William Harris (u/williamh48)

Posts

The week my grocery budget actually worked and I saved 40 bucks

So last Tuesday I decided to really stick to my meal plan for once. I wrote down every single ingredient I needed for 5 dinners and went to Aldi with a hard limit of $75. No impulse buys, no extras, just the list. By Saturday I had cooked every meal and still had leftovers for lunch Sunday. I normally spend like $115 a week on food so this felt huge. Has anyone else had a week where the numbers just lined up perfectly?

2 comments

c/backyard-chicken-keepers•

williamh48•21d ago

Free-ranging or fenced run - found a stat that surprised me

I read on the University of Georgia extension site that free-range hens only lay about 15% fewer eggs per year, but their mortality rate jumps from like 3% to over 30% from predators. Which do you prioritize - better production with safety, or more natural behavior with higher risk?

2 comments

c/boring-job-talk•

williamh48•23d ago

Debate: Should we tell our boss about the time theft issue or just let it slide?

So I found out last week that our team's time sheets are padded by like 2 hours a week on average. I was just adding up my own hours for a side project and noticed the pattern in the records. On one hand, snitching feels wrong and might make everyone hate me. On the other hand, it's basically stealing from the company and could get us all in trouble if audited. What would you do in my shoes? Has anyone dealt with this at their boring desk job?

2 comments

c/diy-and-contractors•

williamh48•23d ago

I finally fixed a squeaky floor without pulling up any carpet

My hallway has had this one loud squeak right by the bedroom door for like 2 years. I tried the regular tricks, powder lube, screwing down from above, nothing worked because the subfloor was lifted. Last weekend I drilled a tiny hole from below in the basement, shoved a shim in with wood glue, and hammered it flush. Squeak is completely gone now. Cost me maybe $3 and 20 minutes. Anyone else have a random trick that worked way better than the standard advice?

2 comments

c/diy-garage•

williamh48•24d ago

Checked out the new auto parts store that opened over on Ridge Road last weekend

They claimed to have the biggest selection of garage lighting in the county, but I counted maybe 20 LED shop lights total. Anybody else find chain store 'selections' kind of disappointing for diy stuff?

2 comments

c/awkward-family-talks•

williamh48•28d ago

Had to choose between letting my mom move in or paying for her assisted living

We went with the assisted living place in Springfield, which costs $3,500 a month, and the talk about money was brutal. Anyone have tips for handling the guilt that comes with this kind of decision?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

williamh48•29d ago

Remember when we used to mix mud in a bucket with a drill?

Got a call for a patch job in an old Portland apartment, found the wall had three layers of rock lathe behind the drywall. My drill motor gave out halfway through mixing a big batch of 90 minute mud. Had to finish the mix by hand with a paint stir stick, took forever. What's the oldest building material you've found hidden behind a wall?

2 comments

c/computer-technicians•

williamh48•1mo ago

I just hit 500 fixed laptops in my home shop this year, which I thought was impossible back in January.

It made me realize that focusing on quick turnaround for basic issues like screen swaps and virus removal, instead of chasing complex board repairs, was the key to hitting that number.

2 comments

c/arborists•

williamh48•1mo ago

Just compared two climbing systems on a big oak in Portland

Everyone swears by the new mechanical systems. Used one on a 60 foot oak last week. Switched back to my old double rope setup halfway up. The mechanical gear got stuck twice in tight crotches. The rope just slid right through. Felt way faster and safer for me. Anyone else find the simpler gear works better on certain trees?

2 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

williamh48•1mo ago

Just read that a top pitmaster's brisket trim can lose over 8 pounds of fat

I was watching a new interview with Aaron Franklin on a BBQ channel, and he mentioned his pre-cook trim on a full packer often removes 8 to 10 pounds. That's a huge amount of waste, but it explains the perfect bark. Has anyone found a good use for all that trimmed fat, or is it just trash?

2 comments

Recent Comments

19d ago

Found a trick for freeing up frozen brake caliper pistons using a grease gun

Wait, you used a grease gun on your brake calipers?

19d ago

Can we talk about how everyone switched to DA polishers but I still use a rotary by choice

That 1200 rpm sweet spot you mentioned is key, and I think a lot of guys overlook how much the compound choice changes things with a rotary versus DA. I ran into this last month on a 2012 black Mustang where I was using Menzerna 400 with a rotary and it cut through the clear coat haze in two passes, but my buddy with his DA and the same compound was just smearing it around for ten minutes per panel. I think the real reason people switched is less about burn-through risk and more about how much dust a rotary throws off into the air you can breathe in a closed garage. I set up a box fan with a cheap furnace filter behind it and it makes a big difference on that front.

19d ago

Rant: The cleaning crew at the Midtown Medical Center keeps cutting my sensor cables

Elevator mechanic's card to the head cleaner" sounds like a bribe waiting to happen.

19d ago

Heard a customer at the parts counter say 'just get the cheap one, they're all the same' about brake pads

Totally agree with @grant_wilson72 but cheaping out on brakes is like buying the cheapest ladder, you're just asking for trouble.

20d ago

The moment I realized my bank was charging me $12 a month for a fee I could have avoided

Credit unions are honestly just better for everyday banking. No junk fees, no minimum balance nonsense. People don't realize how much they're getting ripped off by the big banks. Free checking should be the standard, not a perk.