At first I was sure that went I got my apartment I was going to to need cable. 

No boyfriend hardly no friends your over 30 and lonely your going to need some cable!  

I grew up with cable most of my life living with family so of course hike my bill up to $200 let’s go! But then I thought about the times when the family fell on hard times. I can think of about (3) times I lived in a house or apartment with no cable and there was really no difference as long as there was internet.

I moved into my apartment in 2018 and you know what I decided don’t want cable. I’m frugal I’m a rebel (I thought to myself) I’m going to march into Xfinity and tell them to give me internet only. That’s what I did! I don’t regret none of the decision. I pay less than $100 a month and here are my 10 top streaming apps some paid but most are free.

1. Netflix (Paid)

       It took me a minute to get used to the idea of paying $12.99/ month but it’s well worth the price. Back in the day on one movie theatre ticket I would spend $8.00-$10.00 after popcorn, drinks and snacks I spent well over $20.00. With so many television shows, stand up comedies, romance, drama, it’s hard to chose what to watch from day to day. My favorites right now are Bridgerton, Living Single (90’s throw back) and Forty Year Old Version. It’s definitely worth the monthly fee on my credit card.

2. Hulu (Paid)

       I needed Hulu for a writing class assignment. I was kind of pissed because I wasn’t really trying to add any more monthly expenses. I got the $5.99/ month I was going to cancel it but then I saw some reality shows from TV I wanted to watch. Then I got totally hooked on Grown-ish and that basically made me keep it.

3. Pluto (Free)

      Pluto is free! I really liked the interface. Pluto is set up like cable television and even has the music channels all the way at the end. There is MTV, BET all types of channels for specific genres like reality or comedy. Pluto was one of the first apps on my Roku TV it was great! I watched cooking channels all the time and movies. Pluto is a great free streaming app on my TV.

4. TUBI (Free)

     When I want to watch a really good D list movie… This is it! Tubi reminds me of a bootleg Netflix. Yes you have to watch a couple commercials but there is so much to watch. My favorite section of all time on Tubi is the black cinema. I can watch old movies from that section all day long and there is some new ones too. Tubi is also free and is a must if you don’t have cable

5. Pandora (Free for me)

     Yes you can pay for Pandora but the free version is great for me. Even though this is streaming music and not television shows or movies it’s still a source for entertainment that is free. Sometimes I just want to play some jazz or chill music and make some accessories or list in my shops while I jam to my music. Get a cup of tea going and we are having a good time. 

6. Roku Channel (Free)

   I have a Roku TV so this app was already on my television and ready to go. Roku Channel interface is also set up like Netflix and Tubi. Roku Channel has different categories of TV Shows and Movies to watch. It was a steal to come with the television

7. YouTube (Free)

  Don’t be confused there are two streaming apps to choose from. YouTube TV that is the one you pay for and the regular YouTube App similar to what is on your phone and computer. You will have to put the regular YouTube app on your TV. I was trying to use the YouTube TV app and it kept saying I have to pay. That’s not the correct one we want free! So download the YouTube app right on your television and you’ll be able to watch movies (yes they have ads), your favorite you tubers and if you anything like me you watch yourself!

8. Film Rise (Free)

 I have Film Rise but I have never watched anything on it. There is a good amount of choices and categories. There are also other apps to download like Film Rise Comedy, Film Rise Thriller so that’s a win win to get all the different apps from Film Rise for free.

9. Crackle (Free)

Crackle is another app sitting on my TV that goes unwatched but I just put on a Crackle original movie and it looks pretty good! Loads of choices but there is commercials. That is pretty much with anything that is free your going to watch advertisements. 

10.  Live Antenna TV (Free kind of)

   It’s free but you do need to attach an antenna. I got one from Wal Mart for about $12.00 there are not a lot of channels anymore but there are some local ones and there is always something playing

So there goes my top (10) Streaming Apps on My Roku TV. If you don’t have cable or your on a budget and don’t want to do the paid streaming apps you can still have plenty of television.

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With the new rules YouTube has implemented on the platform you now have to have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time (240,000 minutes) to be a partner and get monetized on YouTube. The 1,000 subscribers actually isn't the hard part it will take time but with consistency you will make it. But getting 4,000 hours of watch time is the hard part. If you break it down you will be able to digest it better.

