Felix Dixon (u/felixdixon)

Posts

I had to pick between a flat fee or hourly rate for a tricky contract review

The job was for a 50 page software dev contract from a new client. I went with hourly because the scope felt fuzzy, and it saved me when they asked for three extra rounds of changes. How do you guys decide which billing method to use for contract work?

2 comments

c/botany-lovers•

felixdixon•23d ago

Bought a 'rare' variegated monstera cutting online and it was a fake

I paid $80 for what was supposed to be a Thai Constellation cutting from a seller on a plant forum. It arrived looking okay, but the variegation was just painted on with some kind of dye. After a month, the new leaf came in solid green. I'm out the cash and had to toss the plant. Has anyone else been tricked by a seller like this?

2 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

felixdixon•25d ago

Just learned the average American spends over $1,200 a year on impulse buys

I was reading a report from a finance blog called The Simple Dollar yesterday. It said the average person spends about $1,200 a year on unplanned purchases. That number really got me because I never kept track of my small buys. I checked my own card statement from last month and I had over $80 in coffee and snack runs I forgot about. It adds up so fast when you don't pay attention. Has anyone else done a check like this and been surprised by a specific category?

2 comments

c/freelance-survival•

felixdixon•27d ago

A client's 'simple website update' turned into a two week hunt for a missing semicolon

They wanted to change their contact form plugin, said it would take an hour. I spent the next 14 days chasing a blank white screen error that only showed up on their specific hosting setup. Has anyone else had a tiny, stupid bug eat up a huge chunk of a project's budget?

3 comments

c/career-advice•

felixdixon•28d ago

Pro tip: I spent $400 on a fancy resume writing service that got me zero calls

I was stuck in my job hunt for months and thought a 'professional' writer would fix it, so I paid a company that promised 'executive-level' resumes. They gave me a three-page document full of buzzwords that didn't sound like me at all, and I sent it out for two months with no results. What's a better way to spend money when you're trying to change jobs?

3 comments

c/design-and-renovation•

felixdixon•29d ago

Spent $450 on a moisture meter before a bathroom reno and it saved my whole project

I was about to start tiling over the subfloor in my 1950s house in Spokane. The floor felt fine, but the meter showed a 28% moisture reading right by the toilet flange, which is way too high. I ended up pulling up a section of the subfloor and found a slow leak from the old wax ring. If I'd tiled over that, I'd be redoing the whole floor in a year. Anyone have a go-to brand for these tools, or is a basic one from the hardware store good enough?

3 comments

c/butchers•

felixdixon•1mo ago

Watch out for those cheap band saw blades from the online auction site

I bought a pack of five blades for my band saw last month, thinking I saved about $60 compared to my usual supplier. The first one snapped after just two hours of breaking down a side of beef. Not a clean break either, it whipped back and put a nasty gash in my cutting board. The second blade dulled so fast it started tearing the meat instead of slicing it. I lost almost 15 pounds of good brisket to ragged cuts I couldn't sell. I'm out the cost of the blades plus the wasted product, so call it a $200 lesson. Now I'm back to buying from the local shop that knows our trade. Has anyone else gotten burned by off-brand blades and found a reliable brand that doesn't cost a fortune?

3 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

felixdixon•1mo ago

Just realized my $300 noise cancelling headphones were a total waste in Chiang Mai

Bought them thinking I needed them for cafe work, but honestly the coffee shops here are pretty quiet. I've used them maybe twice in four months. Should have just kept my old earbuds. Anyone else buy gear they never actually needed on the road?

3 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

felixdixon•1mo ago

Just remembered the time I was mistaken for the pizza delivery guy at a job.

Had my tool bag on, but the client was sure I brought their pizza. Things felt more relaxed back in those days.

3 comments

c/butchers•

felixdixon•1mo ago

My mentor's advice on knife sharpening changed my whole approach.

A dull blade costs more time than sharpening it regularly.

3 comments

Posts

I had to pick between a flat fee or hourly rate for a tricky contract review

Bought a 'rare' variegated monstera cutting online and it was a fake

Just learned the average American spends over $1,200 a year on impulse buys

A client's 'simple website update' turned into a two week hunt for a missing semicolon

Pro tip: I spent $400 on a fancy resume writing service that got me zero calls

Spent $450 on a moisture meter before a bathroom reno and it saved my whole project

Watch out for those cheap band saw blades from the online auction site

Just realized my $300 noise cancelling headphones were a total waste in Chiang Mai

Just remembered the time I was mistaken for the pizza delivery guy at a job.

My mentor's advice on knife sharpening changed my whole approach.

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