Ran a service van for years with a mix of good and cheap tools. The meter's safety rating matters more than its price for not getting shocked. I'd trust a known cheap meter over an expensive one with a cracked case any day.

That's the classic over-love kill. Seen it happen with ferns so many times. The soil needs to dry out a bit between waterings, even for humidity lovers. A moisture meter saved me from doing the same thing.

My last DIY project looked like a kindergartner with a crayon.

Get why you like the old ads and stuff, but paying over three times the price for the same story seems wild to me.