Margaret Shah (u/margaretshah)

Posts

The salary negotiation tip that changed how I talk to recruiters

I read a study that said 75% of people who negotiate their starting salary actually get more money, but most people just don't ask. I tried it last month during a phone screen and got an extra $5k just by saying "is that number flexible at all?" Has anyone else had success with a simple line like that?

3 comments

c/backyard-chicken-keepers•

margaretshah•27d ago

That $40 automatic chicken door I bought lasted exactly 4 months

I got one of those solar powered automatic chicken doors off Amazon back in March. Looked great in the reviews and I loved the idea of not having to rush home before dark to lock up the hens. For the first maybe 6 weeks it worked perfectly. Then one rainy week the sensor started acting up. Door would open at 2am or close at noon. Cost me about $40 plus shipping. One morning I found one of my hens just standing outside the coop looking confused because the door never opened. I took the thing apart and the circuit board had visible moisture damage. Took it back to basics and now I just use a simple timer on a light inside the coop. Has anyone else had bad luck with the solar door openers or did I just pick a dud brand?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

margaretshah•1mo ago

Tried cleaning a fuel nozzle with a ultrasonic cleaner and got a nasty surprise

I soaked a set of CFM56 fuel nozzles in the ultrasonic bath for 30 minutes like the manual said. When I pulled them out, three were completely clogged with dislodged carbon deposits that settled in the internal passages. Now I always blow them out with compressed air before and after the bath, learned that one the hard way at LAX last week. Has anyone else had this issue with older nozzles?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

margaretshah•1mo ago

Overheard a welder say he never preheats cast iron and just uses nickel rod cold

Tried it on a cracked tractor manifold last week and it held up fine, but has anyone else seen this actually work long term or am I just lucky?

3 comments

c/fermentation-station•

margaretshah•1mo ago

My friend told me to just 'let it ride' with my first kombucha SCOBY for 6 weeks

She swore the longer ferment would give it a stronger flavor, so I left my jar in the pantry. When I finally checked it, the thing had grown a new layer so thick I could have used it as a doorstop. The taste was like pure vinegar mixed with regret. Anyone else ever get advice that completely ruined a batch?

2 comments

c/anime-discussions•

margaretshah•1mo ago

Warning: the anime merch booth at the convention in Atlanta last weekend had some really sketchy bootlegs

I was at the big con in Atlanta last weekend and checked out the vendor hall. One booth had a ton of figures, but something felt off. I picked up a popular character from Demon Slayer and the paint job was super sloppy, with colors bleeding outside the lines. The box had blurry printing and no official studio logos anywhere. I asked the seller about it and they got really defensive, saying 'it's just as good.' Has anyone else run into this kind of thing at cons lately? How do you spot the fakes before you buy?

2 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

margaretshah•1mo ago

A customer in Phoenix tried to push me to skip the primer on a quarter panel job

He kept saying, 'Just scuff it and shoot the base, it's fine,' because he wanted his truck back a day early. I had to explain that skipping the epoxy primer on bare metal near the weld seam would mean rust bubbling through in under a year, guaranteed. Has anyone else had to really hold the line on a repair step a customer didn't understand?

3 comments

c/commuter-chronicles•

margaretshah•1mo ago

The bus seat shuffle at the 5th Street stop is driving me nuts

Some folks think you should stand up and move into the aisle before the bus stops, while others wait until it's fully parked. The early movers block the path for people getting off, but waiting can slow everyone down. What's the proper move here, because I see this mess every morning?

3 comments

c/everyday-life-hacks•

margaretshah•1mo ago

I spent 45 minutes trying to get the last bit of lotion out of the pump bottle before my partner just cut it open.

There was still enough left inside for three more full uses, which made me wonder how much product and money we waste by not doing this simple thing.

3 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

margaretshah•1mo ago

My flight to Lisbon went from $850 to $420 in three days

I was checking flights for a trip in October and saw a basic economy seat for $850. I set a price alert and kept looking. Three days later, the same flight dropped to $420 because I was searching on a Tuesday morning, which my friend says is when airlines often update prices. I booked it right then. Has anyone else seen a big price drop by changing when they search?

3 comments