4,000 hours of watch time broken down into 12 months is 333.333 so you need 334 hours of watch time a month or more. I was lucky because I was doing YouTube very heavy at the time and Mukbang videos were super popular so I barely made it but I was able to get the 4,000 hours. I have slowed down since 2017-2018 on YouTube but here are some things you can do to reach this goal to get monetized:

Record Longer Videos

Yes! Instead of those 3-5 minute quick uploads try to make your uploads 10 minutes or longer. It gives you more of a chance to get more watch time with each viewer that clicks your video

Create Playlist

Separate your videos into categories and make playlist. I have a playlist for every genre of video I've ever made Mukbang, Vlog, DIY even one that just Random. You never know who might want to watch all your Story Times or just Vlogs. Plus a playlist will play every video in that playlist so someone might watch 10 videos straight of you cooking!

Leave Comments

Leaving comments is a great way to communicate with other YouTubers like yourself. I like to leave comments on smaller channels. There is a greater chance they will come back and leave a comment also. It doesn't matter if they do or don't your now being seen in the comment section. You never know who might click on your channel so make sure your comments are good not just "Nice Video" take the chance to say something witty or conversational.

Promote Your Channel

Tell people you do YouTube! You don't know how many times I told people I do YouTube and they look up my channel right in front of me and start watching (It's kind of weird when people do that) People are nosey and want the tea. They want to know what you are doing on YouTube it's curiosity. So don't be shy! Even get a hat or a t-shirt made and wear it to an event. Order or make some cheap cards with all your info on it (YouTube, Blog, Depop, Online Store) pass them out wherever you go! You'll be surprised at the people that will support what your doing.

Collab With Other YouTubers

I don't care if a person has 5 subscribers and you have 15 don't worry about that. The focus should be on consistent content. The more you collab with other people the more your getting exposed to different audiences. If the person has a bigger platform that's great but even if you have the same amount or they have less subscribers I would still take the opportunity to work with another YouTuber for exposure and experience. Who knows you might have a ongoing relationship after you make content.

Use End Cards

When your watching a YouTube video at the end there are these boxes that come up that go to your other videos and back to your channel. You have to add them to the end of the video when your uploading in your YouTube dashboard. It's very easy and I suggest to put them on every video. Instead of your video ending and going to another channel there is a higher chance of the viewer staying on your channel to see what else you have to offer.

Share On Social Media

This is a big one! You can definitely drive your own traffic with social media. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Pinterest there are so many ways to promote your channel on all of these platforms. After every upload there should definitely be a little promotion of the video afterwards. Even send it in a text message alerting the person your video is posted. But don't be annoying and spam that can get you blocked. 

Go Live

Livestreaming is huge right now! And it's a great way to get more views and videos. Live works for you in two ways. You get the views and watch time from the people on the livestream in real time then if you keep the video you will get playbacks from viewers who missed it and want to see what happened. Livestreaming was a big way I was able to get my 4,000 hours I would livestream like every night.

There it is (8) ways I got to 4,000 hours of watch time on YouTube! If you have any other ways please feel free to leave a comment. Thank you for reading and let's get these hours people!

 Today's look was super casual basically gym or outside activity attire. Let's be clear I did neither lol but I was very comfortable. (I could have went for a ride on my bike, took a walk something)

 I’m always running around doing errands and trying to vlog at the same time. I saw there was a problem though, everything was always scattered everywhere. My camera would be in my jacket pocket, SD and battery in my pants pocket, and then my tripod would be too big to go in my purse so I would have to leave it at home. My old canon was on the way out so I said I was going to make the most compact affordable YouTube set up ever! It’s going to be so compact it will fit in a standard fanny pack! So here is the YouTube vlogger on the go fanny pack gear :

Of course you need a basic fanny pack. The more zippers and pockets the better. Got this one of eBay for I think $8.00 it was meant for the gym actually.

DIGITAL CAMERA

This is my old Canon Powershot Elph I used for vlogging before the sound went out. UPDATE: I wanted a camera I could see myself in so I got the Canon SX740 SX. It's a great deal to me for the quality of footage I get plus the fact that I can see myself makes it all worth it!  (Yes the new camera fits in the fanny pack as well)

MINI TRIPOD

This little tripod is the best thing ever! It’s a Manfrotto mini tripod. It’s so small and fits in your hand perfectly. I didn’t know if it was going to fit into the fanny pack or not so when I saw it fit my day was made! I haven't stopped recording since.

