Tried a new way to set my rates and it backfired hard

I read about value based pricing and thought I'd try it with a new project last month. Instead of my usual hourly rate, I gave a flat quote of $2,500 based on the results I thought the client would get. They came back and said they could get the same work done for $800 from someone else. I lost the job and felt like an idiot. I learned that you can't just jump into that style without building up the trust and proof first. Has anyone else tried switching their pricing model and had it go wrong? How did you fix it?

Found a weird fix for random laptop shutdowns on a Dell G5

I had this Dell G5 5590 in the shop last week that would just cut off after about 20 minutes, no blue screen, just dead. Customer said it was getting hot, so I repasted the CPU and GPU with Arctic MX-6, but it did the same thing. I was about to order a new motherboard. Then I checked the event viewer and saw a bunch of Kernel-Power 41 errors, which usually points to power. On a hunch, I pulled the battery and ran it on just the AC adapter for a full day. Zero shutdowns. Put the battery back in, and it died in half an hour. The battery was swelling just enough to mess with the system board when it heated up, but not enough to be super obvious. Replaced the battery for $90 and it's been solid for three days now. Has anyone else seen a failing battery cause hard shutdowns without any other signs on these models?

Serious question, is a 'digital nomad visa' actually worth the hassle?

I spent the last 4 months trying to get one for Portugal. The paperwork was crazy, needing things like a year of bank statements and a notarized rental contract. I finally got it, but then I realized my health insurance from back home didn't fully cover me there. So now I'm paying for two plans. I saved on taxes, but the extra insurance cost eats most of that up. Has anyone else done the math on this and found it actually works out, or is it more trouble than it's worth for most people?

Started a show with a huge cast and got totally lost for a week

I decided to watch a political drama with like twenty main characters. I kept mixing up who was who and what side they were on. I had to keep going back to episode one to check the opening credits, which added a whole extra week to my binge. Has anyone else had a show that needed a spreadsheet to follow?

Warning: Saw a really bad panel install at a new build in Springfield

I was out there last week for a quote and the main panel was just screwed into drywall with no backer board, hanging loose. The wires were pulled so tight they were pulling the whole thing forward. Has anyone else run into this kind of hack job lately?

Cleaned out my old work boot and found a 3-year-old time card from my first week pouring iron

I was getting ready to toss these beat up boots, the ones I wore when I started at the old Mid-State foundry. Shook one out and a crumpled, heat-warped time card fell on the floor. It was from my first full week on the floor, three years back this month. The total hours shocked me: 72. I just stared at it. I remember that week, being so tired I fell asleep in my truck before driving home. But looking at it now, that number isn't just hours. It's the week I stopped being scared of the furnace roar and started to hear the rhythm in it. That card is from when this job stopped being just a job for me. Has anyone else kept a weird little thing that takes you right back to when you were new?

Appreciation post: That $500 laser level I bought for a kitchen remodel in Phoenix

I always thought they were a waste of money until I had to tile a huge backsplash with a tricky window. The laser level cut my layout time from half a day to about an hour and the lines were perfect. Anyone have a good brand for a cheaper one for smaller jobs?

Had a guy come in for a shape-up and his clipper guard snapped mid-fade

It was a busy Saturday at my shop in Dayton, and I was using my Wahl Seniors on a client. The plastic clip on the #1 guard just broke off, leaving a jagged edge. I had to finish the cut by hand with my trimmers, which took way longer. What's the most reliable guard brand you've found for heavy daily use?

Just saw a tech at our shop use a metal spudger to pry a laptop bezel and I cringed.

He was working on a Dell Latitude 5520 and I heard that awful plastic cracking sound from across the room. I've found that a nylon spudger, warmed up a bit with a heat gun on low, pops those clips without leaving a mark. What's your go-to method for stubborn plastic clips on business-class laptops?

I used to think a handshake deal was enough for small jobs, but a client in Phoenix ghosted me on a $2,500 bathroom tile job last month.