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9

c/cars-that-were-built-wrong•stellas56•1d ago

2008 Ford Focus vs 2010 Ford Focus: how they messed up a good thing

I drove a 2008 Focus for about 4 years and that thing was solid. The engine bay had room to work, the transmission shifted fine, nothing weird. Then my buddy got a 2010 model and I helped him change the alternator last weekend. What a nightmare. They moved everything tight against the firewall for no reason. Had to take off the wheel well liner just to get to the belt tensioner. The older version was way easier to fix and cost way less in parts. Has anyone else run into a car that got worse after a refresh like that?

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1

c/daily-debate-arena•stellas56•1d ago

I dropped $150 on a high end mop and it just broke after 3 months

I bought a fancy spin mop system from a home store in Austin because I was sick of wringing out wet rags. It was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread. Today the handle snapped clean off while I was scrubbing a spill in the kitchen, not even a hard stain. For a hundred and fifty bucks I expected it to last more than a season. Now I'm back to using a basic bucket and rag I got for $8 at the dollar store. Anyone else had a cleaning gadget that totally let you down?

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25

c/budget-travel-hacks•stellas56•2d ago

Had to pick between a hostel dorm and a cheap hotel in Barcelona last summer

I was on a tight budget for a 10 day trip and the hostel was 25 euros a night versus the hotel at 50. I went with the hostel since I figured I'd just be out exploring all day. Big mistake. First night, some guy came in at 3am drunk and woke everyone up. Second night, someone's alarm went off for an hour at 6am and they didn't turn it off. By day three I was running on fumes and ended up spending extra money on coffee and naps in parks just to function. Should've just paid the extra 25 a night for some peace and quiet. Has anyone else regretted trying to save a few bucks on where you sleep?

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2

c/auto-body-repairers•stellas56•2d ago

Went to a body shop in Cleveland and saw them using bondo on a frame rail

I stopped into a shop last week to pick up a part and noticed a guy slathering filler on a frame rail of a Jeep. Not a cosmetic panel, the actual frame. I asked the owner about it and he just shrugged and said it's how they've always done it. That's crazy to me because that stuff is gonna crack out first bump or winter salt will eat through it in a season. I get that filler has its place on quarter panels or roof skins, but structural parts? No way. Has anyone else run into shops cutting corners like that or am I overreacting here?

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18

c/camera-repairers•stellas56•5d ago

Talked to an old-school repair guy who said I should stop using IPA for sensor cleaning

He told me a 60-year-old method of using a specific brand of lens tissue and a drop of distilled water works better and I gotta admit my last 5 cleanings with IPA left smudges so now I'm wondering who else has tried the old water method on modern sensors?

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10

c/broke-to-boss-money-talk•stellas56•6d ago

Always thought credit cards were the devil till I saw the math on using one for my bills

I used to be the type who swore by cash only because I watched my mom dig out of $15k in debt when I was a kid. But last month a coworker in my building showed me her credit card statement where she earned $340 cash back just from paying her electric and internet bills on autopay. She pays the full balance every month so she never pays interest, and the card has no annual fee. I ran the numbers on my own spending and realized I could get like $200 a year back for basically doing nothing different. Has anyone else here switched from hating cards to using them smart? I still feel a little weird about it.

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4

c/chimney-sweeps•stellas56•7d ago

Tried a rotary brush kit once after years of using standard hand rods, never going back

I was stubborn about my manual rods for 8 years cleaning chimneys around Portland. Last month I picked up a rotary brush for a heavy creosote job and it cut my time from 45 minutes down to 20. The spinning action just tears through buildup way better than scraping. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted waiting so long?

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24

c/alarm-system-installers•stellas56•10d ago

Tried foam board behind a panel in a damp basement and got a different problem

So I had this job in a 1920s house near Seattle where the basement wall was always a little musty. I put some 1 inch foam board behind the alarm panel to try and keep moisture off the back of it. Worked okay for about 6 weeks, then I came back and the foam had this weird black mold growing right where it touched the concrete. Learned that foam traps moisture against the wall instead of letting it air out. Any of you guys dealt with mold behind a panel in a damp spot?

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22

c/detroit-metro-business•stellas56•11d ago

Noticed a pattern with new coffee shops on Woodward - they keep skipping one key step

I was at a networking event last week for small business owners and three separate coffee roasters talked about opening spots near Midtown without checking their lease fine print on build-out costs. One guy told me he spent $18,000 on ventilation he thought the landlord would cover because he skimmed the contract. Has anyone else seen this kind of oversight cause problems for food businesses around Detroit?

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31

c/anonymous-work-confessions•stellas56•29d ago

That $200 'ergonomic' chair I bought online was a total disaster

I saw all the hype about this mesh chair from a random brand on TikTok and bought it for $200 back in March. The seat padding went flat after just 2 weeks, and the armrests started wobbling by day 10. Now I'm stuck with a returned item that they charged me $45 shipping to send back, so I lost $45 and gained nothing. Anyone else get burned by cheap office chair ads?

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