my husband a $30 budget to buy supplies, not wanting the return on investment to take too long. We do two loads of laundry a week, and I am figuring each one is about .50 cents. Therefore, we are saving $1 a week and will recoup our costs in 30 weeks (just under four months). AND - my doctor told me I needed more Vitamin D in my life, so this should help with that.

My husband, of course, never does anything halfway. He is building me a pulley system - I will be able to stand on the stoop of our back porch and pull the clothesline to me. Check out the stainless steel pulleys we purchased for $5.33 each - these will never rot away or rust:

We also got parachute rope: $15.48 for 150 feet. My husband insists that this rope will wear better than most and it was also available in the length he wanted. We chose navy blue, as he said, the Navy chose it for a reason (and black was not available).

I also bought 100 clothespins at Wal-Mart for the low price of $1.94 (who knew clothespins were so cheap?!?) Finally, we bought a couple of concrete screws and a turnbuckle, to make sure the line stays tight. Total cost: about $37.00. A little over budget, but this was mostly to pay for the stainless steel, which will ensure our clothesline will last a long time and only add about seven weeks to recuperating the cost.

It will be a few weeks before it is installed, as the stainless steel pulley is coming from China. I will post an update then!

Sunday, Monday Invoice Days (A Review of the GoDaddy Online Accounting Tool)

Sunday, Monday, Invoice Days Tuesday, Wednesday Payment Days Thursday, Friday Sell More Day Saturday, what a day, GoDaddy software gives a break to you These days are ours (Oh Invoice Days) Happy and Free Share them with me (Oh Payment Days) Goodbye receipts hello bookkeeping 'cause nothing can stop me when I got you feels so right, it can't be wrong selling and invoicing all week long Sunday, Monday, Invoice Days Tuesday, Wednesday Payment Days Thursday, Friday Sell More Day Saturday, what a day, GoDaddy software gives a break to you I just added my Ebay and my Paypal account to GoDaddy Online Bookkeeping. I run a small operation, but I always wonder -- how much profit do I really make?? After all, Ebay charges fees, and then I pay shipping fees too. After quickly adding the accounts and deleting extraneous files, I found that I made $149.99 in Jan. and Feb. $75 a month for a little hobby is not bad! I am pretty excited about this new way of tracking. I think it will make my husband happy to see the bottom line too. I wish it would somehow recognize the transactions that came from Ebay only, and not add in my other Paypal purchases. At least it was not hard to delete them out. I would also like to see my Paypal fees easily listed.

Check out this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8CHcfnUUs

Note: I received this product free from Bzzagent #Gotitfree.

Girl Meets World - How to Get Tickets and Comments About the Show

Normally, I write only about my product tests on this blog. However, I got to experience something that I consider very special, and wanted to share the process with others who may be interested. A review of a new product of sorts, the new Disney channel show, "Girl Meets World".

A little background: my husband and I both watched Boy Meets World when it first ran on TGIF (not together, as we did not know each other). It has always been one of my favorite shows, with me going as far as writing the company that published the first three seasons on DVD, and begged them to publish more (for those of you who do not know, there was a long break before 4-7 were released). I also signed several petitions on the matter. My husband and I used to stay up until 12:30 a.m. regularly to watch the one episode that aired each day on the Disney channel. We were thrilled when they all came out on DVD!

Anyway, it was relatively easy to obtain the FREE tickets. Here's how:

1. Go to www.tvtickets.com
2. Click on "30 Day Schedule"
3. Scroll to the bottom and you will see "Future Dates" (there may be an easier way to do this, but that is how I did it)
4. There, you will see the taping dates listed for "Girl Meets World"
5. Exactly 30 days before the taping, around 8:00 a.m. PST, log into www.tvtickets.com
5. Click on "30 Day Schedule"
6. Click on "Click Here to Order Tickets"
7. Then, you will be able to order the tickets one at a time. They require you have one ticket per person with that person's name written on the ticket.

That's it! I will note that several TV shows are released on the same day. For me, The Big Bang Theory was also released that day, which caused the site to be verrrry slow. I refreshed for two hours before I got through for my ticket. It took another 30 minutes for me to get my husband's ticket, but it was worth it! Also, I logged in about 2:00 p.m. PST, and there were still tickets for "Girl Meets World" and the site was working much better. I just wouldn't rely on them being there so long after the release all the time.

The ticket gives directions on where to go on the day of the taping. It says to arrive no later than one hour before taping. I recommend at least an hour and a half. That is when we arrived, and my husband and I were in the fourth row on the right hand side. If we would have been a little earlier, we would have been placed in the middle. This would have been better. The set is in this order when looking at the stage left to right: Riley's room, Cory and Topanga's living room, the school room, and the hallway of John Adams Middle School. There may have been another set on the other side of Riley's room, but we were not able to see it at all. We were also not able to see the filming in Riley's room, but it was shown on the monitors.

Not long after we were seated, the comic who entertained us came out. He said he wanted an excited crowd and would be giving away prizes. My husband and I thought they would be "Girl Meets World" prizes, so at first we were dancing and such to try and get them. Then, we found out they were Lakers shirts and random DVDs. We decided to not try so the children could have them - the comic seemed to give them mostly to children anyway. The crowd was mostly people with their preteen daughters - maybe a few other "Boy Meets World" fans such as ourselves. The minimum age to get in is only 10, much lower than most other shows.

Then, they showed the pilot. It was obvious to me from looking at the set that a lot had changed. One thing that stuck out to me was a large, silver "M" (I am guessing for "Matthews") that was in their kitchen. It has been removed from the set. I wonder if they will retape the pilot, as much of the furniture, etc. looked different. There is a little Feeny cameo of sorts, but I won't ruin the surprise for you! My husband didn't see it, so I guess you have to watch a little closely.

