Is it really that big of a deal?

Wait did you try spraying the big gaps full of foam first? That's where people mess up. Foam board with canned foam for the edges is the only way to go for rim joists. I did my whole house that way last fall and it took one afternoon. The key is cutting the board just a bit small so you can squirt the canned foam around the perimeter. That seals it tight and you don't waste product. Plus if you ever need to get back in there for wiring or whatever you can just pull the board out and cut the foam. Spray foam in a can is great for tiny gaps but not for filling whole sections. That combo you used is what most pros do around here.

Man, that's a great story! It reminds me of something that happened to a buddy of mine. He was always bragging about his credit card rewards and how he was getting free flights left and right. Anyway, he went into his local bank to open a savings account for his kid, and the teller just casually asked him what card he used for his everyday spending. My buddy told him, and the teller shook his head and said, "You're losing money on that thing." He pulled up a calculator and showed him that after the annual fee and the way the points devalued, a simple 2% cash back card would net him way more. My buddy switched that week, and now he's always telling people the same thing. It's wild how a random person behind a counter can change your whole way of thinking about money.

I get the appeal of a cheap laser level, but I've found they can be more trouble than they're worth for anything over six feet. The $30 ones I've tried tend to drift if you bump the tripod or the batteries are low, and they don't always project a visible line in a bright room. For hanging curtain rods, a good 4-foot spirit level has never let me down, and it doesn't need calibration or fresh batteries. A cheap laser can give a false sense of precision when you really need something solid and reliable. So I stick with the long level for those big jobs.

Two Thanksgivings ago my cousin swapped her famous chocolate pie recipe for a "healthier" version with avocado as the secret ingredient. She got roasted so bad she brought the original ingredients as a peace offering last year. Sometimes the crowd just wants the exact same thing they've always had and that's okay.