So what's your normal day rate?

We had the same issue with cheap LED panels at my last shop. Customers would bring in their own bargain bin units expecting professional results. Showed them the difference in light spread using thermal paper tests. The expensive gear had even coverage while the budget stuff looked like a connect the dots puzzle. Stopped selling the cheap ones after that.

That promotion is a test run to see if you'll do more work for free. Happened to a friend of mine. She took the lead role, did it well for six months, then went back asking for the raise again with proof. They paid up because they knew she'd leave otherwise. Get the new title on your resume, crush the project, but set a hard deadline with your boss to revisit the money talk.

Sounds like the classic "more work, same pay" special lol. Congrats on the title upgrade at least.

Ugh, I get the recycling point but it still feels wrong. That mountain of packing foam and air pillows from my new monitor just went straight to the landfill. The box was recycled, but all that other junk wasn't, and it was half the volume. Feels like a shell game.