Had the exact same thing happen with my neighbor who's been building wheels since before I was born. He swore by his Phil Wood cup and cone stuff and thought sealed bearings were garbage. I finally got him to try one of those cheap spin tests on a new set of Industry Nine hubs I had lying around and he couldn't believe how quiet they were. After that he let me put a set of hydraulic disc brakes on his old hardtail just for the front wheel. Now he still rebuilds his own hubs for his vintage bikes but he admits the new stuff has its place for sure. Little wins matter more than trying to change everything at once.

Pre-existing issue" - that's their favorite. My buddy's water heater went out and they claimed the rust on the tank meant it was old damage, not a sudden failure. He ended up paying twice what a new one would have cost.

Practice dry firing at home to build muscle memory, @the_anthony, it fixes that panic freeze before you even hit the range.

A slow cooker for eight bucks sounds like a deal, but those old ones often have hot spots that burn food or a loose lid that steams up your whole kitchen. Batch cooking beans might save a few dollars, but it locks you into eating the same thing all week until you're sick of it and end up tossing half. The real savings come from knowing how to shop sales and plan around what's already in your fridge rather than chasing cheap gadgets that take up counter space.

My dad used to do that with a crockpot and it always came out great but then he forgot to plug it in once and we had to order pizza. @piper175 rice cookers definitely have that same set it and forget it magic.