Notice how most people only check things when they're already in trouble, not before.

Come on @simon378, every boss in a trade says stuff like that, don't they? It's just one of those things you hear a thousand times. Unless he made you redo them or docked your pay over it, I'd say it's not worth losing sleep over. People get way too concerned with what the boss thinks about aesthetic stuff that doesn't affect the function, you know? If the cables work fine and nobody's tripping on them, who cares if they look like a tangled bird's nest behind the rack.

My uncle was a carpenter and he used to say the same thing about sandpaper. He'd go on this whole rant about how cheap sandpaper just clogs up and leaves scratches you gotta sand out later. So I get where your aunt is coming from. It's like she's been doing this long enough to know exactly what tool makes the job easier and she's just trying to save you some frustration.

Bill's right, buttering ends saves you from cold joints down the road, you'll thank him later.

Honestly, 'prepay' sounds like you're fronting the whole bill, not just your share.