Last quarter I started asking for a third upfront for longer projects. It totally changed how clients show up to meetings, like they're more bought in from day one. Does it help them take the timeline seriously too?

You say skipped grocery trips are valuable, but that only works if you already have a big freezer and hours to spend on a weekend. For a lot of us, jarred sauce is the difference between a home-cooked meal and ordering takeout again, which is a win on a crazy week. That convenience has its own real cost savings when you factor in time and energy.

My friend's dad still uses his lumpy old brush, and she says fixing his streaks is their weird bonding time, which @janar63 might understand.

Glad you found that trick, and @jaken28 nailed it with the salt advice.