Three months is a long time to put up with bad food just to save some cash. I tried that once with the store brand mac and cheese and it was like eating salty glue, completely ruined the whole point of a comfort meal. That feeling of dread before you eat is the worst part, it makes the savings feel like a punishment. You should not have to hate your meals to meet a budget goal. Maybe you could mix a few name brand things you really love back in, even if it means saving a little less. The joy of actually enjoying your food has real value too.

Oh man, that's the trick right there... I just snap a photo of the kiln controller screen after each segment and toss it in a dedicated album on my phone. Makes it easy to look back without all the writing.

Have you ever tried a knife with a different blade shape for pork? I found that a slightly curved blade, not the straight one most boning knives have, lets me follow the contours of a shoulder way better. It gets into those tight spots around the joint without having to change my grip as much. That little curve made a bigger difference for me than the brand name ever did. It's worth checking out if you ever want to try something new.