That VF-2SS mess in Dayton sounds like a nightmare.

Watch them turn three randos in a quote tweet into a national crisis every single day. They probably have a factory that just prints out "Twitter is furious" headlines for any slow news cycle.

Watched a buddy struggle with a cheap dental pick on a fragile clay seal. He finally got a proper set of fine tools and the difference was night and day. The right gear just lets you work instead of fight the material.

Burning through without noticing" is exactly the problem. Once you start tracking, you can't unsee how much you waste. It definitely makes you slow down and think.

Maybe it's just me, but the one you didn't pick always feels more magical. The lost key story probably felt like the safer bet for the contest. That mailbox idea is still hanging around because it's weird and yours. Those are the ones that usually end up being worth the trouble later on.