Am I the only one who thinks air fryer liners are a waste of money?

I tried those perforated parchment liners last week and my chicken thighs came out soggy on the bottom. Spent $8 on a pack of 50 at the grocery store near my shop, and the first one caught fire when the fan blew it up into the heating element. I just go back to spraying the basket with cooking spray and scrubbing it out after. Has anyone else had bad luck with those things?

I finally caught my mortar mixing mistake after 8 years on the trowel

Always mixed my mortar wetter than most guys because I thought it laid easier. Then I did a retaining wall job for a guy named Jim in Lancaster and he pointed out my joints were sinking after 20 minutes. He made me mix it stiff and I realized I'd been hiding bad technique with wet mud the whole time. Any of you guys ever get called out on a habit you swore was right?

Remember when people actually mailed checks? I miss those days.

Last week I got an email from a guy who owed me $450 for a job I did back in October 2021. He said he "just found the invoice" under his truck seat lol. Three years ago I swear clients would send a check within two weeks or call you to pay over the phone. Now it's all excuses and ghosting until I send three reminders. I had a lady last month pay me in crumpled twenties because her card was "maxed out" apparently. Has anyone else noticed folks just got worse about paying since like 2020?

Lost $140 on a self-inflating pad that died after 3 trips

Bought one of those fancy self-inflating sleeping pads for $140 and by the third night out it wouldn't hold air past midnight. Woke up on the ground in 45 degree weather. Anyone else swear off those things and just stick with foam pads?

That HVAC guy on Reddit said my filter was fine - 2 months later my coil froze solid

Someone in this sub told me to just vacuum my washable filter instead of replacing it, said a $15 filter was a waste. I listened because they had like 50 upvotes and seemed legit. Then my AC stopped blowing cold in July and the tech said my evaporator coil was a block of ice because airflow was choked. Cost me $180 for the service call plus a $40 filter. Has anyone else gotten bad advice here that ended up costing them real money?

That hostel in Barcelona broke me on laundry fees

I stayed at this place near Las Ramblas last summer, like a 12-bed dorm for 18 euros a night. Sounds great right? Well they charged 5 euros just to use their washing machine, and the dryer was another 4. I figured I'd just hand wash stuff in the sink like I always do, but the sink had no plug and the water was barely warm. After three days I had a pile of damp socks hanging off my bunk bed, and the guy next to me complained about the smell. Now I bring a portable clothesline and a little travel detergent pack everywhere. Anyone else run into ridiculous add-on fees at hostels that totally blew your budget?.

Spent 90 minutes on hold with a payment processor over a $78 fee

My invoicing platform charged me a $78 late fee for a payment that cleared on time. Called their support line and got bounced between three departments before someone found the glitch. The guy on the phone admitted their system tags payments wrong when the invoice number has a dash in it. Has anyone else dealt with automated billing systems charging fees for their own mistakes?

Shoutout to picking plywood over MDF for my garage shelves

I spent like 3 days going back and forth on this. MDF was cheaper at $32 a sheet but I knew it would sag over time with heavy bins. Went with 3/4 inch plywood at $48 a sheet instead. Built all 4 shelves last weekend in my garage in Nashville and honestly they feel rock solid. I can stack all my paint cans and tools without worrying. Has anyone else dealt with this choice and regretted one?

My cordless angle grinder gave up the ghost on a Friday afternoon job

I was cutting some old bolts off a steel frame in a garage in Boise, and the motor just quit with a pop and a bit of smoke. I had to run to the rental place and grab a corded one to finish, which set me back about forty bucks. What's a good brand for a tough cordless grinder that can handle a full day of cutting?

Ngl, I just threw out $45 worth of sauerkraut because I tried a 'no salt' recipe I saw online