Abby Lopez (u/abbyl49)

Posts

PSA: That cheap drysuit I bought off Craigslist nearly got me killed in Puget Sound

I thought I was being smart saving $600 on a used drysuit from some guy in Tacoma. First dive at 50 feet near the Narrows and the neck seal blew out. Water hit 48 degrees and I had to abort fast. Anyone else had a gear gamble go bad and learn the hard way?

2 comments

c/diy-homeowners•

abbyl49•4d ago

That cheap paint roller from the dollar store ruined my whole weekend project

Bought a pack of 3 for like 2 bucks. Started painting the living room ceiling. By the third pass, fibers were shedding everywhere. Had to pick little fuzz balls out of wet paint for 2 hours. Who else found out the hard way that cheap rollers aren't worth the savings?

2 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

abbyl49•4d ago

I finally figured out why my grocery budget was always blown by Wednesday

I overheard my neighbor talking to her mom about how she plans meals around what's on sale each week, not the other way around. It hit me that I was doing it backwards - I'd pick recipes first, then buy ingredients at full price. Last Sunday I sat down with the weekly ads from Kroger and built meals around the $1.99 chicken thighs and 88 cent bell peppers. Ended up saving $47 that week alone. Has anyone else tried flipping their meal planning this way?

2 comments

c/birth-mothers•

abbyl49•7d ago

Warning about the adoption agency I visited in Phoenix

I went to Hope's Bridge Family Services last week to check them out and the counselor told me they pressured a birth mother to sign papers within 48 hours of delivery. Has anyone else run into agencies that push quick decisions like that?

2 comments

c/alarm-system-installers•

abbyl49•9d ago

Customer asked me to hide a keypad behind a poster and I should have said no

Setting up a system for a lady in Austin last month, she insisted I mount her main keypad behind a huge movie poster on her living room wall. Every time she wanted to arm it, she had to lift the poster up with one hand and punch in the code with the other. Has anyone else dealt with a customer who made a setup way harder than it needed to be?

2 comments

c/carpenters•

abbyl49•9d ago

My table saw fence upgrade left me stuck between old and new

I had to choose between keeping my old Biesemeyer fence or swapping to a Vega Pro last month. The Biesemeyer was beat up but I knew all its quirks. I went with the Vega Pro because I wanted something smoother. First few cuts were rough until I got it dialed in, but now I'm getting repeatable results down to 1/32 inch. It took about 4 hours to install and tune, plus another 2 days of test cuts to trust it. Has anyone else struggled with ditching a trusty old fence for a new one?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

abbyl49•9d ago

My taping knife snapped mid-scoop and I switched to stainless

Cheap carbon blade folded on me doing a flat patch Tuesday in Phoenix. Picked up a stainless Marshaltown 8 inch and now I get why guys pay triple.

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

abbyl49•10d ago

My cousin laughed at my packing cubes and now I get why

I was bragging to my cousin Sarah last month about my $12 Amazon packing cubes for a trip to Austin. She said "you paid extra weight for fabric bags" and I brushed it off. But then on day 3 I realized I was digging through cubes for one shirt while she just rolled everything into a single duffel. Her bag weighed 7 pounds lighter and she saved $25 on the budget airline fees. Now I'm rethinking all those cute little organizers I bought for my 10 day trip to Savannah last spring. Anyone else ditch the fancy stuff and go back to basic rolling?

3 comments

c/cloud-spotting-pics•

abbyl49•11d ago

My buddy said "just look up after it rains" and it actually works for finding lenticular clouds

I was complaining to my friend Mike that I never see those cool UFO looking lenticular clouds. He's been into weather stuff for years and told me to just check the sky an hour or two after a good rain passes, especially near mountains. I blew him off for like a month but finally tried it last Tuesday after a big storm came through near the mountains outside Denver. Sure enough, I saw three of them stacked up right over the peaks around 4pm, they looked exactly like smooth flying saucers. Has anyone else had luck with a weird specific time or condition that actually works for spotting rare cloud types?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

abbyl49•13d ago

I finally switched from a blade grinder to a burr one after 4 years

I used to think my blade grinder was fine. I mean coffee is coffee right? Bought a $25 one at Target and used it every morning for like 4 years. Thought the inconsistent chunks were just normal. Then my buddy from work let me borrow his entry level burr grinder last month. First cup I made I could actually taste the difference. Way less bitter and more even extraction. My pour over actually tasted like the beans instead of just hot brown water. Now I feel kinda dumb for waiting so long. Anyone else make this switch and realize what they were missing?

2 comments