FPSXpert

A couple things I have to note, also as someone that used to do gun repairs and basic gunsmithing for a shop back in the day:

1. They are a bitch to clean, but the right tools can make it a lot easier. Get a boresnake, proper cleaning solvent and lube, patches and brushes, both brass and regular brush. Watch a youtube video and learn how to properly clean it. Pop out the two push pins and field strip it and cleaning it is rather easy. For the upper run boresnake through with solvent and patches until clean, then run it through again with lube. EZ.

(Also learn to clean or at least do a half-ass clean if time is a problem after every range visit, we got so many firearms that looked like they hadn't been cleaned in years and were always a real bitch to take care of. My personal favorite was someone upset that we couldn't magically restore his "5 years in a garage in Florida humidity in a duffel bag never fired or cleaned" that was rusted and pitted to hell, and that it couldn't be brought back to factory new for 30 bucks 😂)

2. I haven't personally had this happen to me, but also range use will vary wildly from combat use so I can't speak on this too much.

3. They are because aluminum is very popular for manufacturing. If taken care of properly, this won't be an issue. See above that most people don't clean and maintain theirs properly lmao

4. Skill issue. Memes aside a good quality BCG is important for this reason. More people need to learn how the parts work on their build and change out parts as necessary if they are having issues with certain parts of it.

I completely agree with everything except the bit about Bear Creek, I can't talk shit when my 300blk upper from them runs well 😂

I mean, nobody wants to admit that they ~~ate 9 cans of ravioli~~ own a BCA, but I do and it's actually been surprisingly nice.

Okay memes aside, if buying BCA/PSA tier bottom bin parts know how to inspect them and make sure that they're good quality. With any firearm purchase actually give it a good look over, clean and prep it, know how to do little things like sanding down a feed ramp with a little bit of time and sandpaper (youtube is great for this). Don't just buy something planning to just shove it in the closet and not do any sort of work or prep or testing it at the range because if you do that, it's going to be a lot worse if you need it to work and it doesn't :)

Honestly if I had to have a notoriously unreliable car, I'd pick a Delorian over this any day.

At least the Delorian can be dressed up like in BTTF.

Testing? Testing with what? The cheapest crappiest frangible 9mm they could find?

The real ballsy move is riding two wheels, where I'm going I don't need imaginary armor panels around me.

Really it's not that hard, I've started making it myself. Hardest part is getting ingredients together and following recipe for the dough. Literally just flour, a packet of yeast, water, oil, a few other common items most kitchens should already have if you cook other stuff. Then the pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni which I already buy made from the grocery store.

Check chatgpt for recipe suggestions, figure out how much dough you need and scale the recipe accordingly, make it and go. Compared to LC I'm barely breaking even though, their deal is just too good lol. But outside of that it's fun to make at home and I prefer that now over frozen pizzas.

Man I wish the frosty tag thing was a thing at mine. It is but it basically isn't. If you order online and order a physical keychain they won't give you one then try to argue about it when you ask where is my keychain I paid for it. Ask me how I know 😂

They did offer an in-app version too, but then you're stuck choosing between app coupons so you're basically either already using the $2 off a combo like I was or getting the frosty that costs about the same. So in my case it didn't save me any money :/

At least they aren't five freaking bucks like other fast food places are doing with cold treats.

Happened to me as well. Turns out they no likey if you use a VPN and will ban you for it.

There's little hacks for certain foods too if you can't cook worth much or don't want to bother to. For example I don't want to bother with cooking a chicken, so I'll go get one hot off the rotisserie chicken counter at Walmart or HEB. $6 for a whole ass chicken already hot cooked and ready to go, take it home and shred it. If it's hot the skin and legs taste good as a snack of itself while you're processing it and you can hand shred the breast / thighs / etc and save it for using in meals. It's how I make quesadillas or chicken alfredo really quickly.

It sounds silly, but when I'm on business trips I almost really like the Darden style restaurants for this reason. Think like Olive Garden, Chili's etc. Sure it isn't great food but damn is it a lot for a little. I've gotten a big ass bag of chips dipping sauce on top of burgers fries dessert for about the same as a small meal from Taco bell and a quesadilla from there. It's almost double the amount of food for the same price, and they're almost easier to deal with because they now all have online ordering. Place the order online as I'm about to leave work, go stop on the way and go pick it up, done deal and I got something for the next day too. I almost prefer takeout style restaurants like this now over "fast" food that's anything but in their drive thru line.

I'm gonna agree that cleaning sucks ass, as does the time of it.

I made do by usually having to have something stimulating my dopamine-addicted ADHD ass while I'm washing dishes. Youtube documentary video, podcast, whatever is at least 30 minutes so I can just grind thru. Upgrade the dish tools as well, I really like these ikea dish brushes so much more than a sponge because I feel like I can actually clean with it and not constantly go through sponges, and replaced the flip top dish soap with one of those squeeze bottle ones. Big secret is you can refill those with whatever you want, you don't have to buy a new one when you run out.

Yes there is still the time factor with cooking, but I like to cook enough that I can make 2-4 servings so it's more like cook once and minimal work for the reheating. Also as for the time, idk how it is in your area, but where I'm at ever since COVID drive thru and in store times suck ass now for ordering. If you're on an hour lunch break or on the way home where I'm at it always takes them 30 minutes or even longer to get my order ready from ordering to out the lot. At that point, I might as well just go home and cook the damn thing myself, that's what set it for me.

Lastly for food waste, a few things learning to change how much you make so that you "use up" the materials is helpful. Same with freezing things, turns out most things can be frozen and thawed with minimal change to the item. For example I now buy bacon in a bulk pack but split it up into bags of 4 slices, keep all in freezer except one. Now I would only have four slices going bad instead of the whole package. A few other things I do is sometimes dried herbs / seasonings in a shaker are better than fresh ones that will go bad, learn what you use less of so you buy less (like I only buy eggs in a six pack because I don't go through enough), etc.

Stick with easy meals. I really want to make a cajun red beans and rice sometime, but I looked at the list of what I need and said fuuuuck that. I've got a few easy to make items that I like to rotate through: homemade pizza, mac and cheese and hot dogs, got frozen burger patties and a george foreman, burritos with ground beef beans and canned hatch green chile, etc. I also get my groceries delivered, it helps me time and money wise because I'm not shopping in the moment and only buying what I need, and now the whole process of grocery store shopping that I hate is gone. No more traffic to the store, no parking lot spot searching, no walking around the whole store and dodging slow people stopping in the middle of the aisle to have a conversation, no bullshit line for checkout or receipt checks and packing / leaving. Now it's literally just order only what I need and it shows up at my door.

I do like the idea of "take home meals" though, sometimes that just hits the spot I get it. For me sometimes I'll do that and just get some store made chips and queso and fuck it I'm eating that while being a couch potato that night. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good enough :)

Their burgers are bomb AF, I'll admit that, but my two complains from them are 1) they're small, we're used to big Whataburgers here so I practically have to get two of them and 2) their fries, yes it's oversaid but their fries are just different and not always in a good way. Though I will say they do taste better if you get a salt packet and pour it on.

Where I'm at it's definitely very restaurant dependent. Papa Racist's (Papa John's) and Pizza Butt (Pizza Hut) I avoid like the plague because their decisions have been jack up the price and nosedive the quality. Meanwhile Little Ceasar's is doing a $6 lunch combo and most pies I get there are usually $6-10.

I get it it's Little Ceasar's, but I got one thing to say to the LC haters