Monthly Archives: December 2015

Nitro Engine Powered PENCIL Sharpener!

My friend Bryan found a nitro engine RC car in the garbage. The piston was seized and the carburetor was dirty. I spent some time getting it up and running, but it was still missing the remote control, battery, driveshaft, and other parts.

I decided to turn it into a gas powered pencil sharper instead! I was fully expecting it to fall apart at such high RPMs, but it’s actually held up great. Stupid invention? Yes, but it was fun to build 🙂

It’s quite possibly the highest performance pencil sharpener on the planet.

mike_and_lauren_pencil_sharpener

gas powered pencil sharpener nitro engine pencil sharpener Finished 4 gas engine pencil sharpener Finished 2 gas powered pencil sharpener

Asking Mike for PERMISSION to Buy Things?

I’ve been asked the question: “do I need to ask Mike for permission to make purchases?” In this video I discuss whether it’s important to talk to your spouse about every single purchase they make. Ultimately, we might have uncovered a much bigger idea to discuss another day.

Radical Personal Finance interview – https://goo.gl/G7E0D6

DIY Wood Steering/Suspension Support for VW Bug

We’re gathering and organizing all of our stuff to start selling before our big adventure, so I didn’t have time for a full project. However, I did help my friend Chase clean up his VW Bug project.

Without the body, the suspension of the VW Super Beetle just kind of hangs there making it look like it’s in rough shape. I figured if we could make a steering linkage support system out of wood, not only would it look better but it would also be easier for the potential buyer to load it on a trailer.

We only had an hour and a half to build this so I forgot to film a few steps. Hopefully if you’re restoring a bug yourself you can get the gist of what we did.

Should You Invest in Your Crappy 401(k) Plan?

We don’t have very much experience with 401k’s, but Lauren’s work just set one up. I was amazed how horrible our options were. Most funds had a front end load of 5% and the manager wanted 1% of our wealth per year for his “advice.”

Unfortunately, despite the lack of options 401(k)’s are usually worth it. Between a company match and tax advantages you’ll probably recover a lot of those fees. It’s just a shame we have to pick the lesser of two evils.

Links:
Should You Avoid Your Company’s 401k (Jim Collins) – https://goo.gl/SOiCRI
How to Campaign for a Better Plan – https://goo.gl/JnJZF7
Funds Can’t Beat the Market – https://goo.gl/QdplTr
Jack Bogle on Fees – https://goo.gl/FVz03k