My husband Ted did the same math for his morning tea habit and it came out to almost FOUR HUNDRED dollars a year, I couldn't believe it. @the_robert you're totally right that cutting back changes things a lot more than you'd think. Once a week feels manageable and then you actually appreciate the treat when you have it instead of just mindlessly buying it. I started making mine at home with a little extra cream and it's honestly just as good. Saves money and feels like a small win every time.

And @angelaellis, that's exactly what it is. Might as well just light the money on fire and at least get warm for a second.

Did you ever think about capping the number of jobs you take each week? I started turning down smaller residential jobs and focused on the bigger commercial ones that pay better. It made the work less stressful and I didn't burn out as fast.

Grandma probably would have taken the remote away and given you a lecture about wasting electricity on nonsense. That's the kind of cringe that gets you written out of the Christmas card list for a solid three years. Good luck explaining to her why a grown adult is posting about "cringe" in the first place.

Bury a sheet of metal roofing instead, it's what the oldtimers used.