Our smart home upgrade didn't go as green as planned

We got a smart thermostat last year hoping to lower our carbon footprint, but my husband and kids keep bumping up the heat the second they feel chilly. Everyone acts like these gadgets are the perfect answer for family energy savings, but I disagree because they assume everyone will follow the program. In our house, the constant overrides mean we're using more power than with our old manual thermostat. I think sometimes simpler, agreed-upon house rules work better than fancy tech for real sustainability. It's made me question if these solutions always fit how real families actually live.

Need tips for budgeting a small bathroom renovation.

Honestly, where do I even start without blowing my savings?

Update: Chat in the groups is all about hand cramps now

Lately, I keep seeing taxidermists bring up hand and finger pain from holding tools too long. I had the same problem last month after a bunch of small mammal mounts. My thumb would lock up halfway through sewing. Started doing these simple hand stretches I found online before each session. Just opening and closing my fists for a minute helps a ton. A guy in my local club said he switches tasks more often to give his grip a break. It's weird how we focus on the animal but forget our own bodies. Now I'm way more aware of my posture and take short stretch breaks. Makes the detailed work like setting eyes way less of a pain, literally.

Just realized my local hangout spot is empty because of VR meetups

I used to meet up with friends at this arcade bar every other week, but lately, no one wants to go. They all said they'd rather log into this VR world where we can play games and talk like we're in the same room. I finally gave it a shot last weekend, and we spent hours in a virtual cabin playing cards and laughing. The weird part is, it felt just as fun as being out, but now my usual spots around town seem quieter. I think more people are choosing to connect this way instead of going out. It's a big shift from how we used to spend our free time. I wonder if this is happening in other places too. What do you guys think about VR changing how we hang out?

Cooking a roast showed me why my glass pieces crack during cooling

I was making a roast the other day and saw how the outside cooked faster than the inside. It got me thinking about how heat moves through things. In my glassblowing, I've had a lot of pieces crack after I take them off the pipe. I used to think it was just bad luck or my annealer acting up. But now I see that when I heat the glass, I might be rushing and not warming it all the way through. Like with the roast, if the heat isn't even, the stress makes it break. So I started turning my piece more slowly in the glory hole to get a uniform heat. This small change has really cut down on my cracked work, and it makes sense now.

My neighbor's dog always chases me, so I run faster now

Turns out, getting chased is my best speed training.

My box fan white noise plan woke up the whole block

I was dealing with late night garbage trucks, so I dug out my loudest fan and pointed it at the window. The hum was perfect, but the fan shook so hard it made my blinds rattle like maracas. Next thing I know, the guy downstairs is texting me asking if I'm running a generator at 2 AM. I fixed it by putting the fan on a towel, but now I just use a free sound app on my tablet.

Finally nailed my form on kitchen chair tricep dips after weeks of practice

The burn is intense but knowing I did it properly feels like a small win...

Almost made a big mistake painting over old wallpaper, glad I stopped myself

Tried to explain fabric grain to my date and it went sideways.

We were at a dinner party and I got way too into talking about how to match patterns. Now she thinks I'm obsessed with sofa cushions.

A couple on my block retired early from smart investments, and I want to learn how.

Can anyone share how to start with index funds for someone like me?

Old plant manuals show a totally different mindset on water use

I was cleaning out some old files at the plant and found a manual from the 90s. It was all about just getting the water clean enough to send out. Now, we're always looking at how to save water and energy. Back then, recycling water was seen as too expensive or not needed. I remember my boss saying, 'Why bother when we have plenty?' But with droughts and rules changing, we've had to adapt. We installed a new system that catches rain and treats it on site. It's not just about treatment anymore, it's about being smart with what we have. Makes me proud to see how far we've come.

Unpopular opinion: My constant neck ache from hunching over a laptop is ruining my work focus

I swear, every afternoon I get this sharp pain that makes it hard to think straight or finish tasks. It's gotten so bad that I'm looking up ergonomic chairs on my breaks, but my company won't pay for one. We really need to stop pretending that physical health doesn't matter for doing good work.

My stance on streaming parties flipped after a group chat talk

I always joined those organized streams to help songs chart faster, thinking it was harmless support. Then a friend pointed out how it messes with real listener data and can hurt smaller groups. Seeing charts get skewed by bots and fan armies made me feel icky about the whole thing. Now I just listen normally and let the music speak for itself.

Just realized my fridge has a thing for interrupting video calls

I was presenting to my boss when the fridge beeped so loud it echoed. He asked if I had a timer set for pizza. I had to admit it was just my kitchen appliance saying hi. Now I unplug the fridge before important meetings. (Well, not really, but I did learn to mute my mic faster.)