EXTRA BATTERIES

The extra batteries for me are a must! I use the record feature a lot so when my camera flashes red and tells me to change the battery I stop, change it, put the other one on charge and continue. For me I have (3) batteries for the Canon SX 740 SX that’s enough to keep me going for the entire day. The most I’ve ever had to change the battery is once in a day. (I do the same with the Canon Power Shot ELPH 340 HS and my DSLR Canon)

SD CARDS

All together I probably have about (29) SD Cards because I list online daily and do videos on multiple platforms. For the average person 2-4 SD Cards with between 8GB to 16GB should be well more than enough to get started. When I’m out I have one in my camera and one in the fanny pack. UPDATE: I have now moved up to 32-64GB because of more photography and more video but it’s not necessary starting out a 16GB SD Card is ideal though)

MINI RING LIGHT

This was a very inexpensive light and helps to be seen on camera when you are losing light. It’s meant to be clipped on a cell phone but it can be clipped anywhere. It gives off (3) strengths of light and it’s great at night time.

When it’s time to go out I make sure everything is charged and put on my fanny pack and I’m ready to record anywhere I go! This compact fanny pack set up can also be used for photography. You would probably need a mini bookbag to carry a bigger camera like a DSLR but you would still need everything I mentioned in the fanny pack You Tube set up.

See being a YouTuber, Instagrammer or Tik Toker is only a fanny pack away! Get some starter gear and start creating!

 This is one of my favorite quick breakfast recipes Vanilla Allspice Cinnamon Pancakes! It taste so good you wouldn't realize how low cost it is. Take a box of any brand Pancake mix I chose Kroger buttermilk pancake mix. The whole box is under $2.00 which is a steal because as a single person I will have that box for a long time.

My batter made about (3) fluffy small/medium pancakes. I like to mix the batter for at least (5) minutes. In my mind it makes the pancake cook more fluffy.

And there it is! A (3) stack of beautiful golden brown vanilla cinnamon and allspice pancakes topped with some plant based butter and syrup. You can definitely stay in budget and eat great tasting meals. 

Here is the video I made on these pancakes on Youtube.

Thank you for coming by to read the blog! Hope you make these for your next frugal breakfast!

 

 I loved the OOTD (Outfit of the day) blog post from back in the earlier 2000's like 2008 and 2009 I always wanted to do one but I didn't have a blog... But now I do so let's bring it on back! I didn't buy anything for this outfit all of these clothes are straight out of my closet.

 Which is better Ebay, Depop or Mercari? I sell on all of them so I guess I will go in order based on how long I've been a seller on the platform and tell you my personal experience with it.

             EBAY

Mercari is the latest selling app I have joined. I set up Mercari sometime in 2020 and it has been awesome! I have sold everything from T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Wigs, Press On Nails the buyers are definitely on Mercari. Once you get some good feedback on your profile you will be fine. I get offers on many items. If you don't like the offer you can always counter it. Almost all of my counter offers are accepted. I also list everything on Mercari with my iPhone. Sales are right up there with eBay so I want to really focus on this app in 2021.

So which is better? Which one should you sale on? I say ALL OF THEM! It doesn't cost to list on any of these selling platforms. You only pay fees when you make a sale! All of them have a different reach and you have more opportunity to make sales having merchandise on all of them rather than just one.

I can't say if one is better than the other. Mercari, eBay and Depop all have there own style the fees are about the same when I sell my items. In my opinion all (3) are great to make money with. If your looking to make some extra cash or start a business look into getting on these platforms in 2021. Happy selling!

 This waffle recipe is one of my favorites! The original recipe I found on Sweet Potatoe Soul's YouTube channel and adapted it to my liking. There are no eggs or dairy in these waffles and everything needed is shown below. 

I really can't tell you why I stopped going to photography class in 2017. I know there was a lot going on and maybe I was just being lazy and didn't want to finish it out. I was doing great while I was in class. Taking really good photos understanding my settings then about a year or two later I pick up the DSLR camera and all that I'm getting is fuzzy photos and blurry videos on the automatic settings. You lost it kid all that you learned went down the drain.

Of course I got to class early. I would rather be an hour early than (5) mins late. The school and classroom was well kept everything sanitized and smelled nice. The chairs were set up plenty feet apart. The chairs used to be two people to a table but now just one with a maximum of (6) students in a classroom and the instructor. 

Because I had attended before I retained the information very well and my assignment for next week will be a breeze. I enjoyed myself so much. My instructor said I'm not the only one that returns many people are doing the same right now. She gave me a gem and said that I could take the Photo 2 class and then product photography if that is what I'm interested in. I know a number of actors, models, actresses, artist so it may be helpful to take a class on portraits to do headshots also!

I can't wait to get back next Wednesday. This is not like a college course. These are trade classes you take at your own pace. Those are the ones I prefer to attend... not a bunch of meaningless classes you will never use. I even enjoyed going home on the train and a bus that had no air conditioning...ahhh this is the life lol.