Shortly after, they brought out the cast to everyone. Some of us old fans went crazy when Cory and Topanga came out! Then, to our surprise and the casts', Minkus was introduced! I loved him in the first few seasons (and a guest role in a later show - perhaps my favorite Minkus moment) and he looked so similar - minus the glasses! He shook hands and hugged the staff, giving special note to Farkle, the character loosely based on him.

Not long after, the taping finally began. It was so interesting to me to see some of the little changes they made. In the first scene, Farkle had his hand resting on his chin and his elbow on the desk. Then, it was taped with his arm down on the desk. It really did make a difference, something I never would have noticed or thought of changing. I loved the scene with Topanga and Auggie - she was very sweet to him on and off the stage. He did one scene several times, trying to read a line out of a book. He was saying it a little fast, and off camera Topanga was so kind in coaching him to do it correctly. Even off camera, she seemed like his mom. That really bonded me to the two of them.

I honestly was not as interested in the scenes that involved Riley, Maya, and Farkle, but then again, I am not their target audience. They seemed like sweet kids and the "lesson" story line is similar to "Boy Meets World", which made me happy.

Sometime during the taping, we did get a banana and a small water. That was a welcome break. They also let my husband and I eat a granola bar we had brought. We were there for about five hours, from the time we got in line until the time we left.

Also during one of the breaks, Ben took questions from the audience. Most were from children, and some were things like, "how did you become famous". For those "Boy Meets World" aficionados, Ben's brother, Fred, was the star of another similar show for children of the late 80's and early 90's - "The Wonder Years". I am only guessing this led to Ben being used for "Boy Meets World". How Fred was discovered, I do not know. Ben did not go into any of this though, and basically just talked about it being luck and hard work. Someone asked him to do the secret handshake from "Boy Meets World" but he just joked that he didn't have his other half, so he couldn't do it. That was a cute moment.

Once the taping ended, I really wanted Ben or Danielle's autograph (hey, I waited 20 years for this!). Most people left right away, and some of the children, especially in the front, stayed. Ben was one of the only ones we saw who signed autographs. I think a few of the children got Farkle's, but I wasn't interested in his and wanted the children to have the chance. My husband is pretty tall, so he was able to reach out and get an autograph for me from Ben. Ben signed his after he signed several of the children's books. Ben took one look at him, smiled, and said, "You must be a Boy Meets World fan!" It was a really funny moment, and something special I will always remember. Thank you Ben, for signing my husband's paper. It meant a lot to me.

Overall, it was a great experience I would highly recommend. Honestly, I would recommend going to any taping, even if you do not know the plot of the show, just for the experience. And, "Boy Meets World" fans, don't worry, I think this show may live up to the legacy.

Here's proof, a photo of my ticket and Ben's signature:

Fresh Prince of Strawberry Greek Yogurt - A Review of Fiber One Meal Bars

A review of Strawberry Fiber One Meal bars set to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song. Now, this is a story all about how My life got flipped-turned upside down And I'd like to take a minute Just sit right there I'll tell you how I became the prince of Strawberry Greek Yogurt In a small town in Florida, born and raised, Eating meal bars is how I spent most of my days Chillin' out maxin' out, relaxing all cool And eating some Fiber One bars outside of school When a couple of bees who were up to some good Gave me a box of Strawberry Greek Yogurt meal bars I took one little bite, and my mom wasn't scared, she said, "you're finally eating something with fiber in there" I whistled for the bars, with 10 grahams of protein, And 40% less sugar, check me out in the mirror If anything I can say this bar is rare, But, then I thought, nah, yo homes to Fiber One! What do you think, Will Smith as the next Fiber One meals bar representative? Or maybe his kids. How cute would they be, explaining all the benefits of strawberry greek yogurt?

First, I really enjoyed this product. I really did feel full after I finished eating it. I liked that it contains so many vitamins and minerals. That really helps me to make sure I am getting the correct amount every day. I am especially glad it has so much fiber, but still tastes good. This item is very easy to take on the go, as you can see from my photo. I would like to see other yogurt kinds come out - maybe cranberries and strawberry yogurt or blueberry yogurt? I am a fan of vanilla, but it would be even better with a bold flavor.

Disclosure: I received this product free for testing from Bzzagent.

Here on Fiber One Isle (or Aisle!) A Review of Fiber One Meal Bars - Chocolate Peanut Butter

A rendition of the first two stanzas of the Gilligan's Island theme song, set to my love of Fiber One Meal Bars.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a faithful meal. That started with a delicious bar covered in chocolate. The 10 grams of protein will make you a mighty sail man, the 9 grams of fiber brave and sure. 6 grams of sugar set sail that day, for a four hour hunger break, a four hour hunger break. The nuts they started getting crunchy, the tiny chips were yum, If not for the deliciousness of the bar, my hunger would never be lost, my hunger would never be lost.

As you can see from my Gillian's Island-themed song, I loved the new Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars. Not only did they taste good to me, but it really eases my mind that they are lower in sugar than a typical breakfast bar. I actually started tracking my weight loss with MyFitnessPal, and it really helps my daily sugar intake to have one of these! I actually stay full until lunch time, and do not want to reach for a snack. I have never had another breakfast bar that does that in a single serving. I am not sure I would change anything about this particular bar, but I do have suggestions for moving forward with the product design. I would love to see more whole nuts in the product. Those are my favorite part now. I would also like to see an organic version, or a version with no GMOs. For people who are eating healthy, these are normally important considerations. It would be great if other bars were made with another kind of butter, to add different flavors. I would also like to see chocolate and fruit mixed together - like a dark chocolate cherry! Woah, that sounds like something I would eat every day! This bar is great, and I have already recommended it to several people!

Note: I received this product for free to test for Bzzagent.