Serious question - how long is too long for a project that should have been simple?

I spent 14 weekends trying to fix a drainage issue in my backyard that a landscaper quoted me $800 for, and after all that digging and piping I'm wondering if the time I saved was really worth the hassle or if I should have just paid him from the start - what's the longest you've dragged out a simple fix before giving in?

Overheard a guy at the hardware store call air fryer chicken 'cheat code food'

He was buying a new basket and said it's the only way he gets his kids to eat protein now. Anyone have a go-to recipe for chicken that isn't just nuggets?

Just picked the $3 bag of lentils over the $8 pre-made soup

Turns out, with some onion and spices from the pantry, I made enough for four lunches. Anyone have other cheap pantry meals that feel fancy?

We used to map sites by hand, now we just fly a drone over them.

I spent a week sketching a dig in Crete last year, but this spring we got a quadcopter. It mapped the whole area in an hour. Anyone else feel like the old ways are getting lost too fast?

My boss just sent me a 'performance review' that's literally just a list of times I was 2 minutes late

I mean, I clocked in at 9:02 maybe three times in the last six months because of train delays, and now it's my entire annual review with a note saying I 'lack commitment'. How is anyone supposed to take feedback seriously when it's this petty? Has anyone else's manager ever focused on something this tiny instead of actual work?

My neighbor told me to use apple cider vinegar in the water for my chicks, and I'm so glad I listened.

I finally had to choose between a $150 control board or a $5 thermal fuse for a dryer that wouldn't heat

Went with the fuse, obviously, and the customer's face when it started working was priceless, like I'd performed magic lol. Anyone else have a story about a cheap fix saving the day?

The choice between a big raise and a better schedule

About five years ago, my old dental office in Phoenix offered me a $4 an hour raise to stay, but it meant keeping my crazy weekend shifts. I took a job across town for the same pay I was already making, just to get a normal Monday through Friday. It was tight for a bit, but having my weekends back for my kid's soccer games was worth every penny. Anyone else ever pick time over money and not regret it?

My homemade paste was clumping until I changed the water temperature.

I found that using lukewarm water instead of cold makes the paste smooth and easy to spread.