Wait, fifty bucks for two people for a whole week? That's actually amazing. I need to try that lentil soup trick, my grocery bill is out of control. Victor_carter51 has the right idea with chili too, those big batch meals are total lifesavers. I just get so bored eating the same thing, but I guess being broke is more boring.

But how do you even know what a full time job pays in your field if you're brand new and have no network to ask? Those online salary tools always feel off, and job postings rarely list a real number anymore.

Finley's Supply, that's a name I haven't heard in years. I always bought the premixed stuff from the big box stores for speed. Then a buddy showed me how to mix my own from flakes, and the cost difference was a real eye-opener. A pound of dewaxed flakes from an online woodworking supplier lasts me forever now. The quality is better, and I can mix just what I need for a small touch-up job.

Is it really that big of a deal?

A plastic fork? That's even worse than @karenhenderson's leaf.